Chapter 21 –
Hiccup watched listlessly as Drago flew away from them on Toothless, leading the charge towards Berk as his men left on the ground scrambled to ready what ships remained so they could follow their leader's orders. None of the soldiers bothered with the dragon-less Vikings as they watched Drago's men board the few ships still able to sail and heave up their anchors so they could catch up with their leader. Though Snotlout, Hookfang, and the dragons who'd joined them in attacking the ships had done an admirable job, there were still a dozen or so ships they hadn't gotten to and another half dozen that weren't damaged enough for Drago's men to abandon them. They watched as the dragons led by Drago and his Alpha and the ships that followed them faded out of sight, leaving them on a destroyed island with only each other, the carcasses and corpses of dead dragons and soldiers, and the downed Alpha as their only company.
"What do we do, Chief?" Fishlegs was the one to break the silence. His voice was rough and raw as though he was fighting against tears but no one, not even Snotlout, teased him for it.
Stoick was silent for a few moments as he took in the group with him. All of the young adults with him had a tear streak or two on their faces at the loss of their dragons and Hiccup was still watching the horizon with a blank expression that twisted Stoick's heart. Valka and Gobber were ready to follow any order given to them but there was a haunting look of defeat in both their eyes that told Stoick they had no clue what options they had available to them right now. Eret was standing a small distance away from the group, obviously unsure of his standing with them. Stoick couldn't blame him. In the space of a few hours, the non-Berkian had gone from trying to steal their dragons for Drago to helping them fight against the merciless man. The Chief of Berk took them all in before his eyes swept the battlefield, trying to find something to help him figure out the orders he should be given.
His eyes landed on the unconscious Alpha and the small figure that was Jack, who was still standing near the massive dragon with his hands raised towards it. Stoick didn't know for sure what the winter spirit was doing but he had a good idea of what it could be. "What we need to do is check on Jack first and see how Val's Alpha is going," Stoick told the group before moving forward, ignoring his aching head and muscles caused by the explosion Jack and Toothless had caused.
Stoick saw Valka gently grasp Hiccup's hand to start leading him towards the winter spirit but he didn't comment on it. He knew how close Hiccup was with Toothless. He'd bet that even Drago had noticed how tightly bonded they were during the few minutes Hiccup had spent trying to get Drago to change his mind about dragons so for Hiccup to lose Toothless like he did had to be hurting his son something fierce. Though Toothless wasn't dead, Stoick knew his son was grieving for his dragon in much the same way he had grieved for Valka when she was taken from them twenty years ago. If anyone could understand what it felt like to have part of their family taken from them, Valka and Stoick could and the chief was content to let his wife try and comfort Hiccup while he focused on leading the others towards where Jack was still standing.
"So, uh, are you really Hiccup's mum?" Stoick heard Tuffnut ask and glanced back to see the male twin eyeing Valka with a mixture of wariness and curiousity.
"Yes, I am," Valka confirmed as she walked with Hiccup in the direction everyone was going. Hiccup was no longer blank but instead now had a determined expression in his eyes. Astrid was watching Hiccup with concern while the other dragon riders seemed to be more interested in Valka.
"But you're dead," Tuffnut told her. "Everyone back on Berk has all told the story of seeing you being carried away by a big dragon and Stoick said you were eaten by it," he said. "How can you be her if you're dead?" he asked, sounding thoroughly confused by the whole situation.
"Cloudjumper thought I belonged here in the Alpha's home so he took me from Berk," Valka said simply. "I was never in any danger from any of the dragons," she added. "I've lived here for the last twenty years under the Alpha's protection and rescuing every dragon Cloudjumper and I found," she told them.
Stoick didn't interrupt the conversation to tell the twins to leave his wife alone since he knew it would do no good to do so. He gave Valka an apologetic look as they started climbing the rocks that still separated them from the light Alpha and Jack. Valka gave him a warm smile that told him that she didn't mind answering their questions and he could only hope she continued feeling that way after several increasingly personal and probing questions were asked of her. Stoick glanced over to his son and saw that the determined expression was still in place and that his green eyes blazed with a fire that had Stoick feeling no small amount of relief. It seemed as though Hiccup was over his shock and was now actively trying to figure out ways they could get to Berk and save their village and dragons from Drago. Pride flooded Stoick's system as he crested the final rock and start downwards, heading for Jack, as he waited for Hiccup to tell them all his plan.
Hiccup hadn't even realised he'd been staring out over the ocean in the same direction Drago had forced Toothless in once he'd gotten his dragon into the air. He hadn't been completely with it after Toothless' plasma blast had been hit with something that looked suspiciously like one of Jack's ice lightning bolts, knocking him and his father into the ice and dazing them so he hadn't seen Drago take Toothless until he'd heard the man's shouted orders to his men. When he'd looked up, dodging his mother's reaching hand as she tried to inspect the cut on his temple, and saw Toothless with Drago on his back, anger had filled him and before he even realised what he was doing, Hiccup had launched to his feet only to nearly topple over, saved from doing so by his mother. Valka had held him back, not wanting Hiccup to be killed by Drago in a hopeless attempt to get Toothless back and Hiccup had watched helplessly as Drago had forced his Alpha and Toothless to start leading the dragons to Berk.
