My dreams were interrupted and frightful, filled with the horrors of war.

My entire being was against violence. I may fight a little when I have to, but war? No. I wouldn't allow them to kill those I loved. I had worked so hard to bring peace, to bring AI and humans together peacefully. Drago could rip it all away. He could end so many lives. He could kill those I loved if I didn't do something. He had to listen to me. After all, I had convinced my father, the man who had been against AI since he gave his first cry. Now he trusted Toothless to protect me each day.

He loves me.

And I would be danged first to let him die if I could do something about it.

And Richard. The most loyal human ever to walk the earth. I think he'd give me his leg if I asked. He'd die in my place, I'm sure of it. I'd do the same. And now him and me were having opposite views. I hoped he would listen. He probably hoped I would.

Toothless. My other half. Quite literally, I've learned. Somehow, we're connected, because when he was injured, I felt his pain. When his chip was gone, I felt as though a part of me was missing. It's as if when I was making him, I put some of me inside.

It was unlike anything I had ever encountered.

These three are my family. And I will try to keep them close.

But fate had different ideas.

When I woke up, there was Toothless next to me. When I had returned, Richard had been gone. I hoped he was okay.

I stood up and was about to take a walk when a hand grasped my mouth. Panic shot through me, and I struggled against my attacker. Why wasn't Toothless doing anything?

"Mfthhhhp!"

"Shh." A familiar voice hissed.

I turned around to see my father there. "Wha.. dad? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to rescue you. You disappeared a while ago, and I've been looking for you." He smiled. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Uh... I don't need rescuing."

"C'mon." He began to walk. "I found a way out of here. We can leave before he..."

"Dad, wait. There's something you need to know."

"Tell me on the way. Where's Richard?"

"I don't know. He disappeared yesterday. This isn't a prison, dad. It's a..."

He looked around, ignoring me. "I'll find him. Follow me."

I sighed, giving up. Old habits die hard. He still had a habit of not listening to me. I followed him through the tunnels. We made it to the room we had first been dumped in when we arrived here. Valka was standing at the far end, watching us. Her staff dropped from her hands. She looked shocked, but quickly recovered.

Stoick stopped as if he'd seen a long dead ghost. His hands hung helplessly in the air.

I watched. "If you had been listening to me..." I muttered.

"I know what you're going to say, Stoick." Valka choked. "Why did I stay away? Why didn't I come back to you?"

Stoick began moving forward slowly, a reverent, wary saunter. Every step brought him closer to the woman he had thought was dead. The woman he loved.

I watched with wide eyes. My parents. Reunited. A smile sneaked onto my face.

"Well, what sign did I have that you could change? That anyone in this war loving world could? I pleaded so many times for you to listen. I pleaded for us to find another way, but did any of you listen?" Valka continued her one-sided argument.

Stoick was three feet away from her, still approaching.

"I know I left you to raise our son alone, but I thought he'd be better off without me. I was wrong, I see that now- Oh stop being so stoic, Stoick! Shout, scream, say something!" Valka obviously thought that this was the old Stoick.

He wouldn't even yell at me anymore, and certainly not her.

He reached her, being taller than her. He reached down and kissed her on the forehead. When he spoke, he almost sounded like he had swallowed a desert. His voice was parched. "My love. I missed you so much. There are days that I wished I could die just to hear your voice again. And see your beautiful face. Which hasn't changed even a bit since the day you were carried out of the tunnels so long ago." His final few words ended in sobs.

She melted into his arms. They wrapped together, becoming one form in the light. They cried together, obviously happy to see each other.

I felt a warmth in my heart. Toothless watched from behind me, eyes wide and amazed.

Valka stopped crying and backed away a few inches. "Can you ever forgive me, Stoick?"

He nodded. She moved closer into him, relieved.

I inched closer, wanting to join a complete family. Stoick met my eyes. He hugged me into the circle, and I felt their warmth around me. I smiled, tears slowly rolling down my face. Toothless moved in and wrapped his wings around us protectively.

I had a family, and I wasn't going to let anything happen to them.

Fate...

Fate had other ideas.

It now mocks me from the edges of my misery. It now takes everything I earn.

It gets revenge.

It and death work together, like a team of thieves. They break in and destroy what sanity I have left.

Death now waits for me. I have cheated it forever, but it still waits.

Waiting.

Like a tiger behind the grass.

But for now, my happy little world is just me, my father and mother, and Toothless. Nothing can go wrong because my teenage cockiness and innocence will protect us. Richard is fine wherever he is. He'll return, happy and join in the hug. We'll defeat Drago and Viggo without a single death. Peace will last forever.

Hence... why everything went wrong.