Ch.13: Going on a Trip
It has been two weeks since Hiccup and Rapunzel have been married and they couldn't be happier. Before sending the Vikings back, Stoick surprisingly apologized to Hiccup for not treating him like a son and was proud of what Hiccup was able to accomplish during his time in Corona. Hiccup accepted the apology and parted ways on good terms and Hiccup promised that he would visit Berk once in a while. Since then, Hiccup and Rapunzel have been planning their honeymoon and have decided to go exploring other islands. Hiccup told Heather that she'll be looking after Mari while they're gone. They'll be taking Toothless with them so they'll have a lot of islands to explore.
Now, Hiccup was loading everything he and Rapunzel will need into Toothless' saddle while Rapunzel was saying goodbye to her parents. Hiccup was wearing his flying suit with Inferno strapped to the belt while Rapunzel had a jacket over her dress.
"I'll miss you so much," said Rapunzel.
"We'll miss you, too, darling," said King Fredrik.
"Are you sure you're gonna be okay," Rapunzel asked her parents.
"Don't worry about us. It's only for a couple of days," said Queen Auriana.
"You and Hiccup deserve this journey," said King Fredrik with a smile. "Go and enjoy yourselves. Just don't come back and say that we're gonna be grandparents."
"That's okay, dad. We won't be doing it," said Rapunzel with a blush.
"Glad to hear it," said King Fredrik.
"Don't listen to him," Queen Auriana whispered to her daughter.
"It's not like we're gonna do it with Toothless around… again," Rapunzel whispered back and her mom giggled.
"What are you two whispering about," asked King Fredrik.
"Girl things," said Rapunzel before walking up to Hiccup, who has just finished packing. "Got everything we need?"
"Yup, everything's in the bag," said Hiccup.
"Too bad Serenade can't come," said Rapunzel as she looked at her dragon.
"I know, but Toothless put her in charge of the dragons while we're gone," said Hiccup as he got on the saddle and brought out his hand to Rapunzel.
"Thank you," smiled Rapunzel as she grabbed Hiccup's hand and sat behind him on the saddle.
"You ready for this," Hiccup asked his wife.
"Of course I am," said Rapunzel with a giggle and wrapped her arms around Hiccup as Toothless spread his wings and bolted into the air. "Now I see why Hiccup wanted me to wear something else besides my dress."
The King, the Queen, the citizens and the dragons of Corona watched as the Night Fury flew away with Hiccup and Rapunzel and everyone cheered as the trio disappeared in the horizon.
Up in the sky, Hiccup, Rapunzel and Toothless were having a blast with Toothless doing some aerial maneuvers. They even went above the clouds every now and then.
"This is the best flight ever," cheered Rapunzel as she held onto Hiccup.
"We're just getting started so hold on tight," said Hiccup through his helmet.
Rapunzel immediately did so as Toothless flapped his wings more frequently, which caused him to increase his speed and brought them down much closer to sea while flying at the same pace.
"That's so cool," cheered Rapunzel.
"This is just the beginning. Hang on for a roll," said Hiccup.
Toothless had already spotted the group of Thunderdrums. Hiccup locked the tail into gliding position, and Rapunzel squealed in excitement and held on tightly as Toothless did a barrel roll under a Thunderdrum's wing. He then flew towards the sky and Rapunzel noticed a couple of Timberjacks.
"That was amazing," said Rapunzel.
"If you thought that amazing, then get ready for something totally crazy," said Hiccup as he locked Toothless' tail into gliding position and unhooked his metal foot from the stirrup. "Hold on to the saddle… tight.
Rapunzel didn't need to be told twice and got a hold on the saddle as Hiccup slid sideways off of Toothless. Her eyes widened at the sight of her husband free falling, but her thoughts were interrupted when Toothless dove after Hiccup.
Soon, the three of them could see the ocean through the clouds, telling Hiccup and Toothless to deploy their secret weapons. Hiccup grabbed two hoops that were connected to his feet. Once he pulled them, a pair of leather wings were revealed, and he began to glide almost perfectly alongside Toothless. The Night Fury spread his wings almost at the same time and began to glide above him, Rapunzel on his back.
Rapunzel watched as Hiccup flipped a switch on his chest, opening a fin on his back that gave him the chance to level out. She looked amazed that Hiccup could accomplish the task so fly like a dragon.
"This is amazing," cheered Hiccup.
As they flew through a cloud, they came face–to–face with a series of rocks jutting from the sea. That's when Hiccup realized that the rocks were coming in too fast.
"No longer amazing! Toothless," Hiccup called out his dragon.
"I can catch you, but what about Rapunzel," Toothless asked his rider.
"Rapunzel, get on Toothless' head and he'll launch you to me," Hiccup said to Rapunzel.
"Okay, I'll try," said Rapunzel.
The princess did as instruct and got on Toothless' head. The Night Fury brought his head down as possible and then suddenly raised it up, sending her flying off his head and towards Hiccup. At the last second, Toothless blasted the rocks just ahead of them, then managed to catch Rapunzel, and wrap her and Hiccup in his wings as they flew through it.
The obliterated peak rained down around them as Toothless emerged from the cloud of debris from the rock formation and hurtled into the trees of a neighboring peak. Toothless tumbled down the uneven terrain, and finally came to rest on a small plateau, and only seconds passed before Hiccup and Rapunzel emerged from the cocoon of Toothless' wings.
