Twilight returned with Fluttershy and Snotlout, finding the others waiting around and talking to each other.

"Hey Twilight! Great news!" Spike waved, "Celestia found another human in Canterlot, the old one! Says they had a great conversation"

"Even though she's never spoken a word in living memory. Even Mildew's" Hiccup added, still trying to wrap his head around the concept.

"Good!" Twilight said, "And Fluttershy found Snotlout"

"Hiccup! I was attacked by a bear! And a rabbit! And whole bunch of little birds!" Snotlout still looked shocked

"The bad news is that there's still no sign of the dragons. Or the Outcasts." Astrid explained

"I've got a lot of geography books, and if I have to, we'll go to the Canterlot archives. Hiccup, you know about their preferred habitats?" Twilight started brainstorming

"Definitely! We all know our dragons inside and out," he confirmed.

"Fluttershy, the reason I came over was to ask your help. I need to find out where the other Vikings and their dragons are" Twilight turned to the pegasus

"Dragons?!" Fluttershy squeaked

"Tamed ones" Twilight assured her, "It's the other Vikings we have to worry about. I need as many eyes, ears, and noses as possible so we can figure this whole thing out. Could you please tell your animal friends to let you know if they see anything?"

"Of course, Twilight. I hope they don't run into the…other Vikings"

\

The axe crashed into the Manticore's head one more time, and this time it stopped twitching.

"Well, Mildew, that was fun, but there has to be more of a reason to save your life" Alvin chuckled over the dead Manticore and quivering old man.

"Oh, don't worry, Alvin. I'll help you get out of here. Have you seen any of your lads yet?" Mildew pulled himself to his feet with his staff.

"Not yet. I don't expect anything in this forest but worms and dirt. If there's any towns near here, they'd go there. I suspect that's where the brats from Berk are heading. We can cut them off there, but first we'd need everyone together. Come on, rouse your bones-we're got to find the rest of the crew. "

"What if the dragons find us first?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that" A low chuckle interrupted their conversation. Both Outcasts spun around in surprise

"What in Hel are you?" Alvin for once was taken aback. Standing before them was a strange creature that with mismatched body parts and a big smile on a goat's face.

"Is that a dragon?"Mildew tilted his head in confusion

"If you want me to" The Goat head turned into a red dragon's, "But I'm hoping for something a little more imaginative"

"Something tells me you know where everyone is in this place" Alvin stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"And something tells me that you want your men back and want to find the dragons and their friends." Discord stroked his beard in imitation, suddenly wearing a Viking helmet, "You've been entertaining enough for me to help you. You can call me Discord-name, title, and job description all in the same word. Clever, aren't I?"

"And just how are you going to get my men back to me?" Alvin raised an eyebrow

"The same way you got to this world, Alvin. Now, I have a question; given the choice between going back home now , or first dealing with your rivals from Berk, which would you choose" With a snap of his fingers, he conjured up two glowing circles-one with the image of the Northern Islands, the other with frowning stick figures and stick dragons.

"You know my answer already. You're very smart, Discord. Too smart. It would interest me exactly how you know all this and how you have this power. You have something to do with this magic that brought us here"

" Oh, I made that tooth as a present a very long time ago. Or perhaps it was the future. Sometimes it's hard to keep track.I am Chaos, after all-the very personification of chaos and disorder and randomness. It's quite a lovely existence"

"Chaos? Discord? I think we'll get along quite well. As for the question, I think I'll finish my business here before I leave"

"I don't trust him, Alvin" Mildew growled

"You're right, Mildew. You shouldn't" Alvin turned to face him, chuckling, "You shouldn't trust me, either. Of course, where would you be without me, eh? Do you miss the days where the dragons were flying around without fear, while you cowered in your little shack by that little cabbage field with those sheep the only company that wasn't either dragon or brat? I could send you back to Berk. I could turn myself in, too, but I won't. Will you?" The grin never left his face

"Of course not, Alvin! Please, go on" Mildew stammered, trying to be as inoffensive as possible.

