Chapter 4: "The True Nature of Scalewalkers"

Hiccup and Astrid went back to the wall of ivy and hid within it.

Megan quickly came up behind them.

Astrid seemed annoyed. She grumbled, but kept her comments to herself.

Hiccup raised his left hand. It began to glow as a section of the ivy parted.

Just a stone's throw away from them and the secret passage was Nicholas. He was setting up another dragon trap. He also may have been tracking the dragons that tried to attack his girls or the dragons that had kidnapped Tilolo.

"It's only one." Hiccup whispered. "I'll just give him a little bit of a... scare." He held up his hand as the glow intensified.

"No!" Megan whisper-yelled as she covered his mouth and pulled Hiccup back.

The glowing stopped as the ivy returned to its natural position.

"Hmm?" The sound of rustling leaves drew Nicholas's attention. He walked over to the wall of ivy. The way he stared at the ivy; it was like he was studying it. He reached out and pulled out a few loose leaves.

Megan held her breath, while the two dragon kids didn't look worried at all.

But Nicholas simply gathered his gear and went on his way.

"That was way too close..." Megan let out a sigh of relief once he was out of sight.

"What are you so afraid of?" Astrid asked, the annoyance in her voice clear.

"Y'know, in case it's escaped your notice," Hiccup said, "we have a flock of dragons with us!"

Right on cue, said flock proceeded to pile onto the three of them and they all came tumbling out of the ivy wall.

"We told you already!" Astrid said.

"You guys can't go out in the day time! Mom's rules." Hiccup said. "Back to the den. And I mean all of you."

The flock slunk back through the ivy. Some of them looked a bit dejected as they did.

"So that woman back in the cave. That is your mom!" Megan said.

"Yup! That's Hiccup's mom, Valka." Astrid said.

"I'm sure you clearly saw the family resemblance between us." Hiccup said.

'Wait a minute, what? It's just Hiccup's mom? Then, what about Astrid? Where are her parents? And what about Hiccup's dad?' Megan thought. Maybe Astrid was in a similar situation like her? Something told her it was probably best to keep those questions to herself. "U-Umm, are the, uhh, other dragons...p-people too?"

"What? No! Are you crazy?" Hiccup said, with a small chuckle. "Just how big do you think our flock is?"

"L-Look, I should be getting back to the village." Megan said. "Technically speaking, we shouldn't even be out here. Me and my friends, I mean."

"Perfect! We've been waiting to get rid of you." Astrid said. She pulled a bandana out of a pouch on her belt. "Close your eyes."

"Why?" Megan asked, as Astrid tied the bandana over her eyes.

"Well, no offense, but we don't want you coming back to our den." Hiccup said. "It's a secret."

"But I already know where it is."

"Oh just hush up and start walking." Astrid said, pulling Megan up to her feet. "We'll point you back to the village."

"I-I need to get my crossbow back!" Megan said.

"What do you need a thing like that for?" Hiccup said. "Shooting your Nopon friend again?"

"N-No, for shooting...ugh, nevermind..."

As all this was happening, Tilolo was following the situation from the treetops. He always preferred to be above the action. "Hmm, maybe we find Bri-Bri along the way!" He said.


"So...what's it like?" Megan asked. "Being a dragon?"

"Oh it's great!" Astrid said. "You see different, smell different, hear different."

"A-And how on earth did you fix up Tilolo? And my arm for that matter?"

"We have the power to heal. It's one of the perks of being a Scalewalker." Hiccup said.

"Yeah. Don't you know anything?" Astrid said.

"I know one of you needs a bath." Megan muttered.

"Wait." Hiccup stopped, taking a few sniffs of the air. "Oh my Gods...Astrid, do you smell that?"

"Huh?"

"Oh yes I do!" Astrid said, excitedly.

"Village treats!" The boy and girl said.

"Uhh, what? 'Village treats'?" Megan questioned. She removed the bandana from her face and saw that her two new companions were gone. "H-Hiccup? Astrid?" She looked around. "How did they do that? Where'd they go?"

Luckily for her, Tilolo still had a birdseye view on the situation. "Meg-Meg! Tilolo think Scalewalker friends go that way!"


In just a few moments of running, Megan was back at the edge of the forest. She hadn't seen Brittany anywhere along the way. It didn't look like her best human friend was around the area either. Megan did see the two woodcutters from earlier, as well as the two soldiers.

