When Lightning Strikes
Since the people of Berk had made peace with peace with the dragons there had been more then a few problems they'd dealt with. Right now they're were dealing with a recurring one.
Dragons couldn't stay up in the air all the time, they did fly but they did have to come down and rest, however when they came to rest on a house? The roof fell in in because it could support the weight of any of the dragons.
Well of course it fell upon the Haddocks to come up with a solution to make the both the dragons and the other Vikings happy. So they went right to work. It didn't take long for Hiccup with the help of his equally intelligent and clever siblings Boden and Una to come up with the idea.
So the next few days on Berk when the weather was very favorable the village work together to build large and strong metal perches so the dragons would've a place to rest that wouldn't collapse under their weight.
Naturally the Riders were a bit put off they had to help or at least the Twins Ruff and Tuff complained that they were preventing destruction and Snotlout was complaining even if he was a man he was missing out on serious workout time to improve his body by doing this stupid stuff.
Fishlegs didn't really say anything but did his work without complaint and Astrid was doing the job of supervising from the air with Hiccup along with the Anquetils sisters Skullette and Firefang.
Down on the ground Stoick and Gobber were working very hard with the building while Valka was getting help with her younger children from some from her friends from her brunch club to give the workers refreshments.
Another member within Valka's circle of friends was a woman named Bloodthorn Anderson. She was a baker and her husband was a famer; like her own children being way smarter than their time period so where Bloodthorn and her husband.
The couple had been working since they're Hiccup age and throughout their marriage on their smaller farm to improve the quality of food on Berk by experimenting in both baking and growing new fruits and vegetables.
Bloodthorn was always trying new baking techniques and using the new fruits and vegetables her husband Numbskull grew. He was always using different seeds he collect from around the archipelago or got from Trader Johann. Then tried in different mixed soils, water and compost and saw what the result was.
It had yield many encouraging results that had made Valka and her husband smile the last few years and made a lot of winters much easier to endure and many children less picky eaters.
Right now they're serving they're serving people some slices of bread both baked with a new kind of berry her husband created through crossbreeding and also made with a jam they'd invented from also another crossbred plant.
Boden and Una were serving some of Boden's best berry juice with help from two more of their mom's friends who were like the best helpers on the island. Two women who was masters of all trades on the island and not just one.
Romi Carlieff and her best friend and almost sister Remi Marta since they're both neighbors and had the same birthday. Just like their beautiful and enthusiastic daughters.
The building of the perches took five days to complete but the end results at first seemed worth it. The dragons at least had a place they could sit without breaking anything and all seemed well.
The night they're completed the family along with Gobber were enjoying a nice dinner which Gobber was wise enough not to speak ill of. The kids just finished feeding their dragons and hopped onto their seats at the table where their father in the middle of telling their mom and Gobber they'd need to move the perch by the well at least.
"Okay, that be prudent to do first thing in the morning, Stoick," as Valka took back everyone drinking cup and then went to see if they'd any juice leftover.
"You know we're talking and the perches could just be the beginning of what we could do for the dragons," Hiccup started to say excitedly.
"Yeah now that they now longer have to be hidden underground there so much more we can do for them! Like we can build stables or landing areas for examples!" Boden carried on equally excitedly.
"And there so much more we could teach them then just teach people to ride them too, Daddy! I mean my brothers and I think we can even teach them how to read or do basic math! Think how useful that be if we're on mission or dealt with a future enemy or something! Dragons are quite smart you know!" his daughter was probably the most keyed up being only five.
"Okay all of you settled down. Those are all fine ideas and it would be nice to put them all into play one day. Still never forget people also live on Berk and we still need to be able to still live on this island one well."
"Vikings before dragons." Gobber said and all the dragons looked up hurt at the blacksmith who looked back and said, "Yeah, I said it deal with it."
"Are you all done squabbling and ready to work out a compromise like we can be civilized for once?" Valka asked as she returned with some juice and was just starting to pour the juice when a loud clap of thunder and crash made her drop the pitcher.
Everyone hurried to the door and saw that lightning was striking everywhere in the village and it was starting to cause fire and it was so scary Una buried her face in mommy's skirt and was trembling in fear.
