*peeks around door* Wow, its dusty in here. So… you guys miss me? I kinda migrated over to AO3, but I figured I'd post this new fic here as well, just in case any of you are inexplicably still waiting for more stories.

Episode One - Home Again, Home Again

The battle, and the war, was over. With Johann dead and his hunters scattered, the archipelago had become safe for dragons once more. There were two loose ends that still worried Hiccup. First of all, Krogan hadn't been captured or killed in action; he'd simply disappeared. Second, now they had to figure out what to do with the egg of the King - or Queen - of Dragons.

Stormfly and Meatlug were keeping the egg warm in the Berserkers Great Hall. "Please, girl, I just want to sketch it," Fishlegs pleaded with Meatlug. She growled, and Windshear rattled her spikes warningly. "Eep!"

"It's no good, Fishlegs," said Heather. "So what are we going to do with it?"

Dagur announced "isn't it obvious? We should look after it." He grabbed her by the shoulders. "Just think, sister! Our tribe would be the guardians of the Prince of Dragons!"

"Or princess. It might be a girl," she pointed out, shrugging him off.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. All in favour of the Berserkers guarding the egg?" asked Dagur, thrusting his hand into the air.

Hiccup declared, "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"See? Even Hiccup agre- wait, what did you say?"

"I said, I'm not sure that's a good idea," he repeated. "It would draw too much unwanted attention. People gossip. Besides, it doesn't feel right to have humans look after the Prince of Dragons. I mean, the clue's in the name. Of dragons. They should be the ones to take care of it, not us."

Astrid remarked "I agree. Maybe we can just put it back where you found it and see if the mother returns. Surely she wouldn't have just abandoned it."

"Are we talking about the same mother that left this egg sitting in ice for Thor knows how long?" Snotlout demanded. "Doesn't sound maternal to me."

"Actually, ice is a good insulator," said Fishlegs, "…but yeah, we can't really guarantee the mother will come back. Maybe we should let the Berserkers look after the egg, Hiccup. I mean, we can't risk moving it elsewhere, right?"

"I see your point, but even if we all keep it a secret, the other villagers will gossip or boast, rumours will spread…until hunters find out there's a rare egg or baby dragon here. Krogan is still out there somewhere, don't forget."

Dagur protested "you think we can't handle Krogan? And the Berserkers aren't gonna blab about this. I'll just order everyone not to talk about it!"

"There is literally no way you can enforce that."

"Wanna bet?"

Before they could argue, Atali stepped forwards and cleared her throat. "Hiccup, there's something I've decided to tell you," she announced.

"What is it, Atali?"

She hesitated, before admitting "I'm afraid we haven't been entirely forthcoming. There's a reason we weren't surprised to meet dragon riders, when you and your friends first encountered us. We had already met one."

They gasped; except Snotlout, who exclaimed "you lied to me?!"

"You know another dragon rider?" asked Hiccup. "Who are they?"

"A middle aged woman who calls herself V. She rides a Stormcutter - it's a strike class dragon, according to her - named Cloudjumper," explained Atali.

Fishlegs perked up. "Ooh. I think there's stuff about Stormcutters in the Dragon Eye," he said; then his eyes widened, and he grabbed Hiccup by the shoulders. "We have all the lenses. Two of them must be strike class lenses. Hiccup, we could finally learn more about Night Furies!" he exclaimed.

Hiccup grinned, but gently extricated himself. "One thing at a time, Legs. I don't understand, Atali; why didn't you tell us about this woman before?"

"She asked us not to talk about her…and well, we've only seen her a few times. But we know how to contact her, and I think she might know a place where the egg will be safe, away from humans. She's rather…eccentric."

Snotlout demanded "wait, so we're just going to hand over the Prince of Dragons to a complete stranger?"

"If you think about it, Snotlout, aren't we all strangers at first?" asked Ruff.

"Quite," nodded Mala, "and why are you all calling it the Prince of Dragons? Heather is right. We can't just assume the hatchling is a male."

