=Normal POV=

{Friday, April 1, 2022-12:30 pm}

(Archian Preparatory; Cafeteria)

"I'm just going to call Hiccup," Snotlout said.

"And I'll try Astrid," Heather stated. All day the friends wondered where Hiccup and Astrid were because they haven't seen them. Their dragons weren't present, and the two weren't spotted in any of the classes they shared with different friends. Snotlout raised his phone and tried to call Hiccup's cell phone, but after six rings; he hung up.

"No answer for Hiccup," Snotlout reported. Heather was bringing down her phone too, shaking her head.

"Same with Astrid," Heather informed.

"Something doesn't seem right," Camicazi said. "Why would both not show up or answer?" she wondered.

"Snotlout, why don't you try Aunt Val or Uncle Stoick?" Fishlegs suggested. Snotlout nodded, calling his Aunt Valka next. After three rings, there was a pickup. "Aunt Val? Hi, it's Snotlout. Um, the guy and girls plus I are wondering where Hiccup and Astrid are today?" there was a brief pause as Snotlout's eyes widened a little. "What do you mean?" more silence and waiting. "Is he okay?" it was starting to sound a little worrisome now, but the group remained quiet so Snotlout could hear. "Okay, I understand, Auntie. I'll let them know. Can you keep us posted?" Seconds later; he ended the called.

"What happened?" Minden inquired quickly, resting her hand on Snotlout's arm.

"Hiccup is in the hospital," Snotlout said as the other ten gasped in disbelief.

"Whatever for?" Nadia wondered.

"I guess Hiccup didn't get home from work last night until about 4:30 am, and Toothless had some hard landing, and it threw Hiccup off him. Hiccup was breathing heavy, looked like he'd been fighting with fire, and ended passing out. By 4:45 am; he was being transported to Archia General because they couldn't wake him up, and he's still out too. Gobber, Uncle Stoick, and Astrid are there too," Snotlout explained.

"That doesn't make sense. Archia Burger closes at 1 am, and they're all out, at best, by 1:45 am. And it only takes about fifteen to twenty minutes for him to get home on Toothless. Where was he for almost three hours?" Ruffnut looked around the table.

"I don't know, but safe to say that there won't be training today," Thuggory reminded.

"We should go after school to see him," Heather suggested.

"I agree," Ragna nodded. With the eleven in agreement; they sat back and continued to eat, but were worried about their friend.

. . .

{2:20 pm}

(Archia General Hospital)

After Heather called Dagur, and everyone had permission to leave at 2 pm from a parent; the twelve friends left the school to get to the hospital so that they could see Hiccup. According to Snotlout, Valka hadn't given any updates, and the assumption was because Hiccup was still knocked out. After being checked in and having permission to all see Hiccup; a nurse led the group to Hiccup's room and knocked first. A quiet come in was heard, and then they filed in slowly. Hiccup was unconscious in the bed, hooked up to an IV and some monitors. Gobber was against the window, Astrid was sitting in a chair next to Gobber and surprisingly; she was holding Runa, who was fast asleep in her arms. Valka was beside Hiccup, holding his hand while Stoick stood next to his wife.

"Oh, kids…You came," Valka said softly.

"We had to. Hiccup is our best friend," Minden said.

"How long has he been knocked out for now?" Tuffnut asked.

"It's almost 2:30 pm now. Hiccup got home at 4:30 am. About ten hours," Gobber stated.

"And there's no reason as to why?" Eret wondered.

"Unfortunately, no. The doctor on staff earlier this morning when we arrived said that it appears Hiccup had been in a place that was hot, and definitely around fire because his clothes looked slightly burned. Also, the coughing might have been due to smoke inhalation," Stoick started to explain.

"But they have no idea why he'd pass out, and stay out this long," Astrid added from her place. "Coughing to hard and unable to catch your breath can make you pass out, but they didn't think it would stay in effect this long,"

"We can't get any answers until Hiccup wakes up," Valka sighed sadly.

