Hiccup and Kara were shoved into the dank, dimmed hall. The massive doors rattled and echoed as Stoick slammed them. Stoick pushed past Hiccup. He paced against a backdrop of shadowy tapestries and carved pillars - a legacy of heroes, all peering down in angered judgement.

"I should have known. I should have seen the signs."

"Dad-"

"We had a deal!" Stoick paused to say something, but stopped short. He snorted and resumed pacing, repeating the cycle.

"I know we did... but that was before... ughh, it's all so messed up." Hiccup said. Kara moved to his side.

"So everything in the ring. A trick? A lie?" He stomped toward Hiccup. At Kara's warning look, he stopped short. He pointed, fighting back words.

"I screwed up. I should have told you before now. Take this out on me, be mad at me, but please... just don't hurt Toothless." Hiccup pleaded.

The dragon? That's what you're worried about? Not the people you almost killed?!

"He was just protecting me! He's not dangerous."

"They've killed hundreds of us!"

" And we've killed thousands of them! They defend themselves, that's all! They raid us because they have to! If they don't bring enough food back, they'll be eaten themselves. There's something else on their island dad...it's a dragon like-"

"-Their island?" Stoick repeated. He stomped back, pointing an accusing finger. "So you've been to the nest."

"Did I say nest?" Hiccup went silent - he said too much.

"How did you find it?!"

"No... I didn't. Toothless did. Only a dragon can find the island." Stoick glared. A moment passed, then an idea took form on his face. His eyes flared. Hiccup watched, realizing. Stoick stomped toward the doorway. Hiccup chased after him, panicked. "Oh no. No, Dad. No. Dad. It's not what you think. You don't know what you're up against. It's like nothing you've ever seen."

He grabbed Stoick by the arm, tugging with all his might. He had no effect whatsoever.

"Dad. Please. I promise you that you can't win this one." Nothing. "No. Dad. No. For once in your life, WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO ME?!"

Stoick swatted Hiccup off of him, throwing him to the floor. Icy stillness. Hiccup stared back, stunned. Kara restrained herself from killing the large viking then and there.

"You've thrown your lot in with them. You're not a Viking. You're not my son." He turned and walked away. "Kara, come."

"No." She said bluntly. Both vikings turned to her, shocked.

"What?" Stoick snapped.

"You don't own me. I refuse to come. I refuse to kill any more dragons." Kara said. Stoick scoffed and turned to walk away.

"You're just as pathetic as him then."

"You say dragons are monsters, when it's really you that's the monster." Stoick paused, stung, then pushed through the door, leaving Hiccup devastated.

"Ready the ships!" Stoick called.

Broken-down catapults and trebuchets were bundled up and lowered from the cliffs. Below on the docks, Vikings loaded the heavy artillery into the hulls of awaiting ships. Children and the elderly gathered to on the walkways to wave apprehensive farewells to the departing warriors. Lastly, Toothless was loaded aboard Stoick's ship, chained down to a palette, muzzled, and restrained with a weighty neck ring. He looked exhausted, miserable.

Stoick crossed to the bow as the ship pushed off and joined the amassed armada of ships adrift in the harbor. Stoick's brow was furrowed, all warmth drained away. He turned west and glared at the horizon with cold determination.

"Set sail! We head for Helheim's Gate." He then notices Hiccup and Kara watching from their familiar cliff-side perch beyond the village. Their eyes meet, full of hurt and regret. Hiccup slowly shook his head in warning. Stoick broke the stare and turned to Toothless, fuming.

" Lead us home, Devil." Stoick said. Hiccup watched, powerless to stop what was happening, but he wouldn't leave.

Hiccup was still standing there. The ships had cleared the horizon. Astrid and Kara stood behind him. Kara walked next to him and took his hand. He glanced to her, then stared out over the water again. Astrid approached cautiously and stood beside him in silence.

"It's a mess." Hiccup doesn't respond. "You must feel horrible. You've lost everything. Your father, your tribe, your best friend."

"Thank you for summing that up." Hiccup said sarcastically. "Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods. It would have been better for everyone."

"Yep. The rest of us would have done it. So why didn't you?" Hiccup just shook his head - he really didn't know. Astrid's eyes glimmered. She wanted something. "Why didn't you?"

"I don't know. I couldn't." Hiccup said.

"That's not an answer." Astrid said. Hiccup was becoming irated. "Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?"

"Because I want to remember what you say right now." Astrid said.

"Oh for the love of - I was a coward! I was weak. I wouldn't kill a dragon." Hiccup said, loud, angry.

"You said 'wouldn't' that time." Astrid noted.

"Whatever! I wouldn't! Three hundred years and I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon!" Hiccup yelled, blowing up at the viking girl.

"First to ride one, though." Kara said, finally speaking. Hiccup blinked at her in surprise. He had never looked at it that way before. "So..."

"...I wouldn't kill him because he looked as frightened as I was." Hiccup said, coming to realize something. "I looked at him and I saw myself."

"I bet he's really frightened now." Astrid said, turning to face the open sea. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Probably something stupid." Hiccup said.

"Good. But you've already done that." Kara teased.

"Then something crazy." Astrid and Kara smiled as he ran off.

"That's more like it." Kara said, chasing after Hiccup with a laugh.