Author's Note: It's finally fridayyyyyyyyy. =D

Man, I'm tired. =/ School felt like it was dragging on forever, and I had a math test today that I hope I passed. Knowing that spring break is at the end of this month is the only thing keeping me going right now. X)

Anyway, enough about school! Welcome back to "Sticks and Stones," peoples! This one-shot is the sixtieth chapter in "Sticks and Stones," and I couldn't be any prouder. =) This is my first one-shot collection (actually "Learning to Trust" was, but it was super short, so I'm not counting it XD), and I can't believe that I actually managed to write all of *gestures to one-shot collection* this.

Now, this isn't the end of "Sticks and Stones;" we got about fourteenish more chapters to go before that. But I wanted to say thank you for all the kind reviews, every fav, and every follow. =) I honestly wasn't expecting this series of one-shots to receive this much feedback, and I'm really glad you all are enjoying it just as much as I am writing it. =)

Down below is "Into a Fantasy" (yes, yes I did use a song title for this one-shot...again. X)), so I hope you guys enjoy it!

Summary Valka's nest was unlike any place that Hiccup had ever seen. It was like stepping into a fantasy…a world where dragons live together in peace and harmony. (HTTYD 2.)

Into a Fantasy

The masked figure began to approach him, but Hiccup didn't feel all that panicked. He felt a little uneasy as the armored figure approached, but he could tell that she or he didn't mean any harm.

The figure's movements were almost draconic, Hiccup noted, telling him that this person had spent a lot of their time around dragons. From what he knew about Drago, the seemingly madman didn't have any heart for dragons. Instead, he captured them and forced them to do what he wanted. This figure seemed to prefer to study dragons instead of controlling them. None of the other dragons in the room made a move to attack, all of them stood respectfully still, lighting the room up with their bright fire, which had been requested by the masked figure.

And that was another thing Hiccup couldn't wrap his head around. This person seemed to have some control over dragons, but didn't force or demand them. Hiccup still didn't know what to think, though, as the masked dragon-person came even closer. A little too close for Hiccup's liking. The figure reached out a hand, and Hiccup noticed that it was slim and delicate. A woman's hand.

Hiccup backed away uncomfortably as the woman reached out toward him, seeming as if she was going to train him like the other dragons in the room. "Uhh…" Hiccup started, jerking his head away as the hand grew closer. The figure suddenly froze, letting out a shocked gasp. Her hand hovered in the air, and Hiccup could see it shaking in disbelief as the figure pulled it away. Hiccup's emerald-green eyes followed the woman's movements as she backed away from him.

"H-Hiccup?" a muffled voice came from behind the mask, and Hiccup felt like he had heard that voice before, although he didn't know for sure. He tried to search through his memory for a face that the voice belonged to, but it was like blinding reaching into a dark closet for something that one knew was there. He knew that the memory was there somewhere, he knew that he knew this person, but he couldn't find who she was, even in the earliest of his memories from when he was just a child.

But that voice…it sounded so familiar and so comforting. Hiccup stared as the figure removed her mask, revealing a woman with a thin face and bright green eyes. Her auburn hair was streaked with a few stripes of white, and was braided down her back. The woman's eyes were filled with shock, and memories seemed to flash before her eyes as she set down her mask.

"Could it be…" she whispered slowly to herself. "After all these years…" The woman's eyes shimmered with hope. "How is this possible…"

Hiccup racked his brain to remember who this woman was. He knew her, he knew her. But who was she? Why was she so familiar? When had he seen her before?

Hiccup opened his mouth, but no words came out. After a few moments, he tried again, asking one simple question that he hoped didn't sound too doltish, "Should…Should I know you?"

The auburn-haired woman's eye flickered with hurt, and she bowed her head sadly. "No…" she replied, her voice laced with sorrow and regret. "You were only a babe…"

Only a babe… The answer was close, almost tangible. Recognition began to wash over Hiccup as he examined the woman closer, but he was still unsure on who she was.

The woman looked up at Hiccup, her eyes shimmering. "But…a mother never forgets."

A mother never forgets…

Hiccup felt time slow, and he only heard those four words repeating through his head over and over. This woman…this mysterious dragon lady…was his actual mother? His mother who was said to have been eaten by dragons. His mother who had been "missing" for over twenty years was alive and well and…living with the dragons?

