Chapter 2. Dragons and Donkeys…Can Mix Part 2?

"And you're sure it was Vikings who took Coco?" Shrek's tone was not disbelieving, but it was distant, as if he were recalling an old memory. Fiona didn't seem to notice as she was too busy studying the land masses that Dragon flew them over. "They had to be. I heard stories from Mom and Dad, but I never heard of Vikings riding dragons before."

"I may have." This was Puss, who spoke up from his place behind Shrek. "I traveled a lot before settling in Far, far, away to take up...well, ogre slaying. Once again, very sorry boss."

"Go on, Puss." "Si, as I was saying, I heard a lot of stories in my travels and some were of the Vikings of the barbaric archipelago. They've killed dragons for at least three centuries but rumor has it that they've recently made peace, mostly on an island called Berk."

Dragon growled at the mention of the name and surprised everyone. Fiona took a moment to listen to her former captor and soothe her as best she could. "Dragon says she knows all about it. She was hatched somewhere in that archipelago and saw how the war started. Apparently, the leader of the dragons back then was a distant cousin who lost her food supply to Berk's warriors. She started sending dragons to get it back and our Dragon wanted to join it, but her parents sent her away before she could."

"Aye, I know Berk too. My father used to tell me stories of how he and his family lived there before the Hairy Hooligan tribe chased them off. Of course, this was when he wasn't tryin' to eat me or terrorizin' the villagers near our bog." Shrek took a moment to sigh as he remembered his unhappy childhood.

"I can't help but wish we had Donkey with us. He has a way of dealing with dragons…most of the time." Fiona amended after earning another growl from their resident dragon, who was still furious with her husband. Donkey had been forbidden to come with them due to losing Coco in the first place and was now stuck at home in Fiona's old tower with his remaining children. Shrek was the only one besides Donkey's wife who was fine with his absence.

It was then that Puss stood up and drew his saber with a dramatic flourish. "We must remain on guard, mi amigos. Whatever happened in the past, these Vikings are allies with dragons now. Who knows how much more vicious and nasty this has made them?"

…

"Who's a good Darkvarg? Is it you? Are you my favorite Albino Night Terror? Yes you are!" Fishlegs cooed sweetly as he tickled the small dragon under the chin.

Heather took in their antics with a soft smile before turning her attention back to the ancient throne that Fishlegs had pointed out. It seemed to be connected to his sword in some way just like everything else in the cave. The rest of Darkvarg's flock had become quite taken with her and huddled around her as she worked. One even brought her the weapon in question for an affectionate pat on the head.

Just as the Berserker girl was about to raise the blade to see if it reacted to the throne, Astrid and Stormfly swooped in through Fishlegs' installed trap door. "Heather! Thank Thor I finally found you! Do you have…?"

Heather smiled and calmly handed her friend the picnic basket. "It should still be warm. We couldn't risk our dragons keeping it heated. Windshear in particular is too powerful not to burn it no matter how much she holds back."

"Way to brag." Astrid replied playfully as she turned to leave. "I just hope I didn't interrupt you two. I know how much you both treasure your alone time."

"Just go. Fish and I will be leaving soon and we'll make sure that the twins and a certain obnoxious someone doesn't interrupt." Heather said with a laugh. Astrid gave a grateful nod and was soon flying to a secluded spot in the forest to wait for her good friend. That was all he was, after all, despite what Heather insisted.

Time passed. The night grew darker and Astrid was forced to use Stormfly's flame to keep the picnic warm. She began to grow impatient and irritable. "Yo, Astrid!"

Snotlout and Hookfang touched down near Astrid's spot, the former's usual smug smirk firmly in place. Her mood quickly grew darker as the Monstrous Nightmare rider dismounted and spotted the basket. "Alright! What are we havin'?"

Astrid gave a very irritated sigh. "If you were any later, cold food that I'd have already eaten half of. What kept you?"

"Anxious to see me, huh? I can't say I blame ya." Snotlout's grin widened but Astrid only glared. His expression faltered and he sighed. "Look, I'm sorry I'm late but Hiccup insisted that me and the twins pull an extra long patrol. Our fearless leader still thinks Viggo's up to something and all this quiet we've been having is one of his evil genius strategy things. You know how our island princess gets these days."

Astrid rolled her eyes, but a small smile began to appear on her face. She stood up and walked over to pull Snotlout into a one-armed hug. This soon turned into the quick chest bump that served to represent their Viking solidarity and friendship. "So how'd you finally get away?"

Snotlout shrugged. "My usual strategy of pretending to cause enough trouble so a frustrated Hiccup sends me back." Astrid's frown began to return. "How hard did you 'pretend' this time? Like you said, you know how Hiccup gets these days."

Snotlout opened his mouth to make his usual excuse, but stopped short and got serious. He'd been doing it a lot more lately for some reason. "I wanted to see you so I decided to take a shortcut along the new patrol route. Let's just say it didn't end well. I'm sorry and I'll do better. Friends?"

"Friends." Astrid replied with a gentle smile. "You know, I was eager to see you too. Me and Stormfly are totally ready to kick yours and Hookfang's butt in the next round of tag team hand to claw combat."

Snotlout laughed and the two began digging into a thankfully still warm picnic. "Challenge accepted, Hofferson." "Challenge met, Jorgenson."

How long had things been like this between them? Had it really been over three years? That seemed almost as unbelievable as the fact that it happened at all. As the two launched into a discussion about Snotlout's ideas for weapon designs and which ones would be both practical and cool looking, Astrid thought about her folks back on Berk. What would they think if they saw her now? What would Stoick think considering…?

Stormfly and Hookfang suddenly ceased their playful wrestling and gave calls of distress, alerting their riders to intruders. The picnic was hidden away and weapons were drawn. Once they saw that it was Hiccup and the twins, their distress decreased only a bit.

Toothless and Hiccup were the first to land. The leader of the Dragon Riders looked grim as he dismounted and his dragon even more so. "Get Fishlegs and Heather, then meet us at the next island over. If I'm right, Viggo's back."

