Three words. Online. College. Sucks. …Also… Writers. Block. Sucks.
Haha, seriously though, this one gave me a lot of trouble. Writing the effects of Dragon Eel Pox is hard.
The Eel Effect:
Yet another gift of winter was eel pox, a dastardly illness that Hiccup only had second hand experience with; it was both a blessing and a curse. The illness came every year, but this year it came sooner, and spread faster. Gothi just hadn't enough time to prepare. As it was, with almost half of Berk sick in less than a few days and sanctioned to the Great Hall, the Dragon Riders needed to help Gothi get more ingredients.
Opening the doors to the Great Hall, Hiccup peered inside at all her people. Strangely, she didn't see her father. Every winter Berk suffered like this, and while very few died, that didn't mean dealing with eel pox was any easy. She couldn't imagine what it was like.
"Hiccup", Fishlegs interrupted her thoughts. He was on Meatlug who hovered over the steps to the Great Hall. "Astrid went to pick up Gothi. She'll meet us at the academy."
"Oh, good. Alright, bud", she turned to Toothless. "Lets go."
Hopping on, Hiccup and Toothless flew off to the academy to meet up with the others. "Ready, gang?" she asked on arrival.
"Ready to leave Berk during an outbreak of eel pox?" Snotlout snarkily questioned. "Hmm, let me think, let me think, let me think… I'd say that's a big fat YES! Not all of us are immune like you, you know", his arms crossed.
"The sooner the better", Tuffnut said. "I do not want to get sick."
"And if he gets sick, I get sick", Ruffnut added.
"You do?" Tuffnut asked.
"Yeah. We're twins."
"So wait. If I slap myself…then would you feel it?"
"Definitely", Ruffnut told him. "Try it."
"Haha! Cool!" Tuffnut exclaimed, before preceding to slap and punch himself, Ruffnut faking pain with each hit. Aric walked up to Hiccup.
"How's your dad?" he asked.
"Fine. I think", Hiccup answered with an uncertain shrug. "I didn't see him in the Great Hall. I hope he's not out. He just doesn't know when to rest."
"That's ironic coming from you", Aric pointed out.
"Ha, ha", Hiccup dryly humored.
"Uup, didn't feel that one; harder!" Ruffnut's voice bought Hiccup's attention, Tuffnut punching himself again in the face. "Ow!" Ruffnut exclaimed, and Tuffnut plummeted to the ground. "Do it again."
"Guys, please", Hiccup stopped whatever this was. "We need to leave for Healers Island as soon as Astrid gets back."
"Hiccup!" a familiar deep voice called.
"Dad", Hiccup exclaimed before even turning around to see him walk into the academy, the man coughing all along the way. "You should be resting up at the Great Hall."
"Nonsense", her father said, before sneezing right onto Snotlout.
"AHH! OH NO!" her cousin screamed and ran.
"I won't be grounded by the sniffles", her dad continued, before sneezing again.
"Whoa", Hiccup shielded herself with her wing. "Okay…"
"We've got the list of ingredients", Astrid and Stormfly flew in with Gothi. "And it's a big one."
"Personally, I don't see how", Stormfly trilled. "It doesn't even touch the ground."
"Well, we better get moving", Hiccup said. "That medicine isn't gonna make itself." She turned back to Toothless.
"I should be going with you", her dad insisted as Hiccup geared on her shield. Then she was sneezed on from behind. Ew.
"Dad, Berk needs a healthy Chief. Not a sick Dragon Rider", Hiccup mounted Toothless. "We can handle this."
"Alright", her dad yielded, likely too sick to argue. "I'll stay here with the rest of the invalids." The riders headed out, and Toothless ran for the exit to take off too. "Be safe, Hiccup", her dad said before they left.
Hiccup stopped Toothless. "When am I not safe?" she asked, but they both knew that was a stupid question. "D-don't answer that!" she peddled back, having Toothless race out.
000
Arriving to Healers' Island, the riders split up to find each ingredient. Snotlout and Hookfang found the buckthorn root, Hookfang lightly roasting it...while in Snotlout's hands. Meatlug found the dozen rock blossoms, Fishlegs giving her twelve rocks in return. Aric found the wild goat weed, and the twins got the wild daga plant. They all brought the ingredients back, and Astrid checked off each item.
"That's everything, right?" Hiccup checked, each ingredient placed within a bag in her hands.
Gothi shook her head and began writing in the sand with her staff. Astrid walked up next to Gothi to read what she said.
"She says the last item isn't on Healers' Island", Astrid read. "The key ingredient for curing Eel Pox is a blood bane eel. Where do we find one of those?" she wondered, and Gothi pointed out to the ocean due north.
"Well, great", Tuffnut said. "'Cause we're not gonna be able to search the whole ocean this afternoon. We need at least a long weekend for that, you know. Maybe even into Monday night―Ah!" Tuffnut yelped, suddenly face first on the ground with Gothi's staff hooked around the back of his neck.