His mother had broken him out of his trance-like state by gently grabbing his hand and that's when he noticed his father was having them move somewhere. Looking in the direction they were going, Hiccup spotted Jack standing near the light Alpha, hands raised as he continued helping the Alpha. A wave of guilt rolled through Hiccup as he realised he hadn't spared his injured friend a thought since Drago had forced the dark Alpha to take control of Toothless. But the guilt was pushed aside as they continued walking in favour of Hiccup trying to come up with some kind of strategy to get Toothless and the other dragons back. He ignored the questions his mother was being asked by the others and he forced himself to ignore the dead dragons and soldiers that littered the area they were in. Part of him wanted to check on every dragon to make sure they were dead but he knew in his heart that they had to have been. The dark Alpha had ordered all the dragons to follow it and if any of these dragons still lived, they would've been trying to take flight in order to follow their Alpha's command. At the very least, they would've been making some kind of noise and there was nothing but the sounds they were making and the ocean lapping at the shoreline to be heard.
As they approached the light Alpha and Jack, Hiccup noticed that the Alpha's eyes were open, though only a little. Judging from the shaky sigh of relief she gave, Hiccup knew Valka had noticed as well. Stoick led them around the Alpha, giving him a bit of a berth as they came up to where Jack was still standing with his hands palms-out towards the Alpha. A sudden thought struck Hiccup but before he could act on it, Stoick was addressing the other dragon riders and Eret. "Go and search the area for supplies and anything we need to tend to any injuries that have been suffered," he ordered.
There were a couple of groans but everyone scattered to do as they were asked, heading back down to the battlefield to search the corpses and area. Valka had moved when they did but not so she could join them. Instead, she approached Jack and Hiccup noticed that her eyes quickly filled with concern and worry as she took in Jack's face. "Can I do anything to help?" she asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder before Hiccup could stop her.
Jack flinched under her touch but didn't make her remove her hand. "He's got some smaller injuries that I can't heal for him right now. Maybe you can clean them out so they don't get infected?" Jack suggested. The exhaustion in his rough voice had Hiccup twitching and heading for his friend as his mother nodded.
"I'll use the snow around here to do so," Valka told Jack, though she glanced at Hiccup as she spoke so her son would know where she would be.
Jack gave a nod and Valka moved away as Hiccup got to Jack's side. Stoick and Gobber were talking to one another quietly, with Gobber gesturing to the abandoned and damaged ships and Stoick shaking his head but Hiccup paid them no mind as he took in Jack's haggard appearance. Any thoughts Hiccup had of asking Jack to fly him back to Berk with the aid of the wind immediately vanished upon seeing his friend. It was blatantly obvious that the spirit was exhausting himself to the point where he should be unconscious but was likely only awake out of sheer stubbornness. He hadn't moved out of his stance even with their arrival and Hiccup winced when he noticed that how Jack was holding his arm up would likely be aggravating his burns.
"I'm fine," Jack said, startling Hiccup enough that he actually jumped a little, causing a smirk to form on Jack's lips that fell almost immediately. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop the dark Alpha," he apologised, guilt lacing his tone and shining in his exhausted eyes. "I was so focused on healing the light Alpha that I didn't notice what was going on until the dark Alpha asked me to stop Toothless from hurting you. Once I had, I came back to him," Jack nodded to the light Alpha, "and started healing him again. I didn't even think about what Drago would do until I heard him shouting for his soldiers to get to their ships and head for Berk. By that time, I just didn't have the energy spare to try and get control of the Alpha," Jack explained, looking thoroughly apologetic, guilty, and like he was bracing himself for Hiccup's reaction.
Hiccup shook his head at Jack. "Don't apologise," Hiccup told him, grasping Jack's uninjured arm so he could squeeze it comfortingly. "It's not your fault and I know that if you could've done something, you would've," he said, eyes honest. "Thank you for saving Dad and me, by the way. I thought it was you who intercepted Toothless' plasma blast but I couldn't be certain since I didn't actually see you," Hiccup explained.
"You don't have to thank me," Jack told him, giving him a small smile as he shifted his right arm. "I owed you one anyways," he said with a small chuckle. The momentary lightness that could be felt between them disappeared almost immediately though as the situation hit them once more. "What is your plan?" Jack asked the dragon rider.
Hiccup shrugged. His only plan had been asking Jack to get him to Berk but he couldn't ask that now. Jack would absolutely help him out, his exhaustion be damned, but Hiccup knew there would be no way they'd make it even a quarter of the way back to Berk, let alone the whole way to the island. "Nothing yet. I think Dad wants to get everyone together with everything they find to see what our options are so he can come up with a plan," Hiccup told him.
"Makes sense," Jack said, gasping a little as his body tried to cut off the flow of power and he fought to keep it going since the Alpha wasn't healed yet.
Hiccup eyed Jack with concern. "Can't you stop yet? He's awake," Hiccup pointed out, looking up at the giant face of the Alpha who was looking down at them, having lifted his head to see what they were doing.
Jack shook his head, glancing up at the Alpha before he looked over to check on Valka, who was still using the clean snow and the cleanest cloth she had to clean out the minor injuries the Alpha had suffered during the fight. "He's not healed enough for me to stop yet," Jack told Hiccup, his voice telling him that there was nothing Hiccup could do or say that would convince Jack to stop.
