A/N: Hi! This is my second How to Train your Dragon fanfiction. It takes place during the Dragons Race to the Edge episode Triple Cross. We never find out what exactly happened between Viggo and the Monstrous Nightmare that changed his mind completely about dragons, so this is my take. Hope you enjoy, please R&R!
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any part of How to Train your Dragon. If I did, Toothless wouldn't be the last Night Fury :(
The sound of an explosion rippled through the air, and silence instantly fell over the group of dragon hunters that stood in the cavern. Dirt and loose pebbles rained down from the ceiling, and Viggo lifted the torch in his hand to see through the dust.
What are they doing out there? he wondered, a familiar feeling of distrust settling over him as he thought of his dragon hunting co-leaders: Trader Johann and Krogan.
Another explosion interrupted the tense silence, accompanied by an ominous cracking as the large rocks above their heads threatened to fall.
"We've got to get out of here!"
The cry came from a panicked dragon hunter, who instantly took off toward the exit. Almost without thinking, Viggo broke into a run, the other hunters shoving to get past him.
They wouldn't trap me down here purposely, Viggo thought, though deep within him, he knew he didn't believe that.
He rounded a corner in the tunnel, and the exit reared up in the distance. The night sky, distorted by falling debris, seeming to be mocking him; he was too far away.
A crash ricocheted against the stone walls, and Viggo threw a glance over his shoulder. His eyes widened as a Monstrous Nightmare, its blue and red scales popping against the cold gray, thundered into the tunnel behind him.
Ahead, the group of dragon hunters had fallen into a panicked stampede as more and more explosions shook the tunnel. Large chunks of rock pelted from above. Viggo ran harder, all too aware of the dragon chasing after him.
As the last dragon hunter slipped outside to safety, Krogan came into view, perched atop his blood-red Singetail. As the dragon opened its jaws, Viggo poured every ounce of energy he had into a mad dash, but it was no use. A fireball shot from the dragon's mouth, and a final explosion shook the tunnel.
Viggo skidded to a halt as rocks rained down before the exit, sealing it fast.
They tried to kill me.
He wasn't given much time beyond that to think, for the scraping of approaching claws was growing louder. Viggo whirled on his heel to see the Monstrous Nightmare had caught up to him. It lowered itself to a crouch, its lips peeling back over dagger-like teeth.
So this was how it would end: at the jaws of a dragon.
How ironic, Viggo thought bitterly, backing up until he bumped into the crumbled rock behind him.
The Monstrous Nightmare snarled, and, in a flash of bright light, lit itself on fire. Viggo didn't have time to react before it lunged.
He flinched away, tensed for the feeling of teeth gripping his arm. But the dragon never touched him. Instead, it slid up beside him and threw its flaming wings over his head.
Startled, Viggo looked up to see a particularly large boulder, which had been clinging to the tunnel roof directly above him, crash onto the dragon's outstretched wings. As the dragon absorbed the blow, the rock, now black and smoldering, fell to the tunnel floor with a resounding crash. Any remaining pebbles were caught up in the dragon's flames and melted; not a single one ever touched Viggo.
For a moment, the dragon hunter couldn't move; his mind, for once, felt frozen. No, not frozen; paused.
That dragon just saved my life.
The words came slow, echoing, almost as if some actual, distant voice had spoken them.
The Monstrous Nightmare let its fiery scales sizzle out and sat back on its haunches, neatly folding its great wings.
Viggo studied the dragon's face, confusion like nothing he had felt before washing over him like a slowly-curling wave. This was a dragon that his men had captured, a victim of his dragon hunting career. Yet it had come to his rescue with barely a moment's hesitation.
Words drifted through his mind, all the dragon speeches that Hiccup had made, how they were intelligent, protective, and, if treated right, gentle.
The red and blue Monstrous Nightmare lowered its head, its yellow eyes questioning.
What are you going to do now? it seemed to be asking.
Viggo paused, looking at the torch in his hand to buy himself a few seconds to think. Faces rippled through his mind, scale-covered faces, each twisted with snarls of fear and anger. Fear and anger that he had caused.
"I don't know, dragon," he said aloud, locking eyes with the great beast. "You've done something I can't seem to understand."
The Monstrous Nightmare blinked, and for a split second, Viggo wondered if it understood him.
Impossible, his mind instantly snapped. It's only an animal.
That just saved me; and I'm its captor.
"I suppose we should find a way out, should we not?"
Viggo wasn't exactly sure why he had spoken to the dragon again, let alone wanted to take it with him. But something deep within him was shifting. He put a hand to his forehead for a moment, trying to still his thoughts.
This is my life, he told himself sternly. I am a dragon hunter, and this doesn't change a thing.
And if I admit I was wrong to hunt dragons…
Viggo let his mind trail away, not wanting to complete the thought. If he admitted he was wrong, then he was guilty of killing thousands of innocent, trapped dragons for no reason other than wealth.