"She says don't interrupt", Astrid said. "We have to head north to…ohhh…" she trailed, as what she'd read was gonna be a bit of a problem.
"What? What ohhh…?" Fishlegs asked. Astrid knew she had to tell them, but they weren't gonna like it.
"The only place to find a blood bane eel is at…Eel Island", she said.
"Our dragons would never go near Eel Island", Aric stated. "They're terrified of eels."
"You're right", Hiccup agreed. "Toothless and I will go alone."
Toothless screeched at that, his head quickly turned to Hiccup in what looked to be shock and terror.
"I know bud; I don't like them either. But you're the fastest dragon", Hiccup reasoned.
Toothless grumbled in response.
"We'll bring back this eel, and be back to Berk in no time!" Hiccup announced. She hopped onto Toothless, and the two took off.
"Um, good luck", Fishlegs wished as she and Toothless flew away. As they did, however, Astrid realized Hiccup still had the bag of ingredients.
"Wait, Hiccup!" Astrid yelled, running after the already flying duo. "You've got all the other…" she trailed, Hiccup too far away to hear her now. "...ingredients", she sighed.
"Ah, don't worry", Fishlegs said lightly. "They'll be back before we are."
000
Looking to her map, Hiccup steered them to Eel Island. Toothless wasn't the most thrilled about it. He'd complained and objected almost the entire way, terrified of what would be waiting there. Seeing an island in the distance, Hiccup looked at the map again.
"That's it, bud. Eel Island", she said. Toothless whined, but didn't say anything further. That is until they were flying over the island. Eels jumped out of the rivers and lakes that coated the island. "They sure don't call this place Eel Island for nothing", Hiccup commented, and Toothless stopped to a hover over the river.
"Need I remind you, eels are poisonous to dragons?" Toothless worried, refusing to get even an inch closer. "The legends of the dragons who lost their minds was enough to scare the Red Death Queen herself" he ended with a whine mixed with a roar.
"I know, Toothless", Hiccup cooed as she unhooked her shield. "But we have to do this. For Berk."
Toothless breathed deeply for a moment. "For Berk."
"Okay", Hiccup aimed, planning to use the grappling hook for this. "Just try to hold steady." The grappling hook shot out of the middle cap into the water below, and almost immediately she got a bite. The eel began to swim away with it, almost pulling Hiccup off, but Hiccup grabbed onto the shield with both hands and yanked it back hard. The eel went flying towards them landing on Toothless' snout, and Toothless freaked out. He roared and jerked back in a panic trying to get the eel off, and Hiccup was thrown backwards off the saddle.
She landed in the water with bloodbane eels surrounding her every which way. The aggressive little things attacked her, one wrapping itself around her neck. She tried to fight them off and pry the one trying to choke and bite her, when Toothless' plasma blasts cut through the water. It shooed all the others away, and Hiccup was finally able to pry the eel off her neck, holding it at a distance away from her. He still tried to bite though, lunging its head forward. Toothless suddenly burst into the water, lunged at the eel's head, and bit its head clean off. Hiccup's blood ran cold. With Hiccup holding onto the eel's remaining body, Toothless leaped out of the water with her in his claws. He dropped her on the grass nearby, but landed rather clumsily. Now in a panic herself, Hiccup dropped the Bloodbane eel and ran for Toothless.
"Toothless!" she skid to a stop on her knees before him. He was looking at her, but at the same time not. He was also breathing fast. "Toothless, look at me, are you okay?!" He must have been in some sort of state of shock. When Hiccup placed a hand to his face, he felt as if he were scorching. Hiccup ate eel once before when she was younger, and while she was only sick in bed for a day puking up everything, that wasn't exactly a good indication of what would happen to Toothless. There had to be a real reason dragons were so terrified of eels, and it wasn't because of an allergy induced fever.
Toothless shook his head and blinked at her. He looked so scared and confused, and Hiccup didn't know how to help him.
000
Toothless didn't know what to do. He ate an eel! ATE AN EEL! He felt hot all of a sudden; scorching, in fact. His stomach felt bad too, like he needed to throw up, but couldn't. But the worst part was his throat; it felt as if he'd just swallowed lava. He looked up expecting to see Hiccup, but she… she wasn't there! There was something in front of him, but it wasn't his Hiccup; where was his Hiccup?! He looked left and right. Where did she go? Who, or what, was this blobby form in front of him? Where was she?! She couldn't have just left him like this?!
"Hiccup!" he roared. She was just here, he knew it; she had to be. The thing in front of him was saying something but it only felt like buzzing in his ears, almost as if he were underwater. He felt like he was losing his mind, just like the stories. "Hiccup!"
000
"Toothless, calm down, I'm right here" Hiccup tried when Toothless began yelling for her. It was like he didn't know she was there; like he couldn't sense her. What was wrong with her dragon?! Then something happened; when Toothless opened his mouth as if to roar again, his mouth glowed with a dark red fire not like his own. He shut it, looking even more confused and scared, and it looked as if he were gonna run.
