Long time, no see, everybody. I decided to do "The Next Big Sting" and "Total Nightmare" in one chapter as I made some changes because of Grim and Deathshriek's involvement.
The riders grumbled as they joined a cheerful Hiccup on top of a cliff of a nearby island. The area was almost all cliffs and canyons and rivers and lakes at the rocky bottom.
"Okay, Hiccup, you dragged us all the way up here," said Astrid.
"Now what is it that you have to show us?" Tuffnut asked, irritated. "It better involve food or destruction or a combination of the two."
Snotlout came up panting behind him.
Hiccup smiled brightly. "I bet you're all wondering why I brought you here today and, uh, the answer is I wanted to show you my latest invention." Hiccup went through Toothless's pack and pulled something out. "Presenting the Dragon Fly 1!" It was a gear box with folded red sails.
The riders stared at him unimpressed.
Hiccup pulled at the sails. "Huh? Huh?" he asked eagerly.
Tuffnut held up the chicken, it clucking quietly. "The chicken is not amused." Said chicken squawked and took off.
"What is it?" asked Snotlout.
"It's a flight suit," replied Hiccup, holding it up with the wings extended. "Don't all applaud at once."
"Hiccup, I don't think I need to remind you that we already have flying dragons," said Fishlegs. He gave Meatlug a scratch and she growled happily. "Why would we ever need flight suits?"
"Well, what if we get separated from our dragons midflight?" Hiccup strapped on the flight suit. "We might need to solo fly for a bit until we catch up with them again."
"When this doesn't work – and it clearly will not – can I have Toothless?" Snotlout asked.
"Oh, for Thor's sake," muttered Hiccup.
"No," Toothless hissed at Snotlout.
Hiccup walked to the edge of the cliff.
"What are you planning on doing here?" Astrid asked.
"Jumping," replied Hiccup. "Unless someone has a better idea."
"I would rather not have you doing this at all," said Grim.
"Grim."
"Have you tried creating a smaller scale model and seeing how it glides?" Grim asked. "If you can get it to work, then we should move on to this."
"Small scale won't work," Hiccup countered. "It needs a person to steer."
Grim let out a slow breath.
Astrid face-palmed. "Boys," she grumbled.
Hiccup turned back to cliff's edge. "Guys, relax. Feel that updraft? That's why I chose this place. It'll pick up my wings and I'll be floating on a bed of air." He pulled the lever to deploy the wings, but only one fully deployed. Hiccup chuckled and tugged the other wing into position.
"Or crashing on a bed of rock," Snotlout added.
Hiccup growled at him. "Okay everyone, Dragon Fly 1, maiden flight." He jumped over the side.
It worked for a second before Hiccup began plunging to the ground.
"Hiccup!" screamed Astrid.
Toothless dove over the cliff.
"Uh, I don't know about you guys, but who's under the impression that a flight suit was supposed to fly?" Tuffnut asked sardonically.
Ruffnut laughed. "Yeah, that looks more like a plummet suit."
Toothless grabbed Hiccup and tucked up, hitting the water below.
Ruffnut laughed. "Do it again!"
Hiccup and Toothless came back up to the cliff.
"Okay, so I made a few tweaks," said Hiccup. "Now behold some serious flying."
Before any of them could say anything, Hiccup turned around and ran off the cliff.
"Yeah, baby!"
It worked for a few more seconds before he nosedived again.
Toothless looked over his shoulder at the others. "Serious flying?" He jumped over the side to save his rider again.
They got back up on the cliff again where Hiccup was going to make his third attempt.
"Now this time I absolutely know where I went wrong," Hiccup told them. "You see it's all in the timing. I just judged the updrafts wrong. I assure you I definitely have it now."
"Do you?" doubted Toothless.
Hiccup put his hands up. "Toothless, don't worry, bud. I got this under control."
Toothless hissed at him.
Grim sighed heavily. He started taking his shirt off.
"What are you doing?" asked Snotlout.
"Giving my brother a chance of this working," Grim answered. He walked up behind Hiccup, who was looking at a tree and trying to judge the wind. "Stop."
"What? I got this," said Hiccup.
"No, you do not," Grim told him. "Let someone who knows how to read the wind tell you."
"But," Hiccup tried to argue.
"No. You are trying to read the wind as it's blowing that tree," said Grim.
"Well, yes, how else would I?"
"Just let me tell you when to go," said Grim. "Get into position."
Hiccup readied himself at the edge of the cliff.
Grim pulled off his gloves and lifted his hands. The air blew over his fingers and hands, across his torso and in his hair. "Now!"
Hiccup jumped. "Come on!"
He didn't get much lift, but he glided out at a less steep slope.
Astrid put her hand to her mouth in worry.
Toothless shielded his face with a wing.
Then Hiccup started really falling. He was just about to hit the water when the air caught his wings and started carrying him.
"Wait! I'm flying? I'm flying!" he cheered.
The other riders watched as he glided through the canyon.
"I cannot believe that hunk of junk actually worked!" Snotlout said in disbelief.
Then there was a problem. The next cliff was up ahead and the canyon branched.
"Okay, right turn," Hiccup said to himself. He tried to turn, but nothing happened. "All right, might have to work on the steering a little bit. Toothless!"
Grim jumped on Toothless and was putting his foot on the pedal as Toothless went off the cliff. They flew for Hiccup. Toothless grabbed him out of the air and they all went tumbling into the water.
The three of them crawled out of the water.
"Thanks for the save, bud," Hiccup said to Toothless.
Toothless's response was to spit out the mouthful of water directly onto Hiccup. He laughed.
"Again." Hiccup stood up and picked up the piece of wing that had broken off. "Looks like our flight tests are probably over for the day."
The rest of the riders caught up with them.
Astrid hopped off of Stormfly. "Okay, that's it! You're done with this,"
"Right. For now," said Hiccup.
A dragon roar echoed through the canyon.
Grim's head popped up. "Dragon in distress."
"Uh, guys?" Snotlout said. "Something about that call sounds strangely familiar. Not good familiar, bad familiar." He noticed he and Hookfang were the only ones there. "Uh, guys?"
"Snotlout! Come on!" Hiccup called.
The other riders had already taken off.
"You gotta be kidding me," Snotlout complained.
They flew through the canyon searching for the dragon.
