A/N: sorry this chapter is shorter than normal, but it's like midnight and the stopping point seemed okay. as special sorry to toothlessgolfer because i totally didn't proof read this chapter in particular, but again, it's midnight.

Whovianeverlark17: Thank you :D i always love time travel fics, and i hope i can get you hooked on the idea too ^-^

naturalme9: thank you so much!

toothlessgolfer: Skullcrusher probably is a bit worried he's lost another rider ;-; I'm really excited to have Horrendous have a friend now :D

2012209: au in which there is now a competition going on for who can stay in a coma for the longest

gwencarson126: BOOM

NightshadeLG: Lol if the whole gang was here it would be absolute chaos.

Hiccup rolled his eyes as he watched Eret desperately try and pry Ruffnut off of his bicep. Every since Hiccup had introduced himself, the man had had an odd look on his face. It was somewhere between careful composure and complete and an animal backed up into a corner. Every word and smile was like bared teeth that sent shivers down Hiccup's spine as warning bells went off in his head.

Unlike Horrendous, this man more easily talked about his past, weaving stories of capturing dragons, shooting them out of the sky and wrestling them into submission, of the ones he'd managed to kill and pointing at scars he'd earned. Once again, his fellow young vikings were absolutely amazed by each detail, with Tuffnut asking questions about the man's technique and Fishlegs begging for more details on what the dragons looked like and how touch their hide was.

Sitting on the other side of the table, Hiccup caught Astrid also rolling her eyes, giving a huffing of frustration. They met eyes, and Hiccup nodded with his head towards the door, trying to convey with facial expression that he wanted to talk to her.

"Oof, I'm beat. Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow to practice strangling dragons." Hiccup said as he stood up. Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut actually smiled at him as he left, such a weird thing that made an emotion Hiccup wasn't entirely able to define bubble up in his stomach. Eret looked at him with those calculating eyes, almost like he could see right through every word Hiccup said. He did his best not to run straight out of the Great Hall.

A couple minutes later Astrid followed him.

"Did you find something else?" She asked, voice not entirely cold and surprising Hiccup. It took him a moment to remember what he wanted to say.

"I think I found some proof that Horrendous is lying about stuff." Hiccup said, and Astrid's face morphed into curiosity. The first time she'd ever directed an emotion that didn't have frustration and a bit of hate at Hiccup.

"Really? Well, what is it?" She prompted, then held up a hand before he could get started, staring at something over his shoulder he turned around and followed her gaze.

Horrendous was walking towards the Great Hall. A pack was slung over his back and his hair was a terrible whirlwind of tangles. He looked happier than any other time Hiccup had seen him, eyes essentially lit up and grinning widely. His arm was still in it's cast, and he didn't seem to have any more injuries since the last time Horrendous had seen him.

"Hey." He said as he passed them, waving and entering the Great Hall.

They waited until the door was shut again. Hiccup let out a breath, schooling his expression. He had gone over how this conversation would go a million times in his head. It was possible Astrid wouldn't believe him. He lifted his hand and showed the black scale to Astrid. She took it out of his hand, flipping it back and forth.

"What is this?" She asked. Hiccup tried to swallow down the lump in his throat.

"A-night-fury-scale-wait-please-hear-me-out!" Hiccup said in one breath. He watched as her face shifted into the familiar scrunched-down brows and annoyance. But she didn't say anything. Hiccup clenched his hands into fists, trying to ground himself. "I think my bola launcher did hit down a night fury. I found it in the woods, ripped up and with these black scales."

"Let's say I believe you," Astrid folded her arms, ice-blue eyes staring at him, "What does this have to do with Horrendous."

"C'mon, I'll show you." Hiccup started to reach out to grab her wrist but thought better of it, jerking his hand back before he could make contact. He speed-walked down to the forge, looking back a few times to make sure she was following. Her brow was still scrunched down, but apparently he had enough of her curiosity.

He entered the forge and gestured to Horrendous's armor, right where he'd left it on the table. She quirked an eyebrow at him and walked over to it, running a hand along it. Hiccup could see the moment it clicked, as she compared the scale and the armor.

"It's the same scales." Astrid said, as if saying it would make it more solid of a fact. Hiccup nodded.

"And if they're night fury scales, then he'd have to have killed one to get armor like this." Hiccup said, trying to ignore how his heart sped up at the thought of the man he was living with killing Toothless to make a new set of armor.

"He said he saw the ones that attacked him, but he never mentioned killing them." Astrid said, following his train of logic. "Killing one is something one would mention. So why didn't he?"