Valka quickly scooped up her frighten child and held her close to her chest to assure her she was alright. She looked at her other two kids to see how they're reacting to this strange storm.
She noticed Boden had a look of fascination and she knew for him this was something that he didn't fear but was rather intrigued by it. All his life Boden had been rather fascinated by nature and all the elements. He'd also had what the family consider a slight obsession of how the elements could be used as a power source when he saw what they did in nature itself.
He was more or less determined to understand it, so one day he'd harnessed it and use it to make a way for Berk and its people have a power source to really make their lives easier and help them defend themselves better. So for him studying the lighting and its behavior was what he was doing right now. So he was scared at all, he was just in wonder not fear.
Hiccup on the other hand was listening to his father and Gobber talking about an old tale about the last time this sort of thing happened. They recalled when a man a drifter name Barnstadt who robbed a lot of people and Thor punished him by striking him with lightning. Then they shipped him off the island and ever since then lightning never hit the village.
"That's a nice recollection, Stoick but the village is now being struck by lightning and we are in danger. So let's handle this crises!" Valka spoke sharply and then everyone fell over as the dragons all fled the house in a panic clearly scared out of their mind.
"Toothless! Oh man! I've never seen him or his sister or brother looked so scared!" Hiccup confessed.
"Well, they've never been out in a lightning storm either, honey. I'm sure this is terribly frightening to them. The lightning, fires and chaos," his mother replied as she was still trying to calm down a frighten Una.
"Okay, this is what we're going to. Gobber and I'll get a fire brigade together to try and control the fires. Valka you get Boden and Una to the Great Hall they should be safer there. Hiccup try and find Toothless and his siblings and get them to Great Hall as quick as possible so they'll be safe too. But don't try anything stupid and heroic!"
"Got it! I'll find Astrid and get a ride from her."
"Okay everyone meet up at the Great Hall as quick as possible. Cloudjumper?" as her Stormcutter came as soon as she called and they flew to the Great Hall.
It was still utter chaos as the rest of the Riders with the help of Skullette and Firefang were acting as an airborne fire brigade putting out the fires. Valka's circle of friends were scrambling to get people inside the Great Hall to take cover from the chaos and Astrid and Hiccup were swerving in and out trying to get to Toothless who was trying to get his sister Stardust and his brother Nightrainbow the safety of Great Hall.
But the trio of Dragon Siblings were being attacked by the lighting as they leapt in fright from perch to perch since they were scared out of their minds and didn't know what else to do.
Like Valka had said they'd never been in a storm like this before and they're only as old as their Riders. Though at this moment they're just three frighten little kids who had no mommy or daddy to protect them from something that was scaring the daylights out them and they're just reacting in a panic.
Of course Mildew didn't see three little kids scared of a storm and acting out of fear and terror just wanting someone like a mommy to protect him. Even if that was the truth as the dragons finally made it to their humans.
He started to incite a riot claiming it was the three dragon's fault that Thor was angry at the village and this chaotic storm even happened. They were The Dragons of Legend after all. One was the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death itself. The other was able to shoot lightning and known as the Ghost Dragon and the other could chant who knows what dark evil words to anger the gods.
The kids were shocked as they're trying comfort their trembling dragons and wanted to defend their dragons once again from Mildew but their parents beat them too it.
"Mildew stand down and shut that vile trap you could your mouth for once!" snapped Valka angrily as she got really close to him.
"If Thro is angry I don't believe he's angry at our children's dragons as the Gods are both responsible for blessing both our children with their special gifts and their dragons.
It's highly unlikely they'd suddenly be angry at the very dragons they granted them to aid them in whatever destiny they're to fulfill one day."
"Oh don't give us that bullcock story about so call special gifts or another lie the Gods also now gave them these unholy beasts, Stoick!" shouted Mildew.
"It's the truth, Mildew! Whether you refused to believe or not! I was there when it happen and I felt the power of the Gods at work and how it happened it could only be the will of the gods at work!" Valka got his face that she actually spat at him.
"Now we will find out what truly is making Thor angry or what is actually going on one way or another, Mildew. But we are not throwing our children's dragons off the island.
They've saved the lives of Berk too many times to be considered evil and there must be some other explanation. So everyone calm down we will soothe both Thor and make sure nothing else happens to Berk."