The woodcutters were sitting down by a cart, having a break from their jobs and enjoying a snack with a drink.

The soldiers were nearby, having a break of their own and keeping an eye on things. Possibly in case of another dragon attack.

Megan snuck over to the cart. The woodcutters had her crossbow.

"Ah. What did ye end up tellin' those soldiers?" The first woodcutter asked. "About those girls, I mean?"

"Just that they've gone home." The other said. "It's clearly obvious when ye think about it."

"B-But, say if those dragons bit them. Doesn't that mean they could turn into...o-one of them?"

"Wha, a dragon?"

"No! I mean, one o' them half human, half dragon, half witch!" The first woodcutter said.

"Scalewalkers?" The second chuckled. "I think ol' Gobber and that pile o' fluff are getting to ya!"

"We shouldn't be doin' this...cuttin' down their woods."

"Oh, spare me the ghost stories. Them soldiers are makin' us...but if that Lord Grisely doesn't sort out all them dragons...well, it won't be just us who'll stop takin' his orders."

"Right. No more orders for you, or for me."

"He'll have to turn back with his tail 'tween his legs, right out of our village and off our island!"

"Good riddence, I say!" The first woodcutter said.

"We'll all wave him and the soldiers off with a rousing goodbye!" The second said.

"Well, I ain't wavin' ol' Grisely off. Certainly not."

"We won't be lettin' some stuck up lord into Berk ever again!"

"Aye! That we won't!"

"He can go protect some other island that needs no protectin'! And hopefully, one without Vikings!"

"I couldn't agree more with ya!"

During their conversation, Megan managed to slip under their cart. 'My crossbow.' She thought. She slowly reached out to take it.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist.

Megan almost gasped, but then calmed down when she saw it was only Astrid.

"Those are ours." Astrid growled softly.

"Huh?" Megan gave her a look.

"Those village treats are ours."

"I'm not interested in that stuff." Megan whispered. "I need to get my crossbow."

"...Oh."

"Fine." Hiccup whispered, joining them. "But those village treats are ours."

Astrid quietly jumped to the other side of the cart.

"Eh? What was that?" The first woodcutter said, picking up on a small rustling sound.

"What was what?" The second asked.

"Uhh...maybe it was just the wind?"

"Uh-huh, if ye say so."

While they were distracted, Hiccup swiped their bread basket as Astrid snatched up a handful of apples.

"H-Hey! The bread! The bread's all gone!" The first woodcutter exclaimed.

"Wh-What?! How on earth did—" The second woodcutter looked around. "Wait! What did ya do with the apples?!"

Then, just for a bit of fun, Astrid grabbed the second woodcutter's hat and plopped it onto his friend's head.

"H-Hey! Gimme back me hat!"

"Eh?! I-I didn't take it, I swear!"

The two of them got into a fist fight over the aforementioned hat as Astrid grabbed a bottle, obviously filled with some kind of drink, and Megan reclaimed her treasured crossbow.

"W-Wait! Wait! I think there's somethin' in there!" The first woodcutter said, looking into the cart.

"Wh-What in the name of Odin is goin' on here?" The second checked underneath. "A-AAHH! Thor almighty! Somethin's made off with me milk!"

Megan, Hiccup and Astrid made a mad dash back into the woods with their haul of treats in tow.


Minutes later, they were at a large tree, sitting on top of a curved root. This just so happened to be the same tree where Nicholas had set up one of his dragon traps.

Megan giggled, "Wow! What a rush! Those two almost caught us!"

Astrid guzzled down the last of the milk straight from the bottle. She let out a brief burp, and dropped the bottle right onto the trap below them.

The bottle shattered into pieces as the trap closed on it.

"No one can catch us, girlie." Astrid said, confidently.

The three of them looked out to a fantastic view of the whole village in the distance, while Tilolo was on the ground munching on the rest of the apples.

"How can you even stand living in that place?" Hiccup asked, as he started to braid a bit of Megan's hair.

"Yeah, with all those people...and all those smells...ugh." Astrid shuddered.

"Well, yeah, it is pretty smelly in there." Megan said. "I hate being cooped up in that place." She sighed, "I miss Woodbridge."

"What's...Woodbridge?" Hiccup said.

