Chapter 28

His shrieks penetrated every inch of the Nest, leaving no doubt that there was a very angry Night Fury running amuck. Although I could tell by their muffled quality that Toothless was still outside, the Nest's dragons had been whipped into a frenzy. They screeched and called to each other, flying in tight circles over the lake of the absent king, or else grouped around the Nest's exits. There wasn't a single one that was left unguarded, boding ill. Toothless wasn't known for his friendliness to challengers, especially when I wasn't there to mediate.

I heard Cloudjumper roar outside. For a moment, a portion of the icy roof reflected harsh light, telling us that one of the outside dragons had flamed the other. I couldn't be certain, but judging by the shot's briefness, it had been Toothless.

"This is bad," I said.

Just when I finished saying that, the ceiling exploded.

Toothless dove through the hole, carving a tunnel through the flock of spooked dragons, who veered out of his way. He snapped at any who ventured too close, wrenching his body from side to side, and making something on his back gleam gold –

Cloudjumper emerged through Toothless's hole. Valka was on his back, staff held, one hand gripping the Stormcutter. They cut Toothless off, with Cloudjumper spreading his wings wide and trying to intimate the smaller dragon with his mass. But Toothless had faced the Red Death, and size didn't scare him. He stopped and hovered in place, and I knew from experience that he was planning something.

Valka urged Cloudjumper closer. She crawled up to his head, so that she could reach out towards Toothless. She held her hand out in the same gesture I used to bond with dragons. The difference was that she was dealing with an intelligent dragon who may or may not have picked up combat techniques from his Viking partners.

He lurched forward, grabbed Valka's staff in his teeth, and yanked her off Cloudjumper. The Stormcutter naturally chased after her, snatching her up with one foot. Toothless's shot slammed into his back, and I winced as the two disappeared into the water below with a splash.

From above, Toothless laughed. The other dragons gave him a wide berth. With the space around him clear, I was able to see the golden gleam on his back stir, groaning as she rubbed her face and sat up-

"Astrid!" I didn't even feel sorry for what happened to Valka and Cloudjumper anymore.

Toothless's ears perked up and he barked, looking in my general direction. I think he spotted Snotlout, not me first, but either way, he raced towards us. At some point, he found me hidden among the moss and dove.

I don't think he meant to do it, but when he landed, his body slammed into Snotlout and sent him tumbling. Toothless didn't even notice. I was the sole focus of his attention. On the ground before me, he panted, wiggling his hindquarters playfully. He was too excited to wait for my response, and began to hop from side to side in an altered version of his Let's go flying! dance. I couldn't help but mimic him, hopping on my tiptoes in a dance that seemed to come from the innermost parts of my being. We skipped and pranced around each other, growing more in sync with every beat. I barely even felt the ground. If it hadn't been for my rational brain, which anchored my mind no matter how much it felt like it was floating away, I would have thought I was flying.

On his back, Astrid moaned. "Toothless, you're going to make me puke!"

"You're both here!" I gasped, so excited I could barely get the words out.

"Hiccup!" Astrid automatically tried to jump down, the action making Toothless cut our dance short, but the ropes attaching her to Toothless prevented that. That's all there was: ropes. She'd clearly been unable to find a saddle before they had embarked on their journey.

She put a hand on one of the knots, presumably to untie it, when Toothless lunged forwards, causing Astrid to pitch back. He went tongue-first, and the warm appendage stuck to me so that when he tried to lick, he actually pushed me onto my side. Not that I minded. He stuck his snout into my chest, and licked that.

"I missed you, bud." My purr rumbled throughout my body. It vibrated in time with Toothless's purr, and we fed off each other's energy. When he licked all the way up to my neck, I whined. I had missed him. I really had. I buried my snout in his skin and breathed in the familiar scent that sung of happiness and family and home. I needed this. I needed to touch him, and smell him and know he was real.

Toothless laid down beside me, licking, sniffing, keeping me close so I wouldn't disappear again. It gave Astrid a chance to finally start untying herself.

Snotlout groaned. "What hit me?"

Toothless tipped his head in his direction, as if considering whether he should greet the wayward Viking with the same enthusiasm he had greeted me. Evidently, he thought better of it.

"Finally!" Astrid slid off Toothless's back, legs wobbly. There were red marks on her clothes and legs where the ropes had dug in. It didn't look like it had been a comfortable ride for her.