Everyone started bickering. "Guys!" Hiccup snapped. They shut up. He took a deep breath and said "okay. Dagur, you and the Berserkers can guard the egg in the meantime, until we figure a more permanent solution out. Deal?"

"Deal," agreed Heather, shaking his hand. She glared warningly at Dagur.

"Atali, you get in touch with this V person. I want to meet her myself," he went on. "Fishlegs, you and me will go through the Dragon Eye for info"-

"Now hang on a minute," Spitelout spoke up for the first time. He poked Hiccup in the chest and asked "aren't you forgetting something, chief?"

"What are - oh." Hiccup winced; in truth, he had forgotten. His father, Berk, the councils' decision to make him acting chief - it had all slipped his mind.

Astrid put her hand on his shoulder. "You know I hate to agree with Spitelout, of all people," she said, "but he does have a point. Berk needs you. The war's over, Hiccup. We won. Maybe it's time we all went home."

He sighed, but there was no excuse he could give that wouldn't sound selfish and irresponsible. They deserved a break anyway. "Home it is."

/

When they returned to Berk, the villagers crowded around the steps leading to the Great Hall. Toothless landed on the lowest tier. Hiccup dismounted and stepped forward to address everyone. "Johann is dead," he announced, "and the war with the dragon hunters is over!" Cheers and applause erupted.

"To celebrate, I'm officially giving you all permission to throw a feast," Hiccup declared; which prompted even more cheering. He turned to Gobber and his uncles, Starkard and Magnus (1). "You guys take over. I need to see my dad."

Hiccup walked off before anyone could protest. Upon entering the house, he went straight into his fathers' room. Snotlout's mother, Phlegma the Fierce (2), and Hiccup's aunt Thora were already there. "What's going on? Is my dad-?"

"He's still alive," Phlegma said matter-of-factly. "We were just tending to him. I assume from the cheering we heard outside that you won?" she asked.

"Yeah. They're throwing a feast. Oh, and Snotlout is fine. So is Spitelout."

She visibly relaxed. "Come on Thora. Let's leave them be." The two women left; Thora patted Hiccup on the shoulder as she passed. When they'd gone, he dropped into a chair at his dad's bedside. Toothless sat opposite him, crooning sadly. Stoick's wounds had healed, but he was still unconscious.

"Hey, dad," Hiccup murmured. His throat felt tight. "Good news. We won. Johann's dead…Krogan got away, though. He might come back," he said.

The door clicked open, and he looked up. It was Astrid. "I didn't think you ought to be alone," she explained, taking another chair and coming to sit beside him. "Your dad will make it through this. You know that, right?"

He tried to smile, but it soon faded. "What if he doesn't? He's getting older. Oh gods, I hope - I'm not ready to be chief. I'm not even sure I want to be."

Astrid stared at him. "You don't want to be chief?" she demanded. "Hiccup, it's your birthright. Not to mention a huge honour. And you're a great leader."

His smile was genuine this time, if brief. "Thanks. It's just, there's a big difference between leading the riders and running a village. My dad loves being chief, but me? The thought of spending the rest of my life settling disputes and making speeches and all the other stuff isn't exactly appealing. Not when I know there's so much more out there," he tried to explain.

She was silent for a few moments. Finally she remarked "I understand, but I think you're looking at it the wrong way. It's not really about you; it's about what's best for Berk. Stoick would want you to do what's best for the tribe."

"I know," he sighed. "I hate it when you're right."

Astrid slugged him in the shoulder, but gently. "Get used to it. When we're married, I'm always going to be right. Those are the rules," she declared.

"Yes, dear," he snarked. Astrid rolled her eyes and started fiddling with his hair, braiding it. The things he put up with to make her happy, honestly. He glanced at his unconscious father and sighed. "How can I just leave, Astrid? Walk out of this room and be in charge when my dad's lying here, alone?"

Astrid replied "I was the same way when - when I thought my parents could have died, remember? But I couldn't just hover around them for fear that something bad might happen, and neither can you. Your father will be fine."