"The calls are coming from up ahead," said Hiccup.
The dragon called out again.
Hiccup and Toothless turned to see a small aqua colored bipedal dragon.
"A Speed Stinger!"
"Speed Stinger," Snotlout shuddered. "Why did it have to be a Speed Stinger?"
"It looks like a young one," Hiccup said. "Why would it be out during the day? They're nocturnal dragons."
"Ah, poor little guy. Let's head home!" said Snotlout. "It's starting to get dark and where there's one Speed Stinger, there's usually a whole pack of them!"
The Speed Stinger stood up, but couldn't put weight on its one leg.
"Hiccup, its leg is badly injured," Fishlegs called out. "And Speed Stingers can't fly."
"Which is exactly why we can't leave it to predators," said Hiccup. "Come on, Toothless."
Toothless flipped around and flew back to the Speed Stinger.
"This is risky," Deathshriek said to Grim.
"I know, but Hiccup won't leave it behind. And neither would we," said Grim.
Grim turned Deathshriek around to follow.
"Are they seriously going back?" yelled Snotlout.
"Snotlout, meet Hiccup and Grim," said Astrid. "Of course they're going back."
"Aw, come on!"
They landed near the injured Speed Stinger.
"Hey, whoa, no, no. Easy there. Easy there, little fella," Hiccup coaxed.
The Speed Stinger flicked its red tipped stinger up.
"Hiccup, it looks like it can defend itself just fine," said Snotlout. "Let's get out of here."
Astrid shushed him. "Quiet down, Snotlout."
"You quiet down," Snotlout whispered loudly back.
"Unfortunately this little guy won't be a match for wild boars or dragons," said Hiccup. "A Speed Stinger without its pack is extremely vulnerable."
"He must've gotten separated from the others, and they had to go to shelter before the sun came out," said Fishlegs.
"Or they abandoned him," added Grim. "It has been known to happen."
"Sounds right. Let's go," insisted Snotlout.
"Snotlout, we can't leave him like this," said Hiccup. "We'll bring it back to Dragon's Edge, nurse it back to health, then bring it back here."
Snotlout crossed his arms over Hookfang's head and sulked.
They came back with equipment.
"Ruff, Tuff, you understand the plan, right?" asked Hiccup.
"Yeah."
"Definitely."
"Of course. No."
"Nope. Nuh-uh."
"Ah, right," sighed Hiccup. "You secure the stinger so I can set the splint with these broken pieces of Dragon Fly 1. And be careful! I think we all remember what these guys' stings can do to you."
The riders looked at each other.
"You don't have to remind me," Snotlout said haughtily. "I know exactly what they can do."
The Speed Stinger snarled at him.
"This plan is insane. You know that, right?" Snotlout asked. "If I'm saying it's insane, it's actually insane!"
"Actually, it is insane," Tuffnut agreed. "And for once it wasn't our insane plan."
"I'm seeing a pattern here," said Ruffnut.
"First that lunatic flight suit, now this. Could it be?"
"Is Hiccup coming over to our side?" Ruffnut asked gleefully.
"Oh Loki, please let it be so! We will welcome him with open arms, teach him the ways of the truly disturbed!"
"Guys, please!" Hiccup interrupted. "Let's just do this."
The twins cackled. They got on either side of Hiccup and the three approached the Speed Stinger.
"Should we intervene?" Deathshriek asked Grim. "I know Speed Stinger is not a dialect we're familiar with, but some Dragonese is universal."
"Part of me wants to see how Hiccup will handle this," said Grim. "If things begin to get too dangerous, we'll step in."
The Speed Stinger growled and snapped out its tail.
"Come and get me, Stinger! Fresh meat on the grill right over here!" Tuffnut taunted, dancing back.
Ruffnut jumped in front of him. "No, over here! I'm all yours!" She pranced off in a different direction. "Turn me into a pincushion! I'll even give you a target. Ooh, it's my butt!" She shook it in front of the Speed Stinger.
The Speed Stinger roared and the twins had to duck the tail.
"That's it? That's all you got?" jeered Tuffnut.
"Guys, what are you doing?" cried Hiccup. "I meant secure the tail!"
"Hey! We know what we're doing!" Ruffnut snapped at him, jabbing her finger in his direction.
With her attention off the dragon, the Speed Stinger struck out and stung her in the arm.
"Ah! Whoa, whoa, what's happening to me?" Ruffnut started stiffening up. "I can't . . ."
"Talk?" prompted Tuffnut. "She can't talk!" He poked her in the jaw.
Ruffnut tried to speak, but it only came out as little noises.
"At least I think that's what she's saying," Tuffnut said, manipulating her jaw.
Fishlegs rubbed his chin and hummed. "Interesting. Only part of her is paralyzed," he observed as Ruffnut walked around, but was unable to move anything above the waist. "Since it's an adolescent, its sting potency must not be at full effect."
"Now how do we get it to sting her lower half?" Tuffnut asked. He started to wave his arms. "Here, Speedy, come on!" He whistled. "It's the whole lower half of Ruffnut. Come on!"
The Speed Stinger got up and tried to take a step. Its leg gave out and it went down.
Tuffnut pounced on it. "Yeah!" He saw it raise its tail. "Uh-oh!"
"Someone help Tuff!" yelled Hiccup.
The other riders sprang into action.
Astrid pinned the tail. "I got the tail!"
Fishlegs grabbed the head. "I got the head!"
Grim slipped in between them and grabbed the bad leg for Hiccup. Hiccup was quick to splint the leg. They all jumped back and the Speed Stinger jumped up and started for Hiccup.
"Hey, okay, okay!" Hiccup put his hands up and retreated. "We're here to help you."
Toothless walked behind Hiccup and growled. "Back off, Speed Stinger."
"Oh, he's gonna do the hand thing," Fishlegs said excitedly. "Please tell me he's gonna do the hand thing!"
Hiccup put his hand out.
The Speed Stinger squeaked.
Hiccup turned his head away.
The Speed Stinger sniffed and pressed its nose into his palm.
"Okay, everyone, I think we're good," said Hiccup. "Now let's load him up and get him back to Dragon's Edge." He paused and turned to Grim. "It's a him, right?"
"As far as I can see from here," replied Grim.
"You know the pack is gonna do everything in its power to find it, don't you?" asked Astrid.