Hiccup then paused. "Why are you both out here anyway?" "Well Hiccup, I was just grooming my dragon out here when your girlfriend attacked me!" Snotlout's tone immediately became accusatory and he pointed at Astrid.

"She's not my-!" Hiccup caught himself and let out an exasperated sigh through his nose. "Astrid, is this true?" He used that lecturing tone that Astrid had grown to dislike and raised an eyebrow.

She froze, unsure of how to respond until she glimpsed the pleading look in Snotlout's eyes and the bits of toe jam on her weapon. "Muttonhead here stole my ax and used it to clean Hookfang's claws!" "How was I suppose to know it was your ax?" "It has my name engraved on it!"

Snotlout scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Did it always say that?" Astrid growled and raised her weapon threateningly in response. Hiccup reached out and grabbed it from her at the last minute.

"Okay, okay, enough! We have a mission. I have to go back and make sure what I found wasn't tampered with. Meet me as soon as you can. " Hiccup handed back Astrid's ax ,mounted Toothless and flew off again without another word.

"Wow, Intencup is on point tonight." Tuffnut said admirably, earning stares from everyone but his sister. "Intencup?" Astrid was the first to ask.

"Yes, Intencup. It's an abbreviation for 'intense Hiccup.' It happens to be number four of my top ten favorite Hiccups and trails just behind the ever adorable Poutcup and the amusingly short-fused Madcup. That would be 'pouty Hiccup' and 'mad Hiccup' for those of you not in the know."

"Ah, but dear brother, how can we forget the Hiccup of Loki Day four years ago? We sprinkled his dinner with Mom's home made laxative recipe, remember?" Tuffnut inquired with a smirk. Her brother suddenly looked thoughtful.

"Oh yeah, I did forget Gassycup. He's good enough to blast Intentcup all the way down to number six. Do you all know what Gassycup-?"

"We know, Tuff," Astrid cut in, "we were there. C'mon, we need to get Heather and Fishlegs." An angry scowl formed over Ruffnut's face as the four riders mounted up again.

"Ugh! Husbandstealther is number one in my top ten least favorite Heathers. That's 'husband stealer Heather' in case you didn't know." Astrid rolled her eyes at the Thorston girl's remark. The idiot still couldn't accept that their marriage hadn't been real and that Fishlegs loathed her because of how poorly she had treated him during the time they were 'together.' It was safe to say that the usually agreeable Fishlegs now hated Ruffnut as much as he adored Heather, which was saying a lot.

After a few minutes, the twins were distracted with debating whether "Gassycup" was better than "Vomitcup", who made his debut after being forced to join his father in one too many sessions of mead tasting during an impromptu chief training session. Snotlout used the distraction to move up front and get beside Astrid. "Did the ax seriously always have your name on it?"

Astrid sighed. "It's okay, 'lout. I use it to clean Stormfly's claws sometimes. Just ask next time, okay? And one more thing if you don't mind?" "Yeah?" "Please don't call me Hiccup's girlfriend again."

…

There was a dead Nadder on the shore when they arrived. The Hunters had killed it brutally and thrown the body overboard one of their ships. Over the course of the next few days, the Dragon Riders found more bodies just like it, each one disposed of in a different manner depending on the dragon's size or species. There didn't seem to be any pattern and nothing about it matched Viggo's style. He'd kill his own troops, but never his source of income if he could avoid it.

Hiccup was sure that this strangeness was just what his rival intended and he was determined to find out why. The group had only just returned to Dragon's Edge when a frantic Trader Johann arrived. "Oh, Master Hiccup and friends, thank Thor I was able to reach you!"

Hiccup sighed irritably, his patience spent from recent days. "Can you make it quick, Johann? None of us are in the mood for long stories."

"I'm in no mood to tell any, Master Hiccup. I've spent all this time escaping the Dragon Hunters' clutches!" This immediately got the scrawny Viking boy's attention. "You've seen them? What are they doing that's killed so many dragons!?"

"Your concern for my safety is most touching, young master." Johann muttered before realizing he'd said it out loud. Luckily, Hiccup didn't seem to have heard or cared.

"I'm afraid I was not present to witness such villainy. All I know is that they've captured a new kind of dragon from the same land I visited. They believe it can help them unlock even greater secrets from the Dragon Eye."

Hiccup gave a mild scathing glance towards Heather and Astrid at this remark. He still hadn't quite forgiven them for keeping them in the dark about Heather's undercover work, the thing that had ultimately allowed Viggo to claim the Dragon Eye in his mind. Astrid looked guilty and refused to meet his gaze. Heather just glared back even harder.

The Berserker Tribe girl's plan had been a good one and she'd been knee deep in it before the Riders even knew the Dragon Hunters existed. It was no one's fault that Viggo had been even more cunning than they'd thought and known more about the Dragon Eye thanks to his ancestors. Between this argument and the Dagur incident, it was no surprise that her and Hiccup's friendship had soured the way it had in recent months.

Hiccup broke away from the glaring contest that he was losing anyway and returned his full attention to Johann. "Where are they headed now?" The trader pulled out a map and handed it over. "Follow this route. I nicked it from Ryker after I made my daring escape. Good luck to you all."

Johann boarded his ship without noticing what fell from his trouser pocket. He didn't even seem to hear Fishlegs calling to him. "Wait, Johann! I forgot to ask did you have any luck selling my…book?"

The portly Gronkle rider picked up the book and stared for a moment at the intriguing cover. He then looked at Johann's already departing ship and shrugged. "I guess he won't mind my borrowing it for a little while. Come on, girl."

Slipping his newfound treasure into Meatlug's saddlebag, Fishlegs lead his dragon towards the Edge's clubhouse. Astrid managed to convince Hiccup to give them at least a few hours' rest before confronting Viggo and they all planned to relax while he gathered supplies. It was during this time that he decided to read what he found. He had just started when Ruffnut appeared beside him and tried to offer what she thought was a charming smile.

"Hey there, Snookiepie. Did you miss me while that gross Heather took you hostage?" The girl in question merely rolled her eyes and continued sharpening her ax, used to her "rival" by now.

"Not now, Ruff. Can't you see I'm reading? Johann found the documented history of a land outside the archipelago and it's really cool." Snotlout, who was in the middle of feeding Hookfang, laughed. "What's wrong, Fishface? You finally tired of the Book of Dragons?"