"I hope so. Thanks, for trying to make me feel better." He smiled gratefully, and gave her a kiss. Toothless grumbled at them, but they ignored him.

When they broke apart, she squeezed his hand. "I'll be waiting outside," she said, before standing up and walking out of the room. He watched her go.

Toothless crooned inquisitively. "Just a minute, bud." Hiccup placed his hand over Stoick's. "Wake up soon, dad. Please. Berk still needs you. I need you."

His father didn't stir. Hiccup sighed, patted Stoick's hand, and stood up.

/

The celebrations were well underway by the time Hiccup and Astrid entered the Great Hall. It was what the Hooligans called a 'mead and mutton feast', where they'd drink and roast a few sheep, but not bother with anything more fancy. People came up to congratulate them and ask a lot of questions.

"Hiccup! Did you really take on Johann and Krogan singlehanded?"

"Actually I was hanging off a cliff for most of it."

"What did the King of Dragons look like?"

"Never saw 'em; but they had ice breath, I know that much."

"Are the hunters going to come back?"

"Let's hope not. We'll just have to be vigilant."

They made it to the High Table. Gobber slid a tankard across to both of them. "Thanks," said Hiccup, taking a swig. He normally wasn't one for alcohol, but he had a feeling he was going to need a few drinks tonight.

"Don't mention it, chief!" his old mentor beamed. "Congrats on winning."

"Thanks…again. Also, I'm not the chief."

"You're as good as," Gobber retorted.

"Aye," said Starkard. "By the way, chief, is there any chance Torin can start riding early? He's got this Gronckle following him around. Sweet little lass."

"Oh for the love of Thor - you guys don't have to call me chief. You're family."

"He is," said Gobber, pointing at Starkard. "I'm not."

"You're as good as," Hiccup retorted. "As for Torin, he's not of age for proper dragon riding…but I suppose the odd flight won't hurt, if someone is with him. Has he given this Gronckle that's following him around a name?"

"Aye. He calls her Lumpy."

"Yeah, it sounds like he's attached to her. And vice versa. I'll talk to him."

Thora came over to them. "Guess what?" Starkard told his wife. "Hiccup's gonna teach our Torin how to ride!"

"Wait. I didn't say" -

"That's nice. Will one of you go talk some sense into Magnus? The feast's barely started and he's already trying to get drunk. I know today is a hard day for him, but you'd think he would cheer up with all the good news!"

Hiccup frowned. "What's so bad about today?" he asked.

Thora looked surprised. "You didn't remember? Oh, well, I suppose you have been busy. Today's the anniversary of when your mother died, lad."

It hadn't even crossed his mind. "I'll go talk to him." He stood up and went over to where Magnus was sitting with his wife, Helga, and their daughter Hildegard. The four year old gave him a gap toothed grin. "Uncle Magnus?"

"Huh? Oh, it's you Hiccup. You look just like her, y'know. But…as a boy."

"Uh, that's nice. Maybe you oughta take a break from the ale…you're setting a bad example for Hilda," he said. His cousin marched up to him.

"Look!" she insisted, thrusting a grubby hand towards his face. It contained a white and brown spiral shell. "I found it on the beach today. It's pretty!"

He smiled. "It is pretty. D'you want me to make it into a necklace for you?"

"Yeah!"

"Hilda, use your words," her mother scolded. "Say 'please'."

She groaned. "Please."

"As you wish, milady." Hiccup winked at her, and she giggled. Then he pulled the tankard out of his uncles' hand. "I think you've had enough."

"Oi! Gimme it back. I wasn't finished!"

"You are now. I know you're upset about my mum, but do you really think getting drunk is the best way to honour her memory?" Hiccup demanded.

"I'm tryna forget, lad. Drown me sorrows. That's the whole point."

"Then you leave me no choice. Hey, Rubble!" he called. His uncle's brown and grey Gronckle looked over. Hiccup pointed at Magnus and said, "hug!"

Rubble wagged his tail and promptly flattened his rider, smothering Magnus with dragon kisses. Hildegard fell about laughing, as did Hiccup. Fishlegs was right; it had been a good idea to teach more Gronckles that trick.