"Exactly. So let's show this to-"

"No." Astrid cut him off, shaking her head, still looking at the scale and the armor. "This isn't more than just a hunch. We'll need something more concrete if we want to get him."

"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked. Astrid looked back up at him, determination clear in her expression and - miraculously - a small smile directed towards him on her lips.

"Yeah. But now, Hiccup, we know we're not just being paranoid. There's definitely something to this." Hiccup found himself mimicking her smile, scratching the back of his head, not used to so much attention from her.

"Yeah." He agreed. Astrid looked back at the scale, and then at Hiccup.

"... hey, I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

"No, nah, don't be." He quickly said. "I claimed I did once, like, every month. And anyway, it got away, there's definitely not a night fury on the island." He winced, praying she'd take that last line as just another crazy think Hiccup said.

"Still. Thanks."

Hiccup thought back to that brief glimpse of true flight he'd had with Toothless. Right now, he felt like he was in that brilliant moment again.

oOo

Going for a flight was exactly what Horrendous had needed.

He was still relishing that feeling of freedom as he walked back to the Great Hall, Spine back in his pack. Hiccup and Astrid were standing outside of it, and he imagined she was grilling the young Haddock about what he was up to.

"Hey." He said as he passed them. Neither gave any reply, but he hadn't really expected them to. He didn't let it bother him or wreck his good mood.

No, seeing Eret awake was good enough at doing that.

"Eret." Horrendous almost shouted but caught himself last minute, so it kind of sounded like he was being strangled. The older man still heard it and turned to him, immediately standing up and pushing Ruffnut off of him. Horrendous had wanted to be there when Eret woke up, to fill the man in on what he'd figured out was going on here instead of being left to figure it out - or ruin Horrendous's fake backstory.

"H-" Eret said, the sound petering off in his throat as he made a clear effort to change what it was going to be, "-orrendous."

"I wasn't expecting-" Was all Horrendous managed to get out before Eret had cleared the distance between them and wrapped him in a tight and firm hug. He could feel as Eret's shoulder dropped down, like a weight had been physically removed from his shoulders.

"You're alive." Eret breathed and then stepped back. He looked over his shoulder at the teens. "C'mon, let's go back to y- uh, Hiccup's house. I think we have a lot to catch up on."

They left the Great Hall quickly, Eret mostly pulling Horrendous along the way. The second they got out, Eret looked around. The only people nearby were the quickly retreating forms of Astrid and Hiccup towards the forge. That seemed… odd, but Horrendous had other things to focus on.

"You're here." Horrendous said, trying out the concept. "You're actually here. I'm… I'm not alone." His eyes burned as that sunk in.

"You're alive!" Eret repeated. "I mean, I've seen you in better shape, but, well, I was worried the worst had befallen you in the storm." He admitted as they walked in the general direction of the Haddock house.

"So time is still moving back at home." Horrendous mused aloud. Eret nodded.

"It's been storming since you left. What happened? Where are we?"

"I wish I could tell you." Horrendous sighed. "I remember the storm, but I must've fallen off of Toothless. He tried to grab me, but… I haven't seen him since I got here." He put his hand over where the bite still wasn't completely healed up. "We seem to be in the past - I've found Toothless but I'm still in dragon training - and that's about all I've figured out?"

"Well, I guess I should count myself lucky my trip here didn't make me break a limb." Eret nodded to Horrendous's arm.

"Oh, this was something else entirely. Got caught by some dragon trappers while looking for a dragon to help me search for Toothless."

Eret chuckled, shaking his head.

"Of course you would. What've you been up to?"

"Training some terrible terrors, lying every other word out of my mouth, a bunch of fun stuff." Horrendous said as they got to the house, going inside.

"So… that's the plan? Try not to mess with the past?" Eret asked. Horrendous shrugged.

"I don't know what else to do. I don't want to change how things turned out - I'm happy with the future I have. It made me who I am. I've already messed with some things without meaning too - so I guess I'm just trying to mitigate the damage?" Horrendous admitted.

"Well, I can think of one thing we may need to worry about." Eret said. They both went into Stoick's room, closing the door behind them. Horrendous took off his pack and opened it up, letting Spine inspect the new person, climbing up Eret's leg and to his shoulder. Eret scratched the dragon's cheek.

"Besides ruining my life?"

"Toothless is probably fine. I'll bet he just can't get to Berk with a broken tailfin. But Skullcrusher can fly perfectly well on his own." Eret said and it clicked in Horrendous's head.

"Skullcrusher's a tracker dragon. He's going to be coming here-"

"-to a village full of dragon-slaying vikings." Eret finished, nodding. "Somebody's going to get hurt."