"Hey, Astrid," I whispered.

She smiled. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Only Toothless saw it as a threat to our brotherly bonding time, and he curled around me, chin on my head.

"Okay, fine!" she said good-naturedly. "I'll say hi to him later."

"Toothless, don't be selfish," I scolded, but there was no bite to my tone, and he knew it.

I love you, he told me. I rubbed against him, saying those same words back, and then – half of it instinct, half of it a conscious choice – I licked the underside of his chin. ("Aww!" went Astrid).

Toothless suddenly went still. I nudged him. What was wrong? I was here. We were together. What could have caught his attention? What could possibly be more important?

It wasn't quite a growl that left Toothless's throat, but a precursor to one. Astrid stood, taking her place at Toothless's side at his silent command. She had one hand on her axe. Snotlout didn't move, and Toothless didn't seem too interested in moving towards him. But, he reached out with his tail and rested it on Snotlout's foot, telling everyone that the Viking was under his protection. With that declaration, he stared down the massive dragon in front of us.

It only struck me now just how big Cloudjumper was. He dwarfed Toothless, probably could have eaten him in a couple of bites if he wanted to. Not that Toothless was a particularly big dragon – there were plenty of species that were larger than him. But those dragons tended to be big and long, like lizards or eels. Cloudjumper was big and wide.

"Who are you?" Astrid said to Valka, speaking for Toothless.

Snotlout said, "Oh, she's. . ."

I knew what he wanted to say. I'm sure Valka had done her best to silently tell Snotlout to keep his mouth shut, but even if somehow that message had made it through his thick skull, he wouldn't have listened. But for a moment, his eyes were on me. He must have seen something there, because he suddenly switched tracks and finished, " . . . she's our new best friend."

"She's a friend?" Astrid repeated, uncertain.

I wasn't imagining the darkness in Snotlout's voice when he said, "I guess so."

Valka stepped off of Cloudjumper, hands open in a placating manner. Astrid held a hand out to Toothless, shushing him. Toothless didn't listen and kept growling his growl-that-wasn't-quite-a-growl.

"Snotlout is right," Valka said. "If you are a friend of dragons, then we are on the same side."

". . . Okay." I was a little surprised by how quickly Astrid accepted that, although the giant Nest full of dragons probably did a lot to convince her.

Toothless wasn't so trusting. When Valka dropped down into a crouch and inched closer, he pulled me against his chest. Up to me, then. I snuggled against him, and purred, trying to lend him my calm.

Then, the Nest flew into a frenzy again. A solid cloud of dragons hovered over the king's lake, barking and crying as his majesty surfaced. He looked hard at the crowd, blinked, and then stared in our direction.

He sighed. Things were much more peaceful before you arrived.

A minute later, and the king had calmed down both the Nest and Toothless. Not like that drew Toothless away from me. I was cocooned within his wings, only my head exposed. Every once in a while, he would sniff me again and lick my head. Snotlout and Valka were giving Astrid a heavily edited version of everything that had happened

The king was watching us. Who is he? he asked. Unlike Valka, he knew that Toothless and I were not related.

He's my best friend, I said cheerfully. I stretched my lips into that toothless smile, and squirmed so Toothless would look at me.

I looked back at the king, an idea trickling through my mind. Could you . . . could you tell him I love him?

I believe he already knows that, said the king.

I know. I just want to make sure.

Very well.

As the king spoke to Toothless, his green eyes widened. He cooed, tilting his head from side to side, looking at me as if he had never seen me before. Very gently and deliberately, he licked me from the top of my chest, over my snout and all the way to my forehead.

The king said, He says he loves you more.

"Liar!" I said both aloud and in my mind. "That's impossible! Nobody can love me more than I love him."

When the king translated, Toothless growled playfully and mouthed my skull. It had all the suggestion of a challenge, and I flipped over and batted at his face with my paws.

"Okay, I think I understand," Astrid was saying. "This place really is fantastic, but we have to get back to Berk."

"Already? Don't you want to relax and check out the place?" I asked. It wasn't that long ago that I had been praying to go back home, but with Astrid and Toothless here, I had almost everything I could have wanted. With them behind me, acting as my silent support, I could deal with anything. Even a certain someone.

"You just got here," Snotlout said.

"I know," Astrid said sharply, "but we don't have any time to waste. I shouldn't even have stood here and listened to you two. We have to go now!"