Jack's tone didn't mean that Hiccup was going to try but he was interrupted by the other dragon riders and Eret came back from following Stoick's orders. Most of them had come back empty handed but both Fishlegs and Snotlout had uncovered some rations the soldiers had on one of the ships that had beached itself on the shoreline while Astrid and Eret were carrying some bandages and clean water to be used to wash out any injuries they'd suffered. "Good job," Stoick praised as he took everything in. "Split up the rations between everyone and deal with any injury you need to that can't wait until we get back to Berk," he instructed.
The twins immediately moved for the rations only to stop when Astrid got to them first. As she started going through the dried meat and bread, Fishlegs repeated his earlier question. "What are we going to do now, Chief?" he asked, wringing his hands nervously.
Hiccup saw Jack glance at them but the spirit's focus was quickly back on the Alpha. Stoick sighed, getting his son's attention once more. "Snotlout, you were the one who attacked the ships, yes?" he asked and Snotlout nodded, chest puffing up with pride. "Are any of the ones left in good enough condition that we can use them to get to Berk?" Stoick asked.
"Hookfang and I destroyed every ship we touched! Any that are still floating wouldn't be able to sail 'cuz we tore up their rigging and sails!" Snotlout bragged, not noticing the sigh Stoick gave.
"So that would be a 'no'?" Stoick asked pointedly and Snotlout nodded, seeming to realise why Stoick had asked in the first place. Turning to where Valka was, Stoick asked her, "do you have any boats here, Val?"
The woman shook her head as she cleaned out another cut on the Alpha's side. "I've never needed one here," she told her husband, an apologetic look in her eyes.
Stoick gave her a quick smile, one that told her she needn't apologise but the smile disappeared quickly. "We need to get to Berk. Drago would never leave the island with only the dragons. He'll kill everyone in the village," Stoick said, a large frown marring his features as he tried to think of a way to manage that.
"The babies." Jack startled at the sound of the light Alpha in his mind.
"'The babies'?" the spirit repeated, muttering the words out loud as his brow furrowed in his efforts to try and figure out what the Bewilderbeast was talking about.
"What?" Hiccup asked, having heard Jack say something but not catching what it was.
Jack shook his head. "The Alpha said something about the babies but –" Jack cut himself off as he realised what the injured dragon was trying to tell him and from the look on Hiccup's face, he understood as well.
"The babies!" they both exclaimed, grinning at each other.
"What are you two on about?" Astrid asked, eyes narrowing at the both of them.
Hiccup turned to face her, an elated look on his face. "We have a way back to Berk!" he told her.
"Ah, how? He took all the dragons," Ruffnut pointed out.
"Yeah, and Snotlout destroyed all the ships," Tuffnut added, glaring at the aforementioned Viking.
"I was just doing my job!" Snotlout said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
"Drago didn't take all of the dragons," Hiccup said, getting the conversation off of Snotlout. "The babies will still be in the haven and there should be enough for us to use to get back to Berk," Hiccup told them.
Everyone's eyes lit up as they realised what Hiccup was saying. "We can rescue the dragons!" Astrid said, her blue eyes sparkling with joy.
"And save the village!" Fishlegs added, squealing in his excitement.
Hiccup nodded. "We just need to get into the haven and find the babies!" Hiccup told them, turning to his dad. "Do you remember the way into the haven?" he asked Stoick.
"Aye, I'm fairly certain I do," Stoick told him, eyes shining with pride. Knowing what Hiccup was about to say, he gestured for the dragon riders, Gobber, and Eret to follow him. "Come on! We've got some baby dragons to find and train!" he told them, jogging towards the haven.
Astrid hesitated in following them, looking back at Hiccup and Jack, obviously asking them whether they would be following. Hiccup gestured for her to go after Stoick. "I'll be there in a minute," he told the blonde, who gave a reluctant nod.
"You'd better," Astrid said, voice lowered into a warning that told Hiccup what would happen if he wasn't before she caught up with the others.
"Are you two coming with us?" Hiccup asked, turning back to face Jack and Valka. He was fairly certain he knew the answer he would get from Jack but he wasn't as certain about Valka.
As Hiccup thought he would, Jack shook his head. "I need another few more minutes to heal the Alpha enough for him to make it to Berk," Jack told him, his breath becoming noticeably heavier from the exertion caused by what he was doing.
Valka also shook her head. "I'll stay and help Jack with the Alpha," she said, eyes glancing from Jack to where the Alpha's head was with worry. "I'll join them when they head to Berk," she promised.
Hiccup wasn't thrilled that his mother wouldn't be going to Berk with him like he'd hoped or that Jack was going to keep pushing himself in order to heal the Alpha but he simply nodded once. "Alright," he said. "I'd better see the three of you at Berk only a few minutes after we turn up," he told them, glancing at the Alpha to indicate who the third being was that he was referring to.
"You will, son," Valka swore, giving him a soft smile as she moved onto the next cut.
"For sure," Jack told him, an exhausted grin on his face.
Hiccup regretted his words for a few moments since he knew Jack would likely push himself now in order to keep that promise until he remembered that Jack had been the one to first say he only needed a few more minutes with the Alpha. Placing his trust in Jack and hoping the spirit hadn't been overly hopeful in his estimate, Hiccup gave them both a nod before he started heading towards the opening of the haven the others had disappeared into. "Stay safe," he said as he moved away from them.
"You too," Valka said immediately.
"Be careful," Jack ordered him, a serious look in his face that was mixed with his worry.