/

Feasts were all well and good, but the next day everyone had to get back to work. Hiccup got dressed, and checked in on his dad. Perhaps he was imagining things, but Stoick seemed to have a bit more colour in his face.

Thora arrived to tend to her brother-in-law. "He's in good hands, promise," she assured Hiccup, all but shoving him out the door. He and Toothless went up to the Great Hall. Everyone who was already awake began coming over.

"Let me eat breakfast first," he said firmly when they started talking. His dragon helpfully reinforced the order with a growl. Hiccup got some porridge from one of the cauldrons and sat on the nearest bench. He didn't bother going up to the High Table; sure, his dad always sat there, but it was too far.

His friends - and betrothed - joined him. So did Gobber. "It's gonna be a long day, chief. After breakfast we'll have a council meeting - Spitelout says we have a lot to talk about. Starkard wants you to teach Torin how to ride Lumpy, the Sven's have been arguing over their sheep again, the healers are running low on supplies, and Alvin wants timber in trade for his help."

"Oh! And you've gotta look at these Dragon Eye lenses," said Fishlegs. "I'm pretty sure they're the strike class ones, but you should do the honours."

"Can you make me a new axe later? Mine got destroyed in the battle."

"Me and Ruffnut need some supplies. We gotta go search for our long lost Uncle Fenris…and check if our asshole cousin Gruffnut is still alive or not."

"I can't help with anything today. Hooky and I are gonna go visit Minden."

Throughout all of this, Hiccup determinedly kept eating his breakfast. When he'd finished, he looked up. "Why are the Sven's arguing over their sheep?"

"Blond Sven reckons Brown Sven has been poaching lambs from his flock, and Brown Sven says that they're his lambs because they were sired by one of his rams, which Blond Sven claims is a total lie," explained Gobber.

"Okay; council meeting, got it. Fishlegs, you can show the ropes to Torin. Astrid, you'll get your axe, promise, but first I need you to go with Phlegma to get the healer supplies. Ruff, Tuff, you can go and get Gruffnut, just don't bring him back here. Snotlout, you are not going back to the Wingmaidens."

"What? How come they get to leave and I don't?"

"Oh, I'm still sending you somewhere. Namely to Outcast Island. You can tell Alvin that if he wants timber from Berk, he can buy it from us. Berk wasn't even attacked, so it's not like it would be a fair trade," Hiccup said firmly. "Find out how much he's willing to buy and come straight back here, got it?"

"Ugh, fine. I hate it when you go all Mr Tyrant on us."

"You just hate being told what to do," Hiccup retorted.

After breakfast, the council gathered in the Great Hall. The members consisted of Starkard, Magnus, Gobber, Spitelout, Blond Sven, and Mulch. Bucket was there as well, but only because he liked to be included.

Hiccup would fill his father's role as council leader. He took a deep breath. "Okay. I didn't want to worry everyone, but the truth is, Krogan escaped. Dagur said his tribe would search, but the man's surely long gone by now."

The council members glanced at each other. "You mean he might come back?" Sven demanded. "Start this war with the hunters all over again?"

"It's possible," Hiccup nodded. "I don't think he'd attack Berk, though; at least not straight away. He'd go back to Berserker Island first and try to capture…well, whatever hatches out of the egg we found. The egg of the King - or Queen, rather - of Dragons. But hopefully, it won't be there."

Magnus asked "you mean because it will have grown up and flown off?"

"No; because we plan to find somewhere safe for the egg, away from humans. Atali told us her tribe had met a dragon rider long before we ever came across them. A woman called V. She thinks this other rider might know a place that's safe for the egg, so I've asked her to contact them," he said.

"What is the King of Dragons anyway? What sort of dragon?" asked Mulch.

"We're not sure what the species is called, but it's some sort of leviathan; a huge tidal class dragon, in other words. According to legend, this species has the ability to mind control other dragons," Hiccup explained. He didn't need to tell them what a disaster that power would be, in the wrong hands.

