Wow Threni likes my story. I mean maybe it isn't a big deal but I feel so honored. It isn't often someone who you admire turns around and admires you.

Astrid ran into the cave, looking very nervous and scared, which was unlike her. I looked on from the side. Hiccup was sitting with Toothless. I knew something had happened between him, Hiccup, and Astrid, because Astrid and Hiccup were even more awkward around each other.

Stoick and Valka came in, noticing the pale, panting Astrid. Fish, the twins, and the rest of the AI looked at her. Stormfly II looked at us from next to Astrid.

"What is it, lass?" Stoick asked.

He asked what we had all been thinking. Astrid gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"Dra... go... going... to... Berk. Army..." She started to collapse, and I was shocked to see an arrow in her back. Hiccup ran forward, surprising all of us, and caught her.

"Fish! Get some bandages!" He yelled, getting her lower to the ground.

Fish nodded and moved to his pack, which was on his AI. He handed them to Hiccup, who had managed to pull out the arrow. Stoick, meanwhile had processed what Astrid had conveyed and began telling everyone to get ready for a long and fast trip to Berk. We had to beat Drago there at all costs.

I unfroze and moved to Hiccup, who was tenderly wrapping bandages around Astrid. "Er... will she be okay?"

Hiccup's face went a little red. "Yes."

Astrid's eyes opened again, and she grabbed his hand. "Hicc... Berk..."

"We know. We're going to get there." He replied.

"Good..." Astrid said quietly.

"Shh. Just rest." Hiccup said, motioning for Stormfly II to come help her. "You'll be fine."

The plan was that most of us would fly straight and fast to Berk, but Stormfly II, Valka, and Cloudjumper would take Astrid around the longer and easier way, and meet us there. Astrid would be stronger by then, and even if she wasn't, she would get to Berk an easier way that would be less of a strain on her.

So we set out.

We got to Berk. We had beaten Drago, or so we thought, anyway. His machine was invisible, but the flock of AI he had controlled weren't. We didn't have much time. Any moment, Drago could appear.

Stoick landed his AI and began moving around the town, ordering people to prepare for battle. Hiccup didn't, follow, instead, he moved toward me.

"What should we do?" I asked. Behind me, Fish and the twins had landed.

"We prepare for a fight." Hiccup said, resolute. There was a spark in his eyes. "We defeat Drago once and for all."

I was slightly surprised, but nodded. "Oh yeah. Together." I put my hand down and the others joined me.

"Go team, go!" Tuff yelled.

"YEAH!" Ruff agreed.

Fish nodded. "Go us!"

Hiccup put his hand in last. "We take him down or go down fighting."

So much for peace. This was war.

Drago's machine appeared on the horizon, casting a huge, ominous shadow. The AI flew in circles around it. It was a terrifying sight.

The army was around the machine on the ground. They all yelled loudly, war cries echoing. The machine gave a roar that was louder than them all and made them sound like mice. Our AI took to the air as well, Berk vs Drago's army.

Or was it?

I began to realize that the AI were ours, but riderless.

'Oh no.'

All our AI flocked around the machine, joining Drago. Inferno, Metalcrusher, the twin's AI, and Fish's too. Toothless was suddenly frozen, ears perked straight up. Hiccup turned to him, scared.

"Bud? Don't leave me." He moved forward, hand against his friend's nose. "Stay with me."

I watched Inferno go, suddenly terrified. What would we do without the AI's? This was bad. Very bad. If Toothless weren't present, I would have sworn. (Hiccup told me he didn't want Toothless knowing such language.)

I heard Stoick give the order to fire. I swallowed. We would be hitting our own. Boulders of various sizes flew up and hit the giant machine's... shield. A giant invisible wall around it that glowed blue when hit. Just excellent. This day wasn't getting better. Habit took over me, and I turned around.

"Inferno, sky-" I facepalmed. No Inferno. But the sight I did see terrified me.

Hiccup and Toothless were both frozen, looking like statues amongst the chaos as AI began to attack Berk. Hiccup suddenly got onto Toothless, and before I could act, the two of them were in the sky. They moved up, and I watched, helpless. I was barely aware of the twins running for some weapons and Fish standing still, panic-stricken. Toothless let loose a fireball... at a house. Oh crud, that's when it dawned on me.