Hearing the genuine distress in her words, I pushed away from Toothless and asked, "What's wrong?"

Astrid said, "You two have no idea what happened after you disappeared. It was bad. Really bad."

"Oh." Snotlout rubbed his hands together. "What did happen?"

Astrid closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "The battle wasn't very long. The Raiders and Bog Burglars came by and broke everything up. But then you two didn't show up, and no one on the island had seen you, but Toothless must have smelt you were in danger, or scared, or something . . . it was a mess. Toothless and Stoick, they . . . they were furious and we decided to confront Dagur . . ."

She paused there, as if the memory was too much for her.

" . . . Dagur's dead."

Dead? My mouth dropped open. He was dead? I turned to look at my best friend, croaking, "You killed him?"

Toothless, as if he knew what I was talking about, had the gall to look exceptionally pleased with himself.

The aftermath of that tragic announcement was marked by Snotlout's triumphant, "Ha! That's a good thing, right?"

"No, it's terrible!" Astrid said back. "We were there to convince them not to harm dragons, and then right in front of everyone, a dragon . . . if only Dagur had kept his mouth shut! Now the Bog Burglars are calling for a cull, the Louts are on the fence, and the Raiders are too interested. And the only reason we're still alive is that Stoick played the blood feud card!"

My mouth fell open. A blood feud? Blood feuds, in the hands of someone with enough charisma, could quite possibly let you get away with murder, especially if you were as well-liked and trusted as Dad. But blood feuds could only be used as an excuse against someone who had killed or almost killed a family member without proper provocation. And like the name suggested, the victim had to share your blood. If Dad used that, then that meant . . .

"Yes, Hiccup," Astrid said, "they all know who you really are."

Valka snapped to attention, but Astrid was too focused on me to notice. She didn't even flinch when Snotlout shouted, "You told them?"

"We had to! It was the only way to evoke the blood feud," she said. "They didn't believe us at first, but between what Mogadon and his tribe already knew about the witch, and what Fishlegs found in those journals – yes, he found something. It's not a cure, so I'll tell you later – we managed to convince the Vikings who matter. So, we're only at war with the Berserks."

"War!" Everybody but Astrid shouted at the same time. She gave Valka a strange look, probably wondering why the weird dragon lady cared so much.

"Not officially," Astrid said. "But the Berserks left in the middle of the night, and Stoick thinks they're trying to get back before we do. That way, they can raise an army and attack Berk while it's vulnerable. Which is why we have to leave now."

"I'm convinced," I said, jumping to my paws.

"Wait!" Valka grabbed Astrid's shoulder. "What do you mean they all know who Hiccup really is?"

Astrid brushed her hand off. "It's a long story, and it's not important."

But Valka wouldn't be ignored so easily. To Snotlout, she said, "You've been keeping something from me ever since you arrived. There's something off about Hiccup; I've known since I met him."

"Yeah, what she said: it's not important," Snotlout echoed.

"I think I should be the judge of that." I could picture Valka's gentle face contorted into a scowl behind that mask. Exhaling, legs weak enough they felt like they would collapse, I put a paw on Snotlout's foot and nodded, giving him the go-ahead. She had almost figured it out anyways and maybe . . . maybe it was better this way.

Snotlout raised his eyebrows, but he listened. "Fine. He's the real Hiccup. Like actual-Hiccup, not a dragon. He got blasted by a witch's spell."

Valka was silent for a long while, stunned. Slowly, she knelt down and peered into my face. "H-Hiccup?"

I nodded.

"Why would you tell her that?" Astrid snarled. "Weren't you just jumping down my throat for telling the other Vikings?"

"Yeah, but this is different. She's Valka. You know, Hiccup's 'dead' mom."

"What." The word should have been a question, but there was none of that in Astrid's tone. She looked at Valka with astonishment and horror battling on her face, and as time passed, the latter seemed to win. Valka's scent didn't change – maybe she had learned how to hide that – but her body grew taller and stiffer.

"You're Hiccup's mother?" Astrid tiptoed closer, squinting as she tried to see behind Valka's mask.

She breathed deeply. "I am."

And she took the mask off.

Instantly I turned my head away. It had been fine seeing her before, before I knew who she really was, but things were different. If I looked now, I knew I would try to find parallels between us, find little bits of me in her face, and I wasn't sure if I could handle that. I knew without looking that both Astrid and Snotlout were doing that right now.