The next day the Haddock siblings, Anquetils sisters and the Riders were all gathered around trying to figure out how to solve the problem before the next storm hit.
It was clear another storm was building and it would hit by nightfall so they had only till then to try and figure out what to do try and stop Berk from being under siege of lightning once more.
Well the teenager kids all started thinking this was a godly problem. Which started off with the Twins. "You know if we want to make Thor happy it seems he might have been hungry since he tore a hole through the Great Hall. So about a feast?" suggested Tuffnut stupidly.
"Or about we just sacrifice you? That should make him happy. The gods love that kind of stuff and it make me happy." Ruffnut replied with a smirk as she slapped him behind the head.
"Okay where should I go to be sacrifice? There better be fire involved."
"Tuffnut we ain't gonna sacrifice anyone! Ruffnut just because you don't like your brother sometimes is no reason to have him barbecued!" Hiccup told her with his hands on his hips.
"Fine, geez! Can't I have a little fun?" she pouted in a disgruntled tone.
"Well the gods never been mad at our family," Fishlegs as he did a bunch of superstition acts supposedly to protect you which made Hiccup, Boden and Una roll their eyes.
"You know if we ain't gonna sacrifice anyone and I don't think what Fishlegs just did is gonna help any maybe we have to do some kind of tribute. I mean my aunt was cursed by Odin once for committing some kind of wrong.
So she'd to appease him by sailing to the ends of the earth. Though she must have gotten lost along the way since she kept showing up from the opposite direction." Astrid admitted though she looked a bit confused by her aunt's punishment.
That when Snotlout barged into the middle acting like he was all that. "You want to know how to make a god happy? If I was a god I want a giant statue of myself! So I could gaze all day at my glorious magnificent self."
"Aren't you already in love with yourself enough, Snotlout? Like do you really need to have a statute for your already oversized ego?" asked a disgusted Skullette to the teenager.
"Yeah, you can't even respect the women of Berk and your so in love with yourself it's amazing the island hasn't sunk by how swollen your head is already!" Firefang added to her sister's comments.
"Well, it's not actually a terrible idea." Hiccup started to say and everyone looked shock.
"Hiccup?! Bro?! BBBFF!?"
"No! I'm not saying we need a stupid statute of Snotlout! Like the gods be happy with that! They would sink the island or send a plague to kill all of us for that for sure! I mean Thor might like a statue of himself and maybe that could stop the lightning."
"It's sounds like a very good idea. Since Berk never give Thor or any of the Gods of Asgard any kind of statue or proper tribute before." Fishlegs pointed out.
"So we should get on it right away!" Astrid exclaimed excitedly.
However before they could even started to do anything Boden raised his hand like he was in class and Hiccup turned to his brother and said, "Yes, Boden you have something to say?" in a kind voice.
"Um not to sound weird or stupid which I know to everyone else I will. But as it occurred to any of you that this may not have anything to do with the gods? Not everything can be blamed on the gods you know!
Things do just happen in nature all on their own which are just natural phenomenon. You can't say everything in life is an act from the Gods. I mean we as humans have free will and nature been doing things on its own for years before we even came to this land."
"Yeah, there are plenty of things we do for ourselves both human and dragons can do that have nothing to do with the Gods will and so must things in nature itself.
My big brothers and I have for years when we still secretly rescued dragons amongst other things attempted to comprehend the natural phenomenon of the world around us.
Like for your aunt for example, Astrid. If she kept showing up from the opposite direction I think we can logically conclude the world is round. Therefore there is no end to it." Una spoke in a calm and rational way that seemed strange coming from a child her age.
"It is true what my younger siblings are saying. We learned best by simply through studying the world everything in it by observation, problem-solving then coming up with different hypotheses. Which we'd then set about to either prove or disprove that hypotheses through different experiments and trial and error. That's simply how you learn and anything in life is actually accomplished.
Boden really does have a great understanding how the elements of nature, their power and energy. His main goal is to one day somehow learn enough to harness the elements and use them in a way to create a power source for Berk to help benefit our people.
My sister Una she's the most musically talented in the family and really been trying to understand everything to do with sound. So she's spent all her short lives trying to unlock the mysterious of sound." Hiccup finished explaining with earnest and a rather proud smile lit up his face.