"The town where I used to live." Megan said. "I could go wherever I wanted and play with my friends. We even used to help my uncle hunt for food."

"Meh meh." Tilolo jumped up to them and sat on Megan's lap.

"It was really nice..." Megan said.

"...Stay here in the forest with us!" Astrid said. Megan looked surprised by her suggestion. "It's awesome! There's loads of running, tons of things to climb, eating, messing around..."

"And playing." Megan added.

"Just...being free." Hiccup said.

"...I...I can't. I can't leave my friends or my uncle." Megan said. "He has to work for Lord Grisely and—"

"M-Meh meh meh! Hiccup and Astrid can't stay in forest either!" Tilolo exclaimed.

"That's right!" Megan gasped. "They're cutting the forest down!"

"No way we're leaving! We'll scare these guys off!" Astrid said, smirking.

"Lord Grisely wants all the dragons dead and gone! You guys have to leave!"

"We were leaving!" Hiccup said. "Us and Mom, with the flock."

"R-Really? Then what stopped you?" Megan asked.

"Mom went off to find us a new place to live."

"As a dragon, you mean?"

"Yes." Hiccup said. "I...I'm...sure by now she managed to find a huge den with no villagers around."

"Yeah, with lots of room and tons of food! It's gonna be amazing!" Astrid said, stretching her arms.

"Umm, then...Where is she?" Megan asked. "Do you think the soldiers captured her?"

"No way! She's fine, I'm sure of it." Hiccup said. "No one can catch my mom. Even if they did, we'd send the dragons after them."

"So...you two are waiting for...Valka to come back?"

"Yup. It's just the three of us in the whole world."

"Hmmm...that's just like us." Megan said. She touched her new braid and smiled at Hiccup. She pulled the daisy out of her hair and tucked it into Astrid's hair.

The blond girl smiled warmly at her.

The kids jumped down from the root.

"What if they find the den?" Megan suddenly asked.

"They won't. Nobody has." Hiccup said.

"Well...I did."

"Only because I led you there!"

"Wait for Tilolo!" Tilolo jumped and bumped into the three, sending them tumbling down a hill, laughing all the way.

After picking themselves up, they ran back to the edge of the forest.

Astrid jumped up onto a fence and scared the heck out of some sheep by growling like a dragon.

"I have to tell my uncle about you two." Megan said. "He...He didn't know. We didn't know...that Scalewalkers were real. That you're people just like us."

"Of course we're people. What did you think we were?" Hiccup said, as Astrid climbed up a pole and untied a rope holding the warning bell.

"I...I'd...better get back." Megan said.

"Aww...bleh!" Astrid stuck out her tongue as she hung upside down.

"Look, we're gonna help you two. Me, Tilolo and our friend Brittany."

"Yes! We help Friend Hiccup and Friend Astrid!" Tilolo said. "We promise! And Heropons always keep promises!"

"Just wait for us at that big tree tomorrow. We'll even bring you two some bread—I mean, village treats."

"Alright. Sounds good to me." Hiccup said.

"We'll smell you later, village girl!" Astrid said.

"Heh heh, not if I smell you first!" Megan said.


After parting ways from the two young Scalewalkers, Megan and Tilolo headed back to the village gates. Now, how were they going to sneak back in?

They spotted a cart filled to the brim with hay coming towards the entrance.

Once the chance came, the two quickly climbed into the cart. They were hidden beneath the hay as the cart rolled into the village.

As soon as they were sure the soldiers weren't looking, they jumped out. They were back in the village square, without much trouble.

While they were walking back home, they saw Gobber and Fuufuun. The two of them were locked in the stocks.

Megan walked up to them, greeting them with a smile.

"Ahh, it's you, lass!" Gobber said, smiling back.

"Ohh! Both girls safe!" Fuufuun said.

'So Brittany must've snuck back into the village on her own at some point.' Megan thought. "You two were right."

"Meh meh?"

"So they didn't eat ye? That is some good news." Gobber said.

"I met them." Megan said. "That girl healed Tilolo."

"Mmmm, so glad girls' littlepon friend safe too." Fuufuun said.

"They're actually pretty nice...when they're not trying to eat you." Megan said, with a chuckle. "Well...I'd better get home."

"Ye know where ta find us if ye need us, lass." Gobber said.

As Megan and Tilolo entered their home, they were greeted by a familiar face.