"I will," Hiccup promised before he forced himself to turn away and head to the entrance at the quickest pace he could manage. He had a best friend and a village to help save, after all.
Jack hadn't been lying when he'd told Hiccup that he only needed to keep healing the Alpha for a few more minutes but what he should've ended up saying was he needed a few more minutes to heal the Alpha after Hiccup, Stoick, and the others burst out of the haven on the backs of the baby dragons because that's when he ended up at a point where both the Alpha and Jack thought he could stop. The moment he withdrew his power, Jack collapsed, heedless of the injury to his right arm and landing on his back as he heaved in lungful's of air like he hadn't drawn one in for hours. Valka was by his side within minutes while the light Alpha used the fact that Jack had stopped in order to climb to his feet.
"Are you alright, Jack?" Valka asked, her concern for the winter spirit apparent in the way she hovered and in her voice.
Jack gave her a shaky thumbs up in response but ended up gasping out, "just… fine," when he noticed her confusion at his gesture. Valka didn't look convinced but she didn't push him, which he was very thankful for since right now all he wanted to do was just rest.
In the time it took the Alpha to get to his feet – he was a very big dragon with a lot of weight to move around so Jack wasn't judging him – Jack had recovered enough to tighten his grip on his staff and summon the wind. His friend rushed to him, bringing the coolest air it could manage and Jack shivered in delight at the feeling of the soothing breeze. Valka shivered when the wind rubbed up against her and Jack silently directed it away from the woman so she wouldn't freeze while Jack recovered. He just stayed on the ground and soaked up the wonderful frigidness of the ice beneath him while the wind tried to cool the rest of him down as much as it could so he could recover the energy he would need shortly.
"How are you feeling?" Jack asked the Alpha once he saw the dragon was completely on his feet.
"Better. You have my gratitude," the Alpha told him.
Jack flapped a lazy hand at him. "Don't worry about it. Consider us even for you unlocking the bonding-without-controlling-animals thing you did," Jack told him.
The massive dragon huffed lightly, the frost created by him doing so aimed at Jack, who silently revelled in the feeling of it. "As you wish," the dragon said. Jack opened an eye to find the Bewilderbeast's face close to him and Valka, his icy blue eyes taking them both in. "Are you ready to rescue my brother and help your friends save their village?" he asked Jack, who gave a nod before he slowly started sitting up.
Valka's hands were on his shoulders immediately, lightly touching him as she helped the spirit sit up. She didn't fuss or insist he stay lying down, which Jack appreciated, but there was no small amount of concern in her eyes as she helped Jack to his feet. "Are you good to start heading to Berk?" Jack asked her once he was on his feet.
Valka took a deep breath at the thought of returning to a village she hadn't stepped foot on or set eyes on in twenty years before she nodded firmly. "I am," she said, voice determined.
Jack gave her a nod and squeezed her forearm quickly before he let go and looked up at the Alpha. "We're ready," Jack told him.
The Alpha dipped his head down further, his tusks resting on the ground in response. "Then let us leave this place of death and destruction so we may save another from suffering the same fate," he said. Jack didn't need the Alpha to say anything else to know what he was offering but the Alpha still did. "We will get there quicker if you travel with me and it'll give you a chance to recover your energy," the Alpha pointed out.
Jack nodded. "Thank you for your offer," Jack said, dipping as much as he could without tipping all the way back over. "We will take you up on it," Jack added, glancing at Valka, who nodded as though she was a part of the original conversation.
Grasping Valka's hand tightly, Jack had the wind lift them both up, with him taking most Valka's weight so he wouldn't have to focus on the wind carrying two people rather than supporting him carrying one. They flew most of the way up the Alpha's face before Jack felt his energy waning and decided to land where they were rather than crashing into the Alpha's head. Once they'd landed, they used the spikes on the dragon's face to climb the rest of the way up until they were in the first row of spines that created the frill on the back of the Alpha's head.
The Alpha waited patiently for them to reach that point before he lumbered towards the ocean. Sliding into the water, the Alpha sunk until only his eyes and the crest the human and spirit were standing in were above water. "Hold on tightly," the Alpha ordered and Jack did as he was asked, hugging one of the smaller spines while gesturing for Valka to do the same. Once Jack told him they were, the Alpha increased his speed, causing the pair to rock backwards with only their grips on the spines keeping them up right. Jack couldn't keep the grin off his face as the Alpha sliced through the water as quickly as if he were flying through the air and he realised they would be able to keep their promise of arriving a few minutes after them to Hiccup.
"Stop me. I don't want to do this anymore. Please, stop me." The desperate pleas in Jack's head sounded just as Berk's massive stone Vikings that burned with large fires and guarded the harbour came into sight. One of them had been broken, destroyed by something heavy passing it by and Jack knew it had been done by the dark Alpha. Despite the Alpha's speed in the water, it had still taken them hours to reach the village, swimming through the night. The dawn light was just breaking over it when the village came into view and both Jack and Valka gasped as they took in the spikes of ice that had destroyed half the buildings in Berk. The villagers could be seen near where the dark Alpha was, with most of them ready for battle while some kept the children back. Jack didn't know if the pleading from the dark Alpha had started the moment he felt his bond with Jack reopen or whether it had been something of a prayer the dragon had been repeating since he had arrived in Berk but Jack sprang into action immediately upon hearing it.