"Toothless please, it's gonna be okay", she tried to coo comfortingly, but a tone of intense fear and worry seeped through. Her words only seemed to make things worse. In a roar of panic, Toothless suddenly ran. "Toothless!" she yelled, switching to Norse in her panic, and for moment, Toothless stopped and looked back. But it was only for a moment.
"Wait!" Hiccup yelled again when he ran. Taking her shield and the eel, the thing they'd come for, Hiccup flew after him.
000
Arriving to Berk, Astrid, with Gothi behind her, and Stormfly landed in front of the Great Hall, while Fishlegs and Meatlug hovered behind them. The doors opened, and out stepped the chief, deeply coughing as he did.
"Do you have the ingredients?" Stoick asked.
"Uh, Hiccup has them", Fishlegs answered.
"Well where is she?" their chief demanded.
"We don't know, Chief?" Astrid honestly said. "She should be here? She went off to get the last ingredient."
"Well we have to find her", Stoick coughed out. "We won't be able to stand this Eel Pox much longer. The fever…" he wiped his forehead. "It makes it hard to think."
"Yoo-hoo!" a strange voice rang. "Where's my little Gobber?" Gobber came out from the doors. His helmet was coated in flowers and he held a purple handkerchief in his left hand―er, hook. "Great Aunty Rose wants to give him a big kiss!" he exclaimed. Stoick held Gobber still with his hand when he leaned over to kiss him.
"See what I mean?" Stoick gestured.
Astrid knew eel pox hallucinations could be bad, so this didn't surprise her. She didn't doubt there were a few others in there acting just as strange. But there wasn't really anything she, or Fishlegs could do.
"We'll find her, sir. We promise", was all Astrid could say before she took off with Fishlegs and Meatlug catching up behind.
000
Toothless ran and ran, not knowing where he was going, but knowing he needed to find Hiccup. She was out here somewhere just waiting for him to find her. Suddenly, though, he tripped over something and tumbled forward. He fell to the ground and looked at his surroundings. Left, right, back, forward, where was he? Which way did he go? Which way did he come from? Why was he even here? He couldn't remember. Everything looked the same, but at the same time different; his vision swam so much he couldn't tell up from down anymore. Sounds echoed in his ear, all so loud and muddled none of it made sense. He sniffed the air, but nothing came, like all scents left the earth.
The fire in his throat returned, more unbearable than before, and Toothless needed to get it out now. It felt like his throat was being burned and torn from the inside out, as if a thousand Fireworm dragons were clawing up towards his mouth.
His mouth opened, the fire was released, and at least for a short moment, there was relief.
000
Hiccup flew as fast as she could after Toothless, her shield in one hand and a bag with the eel in the other. She spot him from over the trees, her dragon running through them like he didn't know where he was going, or what he was doing. She lost him in the thicket, but when Hiccup dove in through the canopy, a red light coupled with a loud boom exploded to her right. It told her where to go, and that's when she saw him in the clearing ahead.
"Toothless!", she exclaimed in a mixture of relief and fear, somewhat out of breath as she landed. Ever so slowly, Hiccup approached. "It's okay, bud. We can figure this out, alright? You're gonna be okay", Hiccup crooned and purred. She placed the bag down beside a tree.
Toothless didn't respond, his mouth clamped shut and looking at her with big round scared eyes, scooting himself away. Then his head suddenly jerked down, before shooting up with a big red blast.
Upon instinct, Hiccup dove to the ground under her shield, and the blast flew passed her hitting a tree. Dust and debris fell all around them, the tree nothing more than millions of burnt scattered pieces.
"Alright, that was big, and incredibly dangerous", Hiccup commented as she stood back up. "No wonder you guys go easy on the eels", she joked, a little nervous now. Toothless fired again, two shots aimed for the sky as Hiccup's shield rose again.
"Okay, six shot limit; that was four", she kept track. One hit another tree to Hiccup's left, the force of it nearly throwing Hiccup back. "Ah, five!" The last one was thrown ninety degrees up straight into the branches hanging above them. It exploded to a million splinters, and Hiccup's shield protected her from it, but dust still coated the air around them. Hiccup coughed a bit from it. "And that makes six. Fwoo", Hiccup relaxed, super glad that was over, and walked up to Toothless' side. "Let's not do that again, shall we? Maybe now we can―" Hiccup stopped when she saw his mouth glow red. "Seven shots?! Are you kidding me?! AHH!" she ducked.
000
It took Astrid and Fishlegs a few minutes to get back to her house where everyone else was. The riders were all gathered outside sitting around the steps.
"Hiccup's not back yet", Astrid informed.
"Ya-ya sure?" Tuffnut was shaking where he stood. "'Cause I could use some of that―medicine", he puked in between.
"Wait, you guys are sick too?" Fishlegs exclaimed.