"Yep. And that's why we have to get him back on his feet and back to this island as quickly as we can," said Hiccup.
Deathshriek turned his head, earfins perking up. "We need to leave. Now."
The urgency pressed Grim into action. "And we need to leave this island as quickly as possible." He moved to get the small cage they brought with them.
The riders loaded the Speed Stinger into the cage with some coaxing from Hiccup and Grim and flew back to Dragon's Edge.
A few nights later, Fishlegs and Grim showed off the progress of the Speed Stinger. They had turned the dome into an obstacle course.
Fishlegs opened the small cage the Speed Stinger was in. "Have a look at this."
The Speed Stinger stepped out and started running around.
"Wow. Nice work," said Hiccup.
"Uh-huh. All thanks to the carefully designed rehabilitation program based on trust and understanding," Fishlegs said proudly.
Meatlug, who Fishlegs had been leaning on, decided to chase after the Speed Stinger. Fishlegs stumbled and his arm hung limp.
"Fishlegs, what's with your arm?" asked Astrid.
"Yeah, let's just say that the Stinger and I may or may not have had a few differences of opinion these last few days," said Fishlegs.
Tuffnut walked over and poked Fishlegs's dangling arm. "Look at that! It's like a dead old fish," he chuckled.
Fishlegs walked over to the rack of shields. "Okay Meatlug, let's get back to work. And we'll bring this, just in case." He tried to get a shield off the rack with his limp arm, but only succeeded in knocking one down and sending it rolling. He sighed in exasperation and grabbed another one with his good arm. He walked over the obstacle course. "Come on, little fella, you can do it!"
Grim stood beside the Speed Stinger. He hopped up on a log.
"Go on." Meatlug nudged the Speed Stinger from behind.
The Speed Stinger jumped up next to Grim.
"All right, there we go, little guy," encouraged Fishlegs.
"Huh," commented Astrid. "Ornery and stubborn, but it seems like it's actually accepting Fishlegs and Meatlug."
Grim stepped on the next log and looked back at the Speed Stinger. "You can make it."
The Speed Stinger made to the jump.
"Grim's a given," Astrid added.
"Well, makes sense, they are pack dragons," said Hiccup. "They can only function as a group. But if they accept you into that group then you have their allegiance."
"Wait, you're not actually thinking of trying to train it? Are you?" asked Astrid.
"What? No! No. I-I could never," stammered Hiccup, walking away.
The dome opened and Snotlout walked in. "Well, well, well, lookie here."
The Speed Stinger gave a short screech from atop a wall it had hopped on, attention on Snotlout.
"Our little friend can stand on his own two claws again. Only a matter of time before it's trying to sting all of us into oblivion."
The Speed Stinger jumped down and shrieked in his direction.
"My vote is to take it back to where we found it," said Snotlout. "I'll get the cage." He started over for said cage.
"Snotlout . . ." started Hiccup.
The Speed Stinger roared at Snotlout. Snotlout screamed and then hissed back at the dragon.
"Snotlout, he's staying here, okay?" Hiccup said. "At least for the time being."
Snotlout turned to Hiccup. "Having a Speed Stinger around is way too dangerous, especially for me."
The Speed Stinger ran in front of Snotlout and tried to sting him.
"Not even on your best day, pal!" He put his fists up.
Ruffnut walked in behind Snotlout. "Good news! Speed Stinger venom wore -."
Snotlout dodged another strike and it hit Ruffnut.
"Off," she finished. She froze up and fell over.
"Okay, everyone. No sudden moves," Hiccup told them.
"Oh, who's got jokes?" asked Ruffnut, pulling herself up with her arms on a chest. "Frozen from the waist down. Come on."
"Hey, settle down, big fella," Hiccup tried to calm the Speed Stinger. "I'm your friend, remember?"
Ruffnut got on the chest and was trying to put her legs into a comfortable position. "Ha, Ruffnut: one, dead leg: zero." Her leg stuck out, kicking Tuffnut.
Tuffnut yelled.
The Speed Stinger startled at the noise.
"Not so dead after all."
"Hey! What'd you do that for?" Tuffnut demanded hotly.
"Oh, like I have any control," Ruffnut retorted. Her other leg snapped out and hit Tuffnut in the chin.
"Uh, guys? Quiet down. I think he's agitated," said Hiccup.
The Speed Stinger looked from Hiccup to Tuffnut.
"That makes two of us," snapped Tuffnut. "You better control that butt before it gets kicked!"
The Speed Stinger ran at Tuffnut.
"Oh, I was afraid of this. Everyone take cover!" yelled Hiccup.
Tuffnut ran, but Ruffnut couldn't move. She was ignored by the Speed Stinger, seemingly more interested in moving targets.
Astrid grabbed a shield and ducked behind it.
"Please, remain calm," Fishlegs tried. "Everything is going to be okay."
Toothless jumped to avoid the smaller dragon. "Hey! Stop!"
"Remain calm!"
The Speed Stinger stung Barf. His head fell on the floor and he started spewing gas uncontrollably.
"Barf!" Ruffnut cried. She flopped off the chest.
Grim stood up tall. "Enough!" he roared in the tone he reserved for unruly dragons.
All the dragons stopped and turned to him. The Speed Stinger roared a challenge. Grim locked eyes with him and stared him down.
"Get in the cage," Grim ordered.
The Speed Stinger roared back defiantly.
Grim roared and advanced.
The Speed Stinger turned and ran into the cage.
Toothless fired a plasma blast to close it.
Ruffnut crawled over to Barf. "Guys, a little help here?"
"Uh, no," said Tuffnut from where he was hiding.
Barf and Belch walked outside, Barf's head still dragging and leaking gas.
Astrid watched them go by. "That is really unsettling."
They gathered in the clubhouse.
"Mm-hmm, exactly as I thought this would end up," said Snotlout. "That thing is going to paralyze everyone on the island before this is over. And then there's going to be no one to take that stupid dragon back to where we found it."
"All right, I'm too tired to argue with you," said Hiccup. "We'll talk about this in the morning." He and Toothless left with Grim and Deathshriek following.
Ruffnut was sitting at the fire pit. "Hey, if you want to get rid of that Stinger, I'm in." She slipped off the edge and fell on the floor. "I don't know how much more of this I can take. I figure it's him or me."
Snotlout smirked.