Barely taking the time to warn Valka that he was going ahead, Jack had the wind envelope him and fly him for the cliffside the villagers seemed to be gathered on. The dark Alpha was blocking his view of what was happening so when Toothless and Hiccup suddenly flew over the dragon's tail, Hiccup apparently scrambling back into the saddle while his gliding gear flapped in the wind, Jack almost stopped in surprise. Hiccup and Toothless had landed before Jack reached them and Jack watched as Drago tried to scrabble to his feet, reaching for his bull hook as he did so only to shriek in anger when Hiccup's flaming dragon sword almost severed his fingers off as it was thrown, impaling into the ground in between Drago and his weapon.
Jack didn't catch what Hiccup had said to Drago but he caught Drago's reply. "Or is it?" Drago asked, voice filled with a smugness that had both Jack and Hiccup look behind the brunette to find the dark Alpha readying an attack that would encompass Hiccup in a frozen coffin.
Just as Toothless realised what was about to happen and sprung into action, desperate to protect his rider, Jack landed in front of them both and unleashed multiple ice lightning bolts that caught the icy attack from the Alpha and pushed back against it. His staff glowed with a power it hadn't used since Jack's first fight against Pitch Black just after Sandy was killed by the Spirit of Fear and Jack shouted at the amount of energy he put into his defensive attack. The moment the dark Alpha stopped and Jack let his own attack die out, Jack put every ounce of energy he could into his most hated ability and turned it onto the dark Alpha. "You will not attack Berk again. You will no longer obey the human you have been calling master," Jack ordered him, his voice ringing with his power and just like that, Drago's hold over the dark Alpha was destroyed.
"What are you doing? Kill them!" Drago shouted, waving his hand to gesture at Jack, Hiccup, and Toothless but the dark Alpha didn't move a muscle to obey him.
Jack felt a dark satisfaction as Drago realised the dark Alpha was no longer under his control and he couldn't help but turn to Drago, a disgusted expression on his face. "Your hold over this dragon has been destroyed. You have no control over what this Alpha does or doesn't do. He is now under my protection and as the Spirit of Winter, my orders will always trump yours," Jack informed the defeated maniac. "The power you held over this Alpha is nothing compared to the power I hold over any animal within my domain," Jack said, eyes filled with triumph as disbelief etched its way over Drago's face. "You will never harm this dragon or any dragon again," Jack snarled, turning his back on Drago as he headed for where the dark Alpha was closest to the cliffside, hunched in on himself as he watched his former master digest what had just happened. "I won't let anything happen to you," Jack soothed as he approached the dragon, his expression turning from furious to calming and honest. "He can't touch you again. I won't allow it," Jack promised. "I'm sorry for forcing you to be under my control but the only reason I'm keeping my hold over your free will is so that Drago can be dealt with permanently. Once he's gone, I'll release you and you will be free just as you should be," Jack swore, smiling up at the dragon.
This time, Jack felt his words being believed by the Alpha. "Thank you," the dark dragon breathed, relaxing for the first time in decades as he realised he truly was out from under Drago's control and would never be harmed by him again.
Drago didn't take the defeat well. Before Stoick or anyone else could secure him, Drago loosed a furious roar that had many taking a step back. Snatching up his bull hook, Drago rushed for Jack, his hook raised and ready for him to strike the winter spirit with. Jack turned as shouts of warnings from Hiccup, Stoick, and the other villagers sounded but before he could raise his staff up to catch the blow, two icy attacks hit Drago, one flowing harmlessly over Jack to do so. Once the frost had settled, Jack found himself looking at the familiar sea-green ice that the Bewilderbeasts created, with Drago frozen in the middle of it. Jack was stunned for a few moments until he looked over and found the light Alpha resting next to the dark Alpha, though his tusks rested on the cliff so that Valka could climb down and step foot onto Berk for the first time in two decades.
"Remind me to never cross the two of you," Jack said as his eyes went back to Drago's icy coffin. "You guys move quickly," he added, a little shocked by it considering how slow the dragons normally were out of the water due to their size.
The light Alpha snorted in amusement as he lifted his head away from the cliff and looked at Jack. "I believe you have a promise to keep," the dragon said, glancing at the dark Alpha pointedly.
Jack nodded, glancing at the block of ice that Drago was contained in. "I guess this does count as Drago being dealt with," Jack joked before he turned to the dark Alpha. "Please don't leave when I've withdrawn my hold over you," Jack asked, tone pleading.
The dark Alpha's eyes flicked over the people of Berk, who were watching the two Alphas with awe, fear, and curiousity while Stoick, Valka, and Hiccup waited to see what was happening. "They fear me. As they rightfully should," the dark Alpha said, tone saddened. "I will never be welcomed by these people and I do not blame them for feeling that way. Why would I stay somewhere that's filled with people who don't want me near them after I attacked their village?" the Alpha asked.
"They won't hate you," Jack told him kindly. "This isn't the first time their village was attacked by a dragon under the control of someone else," Jack revealed. "For years their village was raided by almost every dragon you took from them. Those dragons were being controlled by a malicious dragon the villagers named the Red Death. She ordered the dragons who stayed within her nest and were therefore under her control to go hunting for food for her and bring back everything they found so she wouldn't have to hunt for herself," Jack said, recounting the tale Hiccup and Stoick had told him while Jack was stuck in his bed after the avalanche incident. "Once the Red Death was dealt with, the villagers accepted the dragons and now the dragons are as much part of the village as the villagers are themselves. They won't treat you badly just because you attacked them out of fear of what Drago would do to you if you disobeyed," Jack promised.