There was a more friendly tone in Snotlout's teasing these days and it actually made Fishlegs chuckle at his nickname. "Never, 'lout. But this book has a dragon too. It doesn't give a species or classification, but it looks like a Stoker of some kind. She's beautiful!"

Meatlug whimpered sadly at this comment and Fishlegs automatically reached out to pet her. "Ah, she's nothing compared to you, girl." "Me either, right Fishie?" Ruffnut suddenly drape her arm over the large Viking boy and pulled him closer against his will.

While Fishlegs worked to break her grip, Ruffnut noticed an illustration of a beautiful red-haired young woman and scowled. "Whose this dainty little thing? Why are you looking at her?" Ignoring her jealous tone, Fishlegs elaborated. "That's Princess Fiona. The Dragon was her guardian while she was locked in a tower and waiting to be rescued."

Ruffnut scoffed. "Princess? Who needs a wimpy little Princess when you could have all the rugged charm of a real Viking woman?" The Thorston girl proceed to flex her bicep and grin at Fishlegs. "Go on and give it a feel, sweetie."

Fishlegs stared at the impressively small bicep with a look that was equal parts annoyed and confused. It was then that Astrid walked up. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Ruff. No delicate little Princess could train dragons or deal with Viggo. That's the kind of stuff it takes to get these babies!"

Astrid grinned and playfully flexed her muscles, producing a far more impressive display than Ruffnut's. Heather laughed and stood up. "Not bad, Astrid, but it's no match for these Berserker bad girls!"

Heather flexed and got muscles slightly bigger than Astrid's. The two girls began a pose-off while Tuffnut looked on and laughed. "You guys sound like Snotlout." This made the girls freeze up and stop laughing. "Um…just showing what a dumb macho display this is." Astrid quickly piped up. "Real mature, Ruff."

Ruffnut scowled and was about to snap back when Heather stopped her. "Go ahead and read to us, Fish. The book sounds fun."

Fishlegs gladly did so until he came to a part where Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey walked through a forest after breakfast. Shrek belched his compliments and Fishlegs decided to get fully into character with a hearty belch of his own. He quickly grew embarrassed when everyone, particularly Heather, stared at him in shock.

"S-sorry! Uh…better out than in?" Awkward silence followed until Snotlout barked a laugh.

"That was weak, Fishface! Here's how a real Viking does it." He thumped a fist to his chest and unleashed a belch even louder than Fishlegs' that had a slight echo to it. The twins' unified burps managed to eclipse both their efforts, sending all four into fits of laughter.

Astrid and Heather tried to look disgusted, but couldn't hide their amusement for long. Eventually, the former stepped forward. "You all have a lot to learn. Check this out!" Astrid's belch was loudest of all and sent a slight tremor through the clubhouse. Snotlout's eyes were wide with awe as he muttered "she's awesome" under his breath.

"You're up, Heather. Show us what you've got." Fishlegs finally said, looking at his girlfriend with an eager smile. She grinned in return and playfully shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay, You asked for it." The berserker then proceeded to suck in her own lungful of air, but before she could let rip, Hiccup appeared. "Mount up, everyone, we have a rescue mission."

The Riders, though reluctant to stop their fun, quickly obeyed. Only Heather allowed her displeasure to show with a short glare at Hiccup as she went to saddle Windshear. She spied Fishlegs next to her and her mood brightened. "I hope you remembered your sword, Fish. This could be a great chance to test our training in a real fight."

Fishlegs nodded in agreement, though he wasn't too keen on the idea. "I'm also bringing this along. Who knows what other cool ideas it could give us? Plus, I really wanna see how it ends."

He held up the Shrek storybook and Heather giggled. "When we get back, you and I should have our own burping contest, one on one. You started us off pretty well back there."

Fishlegs chuckled playfully at his girlfriend's compliment. "Sure, if you think you can handle it." Heather was about to respond when Astrid piped up. "No way, Fish, you don't get to go up against her before me. I still have yet to see if your girlfriend can give me a real challenge."

Snotlout strolled up to them now. "Well, whoever wins is coming to my next family reunion. Cousin Burplout could use some taking down a peg and I myself am too busy focusing my awesomeness into other areas at the moment to try breaking his record."

"I think we should avoid meeting your relatives anytime soon. You're rubbing off on us enough as it is." Astrid quipped, not unkindly as she recalled her and Heather's flex-off and pretended it was either girl's first. Snotlout just grinned. "Hey, what's wrong with a little taste of snot?" The girls and Fishlegs rolled their eyes at this response, but they also gave him a slight smile.

…

As the Dragon Riders of Berk took to the sky with a clear destination in mind, another dragon riding group found themselves becoming more lost by the hour. The islands they'd found were new and strange to them and the natives they glimpsed looked even less friendly than the usual villagers. Shrek of all people was the only one who looked at these ferocious men and women with intrigue, maybe even respect.

Fiona soon let out a groan of frustration. "We've been flying forever and we haven't seen anyone who looks like that dragon rider. Where could Dragon's Edge be!?"

Puss then pointed down below. "Do not give up hope, senora. That is clearly a merchant ship about to dock below us. Perhaps you could persuade them to share what they know of the area?"

Fiona nodded and directed Dragon towards an island with a rock formation just large enough for everyone to hide behind. One magical change later, her human self stumbled out to greet the approaching ship. "Oh please sir, I pray you'll help me in my hour of need. My friend's daughter has been kidnapped and taken to Dragon's Edge. Can you show me where it is?"

The merchant nodded fearfully. "Most assuredly, fair miss, but I would advise against it. I've had many dealings with the young hooligans of that place and they cause me nothing but trouble. I would hate to see someone as lovely as you fall victim to them."

" Thanks, but I'm tougher than I look." Fiona replied with a half-smile as she pulled out some money. "Maybe this will help change your mind?" The merchant made a show of hesitating even while he took the coins.