"Oh my Gods you two! You're okay!" Brittany rushed to hug Megan very tightly. "You found Tilolo! And he's not hurt anymore! Did you see the Scalewalker girl? Did she do something? Did you see the dragons again? What happened?! Tell me!"

"Brittany let me breathe!" Megan exclaimed.

"Oops! Sorry, sorry... I'm just so happy you two made it back safe and sound. I was so worried I nearly tore my hair out..."

"What happen to Bri-Bri?" Tilolo asked.

"After we split up to find you, I must've been wandering around the forest for hours or something like that. I wasn't having any luck...and I was really scared. So I gave up my end of the search and snuck back home to wait for you guys." Brittany said. "I...I'm sorry, Megan..."

"Hey...It's okay." Megan said. "You tried. That's all I wanted."

"Thanks for not being mad. Now, tell me, what happened?"

Megan and Tilolo gave Brittany a quick summary of their escapades with Hiccup and Astrid.

"So we're gonna help them find Hiccup's mom so they and their dragon flock can leave the forest before Lord Grisely comes back?" Brittany said.

"That's the plan so far. Y-You don't have to help us if you don't want to." Megan said. "I didn't mean to drag you into this."

"Are you kidding me? After what you've told me, I wanna meet these guys!"

"But how we convince Unclepon to help us find Hiccup's mamapon?" Tilolo said.

"Yeah, considering what happened today, I doubt we're gonna convince him of anything." Brittany said.

"Hmmm..." While racking her brain on this conundrum, Megan looked around the room. The house was still quite the pigsty. "...If we're gonna convince Uncle Nick to help us out, a clean house will be a good start."

"...Sure, it might help."

The trio set to work cleaning the house. They made sure it was spotless when Nicholas came home.

"If this doesn't convince my uncle to help us, I have no idea what will!" Megan said, confident.

"Well...I think I can see where that conversation will lead." Brittany said. She sounded pretty skeptical.

"For your information, I know exactly how and where the conversation will go!"

"My, my, nieceypon!" Tilolo said, doing his best impression of Nicholas. "Whole house is sparkling!"

"Why, thank you, Uncle." Megan said. "Go on! Why don't you take a load off?"

"Don't mind if Unclepon do!" The Nopon bounced onto a chair and sat down.

"Have a hard day of hunting out there?"

"Meh meh, not a sniff or scale of dragon anywhere!"

"Well, Uncle, what would you say if I told you the three of us can get all the dragons to leave, and you don't even have to kill them?"

"Hmm, methinks nieceypon telling tall tales again." Tilolo said, continuing his impersonation.

"Oh ho! But I'm not!" Megan said. "Now...promise me you won't get angry?"

"Unclepon promise."

"I met these two kids in the woods. A boy and a girl. They have these magic healing powers. They healed Tilolo, and they're Scalewalkers."

"Scalewalkers?"

"Yeah, it's true! When they sleep, they turn into dragons. They can talk to the dragons, even smell and act like them too." Megan said. "Hiccup and Astrid—Those are their names, by the way—were going to lead the flock away, but Hiccup's mother went missing."

"Boy's mamapon missing?" Tilolo said. "Ohh, poor thing."

"I know, but...but if we can help them find Hiccup's mother, then they and the dragons can all leave together, and you will have done your duty to Lord Grisely."

"Oh brilliant! Nieceypon is brilliant!" Tilolo said, as Megan went to remove Brittany's arrow from the front door. "All problems solved! Thank you! Thank you, nieceypon!"

"And we can go back to how things used to be..." Megan said.

The front door opened. Nicholas had returned home, looking tired and weary.

"Meh meh?" "Oh!" "Ah!" The trio said, turning their attention to him.

Megan got down from the door. It looked like that arrow was going to have to stay there for now.

"Ah, there's my girl." Nicholas said, as he took a seat at the table. "Come here, lass."

Megan smiled as she walked over to him.

"Are you kids all right? A bit shaken after that dragon attack?" Nicholas asked, cupping Megan's face in his hands.

"We're fine, sir." Brittany said.

"Why don't you take a load off?" Megan said.

"Ahh, sounds nice." Nicholas said, relaxing in his chair. "By the by, how was your scullery work, girls? You two must be as tired as I am."