The dark Alpha didn't seem to believe Jack, despite feeling exactly what Jack felt through their bond but before Jack could try and convince the dragon he was being honest, Hiccup stepped forward, joining Jack. "I speak on behalf of Berk when I say that you are welcome to stay here while you recover," Hiccup told the dragon. "You will always be welcome at Berk if after you've healed, you decide to leave the island," he added.
Stoick nodded as he joined his son and the winter spirit. "Aye, as Chief of Berk, you will always have a place here if you ever need one," Stoick promised the dragon.
The villagers around them all murmured or shouted their own agreement and the dark Alpha gazed at all of them with amazement. "I would never have believed that humans could be so kind," the Alpha whispered to Jack.
Jack gave him a warm smile. "Well these humans are particularly rare amongst their kind but for the most part, I am happy to tell you that humans like Drago are rarer," Jack told him.
The dark Alpha considered his words before he nodded once. "I will stay for now," the Alpha promised and Jack breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you," Jack said before he closed his eyes and pulled back the control he held over the Alpha, releasing him from having to do whatever Jack said. Both Jack and the Alpha let out a sigh as Jack's control disappeared, leaving the Alpha with no one but himself to answer to. With that done, Jack addressed the last thing that needed to be discussed. "Will you please release the dragons you took from your fellow Alpha and the ones you took from Berk from your control?" Jack asked the dark Alpha, who hesitated for a moment. "I'm not asking you relinquish all of the dragons. Just those ones," Jack said.
The dark Alpha didn't do or say anything but before Jack could try and convince him again, numerous confused noises from above them could be heard. Jack looked up in time to see all of Berk's dragons blink, their pupils turning back from the slits they had been before they dove, heading for their humans and island. The villagers gave shouts of joy as their dragons returned to them and Jack watched as Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins all ran over to their dragons before hugging them fiercely. Skullcrusher and Grump landed next to their humans and received one-armed hugs or pats from them while Valka pressed her forehead against Cloudjumper's when he landed.
Another wave of dragons landed once those from Berk had settled. These ones Jack recognised as the light Alpha's and they all landed as best they could near him. The light Alpha gazed over them all and they bowed in response before the light Alpha breathed a light frost over them all, accepting them back under his protection. Jack smiled widely at the sight – an expression that was mimicked by Hiccup – but before Jack could thank the dark Alpha for returning the dragons, a third and final wave of dragons landed. This time, it was the armoured dragons that had survived Drago and the recent battle. They landed behind the villagers, standing a little way away from them as though they weren't sure whether they would be welcomed by the humans or their dragons.
"They're under my protection but they need help. Will Berk help them?" the dark Alpha asked, looking down at Jack, who turned to repeat what he'd said to Hiccup and Stoick.
"Aye, we will," Stoick promised. "We'll start by getting that armour off them then go from there," he explained, getting a slow nod of approval from the dark Alpha, who then relaxed as much as possible as he could against the cliffside. Stoick noticed this and something sparked in his eyes. "I don't know what your fellow Alpha plans to do but if you wish to be comfortable while you stay here, there's a beach not too far from here that should be big enough for you to rest on," Stoick told him, gesturing in the direction of the beach. "Your dragons can stay in the village until we get their armour off, if they wish, then join you," he added before the dark Alpha could think Berk planned on trying to take his dragons from him.
Jack felt the dark Alpha's trepidation and stepped forward slightly. "I'll go with you and stay with you, if you want," Jack offered immediately.
The dark Alpha glanced at Jack before he nodded once more. "Thank you. I would appreciate that. Would you please thank the Chief of Berk for me as well?" the dark Alpha requested.
Jack gave him a large smile and did as he was asked. Stoick looked up at the dark Alpha and dipped his head at him. "Your thanks is appreciated but not necessary. It's the least we could do after everything you've been through," Stoick told him before he turned to Hiccup. "Escort the Alpha to the beach on the west side of the island when he's ready to move over there," he instructed his son.
Hiccup gave a nod. "Will do," he promised.
Stoick clapped him on the shoulder before he turned to Jack. "I should've done this before we left the haven but thank you for what you did to save Hiccup and I," Stoick said, reaching out and squeezing Jack's shoulder and giving him a grateful smile.
"You should thank the Alpha," Jack said, nodding up to the dark Alpha. "I was so focused on healing the light Alpha that I had tuned out everything else. I didn't even notice that Hiccup and Toothless were confronting Drago or that the Alpha had taken control of Toothless until he called out to me, asking me to stop him before one of you were hit," Jack revealed.
Toothless cringed as he was reminded of how close he came to hurting two people he loved dearly but Hiccup comforted him with a forgiving smile and scratch behind his ear flaps. Stoick laid a hand on Toothless' head before he turned to the dark Alpha. "Thank you for reaching out to Jack. Thank you for rebelling against Drago enough to make sure my son or I wasn't killed," Stoick said, voice filled with an immense amount of thankfulness.
"I could tell how much the Night Fury loved his rider and how much he cared for the chief. I couldn't stand the idea of him hurting or killing one of them because I couldn't stand up to my master so I reached out for you, Jack. I knew you wouldn't let any of them come to harm," the dark Alpha explained, a hint of bashfulness in his voice in the face of Stoick's grateful words.