"Oh, very well. Let it be said that the only thing to rival the quality of my wares is my sense of gallantry. Why, I recall when I aided the chieftess of the Bog Burglar Tribe with a rather difficult grooming situation just for one of her charming smiles. Did I mention she had a rather thick and bushy beard?"

Fiona followed the merchant onto his ship as he talked, getting the feeling she was in for a very long story. A quick glance behind her confirmed that Dragon was already in the air and ready to follow from above. Johann noticed this too, but kept quiet.

He hadn't been lying to Hiccup when he'd encountered the brat: he honestly had no idea what Farquad had done after leaving his body and placing him in a cell on another Dragon Hunter ship. All he knew was days later, he was freed and told what to do by Viggo in order to get the ogre and the Dragon Riders together. It seemed something had changed in that time, but he had a feeling that if he quit now, he'd have to face either the ghost or his current employer. He had no idea which was worse anymore.

…

With Johann's map, finding the Dragon Hunters' new base was almost too easy. It made most of the Riders and their dragons extremely wary as they touched down. "It's quiet," Hiccup observed as he dismounted Toothless, "too quiet." Tuffnut looked around as the Thorstons also dismounted and shook his head. "Nah."

Hiccup just looked pointedly at his friend. "What was that, Tuff?" "I'm just saying that it's just quiet enough. An explosion would carry really well around here, unlike back home. You gotta admit that the Edge has terrible acoustics and Berk is hardly better. Allow me to demonstrate."

"NO! No explosions, Tuff. We stay on the ground and split up. Stay stealthy and don't attack until we know what's out here. Fishlegs, you're with me and Astrid, you're with the twins. Heather can keep Snotlout company."

Hiccup and Toothless were both gone without another word, Fishlegs and Meatlug reluctantly trailing behind after Heather gave him an understanding nod. Ruffnut tried to follow before an annoyed Astrid steered her in the opposite direction alongside her brother and their dragons. Snotlout watched them go and was noticeably relieved when Astrid looked back at the last minute with a small smile. "Be safe you two."

As the Riders scattered, they failed to notice themselves being spied upon from a nearby cliff. Lord Farquad frowned in contemplation as he observed the group through Ryker's eyes using a spyglass. "The black dragon doesn't look all that strong to me. You're certain that it will be my perfect body, Viggo?"

The younger Grimborn nodded. "Believe me, your Lordship, the Night Fury is second only to one other species in this world and that one is a cut above the rest. How else do you think a soft hearted fool like Hiccup remains in charge of his little group? In addition, he may be the last of his kind if the boasting of a former associate of mine is to be believed. I trust that a combination of power and rarity is ideal for your needs?"

The possessed Ryker nodded slowly, eyes gleaming in anticipation at the thought. "Now, I have a question," Viggo's tone was suddenly stern, "regarding our arrangement: can your ogre do the job? They are legends about how the ancient Vikings drove them off just before the Dragon wars and they did so with little effort apparently. What makes this one different?"

"This ogre is different," Farquad said defensively, "I assure you. He defeated all my best men and they were hand-picked by me personally. Anyone who can do that can surely handle children from a race of half-wit barbarians! No offense."

Before Viggo could reply, one of his men approached. "We've tested the strange dragon's flame on the Eye as ordered, sir. The lenses had no reaction no matter what we tried."

"Then the species was never documented when my ancestors discovered Duloc? Curious, but not entirely unexpected. As I said before, a rarity can be quite a valuable commodity."

Viggo rubbed his chin in thought, greed gleaming in his eyes as he pondered the possibilities. "Take the creature back to the cave for now. Make sure one of the Riders sees you."

Farquad allowed himself to shudder once the Hunter was out of sight. "That beast is one of the ugliest freaks I've ever seen! It reminds me of the ogre's pet donkey, only without the grating voice." This got Viggo's attention and he turned to his possessed brother with a raised eyebrow: "voice?"

…

Things were tense as Heather and Snotlout scouted their part of the island, the former growing more irritated as time passed. She soon began grumbling under her breath loud enough to be heard by those around her. Snotlout caught the part about the assigned pairings and scowled to show his own irritation. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"What are you talking about?" Heather asked, sounding tired. "I'm sorry for whatever dumb thing I did or said to make you mad. I didn't ask to be paired with you, ya know!"

Heather looked surprised for a moment, then her face softened. "I don't like the way we were paired, but I swear it's not you, Snotlout. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

Snotlout was still getting used to the idea of people treating him better just as much the idea of treating them better on a regular basis. Getting an apology felt strange even when he appreciated it. "Uh…no big deal. What is buggin' you though? You were hoping to be paired with Fishfa-Fishlegs?"

Heather nodded. "Yeah, even though I knew it wouldn't happen. Hiccup seems determined to keep us apart these days."

Ignoring his first instinct to flirt with Heather, Snotlout put a hand on her shoulder in as friendly a manner as he could. "Hiccup's just jealous that Fishlegs would rather hang with you than him these days. Who wouldn't?"

This made the Berserker Tribe girl smile a bit. "Well, as much as I love hanging with Astrid, I can think of someone else she'd rather have a picnic with than me." Now it was Snotlout's turn to smile. Heather had admit, she'd found the expression adorably geeky when she'd first met him.

"But, seriously, I'm worried. Hiccup might try to convince Fishlegs that we shouldn't be together if he gets the chance. He and I aren't really friends these days and he's never been too fond of how I changed since we first met. What if Fishlegs eventually starts to feel the same way?"

"Oh, come on, Heather," Snotlout scoffed, "this is Fishlegs we're talking about. You really think the guy who sent you all those sappy letters and never shuts up about how great you are is gonna change his mind just because of Hiccup?" This made Heather's scowl return in full force. "It's happened before."

The note of bitterness in this reply made Snotlout go silent for a long minute. "So…that Shrek book is kinda cool…for a book I mean." Heather didn't reply, but nodded absently. "I mean, that true love stuff the Princess wants is kinda sappy, but what about-?"

Snotlout found himself shushed by Heather just as they caught sight of an approaching ship. An ominous fog bank had also rolled onto the waves. "That might be the Dragon Hunters returning, but I can't see because of the fog. Should we try and signal the others?"