Discord wiped a tear from his eye and sighed. "Oh, you are certainly the most entertaining thing that I've brought to Equestria yet. I almost considered bringing over Dagur, but he just hasn't mastered that subtle art of…well, subtlety"

"Never forget that, my friend" Alvin laughed this time, "Now, about me and my men?"

"Ah, of course. Go North-past Ghastly Gorge, thought Froggy Bottom Bog, and through Everfree Forest, then on to Ponyville, and follow the train. You'll know it when you see it. Bon voyage, Captain" Discord snapped his fingers again. Another flash of light, and they were gone.

/

"And this one's my dragon, Toothless" Hiccup explained as he drew out another dragon on the parchment Twilight gave her, "He's a Night fury-black scales with a red fin I built for him. The problem with Night Furies is that they're, as you might have guessed, nocturnal"

Twilight studied the drawings and took notes as Hiccup continued, "And he understands the language?"

"Took him a while, but he's good at it-also hand signals and calls" he confirmed.

While Spike, Astrid, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity were paying attention to the planning, Pinkie Pie had already started a party.

"Come on guys! This cake stuff is great!" Ruffnut licked the crumbs off her fingers. "Yeah, before we finish it!" Tuffnut added

"I call this dance the 'Lout!" Snotlout started dancing awkwardly next to Rainbow Dash

"No thanks, guys. I lost my appetite already" Astrid called back.

"Fishlegs, I thought you wanted to do help with this!" Hiccup rolled his eyes

"Just let me finish another cupcake…oh it's glorious…." Fishlegs munched on Pinkie's banquet, too distracted.

"Any particular habitat for Night Furies?" Twilight looked up from her notes

"Well…that's the thing" Hiccup looked sheepish, "They're rare and I haven't seen any others than Toothless. The Book of Dragons doesn't even have a drawing-I had to write in the entry myself"

"Well, what do they like to eat?" Fluttershy asked

"Fish, except eels." Hiccup answered

"So he'll probably be following the coasts and rivers. Fish has a really distinctive smell, so he'll find them" Spike concluded.

"Well, he'd be limited-see, his tail fin won't work without my help. I'm his fin and he's my leg" Hiccup smiled thoughtfully at his iron foot.

"Wow, you really are close" Twilight was touched by this connection, "Then it looks like all we'll have to do is bring you two together. And you said the dragons can fend for themselves?"

"Most of the time, although Hookfang can be…..unruly" Fishlegs wiped his mouth, joining in on the conversation, "although I hate to think of poor little Meatlug, by herself, all alone in the world" He started to sniffle and his a single tear went down his face.

"Glad we're comin' together, but y'all should be also thinkin' about stayin' the night, and then where to start lookin' in the morning," Applejack interrupted Fishleg's drama, "I think I've got some places in the barn where y'all can stay, but with the harvest comin' in, it's gonna be full of apples soon"

"Well, I can't take anypony-I live in Cloudsdale and you guys can't fly" Rainbow Dash looked sheepish.

"Dibs on Pinkie's place!" Ruffnut and Tuffnut yelled out together.

"Triple the fun! All right!" Pinkie Pie jumped up and down.

"Good, because I refuse to let them my house again" Rarity glared at the two Vikings bouncing along with Pinkie.

"And I refuse to go into Fluttershy's house again" Snotlout crossed his arms.

"Fine, I'll go with Fluttershy. You said the animals would tell you about whatever dragons they saw, right?" Hiccup turned to her.

Fluttershy looked hopeful, "Oh, yes. And you said the dragons were really nice, right?"

"At least Toothless is."

"Good" They shared a smile.

"I'll stay here with Twilight then" Astrid offered.

"I can stay with you, Rarity. I promise to Odin, I will not break a single object of yours…on purpose" Fishlegs raised his hand in oath.

"Well, I suppose if you keep your promise and act with a modicum of restraint, then you can certainly share my house" Rarity gave her consent.