Fishlegs woke them up the next morning, excited with a discovery he made. Hiccup, Grim, and Astrid followed Fishlegs to the dome.
"Speed Stingers can't fly, but they needed a way to island hop for food. And that doesn't always happen when the ocean freezes and creates ice paths for them to travel. They have webbing between their talons so they can run on the water! They adapted, evolved!"
"This is enormous, Fishlegs," said Hiccup. "Finally, actual proof of dragon evolution. It's historic!"
"I know, right!" cried Fishlegs, opening the dome for them to go in.
"We will need to document this in the Book of Dragons immediately," said Grim.
"And the Stinger webbing actually inspired me to make a few changes on a little something I've been working on," Hiccup added.
"If you say Dragon Fly 2, I'm locking you up," threatened Astrid.
"Oh, no," said Fishlegs.
The cage was empty.
"He's gone."
"How could he have gotten out of his cage?" asked Astrid.
"He couldn't," replied Hiccup. "At least not on his own. And I think I have a pretty good idea who helped."
Tuffnut came running in. "Hey, has anybody seen Ruffnut?"
The riders looked at each other.
The sun was setting quickly as they flew over the ocean.
"Do you think reached the island we found the Speed Stinger at?" asked Astrid.
"The wind is against us," answered Grim. "He'll be awake before they reach it."
They passed over an island and saw a fire spring up. Hookfang was ignited in a clearing. The riders landed.
Ruffnut shuffled over to them. "Hey, Hiccup," she slurred. "I got stung again. Just the right side this time. I tried to walk it off but I just keep going around in a circle." She demonstrated.
Hiccup turned his attention to Snotlout. "Dragon-napping, Snotlout? I mean, this is a new low, even for you."
"I was trying to save us!" defended Snotlout.
The dragons surrounded the Speed Stinger and growled at him. He screeched, but the sound continued.
"Uh, you guys heard that, right?" asked Astrid.
"It was an echo. Please tell me that was an echo," begged Fishlegs.
The screeching started up again so loudly the riders had to cover their ears.
"Oh, no. The pack's come looking for it," said Astrid.
"How is that even possible?" Snotlout whimpered. "Speed Stingers can't fly!"
"Yeah, but we did just discover that these particular Speed Stingers can travel across water just fine," said Fishlegs.
Snotlout shrieked, "What? How?"
Hiccup clamped his hand around Snotlout's mouth. "If we keep quiet, we might not give away our location."
The Speed Stinger started screeching and got a response.
Stormfly and Toothless readied themselves for a fight.
"I'm guessing that very soon I'm gonna wish I could run in a straight line," said Ruffnut.
The pack came running out of the trees and stood before them.
Snotlout glared at the Speed Stinger. "You! I knew you'd rat us out!"
There was a loud roar and the chief Speed Stinger emerged. It roared again and the pack started surrounding the riders.
"Guys, stand your ground!" shouted Hiccup.
The Speed Stingers started circling around them.
Hookfang and Ruffnut were both partially paralyzed. Meatlug saw they were in trouble and jumped in front of Ruffnut. A Speed Stinger stung her in the jaw. Meatlug went stiff.
"Hey, girl, thanks," said Ruffnut.
The young Speed Stinger tilted his head and trilled.
"There's too many of them," said Hiccup from beside Toothless. "Our only hope is to draw them away."
Snotlout had picked up a dead branch and was swinging it at the Speed Stingers. "I'm not leaving anyone behind!"
"Really? Since when?" asked Hiccup.
"Since right now! Don't ask me why, but I'm suddenly feeling selfless and heroic." He screamed in panic when a Speed Stinger darted near him. "Back! Get away!"
"Uh-oh, gotta get away," said Ruffnut, turning in a circle because of her frozen leg. "Come on, leg!"
The young Speed Stinger stood in front of her.
Snotlout saw she was in trouble. He ran over and grabbed the Speed Stinger, holding him so he had the neck under one arm and the tail in the opposite hand. "Don't worry, guys. I'll be back for you." He started running. "Come and get me, needle butts!"
"Go get them, Snotlout!" Ruffnut cheered.
Snotlout disappeared into the trees shouting, "Snotlout, Snotlout. Oi! Oi! Oi!"
The Speed Stingers chased after him.
"Okay, we need to help Snotlout," said Hiccup.
"We can't leave the others," Astrid pointed out.
"Deathshriek, stay with the wounded," Grim said. "Hiccup, I'll ride with you." He jumped onto Toothless behind Hiccup.
"I'm not staying behind," said Hookfang, dragging himself along.
Toothless took off.
They found Snotlout in another clearing surrounded by the pack. The young Speed Stinger was in front of him and facing the Speed Stinger chief. A few Speed Stingers were dragging themselves on the ground having been hit by the young Speed Stinger.
"What?" asked Snotlout.
Grim hit the ground next to him and rolled to his feet. He spread his hands, dragon claws extending.
"He's torn between his pack and the one that saved his life," Hiccup called from above. "Ours."
"But he hates me!" shouted Snotlout.
"But you're one of us!" Hiccup yelled back.
"Instinct tells him to protect you," said Grim.
The young Speed Stinger roared at the chief.
The Speed Stinger chief jumped forward. Toothless fired a plasma blast at it and knocked it back.
"Now get out of here before he realizes that he has to choose a side!" Hiccup yelled.
Snotlout looked back at the Speed Stinger. The Speed Stinger chirped at him.
Hiccup leaned forward in the saddle. "Okay, bud. Let's get these guys back in the water."
Toothless began firing plasma blasts at the Speed Stingers to herd them to the shore. A few tried to loop back around, but Stormfly's spines cut them off. Stormfly flew over to Toothless.
"I brought back up," said Astrid.
"Whoo-hoo!" cried Tuffnut.
Barf and Belch flew in, the former's head and neck still limp and was spewing gas. Belch lit it and formed a wall of fire to block the Speed Stingers from going back in the forest.
"Nice, Barf!" praised Tuffnut. "I mean, freaky, but nice just the same."
The Stinger chief was quick to climb up a cliff and sting Barf and Belch.
"Barf and Belch are down!" called Hiccup. "We need to get rid of that Stinger chief."
The chief and Toothless locked eyes. Toothless flew at it and the chief ran across the rocks to attack. The Stinger chief leapt into the air.