"Got it covered: Hookfang, flame up!" The Monstrous Nightmare did as ordered and took the air a minute later. The flame was bright enough to be see through the fog by Trader Johann as they drew close to shore.

"This is as far as I go, Miss Fiona. Those young ruffians can't know I'm involved." The false merchant kept his eye on what was obviously Snotlout's handiwork even he helped his guest aboard a lifeboat. The Princess gave him her most charming smile in return regardless.

"You've done more than enough, Johann. I pray thee safe travels until we meet again." Fiona was then lowered down into the water and began rowing to shore, unaware that she was being watched.

"I think your flame may have just tipped the Hunters off," Heather groaned, "and there's no way the others will reach us in time even if one of them did see it." "Well, it was your idea." Snotlout's reply was callous and automatic. A bit of guilt flickered across his face and he opened his mouth to apologize, but Heather stopped him.

"No, you're right. It wasn't a well thought-out plan to begin within and I don't think either of us could've made it work. All we can do now is fight as hard as we can and not give up."

"Now that's a Snotman-approved plan." The young Jorgenson put on an almost vicious smirk and readied his hammer while a still flaming Hookfang landed beside him. Heather mirrored his expression and drew her axe, allowing her Berserker blood to start pumping. The battle cry of her birth tribe eventually burst from her lips as she lead the charge.

The boat had just reached the shore when they emerged and it's sole occupant whirled around, shocked by the sound of Heather's cry. Both Vikings and their dragons stopped in their tracks. Snotlout in particular was left dumbstruck by the newcomer's attractiveness.

"That's no Dragon Hunter," Heather declared as she slowly sheathed her weapon, "but who is she? What is she doing here?"

"Not so fast, Heather," Snotlout suddenly piped up and shoved his friend behind him, "I've got this one. You were right before and if the only way to redeem myself is to risk getting captured by this potential enemy, that's just how it is. No need to thank me."

Putting on his most "charming" smile, Snotlout approached the newcomer with a bit of swagger in his walk. Heather and the dragons rolled their eyes at him more out of habit than actual annoyance. Though he was improving, some things would never change when it came to the Jorgenson boy.

"Hey there, you lost? Maybe I can help. I don't suppose you've heard of legendary Dragon Rider, S-?"

"Spitwad!?" The newcomer suddenly turned very angry and punched Snotlout square in the jaw, sending him to the ground. She followed this up by stepping on his groin area as she stood over him with a sneer. Heather gasped when she saw this and soon found herself charging into a fight.

"Get away from him!" The mystery woman slipped into what only she knew was a martial arts stance and charged the Viking girl. After dodging all of Heather's ax swings, she countered with some hard palm strikes to the chest that rendered her opponent unable to move. The stunned Heather lost her grip on her ax and it fell to the ground just as the woman nailed her with a roundhouse kick that sent her flying into a nearby tree.

It was then that Windshear announced her presence with a loud roar and landed in front of Heather's attacker. The woman looked startled and began backing away only to have Hookfang land behind her. He was about to roar as well, only to have a far louder roar come from above.

…

Shrek saw Dragon's Edge come into view just as his wife had easily dealt with two attackers. One of them seemed to resemble the one she'd met back home and had already been taken into custody. When the two dragons appeared to surround Fiona, the ogre motioned for his own Dragon to dive.

Roaring loudly, Dragon caused the much smaller others of her kind to back away from Fiona as she swooped in. Shrek took the opportunity to grab his wife's hand and pull her onto Dragon's back. "Are ye alright dear?"

"Yeah, but we need those two Vikings. One of them has to know where Coco is." Shrek nodded and had Dragon circle back to where Fiona's female opponent lay. Before she could be snatched up, the silver, sharp looking dragon appeared in front of them, hovering in front of the girl almost protectively and not backing down in spite of Dragon's much greater size.

There was an exchange of growls before the two began snapping at each other. Shrek attempted to hold Dragon back, but found himself unable. "Easy, girl! We don't have time to-!"

Dragon drowned out the ogre's protest with a roar and launched into the air alongside her opponent. The two then began clashing in earnest, clawing, biting, and wrestling while Shrek and the others struggled to remain on Dragon's back.

"No! Bad Dragon! Heel!" Shrek commanded in vain before sighing in irritation. "I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but I really wish Donkey was here."

"Never fear, mi amigos! I will get us the information we need." With that, Puss leaped off Dragon's back and landed in the tree that the Viking girl lay under. He nimbly made his way down to land in front of her. "Senorita Barbara, I must insist that you comply peacefully with…wow."

Puss had learned a lot about judging by appearances since meeting Shrek. He knew now that not all ogres were like the one he'd met during his San Lorenzo days or any other he'd taken care of. He also knew it was possible that not all Vikings were nasty brutes who smelled like herring. Even so, he hardly expected the girl before him to be so hot.

…

Heather slowly woke up to see up a cat in boots and a weird hat of all things standing in front of her. How hard had she hit her head anyway? It was then that she heard her dragon roar and her memories came back in full. "Windshear!? I'm coming, girl!"

The Berserker Tribe girl began franticly searching for her ax when she heard an odd scraping sound coming towards her. Heather's eyes widened when she turned to see the strange cat actually walking like a human towards her and dragging her weapon behind him with obvious difficulty.

"Um…thanks." Heather smiled awkwardly and took back her weapon as the cat flashed her a roguish grin. It opened it's mouth as if to talk to her before she shoved it aside and pulled out her horn, blowing into it. Windshear heard the sound just as the much bigger dragon knocked her for a loop. Hesitating only slightly, the injured Razorwhip retreated from the fight and flew down to meet her rider.

Heather gasped at the state of her oldest friend, then her expression turned fierce. "I don't know what kind of dragon did this to you, girl, but we'll make them pay together. Come on!"

The Berserker Tribe Girl mounted her dragon and was about to fly off when the cat suddenly stood in front of them, looking serious. Windshear simply ignored it and got a running start before taking off. The cat was just barely able to grab her tail before she was airborne and get dragged along for the ride. Heather barely noticed him as the enemy dragon quickly came into view. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of a rider and one she'd never expected.

"No way, it can't be! You're…?" The rider suddenly let out a humorless laugh, cutting her off.