Hiccup stumbled back; the revelation was too shocking. He drew in a breath, about to scream when his mother hushed him.

"Shh," she said. She looked around, and smiled softly at Hiccup. "Come," she whispered. Then, faster than a wingbeat, she ran through a tunnel. And Hiccup had no other choice to follow. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

…

"H-Hold on, wait just a minute!" Hiccup called as he chased after his mother, who was slipping through rocks and climbing over them with ease. The young viking had trouble keeping up with her pace, and when the ground evened out, Hiccup did his best to catch up with her.

"This way," said Valka quickly, and she continued to lead Hiccup to wherever they were going, not even glancing behind her to see if he was keeping up.

"C-Come back here!" said Hiccup. He pushed himself to keep up with his mother. His mother.

"Come," said Valka, continuing to lead Hiccup though a vast maze of rock caves.

"Y-You can't just say something like and just…run off!" exclaimed Hiccup. He tripped over a couple of stones, but he quickly caught himself. "You're my mother!? I mean…what the—Do you grapes how insane that sounds?!"

Valka didn't seem to hear him. "Come. Quickly!" she urged as she swiftly climbed over a rock formation, and slipped through the other side. Hiccup ran up to the pile of rocks and grasped at them, trying his best to climb, but that was rather difficult to do with a prosthetic. Hiccup kept on grabbing the rocks, pushing himself up only to slip back down.

"I-I have questions!" he shouted. So many questions, in fact. How did she survive? What had she been doing out in the wild by herself? "Where have you been all this time?! What have you been doing?!"

Toothless walked up behind Hiccup and pushed him up the rocks. The young viking quickly got to his feet and continued to pursue his mother.

"They said you were dead!" Hiccup cried. "Everyone back at home thinks you've been eaten by…"

Hiccup trailed off when he entered through an opening that led into a place unlike any he had ever seen. He had ventured and discovered many new places with Toothless and the other Dragon Riders, flew across the very ends of the archipelago, and even navigated through a volcano to get a dragon egg to its hatching place…

But none of that—none of it—compared to the haven of dragons that he saw before him.

It looked as if every dragon listed in the Book of Dragons had come to life. Hundreds of dragons flew around in perfect sync. There were Terrible Terrors, Scuttleclaws, Raincutters, Snafflefangs, Hobblegrunts…so many dragons that weren't commonly found on Berk were all right there, flying in peace and harmony. The entire sanctuary seemed to be made of some kind of ice, and as jagged as the spikes were, they formed the perfect nest and safe haven for all of the dragons inside. Grass lined the area where Hiccup stood, and the young viking spotted a group of baby dragons wrestling and attacking each other beside him. Hiccup looked around in awe; it was like stepping into a fantasy. A world where dragons lived in peace and harmony…it almost didn't look real, but it was.

Hiccup looked up and spotted his mother and a Stormcutter, who he guessed was her dragon, hanging off of the stone roof above. Hiccup looked around at the dragon haven surrounding him.

"This…This is where you've been for twenty years?" he asked.

Valka nodded.

"You've…You've been rescuing them," said Hiccup. Valka nodded again. "Unbelievable…" Hiccup breathed.

"You're not upset?" asked Valka tentatively.

Hiccup was surprised. "What? No. I…I don't know. It's a bit much to get my head around to be frank. It's not every day you find out your mother is some kind of crazy, feral, vigilante dragon lady."

"Well," said Valka as she slipped down from her dragon. She landed lightly on her feet. "At least I'm not boring…right?"

A Snifflefang curiously walked up to Hiccup and sniffed his side. The young viking gave it a light pat on the head. "I suppose there is that one…specific…thing…" Hiccup didn't know what to think. He had just found his mother, and he was happy about that, but…why had she left for all those years? Why didn't she come back?

But that was a question Hiccup knew would be for another day. Right now…he was more shocked and excited to finally have met his long lost mother…What would his father say?

Valka walked up to Hiccup slowly. "Do…Do you like it?" she asked.

Hiccup looked around; the fantastical sight of dragons both overwhelming, but absolutely mystifying. The young viking turned to his mother, who was waiting for his answer.

Hiccup cracked a small smile. "I…I don't have the words."