"Toothless, separate!"
Toothless bucked and Hiccup jumped, pulling the loops at his waist. Webbing like the Speed Stinger's stretched from his legs to his wrists and caught the air. The Stinger chief went between them.
"Dragon Fly 2, go!"
Toothless glided to the ground while the Stinger chief hit the beach hard.
Hiccup glided overhead whooping at his success. "Excellent!"
The Stinger chief got up and looked around. Stormfly was standing on a rock with Astrid on her back, Snotlout next to them, and finally Hookfang had dragged himself down to the beach and was on fire.
The young Speed Stinger walked up to the Stinger chief and roared. The Stinger chief saw it was outnumbered and followed the rest of the pack into the ocean.
"Yeah! Swim away, Stingers!" shouted Snotlout.
The young Speed Stinger went to the water's edge.
Hiccup and Grim walked up behind him.
He turned around and chittered at them.
Hiccup put his hand out for him.
Grim gently took Hiccup's wrist. He shook his head.
Hiccup drew his hand back.
"Young one, you need to go back with your rightful pack," Grim told the Speed Stinger.
The Speed Stinger squeaked before turning around and running onto the water.
"What are you doing?" asked Snotlout. "We can't let him go back with them!"
"Snotlout, it's where he belongs," said Hiccup. "That's his real pack."
"And just when we were starting to get along," complained Snotlout. "Why does this always happen to me?"
They watched him stomp off.
Astrid came over. "Can you believe what that dragon did for us? He helped us, over his own alpha."
"For that little time, he was part of our pack," said Hiccup. "And we were part of his. Even Snotlout, somehow."
The twins were sitting on the beach.
"Scared? Ha! That Stinger was more scared of me than I was of him," Snotlout bragged to them.
"Hey, look!" Tuffnut said, looking at the water. "Isn't that them swimming towards us?"
"Maybe they're coming back for you, Snotlout," said Ruffnut.
"What? No!" Snotlout ran off.
The twins laughed.
"They weren't swimming this way," said Tuffnut.
"Look at him run. Stupid." Ruffnut drooled and tried to slurp it back up.
The riders stood near the dome and watched the forest. Toothless broke through the trees.
Astrid looked through a spyglass and spotted them. "There they are!"
"Close the dome!" ordered Fishlegs.
"And so the drama begins," said Ruffnut.
"One man, one dragon, one leg," Tuffnut said.
The twins pulled the lever and the dome started to close.
"Versus one rapidly closing dome."
Toothless wove through the sea stacks.
Deathshriek stepped up beside Grim. "They are doing very well."
Grim hummed in agreement.
The Night Fury and rider then disappeared into a cave under the dome. A few weeks ago a massive crack had opened up in the floor of the dome and it led to the cave. The riders decided it was risky to use the dome for anything else right now other than a training obstacle.
"Ha, there's no way he's making that," said Snotlout.
The dome was almost closed when Toothless came up through the crack in the floor. He flew out with little space to spare.
Astrid cheered.
Grim smirked in Snotlout's direction. "You were saying, Snotlout?"
"Aw, what?" yelled Snotlout.
Toothless circled back and landed on top of the dome.
Fishlegs squealed and clapped his hands excitedly.
"All right, we're up," said Snotlout.
Hookfang sat behind him at attention.
"Come on, Snotlout," said Fishlegs. "Nobody's been able to beat the dome except Hiccup."
"Nobody 'til now," Snotlout countered.
"Guys, this was supposed to be a drill," reminded Hiccup. "Do we have to turn it into a game?"
"Don't we always?" Astrid asked him with a smug smile.
"Good point."
"'Twas once a drill, then it became a game, now it is theater!" Tuffnut said dramatically.
"Let the drama unfold!" Ruffnut joined in.
"Whatever it is, it's my turn," said Snotlout. He walked away with Hookfang following him.
"I'll wager he loses an eye," said Tuffnut, continuing with the dramatic tone.
Ruffnut laughed. "On the contrary, I predict Act I, Scene I, will conclude with the loss of a gallbladder."
Toothless jumped off the roof and landed next to the twins.
"Or perhaps a leg. What say you, young Hiccup?" asked Tuffnut.
Hiccup simply groaned, "Okay."
Deathshriek snickered.
"You find this funny?" asked Toothless.
"Surprisingly, yes," answered Deathshriek.
They waited for Hookfang and Snotlout to make their lap.
Ruffnut was looking through the spyglass and spotted them. "He hath emerged from the forest!"
"And what of his gallbladder?" called Tuffnut.
"Impossible to say."
Tuffnut pushed the lever to start the dome. "The tension continues to build." He slipped off and fell with a yelp.
Hookfang came around and aimed for the cave.
"And time runs out for our plucky anti-hero," Tuffnut commentated.
"I love a ticking sundial, don't you?" said Ruffnut.
"Indeed!"
Hiccup put his hands on his hips. "Guys, please."
Hookfang disappeared into the cave.
"Hookfang, leave the dome! Hurry up!" they heard Snotlout yell.
The dome shut and there was a loud impact.
Tuffnut quickly pulled the lever and the dome opened. They gathered around to find Snotlout laid out on his back and Hookfang missing.
"Snotlout, are you okay?" Hiccup asked.
Snotlout sat up. "Ow. Define okay."
"Where's Hookfang?"
"That's what I'd like to know. I've got some words for that dragon!" Snotlout picked himself up.
A loud dragon screech made them all turn in the direction of it.
They all split up and went searching for Hookfang. Grim and Deathshriek searched from the sky, but Hookfang wasn't the only thing they were looking for.
"That screech wasn't Hookfang, was it?" Grim asked.
"No. And why would Hookfang let out a distress call after leaving?" asked Deathshriek.
"Something else is going on here," said Grim.
Hookfang flew out of the trees with Snotlout.
"Seems like Snotlout found him," Deathshriek said. "Let's head back. I'm hungry."
They gathered in the stables for the dragons' supper.
Grim emptied a large bucket on the floor for them and they started eating. Except for one. Hookfang was over by the door, sitting and looked up forlornly.
Snotlout brought a fish over. "Here, Hookfang." He held it out but was ignored. Instead he tossed it up and it landed on Hookfang's snout. It was then thrown back into Snotlout's face. "Ow! What? You love mackerel."