"Aye, I'm an ogre riding a dragon. Pretty scary, right? Now, I'm gettin' airsick from all of this fighting, so why don't we all just stop and you get scared enough to tell me what I want to know before I lose my lunch!?

"I don't know what you're talking about, but the woman you're with attacked us." Heather replied crossly. "I think we're the one who deserve answers here!" The woman in question's face darkened and she actually shoved her way up front before the ogre could snap back.

"We don't have time for this! Where…is…the baby!? I know you and Spitwad took her!"

"The name is Snotlout! Snotlout, Snotlout,oi,oi,oi!" Hookfang suddenly swooped in with his rider and blasted the other dragon with his flame breath. Heather used the distraction to shout a command: "Windshear, tail slice!"

The Razorwhip's barbed tail lashed out and struck the larger dragon across the face. This sent the cat flying into the dragon's face as well, angering her even further as she shook him off. Heather and Snotlout took a moment to fist bump before the latter glanced at the ogre and asked "hey, don't I know you?"

…

Puss let out a scream as he plummeted towards the earth below, his current life flashing before his eyes. He saw every woman he had ever loved and vowed never to forget. If only he had been better with names that weren't Kitty Softpaws. He had only just begun to recall Dulcinea when everything went dark.

The ex ogre hunter pulled himself up with a groan seconds later and coughed up sand. "I guess that's it for life numero siete." It was then that he noticed two new Vikings standing over him that looked far too much alike. A big green dragon with two heads loomed behind them.

"Whoa, check it out! It's a cat from the sky. Freya must have it sent it so we could shave it. " The Viking who said this had a somewhat feminine voice and might've been a girl. Puss couldn't help but think of her as ugly, especially when compared to the raven-haired beauty of moments ago.

The possible male of the two scowled and pulled a mace from their belt. "I don't like it! Chicken said a cat tried to eat her once. He probably stole those boots from her too. Let's kill it to be safe."

Puss reached for his saber, only to find it missing. The supposed male Viking swung their mace a second later and forced him to dodge. He did this two more times before letting out a hiss and lunging at his attacker's face. The Viking panicked and shoved their partner in front of them last minute.

"OW! OW! OW! This feels so good!"

Puss did not stop his attack, but hearing this disturbed him. These barbarians really were twisted. The supposed male prepared to swing again when someone stopped him. "What are you muttonheads doing!?"

A new Viking, also blonde, but more obviously female, stood there with her hands on her hips. She was dressed in blue and a spiked skirt that made her resemble the dragon next to her. Puss found her to be the second most beautiful woman with an axe he'd ever seen. His attraction only grew when she effortlessly pulled him from the face of her companion and began cradling him in her strong arms.

"Wow, I never expected to find a cat way out here, especially one that's this cute. What were you thinking, Tuffnut? This adorable little thing wears boots for Thor's sake." Puss purred in appreciation as his new defender rubbed his belly.

Tuffnut held up his hands defensively. "Easy, Astrid, I was just gonna shave 'em." His supposed sister scowled. "Were not, I was!"

"So, your name is Astrid? I can think of no better for one such as you." Astrid gazed down at Puss with her eyes wide in shock and he raised an eyebrow in return. "What? I am being too forward?"

…

Fishlegs was more nervous than usual as he trekked along with his group. Something had compelled him to take his sword from Meatlug's saddlebag and since then, it had begun to glow on and off while they walked. It was almost as if the weapon knew something was out there and was attempting to warn him. The dragons were skittish as well and he wondered if they too could sense something lurking about.

Hiccup was too preoccupied with Johann's map to notice any of this. It was only with some eventual nudging from Toothless that he finally looked up and saw a figure slowly emerge from a nearby cave. "That's got to be a Dragon Hunter! I think we've found Viggo's new base."

The scrawny Viking quickly reached into Toothless' saddlebag and pulled out Inferno. The sword was looking quite advanced these days and seemed to glow more brightly than ever when ignited. Fishlegs felt an odd twinge of jealousy when he saw it and an uncharacteristic urge to see how it did in a real fight. Where had that come from?

"You and Meatlug stay here and keep watch while Toothless and I investigate. C'mon, bud!" Hiccup darted away without another word. Before following him, Toothless shared a look with Fishlegs that suggested he did indeed share their misgivings about the island. He also seemed a bit wary about Fishlegs' sword for some reason.

The night fury and his rider soon stood at the cave entrance. They could hear dragon noises from within and were shocked at how young it sounded. "Viggo's gone after a hatchling!? He's gone too far this time!"

Toothless growled in agreement and lead the way into the cave. It was a huge space, but held only a small cage that was almost conveniently placed not far from the entrance. Hiccup quickly knelt down to inspect the captive within and his eyes widened. "This isn't a dragon, it can't be."

Toothless peered at the creature in question and sniffed at it. He could detect a scent that was like a member of the Stoker Class, but not quite. There was also a hint of a definitely non-draconic creature that he couldn't place. In short, he was just as confused as Hiccup and communicated this to his rider with a shrug.

Hiccup gave a frustrated sigh. "We'd need the Dragon Eye to be sure." He glanced back at the captive creature and began to think. "Maybe we can use this little thing to get it back." Toothless frowned at the look in his rider's eyes, the same look he got when his growing obsession with outwitting Viggo began to overtake him. It usually lead to poor choices being made but Toothless couldn't bring himself to doubt his best friend.

A short time later, the duo emerged to find Fishlegs and Meatlug still standing guard. Both immediately took notice of the cage in Hiccup's hand. "Whoa, is that the new dragon?"

"I have a feeling that's what Viggo wants us to think. Whatever he is, this little guy might be just what we need." Hiccup said rather confidently as he held the cage up for inspection."

"It's a girl," Fishlegs said after a quick glance, "I can tell. She looks scared and hurt though. Shouldn't we let her out?"

"We will as soon as we know more about what she is and why Viggo wants her. This whole thing is starting to feel like a set-up. " Fishlegs didn't respond, too busy looking at the captive creature with both sympathy and fascination. When she looked up and gave a soft cry of pain, his heart broke.