"I'm sure he will, Val," Stoick comforted. Toothless was at the hospital too, but he was outside the window and sitting loyally with worry for his owner. Fifteen minutes went by as the friends noticed Toothless after hearing him warble, and slightly paw at the window. Toothless whined again as Gobber opened the window and Toothless stuck his head in, sniffing; then trilled and gave a throaty purr for his human to awaken. Hiccup's hand tightened on his mother's as she gasped and lifted her head.

"Hiccup?" Valka asked.

"What is it?" Stoick asked.

"I-I felt his hand tighten on mine. Hiccup? Son, it's Mom," Valka tried. Hiccup's face showed slight movement, and his eyes were moving around behind the lids, trying to open. "That's it, my boy. Come back; we're all here…" she stood up, gently stroking her thumb over his cheek, and moving some of his bangs out of the way. Toothless gave a slight whine, and Hiccup's eyes snapped open fast.

"Toothless!" Hiccup sat up quickly, panting and looking around for his dragon. Toothless tried to get in more, but couldn't. Instead, the Night Fury warbled with worry as Hiccup tried to relax. "Oh, thank Thor…You're alright, bud," he laid back with his hands over his face, attempting to slow his breathing.

"Easy, son…" Stoick stated, not wanting Hiccup to pass out again. Hiccup finally calmed a little and lowered his hands. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…I think so. Where…Am I?" Hiccup asked.

"The hospital, laddie," Gobber said while getting off the window to move next to him. "Been here since about 5 am this mornin'," he added.

"What…Happened to me?" Hiccup inquired, his eyes falling on Astrid, who was holding Runa.

"You got home around 4:30 am, and passed out," Astrid said lightly, rising to her feet to get closer. Hiccup closed his eyes, trying to remember what happened.

"Do you remember anything?" Valka tried.

"Not…Really. I got off work at 1:40 ish, and was minutes from being home…Everything gets fuzzy after that. A lot of dragons, fire…" Hiccup had his eyes closed, trying to recall the events.

"Don't try to force it, son," Stoick advised. Runa began to fidget and whimper. Astrid tried to relax her but to no avail.

"Here, let me see her," Hiccup forced himself to sit up more as Astrid handed Runa to him. Hiccup got the pacifier and bounced Runa a little in his arms while getting her to retake the binky. Slowly, Runa drifted to sleep after a few minutes. "So…Am I allowed to go home?" he asked.

"I'm sure the doctor will want to check you out first," Gobber said.

"Well, I feel fine, and I can't remember what happened anyway…So there's no point in staying," Hiccup stated. Unknown to them, Hiccup did know what took place; he wasn't saying anything because he didn't know how to tell anyone that the legendary Red Death was among them, living in a volcano an hour by dragon flight away, West of Berk. Hiccup knew that he and Toothless barely escaped, and they were flying together. Red Death controlled other dragons; nobody stood a chance against that thing without their dragons. And the dragons could be taken over by Red Death.

"We'll speak to the doctor about getting you released," Stoick replied, pulling Valka with him. Hiccup sighed, looking out the window at Toothless.

"Alright, spill it," Gobber told Hiccup.

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup asked.

"Come on, kiddo. I know ya better than you think I do; you remember what happened. So out with it," Gobber stated. Hiccup closed his eyes.

"On the way home last night; Toothless sensed something and changed course from the house…We headed West and flew for about an hour over the water. We hit this fog wall, and Toothless took us in. Sea stacks, rock formations, a lot to avoid in zero visibility. A lot of other dragons were drawn in too, aggressive and wild. Beyond the fog is an island with a very much active volcano…And the cause of the dragon's recent behavior is sitting in the corona," Hiccup said quietly.

"Wait a second. You mean Dragon Island? The final resting place of Red Death from like, centuries ago when the first dragon war ended by one of your ancestors from the Viking Age?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup nodded.

"Hang on, what?" the five new friends blinked.

"Centuries ago during the Viking Age and first Dragon/Human war; one of the Haddock Family ancestors bonded with a dragon and found the Red Death as the source of the raids. Together, rider and dragon defeated it and caused the peace that we have today with dragons," Heather explained.