Gobber remarked "I'm more curious about this other rider you mentioned."

Hiccup nodded. "Me too. I need to meet her; she could be a potential ally."

Now for the boring part. He turned to Magnus, his uncle. "We might be selling timber to the Outcasts. How much do we have to spare?" he asked. Magnus was in charge of Berk's inventory; all their resources and supplies.

The day dragged on; villagers came to him with dragon problems as well as Viking problems. He didn't even get time to look at the lenses Fishlegs wanted him to. Or to forge a new axe for Astrid. When he finally got home, Hiccup lay flat on his bed and groaned. Toothless crooned worriedly.

"I'm fine, bud. Just tired. I don't know how my dad copes with all of this."

This is exactly why I don't want to be chief, he thought. I can't do everything.

Stoick said "a chief's first duty is to his people." Which was all well and good, but what about his own needs? He was just one man. A chief who hated their job and got exhausted all the time couldn't be what was best for Berk.

/

By the next morning, Hiccup thought he'd come up with a good solution. He went straight to Astrid's house and knocked on the shutters to her window. After a few moments she opened them. "Hiccup? What are you doing?"

"Will you come for a flight with me? I need to talk to you about something."

She agreed, but didn't want to wake Stormfly, who was dozing in the stable next to her house. So they flew on Toothless out to the sea stacks. Astrid dismounted and turned to him. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Hiccup took a deep breath. "You know the other day, when you said that being chief isn't about me, it's about what's best for Berk?" he asked. She nodded. "Last night I realised, having a chief who doesn't want the role isn't the best thing for Berk. That's why I think you should be the chief instead."

Astrid gaped at him. "Me? You think…but Hiccup, you're the heir!"

"I know, but hear me out. We're gonna be married, so it wouldn't affect the line of succession, and you're a great leader as well, and you're way more intimidating than me," Hiccup rambled. "Everyone on Berk respects you."

"They respect you as well. Everyone calls you the Pride of Berk, for Thor's sake," she retorted. "Besides, if I was the chief, what would you be doing?"

He grinned at her. "Okay, so when we were kids, my dad put me in charge of dealing with all the dragon stuff. Which I prefer. But now it's like everyone expects me to solve the Viking and the dragon problems, and it's just too much. So I figured, why not separate both kinds of problems? You can deal with the Viking stuff, and I can deal with the dragon stuff. Problem solved."

After staring at him for a long moment, Astrid replied "okay. First of all, you said 'problem' way too many times just then. Second, I don't think you've really thought this through. For starters, what about the chain of command?"

"I mean, I usually end up doing whatever you want me to do anyway."

"That's not what I meant. Let me put it this way; more and more people on Berk are dragon riders now. So if I'm in charge of the Viking stuff and you're in charge of the dragon stuff, as you put it, which of us would have authority over the riders?" she demanded. "Me as the chief, or you as the…what?"

He winced. "Um, yeah, I hadn't thought of a title yet. Or that stuff you said…"

"That's not the only problem. I always figured when you became chief, I'd take over from Starkard and lead the Berk Guard. If I'm the chief and you're the…let's say dragon master…then who would lead the guard? Snotlout?"

They both grimaced. Hiccup dragged a hand over his face. "I guess you have a point…but it's still too much, Astrid. I was exhausted yesterday, and today is probably going to be even worse. They all expect me to be my dad."

Astrid took his hand, leading him over to the edge of the sea stack. They sat down, legs dangling off the edge. This was the same spot they'd been when she told him of her decision to join the Berk Guard, before all that stuff with Dagur and the outpost and hunters had happened. It felt like a lifetime ago.

"I know being chief is hard, but you don't have to be like your father," she assured him. "Anyone who says otherwise is an idiot. You just have to set boundaries, Hiccup. Put your foot down. There are people on Berk who have jobs so the chief doesn't have to do everything; the only reason your dad gets involved with all of it is because, well…I think he just likes working."

Hiccup smiled in amusement. "I can't believe you, of all people, are telling me, of all people, to put my foot down. When has that ever worked on you?"