The others were staring at him and his siblings again like they're oddballs. "Are you all just freaks by nature?" Snotlout asked for most of the riders when the sisters stood in front of the siblings and told the others straight up something they should've gotten a long time ago.
"What Hiccup, Boden and Una are is just ahead of their times Snotlout. And unlike the countless idiots of Berk again they've brains and use their hearts to solve problems. Not just jump into things and throw their weight around." Skullette chastised the insolent jock while glaring furiously at everyone except for Astrid.
"Yeah, it might really help for once just one time, if more people tried acting like them more often. Instead of ostracized them or anyone else for being different. Like it's some kind of unforgiveable sin!
For it's those who are different who will transformation the world for the better and do great and miraculous achievements believed to be unachievable in the past. It's everyone else who looks, thinks and acts the same who will never make a difference at all!
As a result conformity isn't a good thing at all! If you even know what that word means which I doubt you do!
Though once more it's those who've great minds plus pure hearts like them, in addition think for them, as well as don't follow the crowd, will make this world a much greater more diverse and amazing place, to live in for all people so no-one has to be alone and outcasted in the future!" Firefang also reprimanded glowering at Snotlout and that did shut everyone up.
"So while you all are busy making a statue for what you think is a problem with the gods, myself, Una and the sisters will be studying the evidence left behind by the storm and trying to see what it has to say for itself.
I'm willing to bet even though we can't let Mom hear that word, but I'm will to bet this is a problem found in nature and has absolutely nothing to do with the gods at all!" snapped Boden so angrily he was getting really mad and Hiccup went over to his brother and hugged him while whispering something and his brother began to take some deep breaths and with each exhale was imagining something that made him happy.
"You feel better now, Boden?"
"Yes."
"Okay I love your idea and it's a smart one. But Skullette is the one in charge being oldest. So she's too look after you and Una. You may be knowledge but the buck stops with her, okay?"
"I understand, bro."
"Okay so you four go and do your part looking at the evidence and gather what data you can and the Riders and I'll build a statute of Thor. That way both sides of the problem are covered and either way we have a backup plan to take care of the problem okay?"
"Sounds reasonable to me."
"Good, but mind your temper and let Firefang take notes. As she's got the best handwriting out of anyone on Berk. We know Una's learning to write but well not very neat even at her best, no offense sis."
"None taken."
"Okay, so you two can watch my siblings and do your job of gathering data on the logical side of this?" he asked and they nodded and Skullette kissed the side of Hiccup's face which made him blush.
"Hiccup you three are like siblings to us. We won't let anything happen. You do your half to try and solve the problem we will do our part. Let's all just try and shut up our comment enemy of Mildew, okay?"
"Okay. See you later."
"Okay let's get too it!"
And with that the two parties split up to spent the day working on the two different solutions to the problem. The Riders worked hard to put together the statute of Thor and the other four went about in a very scientific and logical way going over what they'd seen last night and the evidence left behind trying to understand what actual took place.
Well the unveiling of the statue went over well with the people, but that night the next storm brought twice as much lightning. Gobber being a doofus was at the front door saying "I don't get it we gave Thor a giant statute! How could he not be happy?!"
"Gobber get away from the door and shut it now!" ordered Stoick in almost angry tone.
Gobber was a little shocked tone but when he turned around he saw it was more because Stoick was with his children trying to quell their dragon from panicking again and also keep his daughter from being scared. So he wasn't really angry more like concerned and frustrated.
"Well I think we can finally concluded that if the statute didn't make the storms stops and lightning still striking this has nothing to do with any of the gods especially Thor in Asgard. Do you agree, Stoick?" Valka asked sternly as she finally got everyone too settled down with a mild dose of her sleeping potion.
"Yes, I'm with you and the children. This most likely had nothing to do with Thor. Though Hiccup you still did a very good job with building the statute so it was a valiant effort on your part. So don't feel bad," his father tried to make him feel better so his feeling didn't get hurt.
"Thanks for being concerned about my feelings, Dad, but I'm okay right now. So my feelings aren't in danger of being hurt."
