Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon.
AN: ...so...it has been a long time. Just a quick note: for those who had not seen the edit to the last chapter, I have edited Hiccup's meeting to just meeting his mother. I had a plot for if Hiccup met his older self, but I realised that it would lead onto a tangent that I would never escape nor finish, so I had to cut it short.
I have actually just finished writing this story, though I'm not very satisfied with the ending. Still, it's that or nothing. Furthermore, for the abruptness of this story's whole arc, I feel I should explain that I have always seen this as within one or two episodes. I'm sort of cramming everything from Race to the Edge in the last few chapters, because I have just binge-watched the entire thing.
So...I am incredibly sorry if these changes throw you off. Thank you for anyone still reading. And thank you to Brenne, night fury kid65, Dark Ghost coc, Guest, NursingStudent, and Aeris21321 for reviewing :)
Chapter 9:
Hiccup gaped at his mother. "This is impossible. Everyone…everyone said you were eaten by…" his voice trailed off as he looked around the cavern.
"Dragons?" The woman asked, sounding slightly amused. Her voice was hoarse.
"But-" And the rage overtook his confusion, easier to handle than the fear he had. "How can you be here? With what's going on back at home?!"
"At home?" The woman seemed startled by his sudden exclamation.
"Yes! Alvin the Treacherous has taken over the Archipelago!"
"Alvin?" His mother said, clearly startled. "The Treacherous?"
"Yes." Hiccup said, exasperated.
"Clearly, we must talk." Valka decided, turning around. "Come."
"Where's-"
Almost as if answering his question, Toothless was dropped beside him. Hiccup immediately turns and throws his arm around his friend's neck, breathing out a sigh of relief at this one point of familiarity back with him. "Toothless!"
Toothless lets out a happy whine as he nuzzles and then licks Hiccup's face, before he turns and slits his eyes, growling menacingly at the rogue dragons around them.
"Whoa, bud. Don't worry. They're friends…I think." Hiccup murmurs into his friend's ear, causing the dragon to give a quiet growl of acquiesces. Seeing Toothless calm down, Hiccup turns to his mother, expression pleading. "You have to help me."
"Come." Valka repeats, and then turns, scampering up the ice.
Hiccup yelps, then turns to follow her. Toothless lets out an exasperated huff at his rider's complete trust in people, then follows along reluctantly.
"So you have to help us." Hiccup pleads with her.
Valka is frowning from where she is perched, protected by Cloudjumper's protective wings. "I do not think that should where our focus should be, Hiccup."
"What do you mean?" Hiccup demands. "We need to save them." He gestures around them. "You have the dragon power to do so, so we should."
"No." Valka repeats. "What I think is that we need to send you back home before things turn even worse."
"I can go back anytime!" Hiccup protests. "We need to help everyone now."
"No." Valka says once more. "Hiccup, you are currently in a time period that you should not exist in. From what I can gather of your tales, you are one of the - if not the - key reason that most of this has occurred; the lack of you and Toothless to mediate between dragons and humans has caused everything to fall into chaos."
Hiccup blinks, visibly startled. "No. I'm not that important. There are the dragon riders, and dad, and everyone else!"
"Yes, but you started it, son." Valka says, the title slipping from her tongue without either of them noticing. "I am willing to wager that sending you back will help solve much of the problems we face today."
"But what if it doesn't?" Hiccup asks. "We lose our only advantage against them. We need to strike now, while we can. Then we can worry about me going back later."
Valka watches him, seemingly frustrated by his stubbornness. "Hiccup, you don't even make any sense right now. I know it is difficult, gods do I know that. But if you are the best hope that Berk and the Archipelago has, then we need to make sure you are in the right place, at the right time." She emphasises the words. Seeing his faltering expression, she adds gently, "and my dragons cannot do much right now. We are tied in a war with Drago in the North."
"Drago?" Hiccup asks, looking up. "Who is that?"
"Dragon Bludfist. He takes dragons and forces them to work under his command. Many of the dragons in our haven we have saved from his cruel clutches."
If she was hoping that Hiccup would back down, she was sorely disappointed.