Toothless cooed at the dark Alpha while Hiccup and Stoick gave the Alpha warm smiles before Stoick turned to Jack and Hiccup. "I have to go and meet with the villagers so we can start coming up with the plan for removing the ice, fixing up the buildings damaged or destroyed, sorting out the dragons, and taking stock of anything else we need to do," Stoick told the pair, his eyes flicking over to the clump of ice that held the body of Drago. Addressing Hiccup alone next, Stoick said, "you should join us once the Alphas are settled. It'll be a good chance for you to get some chief training in." Before Hiccup could say anything, Stoick clapped him on the shoulder and headed towards the villagers, all of whom were waiting respectfully for their chief to join them. Eret and the dragon riders looked torn between whether they should follow the villagers or stay with Hiccup, Jack, and Valka, but Gobber doubling back and shooing them along had them following Stoick.
Hiccup grimaced at his father's words and Jack gave him a sympathetic look. "You really need to sit him down and speak to him before this gets out of hand," Jack said gently.
Hiccup sighed but nodded at Jack's words. "Yeah, I know," Hiccup said, not sounding thrilled by the idea.
Jack nudged his arm gently in a show of support before he moved around so he was on Toothless' other side. Crouching down, he opened up the saddlebag and found Baby Tooth looking back up at him, the iratest expression Jack had ever seen on her face. "Are you okay?" he asked her, reaching in to pick her up so she wouldn't be seen by any villager still in the area.
Baby Tooth allowed him to pick her up but she sat on his palm with her arms crossed and an angered expression in her eyes. Once he was standing with her in his palm, she unleashed everything she'd been holding back since Jack had gotten injured while getting Toothless back to Hiccup. Both Jack and Hiccup winced at the long, passionate lecture Baby Tooth was giving, complete with hand gestures to emphasize her points. Valka, who had been with Cloudjumper and the light Alpha, was watching in confusion while Toothless and the two Alphas were giving Jack and Hiccup sympathetic looks. Jack was only catching every other word Baby Tooth was saying as her impassioned scolding was going way too fast for him to have any hopes of keeping up with her but it was enough to know he was definitely in her bad books right now.
When Baby Tooth's anger started petering out, giving way to worry, and her scolding became less, Jack hugged her close. "I am so sorry for worrying you, BT, and I'm sorry I couldn't get you before Drago stole Toothless. Are you okay?" he asked again, stopping the hug so he could look her in the eyes.
Baby Tooth gave him an exasperated look that was softened by her confirming chirp. She chirped questioningly at all of them, even looking up at the dark Alpha as she did so. Jack didn't need to translate what she was asking since it was obvious to everyone what she was saying. "We're fine," Hiccup told her, speaking for Toothless as well. "We're glad you're okay as well. I can't imagine what it would've been like to have to stay in the saddlebag while Toothless wasn't himself," he said, giving her a sympathetic look.
"I am okay as well," the light Alpha said, glancing at the little fairy. "Your Jack helped me heal a significant amount and it won't be long before I am completely healed of my injuries," he told her.
"I can help you heal further," Jack immediately offered and was surprised at both the light Alpha shaking his head and Hiccup's relieved look.
"Thank you, Jack, but there is no need for you to push yourself as much as you did before for me. I will heal in time and as the injury is no longer life-threatening, there is no need to ask you to waste your energy on me," the light Alpha told him.
Jack wanted to argue with him but knew it would be pointless so he simply nodded, something that caused both Baby Tooth and Hiccup to relax. Giving them dirty looks, Jack went to ask them what their problem was when the dark Alpha spoke. "I am not okay but I believe, for the first time in years, I will be eventually and it's thanks to you all," he told them, tone tinged with gratefulness.
Jack beamed at him while Baby Tooth chirped in delight at the massive dragon. Hiccup didn't seem to need a translation of what the dragon had said but Jack still whispered it to him, just in case. "By rebelling against Drago as much as you could and not killing the other Alpha, you owe yourself as much thanks as what you're giving us," Hiccup told the dragon kindly and honestly.
Valka came to stand up next to her son, her hand on his shoulder and speak for the first time since arriving on Berk. "My son speaks the truth," Valka told the dark Alpha. "We likely wouldn't have won without as little death and damage we did if you hadn't started resisting Drago as much as you did. You should be very proud of the strength that you carry within you that Drago didn't manage to destroy," she said.
The dark Alpha didn't say anything but he did lean down a little and blow a breath of frost over them, encompassing Valka, Hiccup, Baby Tooth, Jack, and Toothless in the frost. Laughing, Jack let the frost mix with his own and sink into him, much like the light Alpha's had done. "I think that means 'thank you'," he told them, laughing when he took in the frost covered faces of Hiccup and Valka. Toothless was shaking his head, trying to rid himself of the frost while Baby Tooth shook and fluffed out her feathers, dispelling the frost that covered her. The dark Alpha, again, didn't say anything to confirm Jack's words but Jack could feel through their bond that he was right.
Valka didn't bow to the dark Alpha as she had done to the light Alpha but she did dip her head respectfully to him before she turned to her son. "I'm going to find your father and see what I can do to help with the village's recovery and repairs. Will I see you there soon?" she asked him. She noted the grimace on his face and didn't let him answer her original question by asking another. "Do you not want to help Berk?"