"I'm j-j-j-f-fine", Snotlout sat on the steps shivering. "Ah-choo!" he sneezed. "J-j-just peachy."
"Even you, little bro?" Astrid looked over to Aric who also sat on the steps. He didn't respond, his eyes closed as he was curled up on the steps and leaning on the wooden sentinel dragon opposite of Snotlout. Astrid didn't miss his sniffle though and how when he shifted he curled in closer as if seeking warmth. Ruffnut was just laying back in the grass as if passed out.
"We can't send them out again; it's too dangerous", Fishlegs said.
"Send out for what?" Aric asked suddenly awake, although not looking great. "A-choo!" he sneezed before coughing.
"To find Hiccup", Fishlegs told him. "She has all the other ingredients, and without them, we can't make any medicine."
"I'll find her", Aric began to try and get up.
"No, you need to rest", Astrid said, and Aric fell back down with a groan, a hand to his head where he sat with a murmur of something Astrid couldn't catch. "Gothi and I will get everything ready while Fishlegs goes to Eel Island to find Hiccup."
"Right", Fishlegs agreed, Astrid already flying off with Gothi. "Wait" he then realized. "WHAT?!"
000
Blast after blast after blast, Toothless wouldn't stop; or, couldn't. For some odd reason, he had no limit, and that would have scared Hiccup enough if it weren't for the fact Toothless couldn't control where he was firing, and trees and dirt were blowing up all around her. One blast blowing up before her, Hiccup fell back to the ground, her shield flying out of her hand.
"Uh, okay that one was a little too close to the one good leg", she commented, wiggling said foot, when without warning another ball was thrown. All Hiccup could do was block with her wing, but it did nothing to stop the explosion from throwing her back into what must have been a tree. She didn't stay awake long enough to find out.
000
Toothless felt so much better now that all that fire was out. His throat still hurt, but not like it did before. Once the dust settled, Toothless saw the odd blob that kept trying to get to him. It was lying against something brown and long. A tree, he thought. He wondered what it was doing there, when it moaned as if in pain. And that's when he somehow realized, his mind and vision clearing.
"Hiccup!" he ran for her, but there was no response. "Hiccup?" he said again when he reached her. What was wrong with her? Why did she sleep? "Come on, wake up", he whined and nudged her head. Her eyes fluttered open but she grunted and struggled like she'd been hurt. Hurt. Wait, did he... Did he hurt Hiccup? Did he shoot her?! He must have. No one else could have. Toothless' heart began to race. How could he shoot her? How could he let this happen? Why was any of this happening?! Toothless backed up, his vision blurring, mind becoming cloudy. He shook his head, trying to get his head to think straight, to see straight. But when he looked to Hiccup again, she wasn't there; almost like it was all his imagination. Hiccup wasn't hurt. Nothing but a blur of colors one was up against that brown long thing that must have been a tree. No, Hiccup was still out there somewhere, and Toothless needed to find her.
000
Pain was the first thing to register in Hiccup's mind. Her wings and back took the worst of it, but her head swam too. It was hard to open her eyes, much less keep herself awake, but she needed to see Toothless. Her eyes fluttering open, Hiccup rose her head to see her dragon there before her, but instead of nudging or wrapping himself around her like he normally would, he backed up. His eyes were wide, pupils unbelievably dilated. Hiccup tried to call to him, but her voice came out strained and broken. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness, trying and failing to move her aching body, was Toothless running away.
000
Being Gronkles were one of the slowest dragons, it took Meatlug and Fishlegs a few hours to get to Eel Island. Once there, it was only a matter of finding Hiccup and Toothless. Good news: finding Hiccup didn't take too long. Bad news: Hiccup was unconscious in a scorched clearing and Toothless was nowhere to be found. Normally, Toothless would be right by Hiccup's side, but strangely, he wasn't even in the vicinity.
"Hiccup?" Fishlegs placed a hand to Hiccup's shoulder, and Hiccup's eyes slowly opened.
"Fishlegs?" Hiccup blinked. Very slowly, a hand to her head, Hiccup stood up. "What are you doing here?"
"I came looking for you. Are you okay?" Fishlegs asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine", Hiccup brushed off.
"Where's Toothless?" Fishlegs looked around. "And… What did all that?" he gestured to all the scorched vegetation.
"That would be Toothless", she answered.
"And who was he fighting?"
"Uh, mostly me?" Hiccup said, and Fishlegs stood with complete shock written on his face. He couldn't have heard her correctly. "Also himself a little bit. Welcome to Eel Island!"
"Well, did you find any eels?" Fishlegs wondered.
"We did. Including the one that ended up in Toothless' stomach."
"He ate. An eel?" Fishlegs asked seriously, Meatlug gagging at the thought.
"Yeah", Hiccup answered. "And its not agreeing with him either." Hiccup walked over to Meatlug and took a net from her saddle bag.
"What are you doing?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup was laying the net out on the ground, before taking her shield and opening the middle cap.