Toothless- and Hiccup were under control of Drago's machine. I didn't know how. But there was no other explanation. I watched, terrified as they dive bombed house after house.

We were losing.

It was getting worse, and we were losing badly.

"No." I breathed.

Stoick gave the order to fire again when an AI landed in front of him. Old habits kicked in, and he dove for it's fuel line, slicing it open. The AI dropped to the side faster than a tree in a lightning storm.

He didn't have time to process what just happened, as a bright blue explosion blew something up over his head. He looked up to see Toothless dive bomb a catapult.

"What the-"

He watched his son and the flying machine gracefully dodge a boulder and blast another house. He was aghast. What on EARTH was his son DOING?

He was about to make the difficult order to shoot down Toothless when Richard ran up to him.

"Sir! Hiccup and Toothless are being controlled by the machine!" He gasped between breaths.

"How?"

"I don't know, but we have to get them to stop! You have to get me to them!" He yelled.

"But how would we?" Stoick asked as another explosion rang.

Richard pointed to a catapult. Stoick shook his head. "Out of the question!"

"I know! But we have no choice!" Richard yelled back. He ran to the catapult and got in. Shaking his head, Stoick ran up and aimed for the general area of Toothless. He pulled the lever, and Richard was thrown into the air. He had precious seconds, but he managed to grab an AI and began to move from one to the next, trying to get to Toothless. He jumped onto Toothless's back, where Hiccup was riding. Richard grabbed Hiccup, who tried to shake him off.

"Hiccup! You gotta hear me! You gotta stop! It's Richard!"

A frantic tussle began, which forced Toothless to stop his attack, lest he throw off his rider. Richard struggled against Hiccup, having thought he would never have to fight his friend again. Hiccup's eyes were slightly unfocused and blurry, the pupils small as if he was staring into a bright light. But he still hit accurately. Richard got a swing at his head, but only grazed Hiccup's head as he ducked. Richard finally figured out what he had to do. With one motion, he swung himself around Hiccup, and punched the boy clear off Toothless. He landed in a tree and hit the ground. He was still moving, thank goodness. Richard then pulled out his knife and stuck it into Toothless's spine, hitting a wire that controlled his wings. Toothless crumpled mid flight and the two landed on the ground, went into a roll that ended with Toothless on top. The AI had his claws brushing Richard's neck.

"Uh- uh Toothless buddy, please don't..." Toothless fell over after a moment, and Richard saw Stoick on the other end. He had stuck an arrow into Toothless's head.

"Uh, sir, I had been trying to do it without hurting him, because now Hiccup's gonna kill me."

"It was him or you." Stoick said, helping Richard up. "He can be repaired. You can't be put back together. Now. We have a battle to fight."

Drago watched the battle taking place with a smug grin on his head. Berk was almost in ruins. He could see bodies everywhere from his vantage point, burning trees and buildings, and so many AI. And they were all his. He heard footsteps and turned around. Viggo was standing there, something in his hand.

"What do you want? I thought you would be down there." Drago hissed.

"I'm not the battling type. More of a chess sort."

Drago stood. "Look at this, Viggo. They don't even stand a chance."

"Maybe they will." Viggo said, smirking.

"What?"

"Checkmate."

He held up the gadget, and pushed the big red button. And immediately, explosions rang from all directions. The machine lit ablaze, it's legs blown out from under it. Viggo disappeared in the chaos, and Drago felt his macine tilt dangerously to one side. The shield went down, and the AI stopped attacking. Hiccup was released from his spell-like trance, and saw Toothless lying over near a building. He ran to the AI and put a hand on him, only to feel pointy things on his back. He froze. Richard and Stoick got back with their AI, as did Fish and the twins, and the rest of Berk. They began their attack, not letting up until the machine gave one last groan and blew up in a blaze. Richard pumped a fist in the air.

"Yeah!"

Mmmmhmhmhmhm. :)

Mmmmhmhmhmhm. Muahahahahaha!

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