"Red Death? That big, like, mountain-sized dragon? One of Hiccup's ancestors defeated that thing?" Ragna asked.

"That's right," Gobber informed.

"So we've got another dragon making the dragons act this way…How do we stop it?" Camicazi asked.

"There are only two dragons in existence who possess the ability to control other dragons. Red Death, and a Bewilderbeast," Hiccup kept his head down. Their eyes widened.

"This is bad…Really bad! Why would you keep that kind of information to yourself!" Astrid scolded.

"That's what I'd like to know," Stoick said, entering the room once more. Hiccup handed Runa to his mother as Hiccup took off the things connecting him to monitors, and then removed the IV himself before getting to his feet. "You will explain yourself, right now, boy," Stoick ordered.

"I'm not telling you anything while we're here; it'll start a panic," Hiccup remarked. The doctor came in to remove everything but was surprised to find it already off. Hiccup took the clipboard and signed the line, then handed it back. Hiccup left the hospital room and got outside where Toothless was waiting for him. Seconds later; the two were gone.

. . .

{3 pm}

(Berk; Haddock Manor)

As soon as Hiccup had left the hospital with Toothless; the rest followed wanting to one, make sure Hiccup was okay as he'd been knocked out for ten hours, and two, to find out what the heck happened. Valka, Gobber, Runa, Astrid, and Stoick were in Gobber's truck, and the rest of the friends trailed behind with their vehicles. Of course, as soon as Stoick got in the door; he and Hiccup were arguing.

"Hiccup, not another step. You will tell me what happened last night!" Stoick demanded.

"I found the source of the problems," Hiccup said.

"Obviously! Now, tell me what we're dealing with. I assume it's dragons, as everyone believes it is," Stoick muttered.

"It's not their fault, Dad!" Hiccup argued.

"It still them doing all this, whether it's their fault or not, son. I have to protect Archia Isle! And your withholding information!" Stoick accused.

"Damn right I am! You can't fight this; you'll end up dead!" Hiccup stated firmly.

"That's a risk I take, but the island is my top priority. And if you're not going to tell me how to deal with this…Then I have no choice but to remove the dragons from the island," Stoick said.

"It's not their fault! They're doing it because they have no choice…Orders from something much bigger," Hiccup tried.

"Then we'll deal with the bigger, Hiccup. Just tell me what we're up against!" Stoick commanded loudly.

"Red Death," Hiccup said as everyone froze in the room, fear grabbing hold.

"That's insane, Hiccup. That beast was defeated centuries ago, and no others have been seen!" Stoick countered.

"Crazy or not, that's what it is! I saw it, Dad! And spent hours hiding out and trying to avoid getting killed by it, why do you think I was home so late and passed out. I couldn't believe it either, but I swear to you that it's the truth," Hiccup pushed.

"Take me to it then; I want to see it with my own eyes," Stoick said.

"No! That's insane!" Hiccup stepped back. "I will not take you to it. I know how you are! Every bit of boar-headed, stubborn as any Viking would be,"

"It runs in the family, son. If you expect me to believe that Red Death is out there, then I want proof. Something tells me you're only saying all this to protect Toothless," Stoick sighed.

"I'm protecting all the dragons! And the residents here! I'm not telling you anything, and I refuse to take you to the island!" Hiccup yelled. Stoick stopped quickly.

"The island?!" Stoick asked. "So you've seen it?"

Hiccup tensed and grew nervous. "Did I say island?" Hiccup gulped. Stoick got closer to him.

"Where is it, Hiccup?" Stoick demanded. "How did you find it?!"

"I-I don't know. It was like 2 am, and Toothless was the one to find it," Hiccup informed. And it was the instant he knew exactly what he'd said. "No…Dad, no. Please…" Hiccup begged when he saw the look in his father's eyes.

Stoick pulled his phone, calling someone. "Ready whatever fighter dragon riders we have. I know how to stop these dragon attacks, and round up anyone willing to fight a battle for the island," after that, the call ended, and Stoick slipped his phone away.