"Building a netter trap", she said. "If Toothless won't let me help him, then I have no choice but to force him."
"You really think this net's gonna hold Toothless?" he asked as he picked up the end of the grappling hook she just pulled out.
"Well if it doesn't, Meatlug could always sit on him", Hiccup offered.
"She can hear you, you know", Fishlegs told her, despite Meatlug sleeping at the moment.
"What a day", Hiccup sighed as she stood up with the rope. "I don't know how much worse things can get." She threw the hook up and around a branch.
"I do. Pretty worse, actually", Fishlegs spilled. Hiccup looked to him questioningly. "The ingredients for Gothi's Eel Pox cure are still in Toothless' saddle bag, and I do not want to even tell you what's going on back at the village!"
000
"...And while they sit there, all warm and cozy, who stokes their fires and fills their fish barrels huh?!" Snotlout exclaimed to the group of dragons before him on the steps of the Great Hall, Sharpshot with him at his podium. "Who defends the village while these so called warriors cower in their Great Hall?! And do they give you loyal dragon workers any support?! Any respect!" Snotlout slammed his fist. "Any rights?! Nay says I!"
"Why are we listening to this again?" Thornado wondered.
"Because it's funny to watch", Hookfang answered.
"Right."
"They cast you aside like common animals. Well no more—AAH!" he screamed when Sharpshot jumped at him.
000
It didn't take long for Hiccup's trap to finish setting up. With one last knot tied the trip wire was set with the net up in the tree ready to crash down. "Here's hoping that works", Hiccup said stepping over the wire, or in actuality, rope. "We better get into the air and see if we can track Toothless down."
Strapping Hiccup's shield and bag on Meatlug, Meatlug and Hiccup took off and set out, but as Hiccup looked below into the clearing they'd just stood in, she noticed something. "Hey, Fishlegs, does that clearing look familiar at all?!" she called over.
"That's…" Fishlegs paused. "That's a Typhoomerang mark!"
"The only dragon that eats eels", Hiccup connected.
"Oh, well that makes sense", Fishlegs caught on too. "Its a perfect habitat for them really. I bet there's tons of wild Typhoomerangs here."
Hiccup wondered if she or Meatlug should say it as she stared at him with a deadpan expression. Pretty soon Fishlegs realized, though. His face turned from calm to fear stricken.
"And that's bad", he said for her. "Really bad."
Their search continued across the island, Hiccup hoping to find anything that could lead them in the right direction. As they flew on, Fishlegs began to ask questions on Toothless' condition, but Hiccup could only give so much. All she knew was he felt hot, his senses seemed to be strangely off, and he had what some could call an explosive cough.
"Alright, so put that all together…" Fishlegs started. "…and it sounds a lot like―"
"Eel Pox!" Hiccup realized with a start suddenly stopping to a hover. "How didn't I see it before?! It makes perfect sense!"
"Well the symptoms are all there", Fishlegs began.
"No, why I don't get eel pox", Hiccup stopped him. "Its because there's two kinds. Humans eat blood bane eels to cure the pox, but maybe dragons get it by eating them!"
"So, it's like your human and dragon systems somehow counteract.", Fishlegs added.
"Exactly! Which means that maybe the cure will work on Toothless! Counter act the eel!" Hiccup exclaimed.
"That's…uh, kinda stretching it", Fishlegs admitted.
"If you've got a better idea, I'm all ears", Hiccup offered.
"Nope. Stretch away, my friend."
A shot like a Night Fury's caught their attention, followed by a red plasma blast shot up into the sky.
"There!" Hiccup pointed over the tree tops. "On the cliffs!" Steering left, they both flew where they saw the blast come from, and there, just below the hill, was Toothless. Hiccup and Meatlug landed on the hill. "Alright, you guys stay here. I'll go down and try to lead Toothless over to the trap."
"Not that I'm complaining about staying behind, but, are you sure its smart to go down there alone?" Fishlegs asked. "I mean, he shot you back there in the forest, remember?"
"He didn't mean it, Fishlegs; it was an accident. I know Toothless."
"Hiccup", Meatlug growled firm. Hiccup stood still, her attention to the usually gentle Gronckle. "At least let us be backup." Fishlegs looked back to Hiccup, though Hiccup couldn't tell what he was expecting her to answer.
"Fine, you can be backup in case things get out of control", she conceded. "But be careful. I don't know what I'd do if Toothless accidently hurt one of you." Agreed, the three flew down together behind a rock formation in the grass just behind Toothless. He still shot with no control, looking so very lost. Hiccup watched him carefully trying to figure her best entry, when Fishlegs began poking her.
"Uh, Hiccup, you got a sec?" he asked.
"Little busy, can it wait?"
"It could, it could. But I think you'll have to ask him", he said pointing up, and when Hiccup looked up, she saw the Typhoomerang she'd have to ask.
"Uh, yeah… Hey, ma'am… Uh, do you think this could wait a moment? My friend is really sick from an eel right now and we have to help him, you know?"