"U-U-Umm...about that, sir..." Brittany said, nervously.

"And you two managed to clean up the house as well?"

"Unclepon! What say Unclepon if we told-!" Tilolo said, jumping up.

"Would you look at that! Tilolo is back!" Nicholas said, ruffling the young Nopon's head fur. "My, my, I'd say you girls have had quite the day!"

"Yes. Yes, we have." Brittany said.

"Wh-What if we told you—" Megan said, but was interrupted.

"At least yours was far better than mine. My day was just awful." Nicholas sighed. "Every trap I've set up this week has been either broken or sprung. Tsk. Never seen the likes of these dragons..."

"Uncle!" Megan exclaimed, grabbing his attention. "What would you say if I told you we can get all the dragons to leave and you don't even have to kill them?"

"Hmm?" Nicholas gave his niece a strange look.

"Now, promise me you won't get angry."

"...Go on."

"Y-You...You didn't promise." Megan said.

"I know. Go on."

Megan took in a deep breath. "Y-You see...B-Brittany and I went back to find Tilolo—"

"You two went back?!" Nicholas said, shocked. "You two were out there?! Out in the forest?!"

"U-Uncle listen! The girl, she's one of them!" Megan said. "A Scalewalker, just like those two said! They're real!"

But it seemed Nicholas wasn't listening. "You two left the scullery?!"

"T-T-T-Technically speaking, sir, we...never...got there." Brittany said.

"WHAT?!"

"Please Uncle, if we can just find Hiccup's mother—" Megan tried to speak.

"Ohh girls, girls, you must follow Lord Grisely's rules! He gave the two of you a direct order!" Nicholas yelled. "And you two...You two disobeyed him!"

"B-But, Uncle—" Megan felt tears in her eyes.

"Lass, have you no fear of the stocks?" Nicholas said, holding Megan's shoulders. "We all need to work together to stay in this town."

"Meh meh meh meh meh..." Tilolo covered his face and his ears.

Nicholas sighed, "I'll bring you girls over to the scullery myself tomorrow..."

"P-Please, Uncle...I-I thought you would understand." Megan said, sniffling her nose. "We...We can help you. I can help you. If...I-If we—"

"You kids can help me by doing your work and staying here in the village...away from all danger. Now, promise me that, kids."

"We promise..." The trio said, softly.

"Right. Off to bed with you three."

Brittany and Tilolo climbed up the ladder leading to the loft room the three of them shared.

Maybe it was because Megan was hurt by this...She spat out, "Mom and Dad would've listened to me."

Nicholas took in a deep breath, "Your mom and dad would've wanted you to be safe, Megan."

Megan climbed up the ladder and drew back the curtain that acted as a makeshift door to their loft. "...Go ahead. Say it." She said to Brittany.

"That...went as well as I thought..." Brittany muttered.

"We've got to find a way to help those two..."


Night soon fell over the village.

People were safe and sound in their homes, sleeping peacefully. Even the soldiers guarding the village gates were starting to nod off.

But not everyone was having a restful slumber.

Megan started to toss and turn in her small bed. Her right arm was glowing softly.


In her dreams, Megan could see a trail of light leading into the forest.

A dragon soon stepped into view.

Megan knew this dragon. A Night Fury? But it looked just like that white Fury.

'L-Luna? Is that you?' She thought.


"AHH!" Megan awoke with a start and jolted out of bed. She panted, feeling her heart pounding out of her chest.

'Wh-What...What was that?' She thought.

She looked down to see her right arm glowing. That was the spot where Hiccup had bitten her in his Fury form. The glow soon faded away.

"Megan?" She heard Nicholas' voice. He was up and ready for another day. "Are you all right?"

"Y...Y-Yeah." Megan said. "J-Just a bad dream."

"Well, get those two up. We should make an early start." Nicholas said. "All of us."


Well! Another day, another chapter, and maybe another migraine!

Anyways, next chapter...You know what? I think you can guess what happens next, huh? Fair warning now, there will be another Spongebob reference in the next chapter, and I'm sorry/not sorry. I'll just be over here, attempting to dodge the inevitable tomatoes that are sure to come my way!

Keep on reading on! If you've put up with this mess so far, you have my deepest thanks!

To those readers who live in my neck of the woods, I'd like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! And to all those who don't, I hope that you're having a lovely fall, wherever you are!