Hiccup shook his head immediately. "It's not that," he told his mother. "Dad has this idea in his head that I need to become Berk's new chief as soon as possible and I'm just not ready for all of that," Hiccup explained. "I've tried telling him but he doesn't listen to me. He thinks that when I ask him to talk that I'm trying to accept the role," he told her. "The whole reason we found Eret and actually discovered what Drago was doing was because Toothless, Jack, Baby Tooth, and I had taken off when Dad started talking about making me chief," he said, chuckling a little.
Valka huffed in amusement before she grasped his hand and squeezed it. "When you were born, your father told me that if both you and he survived long enough for you to reach your twentieth year, he would retire and hand the village over to you," she revealed. "You may have thought this came out of nowhere but this was his plan all along," she said. "However, if you feel as though you truly aren't ready, I will join you in speaking with your father and see if we can't come to some agreement between the three of us, if you wish," she offered.
Hiccup seemed to almost melt in relief at his mother's offer. "Yes, please," he said, giving her a grateful look.
Valka gave him a warm smile. "We'll speak to him after he's gotten the village on the way to being sorted out," Valka promised before she headed for Cloudjumper. "We'll see you at the meeting soon," she said and Hiccup gave her a nod.
"Once Jack and I have gotten the Alphas sorted, Toothless and I will find everyone," Hiccup promised her. Seemingly satisfied with that, Valka gave him a nod before she and Cloudjumper left to find out where the village meeting was being held. Turning back to the Alphas, Hiccup addressed the light Alpha first. "There should be enough room on the beach for the both of you, if you wanted to stay there to rest up before you found somewhere to create another haven for you and your dragons, if that was your plan," he told him.
"I will stay on the beach for the time being so long as the dragons under my care are welcome to stay in Berk, if they so wished too," the Alpha said, Jack repeating his words to Hiccup.
Hiccup gave a nod. "They're more than welcome to do so. There is plenty of room on the beach and in the forests behind it if they decided to be near you as well," he told the Alpha, who inclined his head. Turning to Jack, he gestured to Jack's right arm, still bound with the bandages Hiccup had used to wrap the burn on the battlefield. "How's your arm?" he asked.
"Still good," Jack told him. "I can barely feel it right now. The snow hasn't melted yet so you don't have to worry about it at the moment," he said honestly.
His honesty must've been noticeable since Hiccup didn't argue with him. "I'll check it later today," he said instead and Jack gave an agreeable nod, knowing that he wouldn't win an argument against Hiccup in this situation. Hiccup looked up at the Alphas and asked, "are the two of you ready to head for the beach?"
Both Alphas shifted slightly before they nodded, the light Alpha doing so before the dark one. Hiccup looked over at Jack and Baby Tooth, brow raised in the same silent question. "We're good to go," Jack told him, Baby Tooth giving an agreeing chirp.
Climbing into Toothless' saddle, Hiccup switched over his prosthetic to his riding one and placed it in the surprisingly undamaged stirrup. It had surprised Hiccup when he'd gotten Toothless back and was able to use the stirrup after Drago had been in the saddle but at the time he hadn't questioned his good luck. He fully planned to go over Toothless' gear and check every inch of it for damage but for the quick trip to the beach and back to the village, Hiccup trusted it to hold together if it was damaged. Clicking Toothless' tail into the needed position, Hiccup looked up and addressed the Alphas. "If the both of you could follow Toothless, Jack, Baby Tooth, and I, we'll lead you to the beach," he said.
When both dragons agreed – using Jack as their spokesperson – Hiccup and Toothless launched into the air with Jack and Baby Tooth close behind them. There were two large splashes and Hiccup glanced behind him to find both Alphas in the ocean, following them just as Hiccup had asked them to do. The light Alpha was following the dark one and Hiccup couldn't help but wonder whether it was so his mother's Alpha could be sure that his fellow Alpha would keep his word. Not wanting to make the Alphas wonder why he was watching them, Hiccup turned back so he was facing forward and saw Jack and Baby Tooth flying just ahead of them, Baby Tooth using the chance to stretch her wings after being in the saddlebag for so long.
Jack noticed his gaze and grinned at him, looking as content now as Hiccup had ever seen him and the dragon rider couldn't help but return the smile. His village had survived, he had his best friend back, his mother was alive and would be living with him and his father again, none of his friends had been hurt badly, Drago had been dealt with, and all of the dragons were safe. Hiccup couldn't remember a time where he'd been happier and he honestly didn't think there would ever be a moment in the future that could beat this one. Toothless, sensing his emotions, cooed happily and Hiccup leaned forward in the saddle, giving his dragon the best hug he could manage and finding himself thanking everyone he could think of, Jack included, that he was still able to do so.
A/N - and that's the battle and Drago finished! I did debate long and hard about whether I should write the scene where Hiccup gets Toothless back and they fight against Drago and the Dark Alpha but decided against it as I wouldn't have really changed anything from the way it went in the movie. Literally, all I would've done was add a couple of lines about Hiccup's worry about Jack, his mum, and the light Alpha, and his worry that he wouldn't be able to get through to Toothless but the rest of it would've followed the movie and honestly, I figured this chapter was long enough to not need that scene added XD. Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you all so very much for all of the reviews I got on the last chapter! I think that chapter received the most reviews out of any chapter for this story so far! I really appreciated them all and I really hope I get to see more reviews on this chapter! Only two more to go until the story is finished! See you all next week for the second last chapter!