The sky blue Typhoomerang just growled in a territorial manner. It was a complex sound worth several sentences.
"That didn't sound good", Fishlegs worried, complex sounds like that still too advanced for him to fully understand. Everyone knew a threatening stance when they saw one though.
"It isn't", Hiccup said. "She basically gave us an ultimatum. Either we get out of her territory, or face her fury."
"Why are dragons always so mean to us?!" Fishlegs whispered.
"Love to answer that after we calm her down", Hiccup said. She'd dealt with a mother Typhoomerang before. The last one had been understanding; maybe this one would be too? When you were a dragon so big, maybe you had the confidence to be. "We're not here for your eggs or hatchlings, miss, I promise. If we could just grab our friend?"
The Typhoomerang seemed to mull over it for a moment, before she nodded. "Take him and go", she said, but before Hiccup could even thank her for her kindness, a red plasma blast hit the dragon right on her snout. The Typhoomerang reared back in shock and pain, but most of all anger. She set her sights on Toothless.
"No! Wait!" Hiccup roared, but it was too late. The Typhoomerang dove for Toothless, but even in his current state, Toothless was able to evade her fire. That is until he cornered himself at a cliff face. "Toothless! We need to help him!"
Taking Hiccup's lead, Meatlug flew Fishlegs to the fight and fired a lava blast to the Typhoomerang's back. It gave Toothless the time to escape, and set the Typhoomerang's sights from the Night Fury to Fishlegs and Meatlug. Hiccup took to the air.
"Meet me in the clearing!" she shouted to the duo.
"Where are you going?!" Fishlegs asked.
"I'm getting my dragon back", Hiccup said. "Just keep the Typhoomerang busy."
"Fishlegs and Meatlug. Against a Typhoomerang? Does that really seem fair to you?" Fishlegs squeaked.
"Nope", she replied, then flew straight up. "The Typhoomerang doesn't stand a chance!" Flipping around, Hiccup locked on her target. She dive bombed straight for Toothless, landing forcefully on her brother's back so he couldn't shake her off. The sudden weight shocked him, and he did try, yelling for her to let him go, calling her a monster, but Hiccup wouldn't listen as she held an iron grip around him. "I'm not letting go, bud! Like it or not, you're stuck with me!"
000
Fishlegs wasn't fairing better. "Ah! AH! Stay away!" he screamed, as Meatlug flew at top speed, while also trying to doge the fire streams the Typhoomerang shot at them. "Thor, if you're listening, I could really use Astrid's help right now!" Another stream was blown. "Or Aric?!" And then another, Fishlegs and Meatlug ending up upside down as they flipped around it. "Okay, Snotlout! AHHH!" that stream nearly hit. "I'LL EVEN TAKE THE TWINS!" he begged.
000
"One. Two. Thrrree." Standing on Belch's head within the academy, Tuffnut dropped a feather and rock at the same time, the rock landing before the feather.
"How fascinating", Ruffnut coughed.
"Oh, dear sister, our hypothesis appears to be correct", Tuffnut stepped off from Belch's head strolling up to is sister. "The air offers a much greater resistance to the falling motion of the feather than it does to the rock", he deduced.
"Remarkable", Ruffnut responded. "Shall we increase our sample size? What say you?"
"WE SHALL!"
"I propose we try dropping a large yak alongside a normal sized dragon rider."
"Ah, why sister, that is brilliant!" Tuffnut exclaimed. "And I'm a normal sized dragon rider! What luck!"
"Aha! I am off to find a suitable yak."
" "Science!" " they high-fived one another, before each going into a coughing fit, Tuffnut collapsing to the ground as Ruffnut walked away.
000
Meanwhile, Astrid was tasked with keeping an eye on her younger brother. Though the fever started with him sluggish, that unfortunately didn't last. Now, it was like he was on some kind of sugar rush. Or, at least he thought he was?
They sat at Gothi's hut waiting for Hiccup and Fishlegs' arrival as Gothi was at the Great Hall doing what she could to lessen the fevers of the people, but Aric wouldn't sit. Instead he clumsily paced around set on doing anything, never mind the raging fever and nausea.
"What are we doing just sitting around? There are people out there who need our help", Aric argued, before another coughing fit hit him.
"We're waiting for Hiccup to come back with the ingredients. Be patient", Astrid reminded him for the umpteenth time. "And sit down. You should be resting, not pacing."
"Well if she's been gone this long, then maybe we should go after her", he sniffled ignoring her words.
"I already sent Fishlegs, remember?"
"Uh…" he looked confused.
"Of course you don't", Astrid sighed.
"I know! We'll just gather all the ingredients ourselves!"
"Or! You can stir this for me", Astrid thrust a cup into his hands. Then she kicked a stool under him. "While sitting", she pushed down on his shoulders, Aric plopping on the stool.
"What is it?" he coughed.