Hookfang growled. "I don't want it."
Snotlout climbed up and tried to force Hookfang to eat. Hookfang threw him off and Snotlout landed hard on the floor.
"Hookfang." The fish was launched back into Snotlout's face. "Ow! Everybody saw that, right?"
The twins grinned down at him with crossed arms.
"Yes, we did, my friend," said Tuffnut, "and it was delightful."
"My good sir, can you reenact it for us?" asked Ruffnut.
Snotlout stood up. "No, I'm talking about Hookfang. He's acting weird."
"How's that?" asked Fishlegs.
"Well, he didn't listen to me during the race, he ran away, he just spit fish in my face, and threw me against the wall."
"And this is weird how?" asked Astrid.
"You have to admit, Snotlout, that does kind of sum up your relationship with Hookfang," said Hiccup.
Snotlout growled at them. He stomped over and threw the fish at Hookfang, it bumping against his tail.
Hookfang whipped around. "I said I don't want it!" He smacked it away and then flew up to the ceiling and started slamming his head against the rafters.
Hiccup and Grim came up behind Snotlout.
"If you're coming over here to tell me I'm crazy, save it," said Snotlout.
"You know what, Snotlout, you're right," said Hiccup.
"I am?"
"No one knows your dragon like you do," said Hiccup.
Grim stepped beyond them. "Hookfang."
Hookfang ignored him.
"Hookfang!" Grim roared.
Hookfang stopped slamming his head and landed.
"Talk to me. What is wrong?" asked Grim.
Hookfang hung his head. "I can't."
"You can't what? Tell me?"
"I promised."
"If you promised not to tell, how can we help you?" asked Grim.
Hookfang groaned. "Can you . . . can you keep an eye on the island tonight?"
"Okay, Hookfang. We'll do that," Grim said.
"Maybe we should lock him in a pen tonight," Hiccup suggested to Snotlout.
Grim spun around.
"Just to be safe!" Hiccup quickly defended. "We don't want him to hurt himself. Then we'll see how he's doing in the morning."
"Yeah. Yeah, maybe I'll do that," said Snotlout.
Grim and Deathshriek flew over the island that night looking for anything out of the ordinary.
"I wish Hookfang would have given us a clue as to what we are looking for," said Grim.
"Me, too. But a promise is a promise," Deathshriek reminded.
All was quiet as they made their rounds. They found nothing. Dawn was breaking when they turned back to the Edge.
The other riders were waking up when they returned. Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs were feeding their dragons and getting them ready for the day.
"You're up early," Hiccup commented to Grim.
Grim nodded and got some fish for Deathshriek. He then got a fish for himself and started cleaning it with his dagger. He sliced a piece of meat and ate it raw.
Astrid made a face of disgust. "How can you eat it like that?"
"Practice," Grim replied, slicing another piece. "It's always best when fresh."
Snotlout came running up to them. "Hookfang's gone! He broke out of his pen last night!"
Hiccup rubbed his chin. "Then this may be more serious than we thought."
"Great! I accept your offer to help in the search," said Snotlout.
Grim raised a brow.
Snotlout climbed up on Toothless. "Come on, Toothless. Up, bud. Fly, bud. Do something, bud!" he ordered obnoxiously.
"Yeah, right. Like I would let you ride," growled Toothless.
"Okay! Okay, calm down, Snotlout," said Hiccup. "We'll help you find, Hookfang."
"Yeah, you will, it was your idea to leave him alone in his pen in the first place," Snotlout snapped.
Hiccup rolled his eyes.
The riders set off to look for Hookfang. Snotlout sat behind Hiccup on Toothless.
"Hookfang! Hookfang!" Snotlout pushed Hiccup down on Toothless's back.
"Knock it off!"
"Easy, bud. The soon we find Hookfang, the sooner we'll get Snotlout off your back," Hiccup assured. He sat back up.
"Give me your eye thingy," demanded Snotlout.
"You mean my spy glass?" Hiccup passed it to Snotlout.
A roar echoed through the air.
"That sound, we heard that before Hookfang weirded out," said Snotlout. He pointed, shoving at Hiccup. "Go that way!"
"Okay, okay, let me fly the dragon," Hiccup told him.
There was a second roar.
"That sounded like a Monstrous Nightmare," Astrid said.
They went to investigate the roars. They landed and found Hookfang by a cave.
Snotlout dismounted Toothless. "This place again? This is where I found him last time."
Hookfang roared, throwing his wings out and stomping on the ground. "Back off! This is my territory!"
A purple and gold Monstrous Nightmare came out of the cave.
"Look! There's another Monstrous Nightmare," said Astrid.
"That's not just another Monstrous Nightmare," said Hiccup. "That's a female Monstrous Nightmare."
Hookfang and the female began to circle around with their wings out and bobbing their heads.
"Well this explains a few things," Deathshriek said.
"A female Monstrous Nightmare?" repeated Snotlout. "Now it all makes sense. My dragon has a way with the ladies! Must have picked up a few pointers from his master."
Astrid rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I doubt it. She's not dry heaving."
Snotlout waved her off. "Okay, shush. Hookfang, time's up. Let's go." He started for his dragon.
"Snotlout, you might want to tread lightly," warned Hiccup. "He's looking a wee bit territorial."
"Bit territorial," mocked Snotlout. "Thanks for the advice, Hiccup. Like you said; no one knows my dragon better than me. So, when it comes to Hookfang, I handle my own business. Hookfang, Girl Hookfang?"
Hookfang turned around and fired at him.
Snotlout yelped. He staggered back, smoking. "Yeah, he's really busy right now." He flopped down in front of them.
They went back to the Edge where they stood outside the clubhouse. Snotlout was still covered in soot and cinders courtesy of Hookfang.
"Snotlout, it's not that bad," said Astrid. "It could have been a lot worse."
"I fear not, fair maiden," said Tuffnut. "Hookfang clearly made a decisive choice in that moment, and thus, acted upon it."
"Mm, showing, not telling!" added Ruffnut. "The number one rule in theater. And what better way to achieve that than by setting one aflame!"
Snotlout snapped at them. "Kid all you want, but I know that dragon. I know what's in his heart and I know what's in his head. He'll come back to me, like he always does."
Fishlegs whined nervously and rolled his head.