"Well, obviously I'm the exception," she said primly. He grinned. "Right then. We're gonna fly back home, and you're going to tell everyone that from now on, they should only come to you if they have a problem that's going to affect the entire village. That should clear a lot of your oh so busy schedule."

He chuckled at that. "Thanks. You're the best betrothed a guy could ask for."

"I know. C'mon; you woke me up way too early and I'm starving," she said.

When they got back to the village, everyone was in a dither. "There you are!" Gobber exclaimed when Toothless landed outside the smithy. "False alarm, everyone! The chief and his future bride just wanted some quality time!" he called out to the onlookers. Then a sword was shoved in his face by Astrid.

"Don't you ever imply that me and Hiccup are being improper," she growled.

The old blacksmith gulped. "I didnae mean it like that, lass, I swear!"

"It was kind of a bad choice of words," said Hiccup, carefully prising the sword out of Astrid's hand. The villagers were still watching, so he declared "everyone come into the great hall! I have an announcement to make."

Word spread quickly, and soon they were gathered around the main fire pit- along with all the dragons who were curious or just wanted to be near their riders. Hiccup stood on the rim and, when Astrid gave him an encouraging nod, motioned for Toothless to get everyone's attention. The dragon roared.

The hall went quiet. "Right then. I know most of you are used to my dad" -

"When is Stoick gonna recover?" someone - it might've been Hoark - asked.

Hiccup quickly replied "soon! I'm sure he'll recover soon, right, Phlegma?"

She confirmed "his injuries are almost healed; Stoick merely needs rest. Let the boy finish, Hoark, you absolute troll brain," Phlegma scolded her brother.

He had the decency to look sheepish. "Sorry, chief."

"Apology accepted. Now as I was saying, I know you're used to my dad's way of chiefing. Where he gets involved in everything and fixes all your problems; but that's his way of doing things. It's not mine. If I'm in charge for real one day, the last thing you all need is an exhausted, resentful chief."

There were a few worried mutters and glances, but nobody spoke out, so he pressed on. "So, at the advice of my betrothed, I've made a decision. From now on, you should only come to me if it's an emergency or about something that will affect the entire village." He couldn't resist adding, "or if it's dragon related. Anything else, take it to one of the council members."

Spitelout protested "so you're just gonna foist your responsibilities on us?"

Toothless growled at the man. Hiccup looked him right in the eye and said "the whole point of the council is to help run the village. If you don't like it, you're welcome to stop being a council member. It's your choice, Spitelout."

A few people cheered. Spitelout scowled, but he didn't say anything else, other than brushing off his son's attempts to deride Hiccup on his behalf.

Gobber raised a fist in the air. "You know where to find me, folks! Happy to help - unless it's with injuries. I've been banned from trying to heal people."

Both his uncles voiced their support, as did Sven, Mulch and Bucket. Hiccup wondered how much of it was due to him putting down Spitelout, who wasn't exactly well liked, but he wouldn't complain. This might actually work out.

"Great! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go eat breakfast," he declared, before getting down off the table. Astrid handed him a bowl. "Thank you."

"No problem. That was amazing! I'm proud of you. Your dad would be too."

Hiccup smiled. He'd barely eaten a few mouthfuls before Snotlout came over, glaring. "What the hell was that about? You just humiliated my dad!"

"I'm pretty sure your dad can manage that on his own," quipped Astrid.

"You stay out of this!" he snapped. "Hiccup, ever since we got back here you've had it out for me, just like on the Edge, but now you've crossed a"-

"Snotlout!" Hiccup cut him off. "I do not 'have it out for you'. I'm in charge, whether you like it or not. Go have your breakfast and leave me to mine."

Toothless and Astrid both glared at Snotlout as well. Between the three of them, he was intimidated enough to walk away without arguing. Hiccup sighed. "I don't know what the problem is with that guy," he muttered.

"He's a Jorgenson," said Astrid with a scoff. "That's his problem."