"Something to keep you busy", she answered, omitting how it was just the tea she'd been drinking the past five minutes. Aric just shrugged and started stirring, right before sneezing into it. Astrid cringed. "…Feel free to drink it yourself", she added.
000
"Whoa-ah!" Hiccup screamed as she was bounced, shaken, and bucked around, nearly thrown off a couple times. All the while, though, Hiccup tried to get her prosthetic into the stirrup. The faster she got Toothless into the clearing in the forest, the better. She just couldn't get the right angle. Then Toothless was speeding towards the edge of the cliff to the rocky ocean beneath. "Okay, that's gonna be an issue!" Hiccup exclaimed, before trying her hardest to get the prosthetic locked in place. They ran off the cliff, Hiccup and Toothless each screaming, when instincts and muscle memory kicked in and Hiccup's prosthetic locked in with Toothless'. They pulled up just in the nick of time, Hiccup laughing in joy and exhilaration, when Toothless suddenly swerved, Hiccup's laughter turning into a startled shout.
"Oh right! Still sick—Whoa!" she roared, Toothless speeding and swerving, flying every which way except straight. Up, down, left, right, tilting side to side, Toothless sped over the ocean and through the sky. Hiccup could barely hold on. "Toothless! Agh! This would be a lot easier if you would just—!" Toothless dove into the ocean, diving out with Hiccup dangling off his side. "—slow down."
000
The Typhoomerang seemed to be slowing down. As Fishlegs looked back, he noticed how she struggled to produce a flame.
"Oh, would you look at that? Out of shots, huh?" he commented, but he couldn't have been more mistaken. The Typhoomerang dove into the ocean below, a mouth full of eels, and as the Typhoomerang's pupils widened, her eyes narrowing, Fishlegs knew. With a scream, he steered Meatlug to move, and the Typhoomerang spun in a cyclone of fire. Catching the tail end of the attack, the two were tossed forward. They were alright, but Fishlegs knew they couldn't keep flying, forever. "Okay, we've had enough", he said. "Looks like its time for the Gale Force Gronckle! Hit it, girl!"
Charging for the Typhoomerang, the Typhoomerang charging back, Meatlug began to spin. "Gale Force Gronke-e-elllllll!" Fishlegs called out, and spinning like a top, Meatlug slammed her tail into the Typhoomerang's face over and over and over. The Typhoomerang fell back, falling towards the ocean, before she leveled out and retreated home. "At a girl", Fishlegs praised in relief it was over, Meatlug stopping her spinning slowly. Fishlegs still felt sick, though, the world still spinning. "Oookaay", he groaned as Meatlug stopped completely. "Give me a second for my insides…to catch up with my outsides." After a moment, Fishlegs laid forward against the top of Meatlug's head. "That's why we don't do that one too often", he breathed.
"Have your insides caught up with your outsides?" Meatlug asked.
"Yeah", Fishlegs breathed again. "Now let's go get Hiccup."
000
"You know, I actually remember when this was easy!" Hiccup roared as she tried to steer her dragon to the clearing.
"What are you doing?! What have you done with Hiccup?!" Toothless continued to roar and struggle, and Hiccup hated how he didn't recognize it was her he was fighting. Dragons truly did lose their minds to eels.
Seeing the clearing to their right, Hiccup yanked on the saddle, and with a screech Toothless turned for the scorched field. In this state, though, he lost balance, and they were coming in too hot.
"Toothless, if you're in there, we're about to—!" They crashed, Hiccup cut off as she was thrown from the saddle. Hiccup yelped in pain as she hit the ground, not too surprised nothing was broken—she'd been through worse—and after a moment to let herself settle, looked over to Toothless. She saw her dragon wobbly get up behind the trip wire she'd set up. He looked to her and growled, taking a step towards her. Hiccup waited where she was, slowly rising to her feet. Just one more step… Toothless took another step, right on top of the rope, and the net was released. The net fell on Toothless, her brother trapped underneath as he struggled and roared.
"I know, I'm sorry about that!" Hiccup felt awful. But what choice did she have? "Just relax, bud. You're gonna be okay."
Toothless didn't listen, or maybe he couldn't hear her, as instead he fired a plasma blast. It missed Hiccup, but not the net, Toothless escaping through the hole he'd made.
"Toothless no!" Hiccup panicked, when Fishlegs and Meatlug suddenly dropped out of the sky and onto Toothless, actually pinning him down.
"Alright, Fishlegs!" Hiccup exclaimed as Fishlegs hopped off Meatlug running to Hiccup. "I can't believe that actually worked", she admitted. Taking a step forward, Fishlegs stopped her.
"Careful, Hiccup. He might shoot", he whispered the warning.
"No. He won't", Hiccup said. Toothless may not recognize her, he may think of her as the enemy, but Hiccup knew Toothless would never hurt her. Somewhere, Toothless was still in there. His search for her was only proof. Walking over to Toothless, Hiccup placed her hands to his head, stilling him. "It's gonna be alright, bud", she cooed.
"H-Hiccup?" Toothless asked.