A bolt of anger shocked through him, but for once, it wasn't directed at someone else. It was directed at himself. That was something he wasn't used to, and he sent off down the tunnel before letting himself dwell on it further.
The clink-scrap-clink of heavy claws against stone sounded behind him, and Viggo knew the Monstrous Nightmare was following. He didn't turn; it wouldn't attack him.
How can you be sure? barked the hardened side of his thoughts. It's an unpredictable wild animal, and most likely a violent one!
And why would it be violent?
The question was posed within his own mind, but sharply, as if someone else had spoken it.
Because it's been mistreated, Viggo thought back.
He glanced over his shoulder at the dragon. Its expression was docile, its eyes fixed on the tunnel before them.
Can dragons forgive?
The question, and the Monstrous Nightmare, followed Viggo closely as he weaved in and out of the tunnels. He had explored them already with his group of dragon hunters, and though they had come upon nothing but dead ends, he wanted to be sure there was no other way out. Once again, the tunnels proved completely useless for alternative routes, and finally Viggo led the way back to the blocked exit.
He sat down, his back against the cold, fallen stone. By this point, his torch had fizzled out, and he tossed it across the tunnel.
There was a thump beside him, and he startled, glancing up sharply. The red and blue Monstrous Nightmare was settling into a resting crouch a few feet away. It blinked at him, its expression calculating. It was waiting for him to do something, that much was obvious.
But what? Viggo wondered, thinking back on all the times he had seen Hiccup and his friends in action.
What did they do to befriend a dragon? He thought it had something to do with touching the beast's muzzle.
He shifted uncomfortably. If he did this, he would be leaving behind the only life he'd ever known, and accepting the blame for all the innocent deaths he'd ever caused.
But he couldn't deny the truth any longer: he had been wrong. All the dragons he had ever fought, save for the odd aggressive one here and there, had been provoked into violence. Had they been left alone, they never would have attacked.
And the Monstrous Nightmare crouching beside him was proof that these creatures could care enough to put themselves in harm's way for another. Even another who tried to hurt them.
There's so much about them that I don't understand, Viggo realized with a jolt of surprise.
For all the dragon facts he'd collected, all their behavior, feeding habits, and fighting styles, he understood nothing about what it was to know a dragon. Actually know a dragon, as one would know one's friend.
Viggo swallowed hard, expecting to feel hesitant. But all he felt was determination; he had to right this wrong.
Tentatively, he extended a hand toward the dragon's nose. It studied his face thoughtfully.
"Steady, dragon," he said softly, his eyes never leaving its. "My days of hunting your kind are over. I truly apologize for the wrongs I have done to you."
Something in the beast's expression softened, and it let out a gentle rumbling noise. Viggo had never heard that sound before, not directed at him at least. With its eyes still locked to his, the Monstrous Nightmare leaned forward and pressed its snout against his outstretched hand.
Viggo was expecting the feeling of relief that rushed over him, but not the sudden sense of companionship. In that small act between them, he realized that he had promised the dragon he wasn't going to harm it, and it had promised to trust him.
Almost as if it had been waiting for this realization, the Monstrous Nightmare's expression changed to one of resolve. It nudged Viggo to his feet and pushed him back from the pile of fallen debris.
Seizing a sizable rock in its teeth, the dragon yanked. With a cracking sound, the rocks began to give way. Viggo stood back, watching with a mixture of awe and respect, as the Monstrous Nightmare pulled the largest rocks out of the way. Then, in one swift movement, it threw its heavy body against the remaining pile.
The rocks crumbled away, and moonlight flooded the tunnel, accompanied by the crisp scent of the night air. The dragon pushed its way through the hole, widening it enough so that both of them could fit through.
Viggo scrambled over the rocks, leaping the last few and landing on the ground outside with a muffled thud. Only a few clouds spotted the dark sky, and Krogan and Johann were nowhere to be seen.
Let them leave, he thought decisively. I know what to do now.
The dragon riders would never let him join forces with them, that he knew. But he could at least sabotage the hunters…and rescue their dragons.
"Now there's something I never thought I'd be planning," he said aloud.
The Monstrous Nightmare, which had been watching the sky intently, turned to look at him. It blinked longingly, and he instantly knew what it wanted.
Viggo strode toward it, stopping when he was close enough to place a gentle hand on its neck.
"Go, dragon," he said. "There's no reason for you to stay here. This is my battle."
The Monstrous Nightmare dipped its head as if it understood. Then, spreading its massive wings, it leapt into the sky.
It was a beautiful and undeniably strange feeling, watching the Monstrous Nightmare soar into the night sky, silhouetted against the light of the moon. For the first time in his life, Viggo was seeing a dragon through the eyes of a dragon rider.