/

Even with the caveats, Hiccup had plenty to do; but he didn't feel as run ragged as yesterday. He had time to forge Astrid's axe, and when people brought their dragons to Gobber for dentistry he answered their questions.

That afternoon, the riders gathered at Fishlegs' house. Except for Snotlout, who had probably gone off to sulk somewhere. Hiccup set the Dragon Eye II on the table, and took a lens from Fishlegs. One of the strike class lenses.

"Oh my Thor. This is so exciting!"

"I know, right?! After all this time, we're finally gonna learn more about Night Furies." Hiccup slotted the lens into the device. "Okay, bud, do your thing."

Toothless obligingly gave them a low flame. Purple light leapt from the Dragon Eye II, revealing an image on the wall - of a stylised Night Fury in the centre, and runes surrounding it. They all cheered, hugging each other.

"It worked! Quick - get some parchment, we gotta write all this down."

Fishlegs said "I'm on it! Let's see… 'Habitat, coastal mountains and fjords'."

"Makes sense; they eat fish. Or at least Toothless does," noted Hiccup. "'Night Furies - highly elusive and very dangerous. Approach with caution'."

Astrid pointed at some of the runes. "Look at this bit! 'Males are fully black, but females are dark blue and shiny'. Guess we know what to look out for if we ever want to find Toothless a girlfriend," she joked. Hiccup grinned.

"I wonder what this part means?" Fishlegs pointed to some runes in the corner and read them aloud. "Glows as a threat and/or mating display."

"Well, his mouth glows when he charges a plasma blast," said Hiccup. "Hey, bud, do Night Furies do that when they find a mate?" Toothless shrugged. "You know, I really thought you'd be more enthusiastic about this. Don't you want to learn about your species? This could be the key to finding more."

Toothless yawned in apparent disdain, then gave him a conciliatory nuzzle. "Aww. I love you too, but I still want to find more Night Furies," he declared.

"Uh, Hiccup? That might be harder than you think," Fishlegs winced. He pointed at another set of runes. Extremely rare. Most likely all wiped out.

Hiccup stared in dismay. "Oh, wow," said Tuffnut. "You must be devastated. You spent four years looking for more Furies, and they might all be dead."

"You're not helping," Astrid glared at him.

"Look on the bright side!" said Ruffnut. "You've still learned plenty. Like that bit. 'Young males are easiest to catch, as they leave their nests in search of new territory and mates'. Now you know why Toothless is here with you instead of with his family!" she said cheerfully. Astrid glared at her as well.

"Again, not helping! Ignore those muttonheads," she urged Hiccup.

He sighed. "No, they're right. I am devastated, and I have learned plenty. I've learned not to get my hopes up because the Norns will just crush them."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Oh for the love of Thor. I know you had your heart set on finding more Night Furies one day, but it's not the end of the world if you don't. The only one you need is right here." She gestured at Toothless, who smiled and bounded over to lick his rider in an attempt to cheer him up.

"Agh! Toothless, you know that doesn't wash out!"

Someone knocked on the door repeatedly. Fishlegs went to answer it. "Oh, hello Mrs Jorgenson," he greeted. Phlegma shoved past him into the room.

"Hiccup, Astrid, I need your help. My husband and son have gone missing!"

"They've what?!"

"I thought they'd gone out for a flight, but they've been gone all day and it's getting dark. Hiccup, please. I know you and Snotlout don't get along, but" -

"We'll find them," Hiccup assured her. "They probably went off to train somewhere and lost track of time." They left the house, and he mounted up, but before Toothless could take off a dark green Nadder landed nearby.

Helga dismounted from Clover and hurried over to Hiccup's side. "Your father is waking up," she told him in a low voice. His eyes widened. For a moment he felt torn. I ought to see…no. He'd want me to help Phlegma.

"Tell him I'll be back soon. I have something to take care of," he replied, before looking over at Phlegma and Astrid. "You two, with me. Let's go."

/

(1) This isn't canon, I just like the idea of Stoick and Valka not being only children.

(2) Get it, Phlegm, Snot… I'll show myself out.