"I'm here. Don't worry, bud. You're just a little sick. But I think we have a way to fix that."
Sitting before her sick brother, Meatlug laying on top of him, Hiccup waited as Fishlegs mixed up the ingredients of the eel pox cure minus the eel. Once done, Fishlegs came up to Hiccup, and she sat up to a kneel. "Here goes nothing", she said, and took the bowl. Toothless opened his mouth to take it, red fire building about to burst, but Hiccup stopped it throwing the green liquid inside. Toothless' mouth shut, his face twisting in disgust from the taste.
"Did it work?" Fishlegs wondered.
"I'm…not sure", Hiccup answered honestly, when Toothless suddenly popped up throwing Meatlug off. He lunged at a fallen back Hiccup, his feet stopping just before hers. He loomed over her, began roaring out, hacking, then threw up the whole eel head into Hiccup's lap. "Ahhh, greeeaaaat", Hiccup was both relieved and grossed out. Toothless' eyes seemed to clear and focus again, his pupils no longer so dilated too.
"Hiccup!" Toothless crooned nuzzling her cheek. "You never listen to me", he huffed.
"There's the Toothless I know", Hiccup laughed, then barreled in for a hug, Toothless curling his head around her. "Welcome back, bud", she purred.
000
Looking on to Hiccup and Toothless' reunion, it was so beautiful. Fishlegs couldn't take it. He had to give Meatlug the biggest hug, his dragon licking him in return as her way of showing affection. The moment was cut short though when the call of a Typhoomerang rang, Hiccup and Toothless separating too from the sound.
"Um, while I love the reunion", Fishlegs started, "perhaps we should finish it back on Berk."
"I couldn't possibly agree with you more", Hiccup said, then climbed up on Toothless, Fishlegs not waiting a second to do the same.
000
The sun beginning to set, Astrid was starting to think she needed to go out there; even as she began to cough and shiver. Aric was asleep in Gothi's hut as Astrid was outside on Stormfly. She was just about to take off, when a high pitched voice stopped her.
"Excuse me, but you should be indoors, young lady", Hiccup and Toothless hovered behind her and Stormfly. "You'll catch your death of cold in this weather."
"Hiccup!" Astrid yelled in absolute joy. "You're okay!"
"Yeah. We both are", Hiccup looked down to Toothless. She'd have to ask later. First, they needed to cure the village.
000
With the medicine made, a line at the Great Hall formed. Once Stoick and Gobber were feeling better, they gave Hiccup and Gothi a break and served the rest. There were still quite a few people sick.
"We were so close to uniting our people", Snotlout gained their attention. He was laying against a wall with Sharpshot at his side. "You and me. We could've been kings among men. And dragons. And now look at us, huh? Nothing! NOTHING!"
"Better make his a double dose", Gobber decided.
"Everyone, we've had a breakthrough!" Tuffnut shouted across the hall. "Ruffnut has determined that if you boil yak milk you can freeze it on a stick, and dip it in a variety of tasty flavorings! Including coconut!"
"I call it, Ruffcream!" Ruffnut yelled.
"Hold on! I thought it was Tuffcream. We talked about this. In the other room, you said it could be Tuffcream. Now did I miss hear you? Or are you pulling the wool OVER MY EYES, madam!"
"And a triple dose for those two mutton heads", Gobber continued, Stoick nodding in agreement. "Eugh. Who would freeze perfectly good milk? Never heard of anything so barbaric in my life."
000
Later that evening, after everyone cleared out to their homes, Hiccup and Fishlegs got to work on the book updating its information on eels.
"I'm noting the skiddish behavior, clouded senses, the fever, and the out of control fire power", Fishlegs said as he wrote.
"Well, now why halflings are immune to eel pox, and why most dragons are so afraid of eels. It gives them eel pox."
"Except Typhoomerangs!" Fishlegs added quickly. "That's why they live on Eel Island."
"Which is why we are never going back to Eel Island."
"Oh thank Thor", Fishlegs sighed with thanks.
Hiccup stood up from the table to leave with Toothless. They were walking to the door, when Hiccup stopped, feeling the need to say something first. "Hey, Fishlegs?" she looked back.
"Yes, Hiccup?" Fishlegs stood with Meatlug.
"Thank you. I don't know what we would have done without you. Both of you", Hiccup looked to both Fishlegs and Meatlug.
"Ohhh, group hug, Meatlug!" Fishlegs ran with open arms at Hiccup, Meatlug right beside him. Hiccup started to run away, but she was too late as Fishlegs jumped on top of her. They ended up on the ground when Meatlug jumped in, practically crushing Hiccup as she hugged both Fishlegs and Hiccup. "Isn't this great?" Fishlegs said.
"Oh, yeah. It's great", Hiccup voiced through crushed lungs, Meatlug licking her face. Meanwhile, Toothless was laughing at the display, before rounding the three to lick Hiccup's face too.
"This is great", he said, then licked her again.