Snotlout turned to him. "Uh, what? You're gonna tell me he's never coming back?"
Fishlegs repeated the whine and motion, tapping his index fingers together.
"Fishlegs?" Hiccup prompted.
"Hookfang wouldn't follow his training, he wouldn't eat, he ran away twice, he picked another dragon over you," listed off Fishlegs.
"Don't forget the fire thing," Tuffnut added.
"Right," said Fishlegs. "He pushed you way. All the symptom are here."
"Symptoms of what?" asked Snotlout.
"I think Hookfang is going feral," said Fishlegs.
They all gasped.
"No, not going feral!" cried Tuffnut.
"The cruelest turn of events!" added Ruffnut dramatically. "Wait, what's going feral mean?"
"I have no idea," said Tuffnut.
"It means that meeting this female has reawakened his primal instincts," explained Fishlegs. "And he's returning to the wild."
The other riders were shocked into silence.
"Shut up, Fishface!" shouted Snotlout. "What do you know? Hookfang needs me."
"It's nature, Snotlout," Fishlegs defended calmly. "You can't fight it."
"Watch me," said Snotlout. He stomped off.
Grim watched him go.
Tuffnut started applauding. "Bravo! Bravissimo! Encore! Ah, what theater!"
"Yes, and what a cliffhanger!" Ruffnut added.
Later at the stables, Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs were taking care of their dragons.
Hiccup decided to raise the issue they were all thinking about. "It's a scary idea, huh? That one of our dragons might just one day go back to the wild? You'd never to that to me, would you bud?"
"No," cooed Toothless.
"I didn't think so," said Hiccup.
Astrid smiled. "Come on, if it was going to happen to anyone, it's gonna be Snotlout. I mean, none of us have to worry. Right?"
"Right!" Stormfly confirmed.
Astrid sniffed the air. "What smells so good?"
They turned to Fishlegs who was pampering Meatlug and humming. He paused and looked up at them. "What?"
"You're giving Meatlug a rubdown?" asked Hiccup in mild disbelief.
"Yeah." Fishlegs held up a bottle. "With her favorite lingonberry oil. Just letting her know she's appreciated."
Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other.
Snotlout walked to the cave where the female Nightmare had taken up residence. He was carrying a basket.
"Primal instincts, Thor's butt! My primal instinct is to get my dragon back."
He reached the bushes that edged the clearing to the cave. The female Nightmare was standing at the mouth of the cave. Snotlout grinned and adjusted the basket.
"Now I know you are not about to throw electric eels at a Monstrous Nightmare to get her to run off."
Snotlout screamed and jumped around. "Grim! I-I-I was just bringing Girl Hookfang a snack."
Grim crossed his arms.
Snotlout huffed. "Fine. You caught me. But I'm not giving up on getting Hookfang back!"
"I wouldn't expect you, too," said Grim. "Put the basket down and follow me." He walked passed him and through the bushes.
The female Nightmare roared at him.
"I don't think she's in a talking mood, Grim," said Snotlout, coming out of the bushes.
"Hello," greeted Grim.
The female was taken aback by the Nightmare dialect. She hissed, "What do you want?"
"To explain," said Grim. "This is Hookfang's friend. He thinks you're stealing him."
"I didn't steal anything," snarled the female. "I don't care what your friend thinks. Go away!" Smoke came out of her snout.
"Uh, Grim?" Snotlout asked worriedly.
Grim refused to be intimidated. "How long?"
The female bared her teeth. "How long what?"
"How long until the eggs hatch?"
She stood up high on her legs and roared at them. "Go away! Go away! Go away!"
"Grim!" Snotlout yelled, taking a step back.
"Hold your ground!" Grim ordered.
Hookfang swooped in and crash-landed.
"Hookfang!" cried Snotlout.
Grim grabbed his arm to keep him from running to the dragon. The female was already moving to Hookfang's side.
Hookfang greeted her and looked at Grim and Snotlout. "What are you two doing here?"
"Snotlout was about to do something stupid," replied Grim.
"Typical."
"You need to tell him, Hookfang," said Grim.
Hookfang sighed. He jerked his head in the direction of the cave. The female growled at him and Hookfang hissed back at her. She looked at the humans before going into the cave. Hookfang followed, waiting on Snotlout and Grim.
Grim still had Snotlout by the arm and guided him to the cave. "Look."
Snotlout looked in the cave. In a hastily built nest were three eggs. "Eggs? What's going on here?"
"She needed help and found it in Hookfang," said Grim.
"Help? With what?" asked Snotlout.
A dragon roared and they ran outside. A massive red and black Monstrous Nightmare was flying down to them. It landed in front of them and roared again.
Snotlout stared in shock. "A Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare? Come on! Could this get any worse?"
The Titan Wing roared again, challenging.
Snotlout stepped back. "Whoa. I'd stay away from that guy!"
Grim walked out in the open, drawing his dagger and extending his claws. He stopped and let out a Baleful Banshee roar.
Hookfang and the female roared as well. Hookfang charged forward, hopping over Grim to attack the Titan Wing.
"Hookfang, what are you doing?" shouted Snotlout.
The Titan Wing tossed him away and turned its attention to the female.
Grim braced himself.
Snotlout grabbed his sword. "I don't know why I'm doing this, but here goes nothing. You want Hookfang's girlfriend, you got to go through . . ."
Two plasma blasts struck the Titan Wing. Toothless flew over while Barf and Belch came the opposite direction. Barf spewed gas and Belch ignited it. The Titan Wing flew off.
The riders landed.
"What are you guys doing here? Not that I'm complaining," said Snotlout.
"Deathshriek heard Grim," said Hiccup.
Said dragon joined his rider.
"You wanna tell us what's going on here?" asked Astrid.
"It looks like two male dragons fighting over a female," Fishlegs observed.
"Yeah, I've heard male Vikings do it, too, but I've personally never seen it," said Ruffnut.
"But the Titan Wing hear the female's mating call, too, and was drawn to it," added Fishlegs.
"Ah-ha! A love triangle!" Tuffnut chimed in.
"Wrong," said Snotlout. "Girl Hookfang has three eggs in that cave. Hookfang has been helping her protect them from giant jerk dragon."
"That wasn't a mating call Hookfang was answering, it was a distress call!" Hiccup realized.
"Well, we taught him a lesson then," said Astrid. "He won't be back."