"That leaves me with Snotlout" Applejack concluded, "Reckon you can help me with the chores while you stay? I'll let you do the easy, light stuff"

"Are you making fun of me, Apple? I'll let you know that whatever you can dish out, I can take" Snotlout boasted to Applejack, who smirked in return

"Consider that a bargain, sugar" Applejack answered.

"Well, glad that's settled. Goodnight everypony..and person. I'm so glad for your cooperation-don't worry, I for one will try to get you back to your dragons, and then back home" Twilight adjourned the meeting.

"We're really grateful, Twilight; we need all the help we can get" Hiccup bowed before following Fluttershy out. Pinkie and the twins had already bounced out.

"It's going to be a long day tomorrow" Twilight said, partially to herself as her friends, old and new, left the library.

/

Astrid was awoken by a gasp from the bed next to hers. Twilight was nice enough to roll out a sleeping bag for herself and leave the bed for the guest. She wasn't able to stay asleep long-too many thoughts, too many worries, too many possibilities. She could only imagine what Hiccup was going through right now, but it must have been close to her own misgivings. Spikes' outburst distracted her, but she was more curious than offended.

Spike hated nightmares. He had trouble getting back to sleep from them. When he was just a hatchling, Twilight would keep telling him that dreams aren't real, that they won't determine what happens in his life. He wished he could remember that. Twilight told him that they both needed to balance their thinking and emotions; but that was easier said than done.

His eyes popping open, he suddenly saw Astrid looking at him.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" Spike whispered. He'd woken up Twilight before, but Twilight knew about the kinds of dreams he had, and they had been together for all his life. A stranger seeing him like this was downright awkward.

"Not really. Are you okay?" She asked in turn. Being around Hiccup got her into trying to be more empathetic. It was hard-most of her life taught her how to be a Viking, not how to be a friend.

"Just a nightmare" Spike said with a sigh.

"Dragons have nightmares, huh? I never really thought about that. My dragon Stormfly makes noises when she sleeps, but she's not afraid".

"I'm guessing Stormfly's a lot bigger than me, is an adult, and never fallen in love or been face to face with evil sorcerers"

"You guessed right. Wait, you've fallen in love?"

"Yeah" Spike looked sheepish, "I wish I could kiss Rarity like you kissed Hiccup"

Astrid blushed, "Well, it came as a surprise to me, too." She paused, "Rarity? The white pony?"

"The most beautiful unicorn- no, the most beautiful pony in the whole world" Spike signed.

"But you're a dragon-"

"And she's a pony. I know. I've heard it all before. I just do, that's all"

Astrid was going to argue, but then realized something.

"I…understand." She said

"You do?" Spike tilted his head

"Well…me and Hiccup…I knew for years that he liked me, but I just felt that I couldn't like him. He wasn't much of a Viking-still isn't. He'd rather draw than fight, and build rather than burn. What changed is that after he learned how to train dragons, after he made himself useful and kind and brave and patient and, well, embarrassed me. He did something I could never hope to do, just by being himself. I knew he admired me since we were kids, but I didn't know I could admire him"

"So what changed is that you became brave enough to let yourself fall in love with him in return" Spike said thoughtfully, "So what Rarity and I have to do is be brave enough to admit that we love each other"

"Is that what I did? Huh, guess it was."

"For your sake, I hope you and Hiccup do get together"

"Same with you and Rarity. I guess we have to look out for each other."

"Sounds good to me. I'll do what I can"

"I'm taking relationship advice from a baby dragon. I must be more tired than I thought" Astrid found the humor in the situation.

"Well, I'm glad you talked to me, Astrid. Thanks a lot" Spike gave a genuine grateful smile.

"I'm learning too, Spike. Thanks" She returned his smile before lying back down. Talking with Spike calmed her down. Maybe with the help of this dragon and these ponies, they could find the dragons and get home, she thought. She smiled again when she thought about seeing Stormfly again. She dreamed about her and Stormfly and Toothless and Hiccup that night-it was a good dream at last.