Meatlug found herself overcome with motherly urges and moved to free the strange hatchling from her cage, but Hiccup held her back. "No Meatlug, we need her to stay locked up for now. Who knows what could happen if she got loose?"

The Gronkle only became more aggressive in her efforts and even started spewing lava blasts that Hiccup just barely managed to avoid. "Hey! Fishlegs, talk to her, would ya?" Fishlegs rather half-heartedly began to discipline his dragon when a rumbling the sky caught everyone's attention.

A massive figure soon plummeted to earth, landing only a few feet from the startled group and causing a slight tremor. "Now that's definitely a dragon!" Hiccup proclaimed as he took in the big red beast with wide eyes.

Fishlegs nodded slowly in agreement as a glint of recognition entered his eyes. "Yeah, it is." He turned and began reaching into Meatlug's saddlebag when unified groans from the new dragon's other side caught his attention. Toothless moved to investigate and saw two very odd figures sprawled out in the sand. Were they Dragon Riders?

The Night Fury first chose to take a sniff at the big green figure. He winced a second later at the foul smell. "That's it, next time we're bringin' Donkey no matter what! Did I really just say that?"

The big green Rider, who was clearly not human, then caught sight of Toothless as he stood up. Both gasped when they saw each other and backed away. Hiccup and Fishlegs soon came around to see what had happened and gasped themselves. "Is that a troll?"

Hiccup's question caused the green creature to scowl and turn in his direction. "What!? No, I'm not a troll! Do I look like I could squeeze under a cramped bridge and eat goat all day to…you?" The green creature suddenly caught sight of Inferno and the cage in Hiccup's other hand.

"You! You're the one we've been lookin' for!" The supposed troll's expression darkened and he marched toward Hiccup, reaching out his meaty green hand to grab the cage. Hiccup pulled back and held Inferno up defensively.

"Look, I don't want any trouble, but I need whatever this animal is to help me get back something very important. I promise nothing will happen to it." The green creature didn't look convinced and moved to grab the cage again. Once more, Hiccup avoided his grasp.

"Okay then, have it your way. Bud?" Toothless rather reluctantly prepared to fire a warning shot, unsure of how to tell his rider that it wasn't necessary. The green creature smelled very bad, but his scent was not evil like a Dragon Hunter's.

"Wait a minute, Hiccup, I know who this is!" Everyone turned to Fishlegs, who now held a book in his hand. The green creature saw his likeness on the cover and rolled his eyes. The woman beside him smiled softly.

A few minutes passed while explanations were given. Hiccup seemed reluctant to trust what he was hearing. "Great book, Fishlegs, but how do we know it's true? This Shrek guy could still be working for Viggo. You saw how badly he wanted this creature."

The scrawny Viking held up the cage once more and the newly identified Shrek growled. "For the last time, I don't know any Viggo! We came here to Dragon's Edge because one of you stole Coco away from her mother over there!" He gestured between the creature in the cage and the still injured dragon behind them.

"This isn't Dragon's Edge," Fishlegs protested, "and we've never seen Coco before until a little while ago." "How do you even know that name?" Hiccup asked, suspicion thick in his voice. He slowly began reaching for Inferno as Shrek started to answer.

It was at that moment that Heather and Snotlout appeared in mid-air on their dragons. Fishlegs excitedly began to wave at the former. "Heather, look! It's Shrek! It's really him!"

"I know, Fish. That's why we're here." Heather said with a slight smile before turning to the ogre in question. "Snotlout and I are sorry we attacked you and your dragon. We think there's been a misunderstanding."

"All I understand is she attacked us first." Snotlout suddenly spoke up, pointing accusingly at Fiona. She growled in response and transformed in a burst of light, shocking all Vikings present.

Fishegs opened his Shrek book and began flipping through the pages. "I knew I should have read further along!" Snotlout was equally stunned, then smirked. "Wow, and I thought she was hot before."

The newly transformed ogress ignored this and pointed an accusing finger at the Nightmare rider. "I attacked you because you are the one who tried to kidnap me, Snotwad, or Spitlout or whatever your name is! It was your friends who took Coco in the first place! How'd you escape the knights anyway!?"

"His name is Snotlout," Heather interjected, "and he has his flaws, but he'd never really hurt you. None of us would. I have a feeling that something's going on around here."

"Well said, my lovely Barbara." Astrid and the twins soon joined the group and Heather immediately noticed the cat from earlier with his paws wrapped around Astrid's waist. This immediately got both Snotlout and Hiccup's attention while Fishlegs didn't like the flirtatious look that the cat was sending Heather. "Who is that?" There was a tinge of jealousy in the Viking boys' unified question.

"Guys, this is Puss in Boots," said Astrid, "though I'm sure some of you already know that. He's filled me in on a lot and I think we should all talk." Puss tipped his hat to everyone while they eyed each other warily. Fiona was eyeing Astrid much the same way.

"Now you I definitely know. You're a…girl?" Astrid only smiled. "Like I said, we need to talk."

"Indeed we do, dear Astrid." Hiccup's already sour expression darkened at the sound of his rival's voice. "Viggo!" The man in question soon appeared alongside his elder brother, who looked strangely agitated by the sight of the ogres.

"Hello, Hiccup, it's been quite a while. I trust you've managed to make some new friends?" The younger Viking only glared harder and tightened his grip on Inferno. "You caused all of this."

Viggo simply shrugged. "Quite right, though I am sorry to have engineered such a poor impersonation of you all. There simply weren't enough dragons for one thing and with the possible exception of our own Heather, no women have ever filled our ranks. Grandfather was rather close-minded about such things and I've recently found it didn't quite suit me either." This earned him a glare from Heather.

Hiccup quickly snatched up Coco's cage and presented it to his rival. "Whatever your plan is, I know it involves this creature. I'm willing to trade for it if you are." This got looks of shock from both rider and dragon alike. This ogres looked outraged.

"She is indeed a rare specimen, but what could I possibly trade you for her?" "You know what." Viggo only smirked and pulled the Dragon Eye out from behind his back as he and Hiccup began slowly walking towards each other.