"Then we need to go save them!" Hiccup says. "Mom, until we know how to send me back, our best bet is that I'm going to be stuck here a while. The best I can do is try and help everyone here."
Valka sighs, but clearly sees something that makes her pause. "Alright then, son. Let's see what we can do."
It takes a couple of hours and hundreds of questions, but Hiccup finally gets the gist of how things were running in the Archipelago. Alvin had a tenuous alliance with the Berserkers, while all the other tribes in the Archipelago were enslaved within Berk. Their dragons had been scared off to the North, where Drago currently was. Much like Alvin and the Berserkers, Drago had a tentative alliance with Viggo Grimsborn.
"What about the East?"
"Wingmaidens and the Defenders of the Wing. I have met them a couple of times, but they are in no way prepared to fight dragons. I'm not even sure the Wingmaidens would be willing to fight for us."
"So what you're saying is that our dragons are the only ones we can rely on?"
"The leader of the Defenders of the Wing, Mala, will help us, but we will need to convince her that we are worth saving."
"I can do that." Hiccup says positively. "From what you've told me, she's cautious, not unreasonable."
Valka can't help but smile in the face of that innocent optimism, and nods. "Alright then."
To Valka's surprise, it takes less than an hour of meeting before Hiccup completely endears himself to the Queen of the Defenders.
("Why should I listen to you, Hiccup Haddock?"
"Well, it's either me or the bloodthirsty crazy dragon slavers in the North and the West."
"Is that supposed to convince me?"
"It's the hook of my argument."
"Hm. Continue.")
It's even less time from that before she agrees to fight for the Berkians and the Archipelago.
("I am not risking my people for the sake of Vikings that brought themselves into this mess."
"What about Vikings who had little choice?"
"As you seem to think yourself, Vikings are tough. They will find their way out of it."
"Before Alvin and/or Drago decides to turn their sights on the Eruptadon?"
"If they wanted him, they would have gotten our Great Protector long ago."
"That, or they're waiting for a time when you're completely on your own to get them.")
Valka and Throk are left watching with their mouths wide open as Hiccup takes Mala on a flight on Toothless.
("Just a flight. I promise. To show you just how it is. Why dragons are worth protecting."
"I do not need convincing of a dragon's worth."
"No, you don't. But you'll never fully understand a dragon's need to be left unchained, or even connect with them, unless you're willing to put yourself in their shoes. Or wings, I suppose."
"That is a strange argument, but not entirely illogical."
"Come on, Queen Mala. Please? You know you want to. Everyone wants to. Please."
"What on earth do you think you are doing, Hiccup Haddock?"
"Passively begging?"
"Duly noted. Alright. Let's get this over with.")
"Well, soil my britches." Throk murmurs as he watches his Queen fly over the island with Hiccup gently guiding Toothless through the clouds. Valka smiles as she watches her son (her son!) convince Mala to do something that Valka has failed to do so over the years.
She thinks it has something to do with Hiccup's earnestness, that innocent naivety that everything will turn out for the best. It might be seen as some as foolish, but it gives a lot of people hope.
And, she is surprised but not upset to find, herself too.
The Wingmaidens are a more complicated matter. For the sake of diplomacy and time, Mala offers to join them on their quest to convince the Wingmaidens to help them.
Atali is cautious of Hiccup, but seeing his calm and willing deference to the three women quickly convinces her that he is not a threat.
And again, Valka has the extraordinary chance to see Hiccup wow Atali so entirely that the leader of the Wingmaidens finally agree to help the Archipelago. Mala watches with bemusement as Hiccup all but gets sucked up in learning about the small Razorwings. The Razorwings take to Hiccup just as fast, leaning into his kind words and gentle croons.
"You have quite a way with them, Hiccup."
Hiccup smiles bashfully. "You think?"
Atali nods, impressed.
Later on, as the trio of women watch Hiccup help the other Wingmaidens tend to the small dragons, Atali admits, "he is more than I was expecting."
"He is." Mala says. She turns to Valka. "You truly have an extraordinary son."
Valka swells with pride, giving a small wave as Hiccup turns around, an ecstatic expression on his face. "I truly do."