"Yes, he will," said Fishlegs. "They're probably the eggs of a rival. Titan Wings won't give up until they're destroyed."
Hookfang crooned at the female Nightmare. "I'm not going to let that happen."
"So Hookfang didn't go feral after all?" asked Snotlout.
"Apparently not," said Fishlegs. "He's trying to establish dominance over the Titan Wing so he'll leave the eggs alone. Wow!"
"I knew it!" Snotlout cried.
"A true underdog story," said Tuffnut.
"Yes! The apex of dramaturgy!" Ruffnut added.
Snotlout petted Hookfang. "Ha! I'm proud of you, buddy. Girl Hookfang just became an honorary Jorgenson."
"Oh, boy!" groaned Astrid.
"But something's bothering me," said Hiccup. He turned to Grim. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because Hookfang asked me not to," replied Grim. "She's been trying to keep those eggs secret. She has no positive interaction with humans and it's possible other dragons would destroy the eggs as well. Hookfang knows this. So I did all he asked; checked the island for danger. We would have brought fish as well if he had asked."
Fishlegs looked up at the sky. "Uh, Hiccup?"
"Yeah?"
"Remember what I said about the Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare coming back?"
"Yeah?"
"Well . . ." Fishlegs pointed up.
The Titan Wing was circling overhead.
The Nightmares roared at it.
Hiccup shook his head. "Hookfang can't take on that Titan Wing alone."
Snotlout jumped into Hookfang's saddle. "He won't be alone."
"Neither will you," said Astrid.
"We've gotta do this ourselves," Snotlout told her.
"No way!" she argued. "That thing will tear you apart. Saddle up, everybody."
"You heard Fishlegs! That Titan Wing will only stop if it's dominated by Hookfang."
"He's right," said Hiccup.
"But Hiccup, look at that thing. It's . . ." Astrid started.
"I know," said Hiccup. "Gigantic, scary, angry."
"Bloodthirsty!" Tuffnut shouted.
"Thanks, Tuff," Hiccup flatly replied.
"Sorry. Writer's embellishment."
"Go get him, Snotlout! You guys can do this."
Snotlout nodded.
"Hey, be careful," said Astrid. "He's pretty nasty."
"Whatever happens to us, promise me you'll protect those eggs," said Snotlout.
"We will," promised Hiccup.
Hookfang flew up into the air.
The riders watched.
"He's crazy," said Astrid.
"He's Snotlout," Hiccup reminded.
"True," Astrid agreed.
The Titan Wing fired first. Hookfang got out of the way and fired back, hitting the Titan Wing in the chest.
The riders cheered from the ground.
Hookfang kept dodging and firing, hitting the Titan Wing while the Titan Wing kept missing.
"Hookfang's smaller and more maneuverable," Fishlegs pointed out.
Tuffnut stood with his hands on his hips. "The climax approaches."
Finally the Titan Wing landed a hit, striking Hookfang with its tail. It chased after them.
Snotlout looked back and saw the Titan Wing coming. "This is gonna hurt!" he warned.
But before the Titan Wing could reach them, the female Nightmare blasted it.
"Way to go, Girl Hookfang!" shouted Snotlout. "I always did like you!"
The Titan Wing flew back up and roared at the female Nightmare. Hookfang shot fire at its back to get his attention. The Titan Wing refocused on Hookfang and the female Nightmare flew back to the nest.
"Okay, Hookfang! Time to play beat the dome!"
Hookfang flew off, the Titan Wing chasing after.
"Beat the dome?" Astrid repeated. "That's his great idea?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Snotlout's never beaten the dome," Fishlegs reminded.
Hiccup watched the chase. "You're right, he hasn't. Okay, Astrid, Tuff, Ruff, Grim, you're with me. Fishlegs, stay with Girl Hookfang and defend the eggs."
Hiccup and the others flew back to the Edge. They took up their positions at the dome. Hookfang and the Titan Wing were already making their pass from the forest.
"Start the dome now!" Hiccup ordered.
The twins pulled on the lever and the dome started to close.
Hookfang went for the cave, the Titan Wing not far behind. He came up through the crack and went for the opening of the dome. However, instead of escaping, they let the dome close.
Astrid put her hand on the dome. "They didn't make it," she despaired.
The Titan Wing roared loudly. This was followed by the sounds of a fight. Snotlout could be heard encouraging Hookfang and taunting the Titan Wing. Fire came through the joints of the dome.
"Hookfang's using the Titan Wing's size against him!" Hiccup realized.
"He's trying to wear him down!" added Astrid with a smile.
This went on for several minutes and then it went quiet.
"Quick! Open the dome!" Hiccup told the twins.
The dome opened and the Titan Wing's face appeared in front of them with a roar. They jumped back, but quickly saw the Titan Wing couldn't hurt them. It let its head fall on the ground. Hookfang was perched on its back.
Snotlout sat proudly with his arms crossed. "Now that's what I call domination! Boom!"
Hookfang roared in triumph.
"You tell him, Fangster!" Snotlout patted Hookfang's head.
The Titan Wing got up and flew away.
The riders went back to the nest.
Fishlegs came running out of the cave. "Guys, look! They hatched!" he cried excitedly. He ran back in to show them.
Snotlout grinned. "And to think that I saved them."
Hookfang got in his face and flamed on. "You saved them?"
"Okay, okay! We saved them, we saved them," Snotlout quickly corrected.
Hookfang flew off.
"Snotlout and Hookfang, oi! Oi! Oi!" Snotlout cheered.
The other riders were standing over the nest, the female Nightmare behind them. Three little newborn Nightmares chirped and barked. The twins burst into tears.
"Uh, what's wrong with you two?" asked Hiccup.
The female Nightmare looked at the twins, confused.
"Nothing," bawled Ruffnut.
"You just don't see enough happy endings these days," sobbed Tuffnut. "Snotlout, oi, oi, oi! Oi, oi, oi!"
"Humans are strange," grumbled the female Nightmare.
Grim chuckled.
I have a confession to make. I have not seen any of the other Dragons: Race to the Edge episodes after this. I'm scheming and plotting two more crossovers at some point, but haven't figured where I'm going to place them in the time line. I am going to leave this story as incomplete, but after I get done watching the next season, we may have an entirely new entry and a crossover. We shall see.