"Dad, no. You don't know what you're doing…It's like nothing you've ever seen before. This thing eats other dragons; it's massive…You'll never win! Don't do this! We can find other ways to handle the dragons, but you can't win this!" Hiccup tried again. Stoick walked away from him, but Hiccup ran after and held Stoick's arm. "FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO ME!" he yelled. Stoick jerked his arm and Hiccup was thrown to the ground hard.

Panting, Hiccup looked up at his father. "You've kept vital information from your kind to protect those dragons, while the people here have been getting hurt and suffering so you could protect your pet Night Fury…" Stoick glared as Hiccup's eyes widened. "You lied to me saying you didn't know the location, but then reveal its in an island that Toothless brought you too. You've shown who you want to protect by throwing your lot in with the dragons. You're not a resident of this island…You're not my son,"

Entirely crushed by what his father said, Hiccup watched his old man go outside and secure Toothless and leave with him. Gobber and Snotlout helped Hiccup off, who still looked floored by what his dad said to him. Hiccup forced himself into a chair, hands covering his face. "What have I done…" he whispered. "I just condemned all those people to death…"

Astrid moved in front of Hiccup now, crouching down with her hands on his knees. "Hiccup… What do we do?"

"Why are you asking me? What can I do? I just got disowned, cast out, and my dragon taken from me…" Hiccup said.

"Stop talking like that; you know your dad is just mad about the situation," Astrid reminded.

"That I got us into…I should never have gone…I could have…Turned Toothless around or something…" Hiccup said, defeated.

"Hiccup, stop and listen for a second. You dealt with Red Death early this morning…How did you get away?" Astrid asked.

"A lot of insane evading…" Hiccup replied.

"So can't we all attack from the sky with our dragons?" Eret asked.

"Impossible. The other dragons won't listen; Red Death controls them," Hiccup sighed. "You'd never get close enough,"

"Tell me something Hiccup, you know all the history of your family, right? It was one of your family members that defeated this thing centuries ago, right?" Astrid questioned, and Hiccup nodded. "How was it done?"

"The first dragon war ended thanks to the heroic efforts of Hiccup's ancestor and his dragon. He was the first Viking to bond with and ride a dragon, and the two defeated Red Death together, ending a three-hundred-year-old war and creating the peace we have today, as I said at the hospital," Gobber responded.

"What does any of that have to do with me?" Hiccup stood up now. "What does any of this information tell me on how to stop Dad and a bunch of others from getting killed!"

"Stop sulking, get up, and think! How can we do this! We're all standing with you, Hiccup; we believe in you, that you know how to stop this…" Astrid pleaded.

"The lassie is right, 'Iccup…We know you can do this…But you have to believe in yourself…" Gobber added. Hiccup closed his eyes, trying to think of an idea.

"Didn't he say the other day at lunch that Toothless isn't affected by whatever was happening to the dragons?" Ragna stated, but Hiccup heard it, and his eyes snapped open in realization.

"Th-That's it…" Hiccup said quickly.

"What is?" Valka inquired.

"The answer on how to stop this…The other dragons are under Red Death's control if they get too close to it…But Toothless and I were on that island, in the volcano…And he never got affected…" Hiccup breathed out.

"Oh, no…I know that look in your eyes, boy. You're gonna do something stupid…" Gobber sighed.

"I did something stupid by telling my dad all he needed to know to find the island…Now, it's time to do something crazy," Hiccup said as he hurried outside and saddled Stormfly, then jumped on her back. "Saddle up…I'm gonna need your help, and to get Toothless back," Not arguing, the others readied their dragons. Hiccup pulled Astrid up behind him, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. Valka and Gobber too after Runa was given to one of the staff to watch over in their absence. Twenty minutes later, they were ready and took to the sky.

"Are you sure you know what we're doing?" Dagur asked.

Hiccup nodded. "I just pray we make it in time," Hiccup said as Astrid was sitting behind him on Stormfly. Soon, they were all headed West.