Smiling at his eldest he then turned to his second son and asked him. "Okay, Boden, this your area of expertise. What did you find out today?"
Fishing out his notebook he read what his finding where. "Well, Una figured out can time how far away by timing the interval between the flash of lighting and the sound of thunder.
We also able to determine lightning is way, way, way hotter the fire itself and if I when it gets discharged from the clouds towards the grounds it wants to find the fast way down to the ground and it usually hits the tallest thing it can find first.
Like trees for example, though right now the tallest things we have our metal perches but I think there a bigger reason than just the perches are tall they're being hit, Dad."
"Wait, back up a minute, Boden. You said the perches are hit because they're tall right?"
"Yeah, but I suspect there more to it than that."
"I just glanced out the window and saw lightning hit the statute and seemed to follow a path through it like a river and out it. It's like the lightning attract to it not just because it's tall, but because it made of…"
"Metal!" they all cried at once.
"But what if this attractions is also kind like they say opposite attract as well?" Una proposed. Like that's also how their drawn together too. Not just because their metal and tall? Another factor could be that the tall metal perches might be like I'll say negative because we have some negative things going on and the positive energy since energy is pure is coming towards it?" she was jumping excitedly.
"All this is very fascinating and I'm sure if we had more time to prove it things might end well, but you three should get going," the father warned them.
"Why?"
"You may've been too worked up in your latest discovery for your powers to warn you, but we already can hear Mildew's lynch mob coming for the dragons. You three need to flee for now and we'll try and talk them down and maybe if we can them calm down we can explain your finding rationally to them." Valka told them even if she sounded doubtful.
"Here, take these," Gobber told them handing them each a small dagger. "You need something to defend yourselves. Now get out Hiccup's window and get out of here. We'll hold them off as long as we can. Now go!"
The two trio of siblings fled as fast as they could escaping by the skin of their teeth before the mob broke into the house. Which Stoick and Valka yelled at them first for breaking into their home and then told them the dragons were gone.
Mildew said Thor spoke differently and that the evil beasts were still on the island and they'd hunt them down and get them off the island.
Knowing Mildew more then ship the dragons off Valka and Stoick got on their dragons and hurried to try and stop this insanity. They're joined by all of Valka's brunch club, the whole Anquetil family, Stormy and Bucket and Mulch trying to stop this insanity.
Still the insane lynch mob did successfully capture the dragons but they didn't do harm to the children other then make them watch their dragons be taken away.
Still all on the Chief and Valka's side stood in front of the three dragons refusing to let harm come to them, though Bucket and Mulch seemed a bit uneasy, more Bucket then Mulch.
Everyone was pleading for people to come to their senses and listen to reason which no-one was willing to listen too till some spine shots came between the two parties and the kids dropped in curtsy of Astrid.
"STOP! STOP! JUST LISTEN FOR A DAMN MINTUTE AND WE WILL EXPLAIN WHAT IN THE NAME OF LOKI'S DAUGHTER GOING ON!" screamed Hiccup loudly as he was holding a long metal staff.
Surprised to hear him scream everyone was quiet and let the children speak and heard them out.
"Look we know your first impulse when something goes wrong in life is to find someone or something to blame it on. Its human nature and you're blaming our dragons or more to the point you think the gods are blaming our dragons.
However you can't play the blame game for everything in life! When every so often in life it's no-one's fault at all! As it is in this case this is no-one fault! It's not the gods, our dragons or anyone on Berk's fault for the storms or the lightning!" Hiccup was pleading with them to listen.
"Yes, it's no-one fault at all! This is just how nature itself work! We are being the victims of simply Mother Nature, not of the Gods or anything else but simply how Nature itself works!
The evidence we collected speaks for itself and if you open your eyes and your minds and look around you'll see it for yourself!" Boden was also pleading as he took out his notebook and began reading his findings and as he did Una did her best to point it out each spot that showed proof what they were saying.
"Don't you see everything we are saying? Look everything my brothers and I are saying makes logical sense! Look! See for yourself just stop and think about it!
Those perches and statues have two things in common. They are both tall and made of metal. Then think about the timing. We didn't have any lightning hit us till we had either of those things in the village!