"That came out of nowhere," said Hiccup and looked at Rapunzel. "Are you okay, honey?"
"Yeah, I think I am," said Rapunzel with a smile.
"That's good to know," Hiccup sighed with relief and walked up to the edge of the cliff. "Well, we definitely found a new land."
"The view is amazing," said Rapunzel as she walked up to Hiccup.
In front of them was a whole new landscape, one they've never seen before in their life; tall cliffs and sea–stacks adorned with swaying gold birch trees basking in the dappled afternoon sunlight, and white looming mountains in the background. Hiccup them looked at Toothless.
"You know, bud, we really need to work on your solo gliding," said Hiccup. "That locked–up tail makes for some pretty sloppy rescue maneuvers, huh?"
This statement annoyed Toothless and the dragon whacked Hiccup with his tail.
"Oh, so you demand an apology," asked Hiccup. "Is that why you're pouting, you big baby–boo?"
"I'm not a baby," grumped Toothless.
"Well, try this on," said Hiccup as he tried wrestle Toothless, but the Night Fury didn't seem to be fazed at all. "Are you feeling it yet? Picking all my heartfelt remorse?"
Rapunzel giggled at her husband's failing attempt to wrestle down Toothless.
The Night Fury stood up and walked up to edge of the cliff. Hiccup was dangling helpless on Toothless' neck.
"Oh, come on," said Hiccup. "You wouldn't hurt a one–legged…" He looks down, seeing the precipitous drop below. "Ah! You're right! You're right! You win! You win!"
Toothless chuckled a little as he backed away from the edge of the cliff and flipped them down over so that Hiccup was lying down on the ground and they began to romp with each other.
"He's down! And it's ugly," declared Hiccup while throwing mock punches at the Night Fury and Toothless retaliated by making feline taps on Hiccup's head.
Rapunzel watched the two with a smile. Hiccup and Toothless might be different species, but right now, they were acting like brothers. She knew Hiccup and Toothless better than everyone and has seen their bond growing stronger these past 6 years.
"Dragons and Vikings, enemies again, locked in combat to the bitter–," said Hiccup when Toothless dropped his large weight onto him, squeezing the air out of Hiccup.
Rapunzel got worried for her husband, but before she could say a thing, Toothless started to groom Hiccup by licking his face and covering him in slobber.
"Gaaaaagh," Hiccup cried out as he fought to get free and Rapunzel couldn't resist giggling. "You know that doesn't wash out."
Hiccup finally managed to get on his feet and tried to shake as much as saliva as he could.
Toothless began to laugh as he was obviously pleased with himself, but stopped when he got hit in the face with some of his saliva, and started to lick himself clean. As the dragon's saliva dried on his flight suit, Hiccup brought his attention back to the new land that was stretched out before them, then he reached beneath his chest plate and took out a leather–bound book. Hiccup unfolded and flattened it out to reveal an explorers' map, modified with added strips in every direction to accommodate their ever–expending world as the drawing indicated new lands, tribes and many new dragons.
Rapunzel stood quietly and could only watch in awe when she saw the map. She knew Hiccup and Toothless had travelled to a lot of lands, but she didn't expect them to be this many. At least now she knew why every time they returned from a journey, they always brought at least two new dragon species with them. The last time, they brought a few Triple Strikes and even a Skrill.
Hiccup peeled a fresh page of paper from a hidden fold in the flap under his right gauntlet and held it out for Toothless to lick it with his saliva to glue a new section onto the map in the far southeast. Hiccup affixed the moistened page to the map's outer edge, then he sharpened his charcoal pencil with a dagger from his left gauntlet, and checked his compass for alignment.
"So, what should we name it," Hiccup asked his dragon, who quickly made himself preoccupied as he gnawed under his wing for a moment.
"I guess that means 'Itchy Armpit'," said Rapunzel as chuckled at Toothless.
"Well, 'Itchy Armpit' it is then," said Hiccup before he started to carefully draw Itchy Armpit's outline as he still felt the energy he got from their adrenaline–fueled flight and silly playtime with Toothless.
"Whaddya reckon, bud? Think we might find Timberjacks in those woods? The odd Whispering Death or two in the rocks? Who knows… maybe we'll finally track down another Night Fury," Hiccup supposed. "Wouldn't that be something?"
"You really think there could be more Night Furies," asked Toothless as he sniffed the map.
"Hiccup, I'm sure there are more Night Furies out there," said Rapunzel as she placed a hand over his chest. "You just haven't searched far enough."
Rapunzel wanted to kiss him, but remembered that there was still some of Toothless' saliva on his face.
"Maybe you're right, Rapunzel, but…," Hiccup trailed off as he eyed the horizon keenly. "Y'know, there is something out there right now, and whatever it is it's not a Night Fury."
Rapunzel gave him a questioning look, but didn't wait for an answer as she turned the way he was looking at and saw a column of black smoke rising from the distance.
To be continued…
Hey, everyone. I'm so sorry for the delay, but I was ill for about 2 weeks. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll TRY to post the next by the end of the month, if not, then some time in December. With this chapter starts the HTTYD2 arc. Of course there'll some changes for obvious reasons. And don't worry, there won't be any character death in the story. That's all I've got say for now. See you all next time and until then, have a nice day.
R&R