"I give you this and, in addition to the Dragon Eye, you stop whatever you've been doing. No more killing dragons. Agreed?" Hiccup's tone was more serious than anyone had ever heard it. Viggo simply shrugged again. "Agreed?"

Ryker suddenly let out a roar of frustration. "This wasn't part of the plan!" Hiccup noticed the difference in the elder Grimborn's voice and paused, but his rival did not. "Plans change, your Lordship."

"NO!" Shrek suddenly cried out as he and Fiona rushed towards Hiccup, tackling him to the ground and knocking him away from Viggo. Coco's cage fell to the ground with a thud and the door was forced over, allowing the tiny creature to fly free. She immediately dove into Fiona's arms and the two ogres began cooing over her while Hiccup angrily tried to squirm under their combined weight.

"Go to your mother, sweetie." Fiona instructed gently as she released the hatchling into the air. Viggo allowed the scene to play out with yet another shrug of indifference. "As I said, plans change."

Armed Hunters suddenly emerged from all sides to flank their leader as he pointed in Coco's direction. "Bring me back both the creature and the new dragon. Her flame should have a reaction to the lens if Grandfather's stories of our ancestors were true." With that, he walked off with the Dragon Eye still in hand.

This ultimately went ignored as a battle broke out. Coco however was oblivious to all of it as she stood by her mother's side and tried to nuzzle her awake. Any Hunters approaching the pair were driven off by aerial attacks from Astrid, Heather, Snotlout, and the twins.

Shrek and Fiona were equally distracted with keeping Hiccup pinned down, unwilling to trust the Dragon Rider leader after what he'd just tried. Neither noticed the enraged Ryker charging straight towards them until the very last minute. It was Shrek who noticed first however and quickly shoved his wife aside so he would be the only one attacked. The ogre soon found himself trading blows with the eldest Dragon Hunter and struggling to hold his own.

"I've waited a long time for this, monster!" Ryker gloated as he began grappling with his opponent. Shrek's eyes widened at the familiar voice."Lord Farquad!? Is that really you!?"

"In the borrowed flesh. Being a ghost has it's advantages after all. I had hoped to take over one of these dragons and have the pleasure of devouring you, but this brutish fellow has served me quite well."

Ryker/Farquad began to slowly overpower Shrek as he said this. The ogre was soon forced to his knees. "You know, I still can't help but think you're compensating for something."

With a sudden surge of strength, Shrek head butted the possessed Dragon Hunter and broke his hold. Ryker/Farquad stumbled back just in time to be struck from the side by Fiona's flying kick. The ogress smiled in self-satisfaction and walked over to help her husband stand. "See what happens when you try to have fun without me?"

"I won't be makin' that mistake ever again." Shrek chuckled warmly as he rose to his feet with assistance. The newly recovered Ryker/Faquad sneered at the sight.

"Hello, Fiona. It's actually good to see you again. I wanted to see the look on your face when I drag your husband to the underworld with me!"

…

The Dragon Riders were now on the offensive. While Snotlout and Hookfang simply plowed through the Hunters in their path, Heather and Astrid had chosen to dive down and snatch up their foes, engaging them in bouts of armed combat while in mid-air. It was gratifying to literally knock them back down to earth.

After a few rounds of this, Heather turned to Astrid as they hovered next to each other. "Where's Puss? I saw him jump off Stormfly after you gave him that skinny little sword of his back."

Astrid pointed down below at the cat in question while he prepared to face down several Hunters on his own. The two Viking girls prepared themselves for a rescue when Puss suddenly removed his hat and made the most adorable face they'd ever seen. Even the Hunters couldn't help going "Aww." This was right before Puss drew his saber and tore into them with as much fury as any dragon.

"It's like I always say," Astrid said with a shrug, "just because someone's pretty doesn't mean they're not tough." Heather smirked. "Well said. Can you imagine what he'd do if we gave him a real sword?"

"I'd imagine something like that." Astrid directed her best human friend's attention to Fishlegs, who had actually chosen to dismount from Meatlug and duel the Hunters one on one. He did so well that one might've thought that Thor Bonecrusher had returned. Heather only beamed with pride.

Meanwhile, Toothless was fighting his way towards Hiccup while trying to avoid Barf and Belch's attacks. The twins had basically abandoned the actual battle were now more concerned with causing as much destruction as possible. How did Barf and Belch handle having those two as Riders?

Of course, the Night Fury had little room to talk given how his own Rider was acting these days. As much as he wanted to believe the best in Hiccup, the scrawny Viking's attitude towards the strange hatchling was troubling. Would he really have honored his bargain with Viggo? Did the Dragon Eye really mean that much to him?

In any case, Toothless knew he had to get to Hiccup before the fight escalated farther. He could now see his rider from a short distance away, rising to his feet just as a Hunter attacked from behind. It was at that same moment that an explosion was heard and a fire ball could be seen hurtling through the air. Toothless followed it's trajectory and realized it was headed straight towards the hatchling and her mother!

Looking back and forth between Hiccup and his fellow dragons, the Night Fury was torn over who to aid. Finally, he made a choice and darted in Coco's direction as fast as he could go. It soon became clear that this would not be fast enough. It was also clear that everyone else was too engrossed in battle to notice what was happening in time.

Toothless knew he had no choice but to rely on a secret that he had kept from even Hiccup for the past three years. Spreading his wings, he leaped into the air and began flying unaided. His movements were somewhat clumsy from lack of practice and he wasn't sure he could do it for very long but he refused to not try. His bat-like wings soon enveloped the hatchling and he winced a moment later from taking the brunt of the deadly projectile.

The strange hatchling looked up at the Night Fury with wide and innocent eyes. Toothless found himself unable to resist smiling a gummy smile at her. That was when he heard the mother's low growl. Now awake, she rose up to her full height and showed just how large she was.

Remembering the earlier encounter between Hiccup and Shrek, Toothless backed away from the hatchling and tried not to show fear. The female before him had a scent not unlike the Red Death and was glaring down at him in a way not unlike his old queen. Though he and Hiccup had long ago conquered her and other dragons larger than themselves, the Night Fury still feared being eaten and he had little doubt that the one before him could easily pull it off.

End Part 2