Doesn't it make logical sense of what the difference is between what happened in the past and what is happening now? If you see the different factors? And how the lightning is ONLY hitting TALL METAL OBJECTS?!
And ONLY AFTER WE PUT THEM UP DID THE LIGHTNING START RAINING DOWN ON US?!" Una screamed loudly in her pleas.
"As for what Mildew saying the Gods are angry at our dragons?! And his supposed reason?! One look at the source you're hearing it from. Two those words were about them come from people who knew nothing about them and people fear what they don't understand and know nothing about so make up all kinds of tall tales that have no real facts!" Hiccup yelled and everyone looked at Mildew and remembered why they hated him.
Seeing that Hiccup went on to remind Berk of something. "Our dragons grew up in the UDS. They never experienced a lightning storm before and they're the same ages as myself and my brother and sister. We're all terrified and panicked by the first storm.
They're just as petrified and freaked so what Mildew was calling the Gods acting out of rage or vengeance? In reality was just three frightened little kids who didn't have a mommy or daddy to protect them and were freaking out because they're just scared like we all were!" he explained what was really going on.
"All lies! You saw what going on! Have you ever heard such nonsense in your lives?! These three are the traitors and insane ones! They should be shipped off as well! Before they destroy more of what Berk is with their poisonous lies!" Mildew screamed losing all self-control when he saw he was losing his sway over the crowd who were seeing the truth of what the kids were saying.
"For once Mildew you ass we can proof what we are saying. Astrid fly me up." Hiccup had Astrid fly him up to a nearby ship and got ready to a very dangerous demonstration to prove what they're talking about.
"You sure about this?"
"We got all the facts we're gonna get for now. So we are about 98% sure our hypotheses is correct."
"So you have a 2% doubt?!"
'Just get clear."
"Okay, now watch as I attach this rod to the mast and the lightning will hit it and prove out theory for all of you too see what we've discovered is the truth…" but he didn't to set up the rod as the lightning discharged prematurely and he got hit and fell.
"HICCUP!" everyone cried and he hit the water which crackled for a moment showing another fact that water and lighting didn't mix. But the dragons got loose at that moment and act quickly.
Stardust sucked up the lightning into so her brother was able to dive into get Hiccup who when they pulled him out wasn't breathing. No-one knew what to do and then Nightrainbow sent out a strange song out like he was crying for help.
What happened next would be a miracle for all of Berk. Everyone gathered at the docks swore there was a golden silhouette of a winged female whispering something into Valka's ear. Valka then with Stoick's help began to do something no-one ever seen done before that was actually CPR and finally Hiccup coughed after his breath of life returned to him.
Then everyone still swore this golden winged silhouette ran her hand over his body which seemed to glow very faintly so faintly you couldn't really see it. Then this golden silhouette disappeared as if they're never there and no-one was sure if it was just a trick of lightning and moonlight or not.
But the kids and dragons had proven their point and the Haddocks then took the comatose but breathing Hiccup back home to hopefully wake up later.
Hiccup did wake up two days later and thankfully he had no injuries. Which was a miracle because normally if you got hit by lightning and fell into water you'd be dead or seriously burned or paralyzed.
It seemed whatever or whoever that golden silhouette was she had performed a miracle that taken away all the life-threatening or life-altering injuries and he was perfectly fine. And whispered how to perform CPR.
Stoick and Valka knew in their hearts who'd just played a part in saving their child. The same person who was always watching over their family since before their family even started and kept that a personal secret till the time was right to reveal it.
There were some lasting effects from that night but at least none had to do with anyone dying. They had to take down the perches for the village safety and figure out another time a safer way to give the dragons a place to land.
They moved the Thor statue outside Mildew's house or rather the Twins and Snotlout did when told to move to a high point on the island so they still could honor Thor and having him protect the island but it be no danger to the village.
No one minded Mildew getting his ass burned by cold fire as they felt he deserve to reap what he sowed anyway.
Boden's obsession with the elements, energy and power got stronger and now he was more determined than ever to truly understand it all even lightning to one day be able to harness it and able to give the people of Berk a real power source.
And after the villagers came with their apologies gifts for the dragons and children everyone was smiling thinking happily how this was one time how science had prevailed over just blindly thinking everything has to do with a supernatural deity.