Toothless's paw hooked around my chest. He rubbed his head against mine, and then let it rest there on my skull. It's okay. I love you.

I leaned back into him. Thank you.

"Stoick saw you die," Astrid said.

"Stoick saw a dragon carry me away, but he never saw a dragon harm me," Valka corrected. Cloudjumper, sensing he was the subject of their discussion, nuzzled his rider.

The casual tone with which she had said that hurt. Was it really that easy for her? My heart suddenly beat painfully as I heard the other thing she didn't say: Dad didn't know. He truly thought she was dead, same as I had.

"Hiccup, this is really you?" Calloused fingers brushed my jawline. I refused to look at her. Part of me wanted to close my eyes and pretend she was someone else; the rest of me still wanted to close my eyes, but savour the moment. I settled for something in-between.

She continued. "I didn't know. How could I have known . . .? But you were such a strange dragon, and shared his name. I should have seen this coming. I should have recognized my own son."

The same way I should have known she was my mother? That, at least, I didn't hold against her.

Astrid said, "Guys, we don't have time for this!"

"He's my son! Waiting a few minutes won't be the end of the world," Valka said tightly. Even though I still felt light inside from Toothless's arrival, my chest tightened in anger. A small part of me, a part which had its feet deep in my childhood, heard only another rejection of Berk and its troubles.

"So now he's important to you," Snotlout drawled.

The reaction was instantaneous. Even before I could snarl at Snotlout to shut up, Valka whipped around. Her arm flung out as if she was planning to bash his head in with her fist, but instead those fingers dug into his shirt. She pulled him in close, eyes narrowed so that they looked like slits.

"Don't ever say that!"

Toothless and Cloudjumper both lunged, pulling the two apart. I knew it wasn't solely their doing; sure enough, when I checked, the king was watching. I couldn't tell if that was disappointment or exasperation I read on his face.

Valka was breathing heavily, as if the two had actually fought. Gripping her staff tight in one hand, other hand on Cloudjumper in a bid for silent support, she hissed, "I love him. I love both him and his father. Don't you dare say there was a time I didn't."

Thankfully, Astrid knew Snotlout much better than Valka did. Which meant she knew there was no way he would take this lying down. So, before he could speak, she grabbed his upper arm, squeezing hard enough to leave bruises. Her expression was fierce; for the first time in a long while, I saw old dragon-fighting Astrid. Snotlout wisely kept his mouth shut.

In a quiet voice completely opposite of her expression, Astrid said, "Berk needs us. It's time to go."

"You can't leave now!" Valka said. "I just . . . Hiccup . . . let him stay here. He's only a baby. He could get killed!"

The wording was strange, and it took me a while to figure out why. Only a baby. Not 'currently looks like a baby', but a baby. I shouldn't have been too surprised. Last time Valka had seen me, I was a helpless infant in a crib. She had no idea what I actually looked like. All she knew was the child she left behind.

That made it worse. How did I know her? I struggled to bring up those ancient memories, but I had only been a baby then . . . I couldn't bring up a face, let alone a voice. It was like she had never existed in my life.

Like she was only a stranger.

With that admission came both sorrow and relief. It was a bittersweet feeling, at once making my chest ache but also soothing it so there was no lingering scars. I knew her, but did not know her, and in a way, it made everything easier to deal with. Like my mother hadn't really abandoned us, and really was dead.

"Hiccup!" Valka speaking my name snapped me out of my trance. "You could stay. Just until everything settles down."

Snotlout would have refused on my behalf; Dad might have, too. But not Astrid. She said nothing to Valka, put her hand on Snotlout's arm, and looked at me and said my name softly. For the first time since she had taken off her mask, I looked Valka in the eye, letting the other features of her face blur. And I shook my head no. I may be stuck in a baby dragon's body, but I was still Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. I was Berk's heir, and that meant there was no other choice but to go.

"Why don't you come along?" Astrid said. "You two could catch up on the way, and I'm sure Stoick . . ."

But Valka was already shaking her head and backing away. "No, I couldn't return now. It's been too long. Berk wouldn't want to see me, and the Nest needs me."

I shouldn't have expected anything else. It still hurt. A hard stone dropped into my stomach as I swallowed my disappointment.

"Then you have to say goodbye to him," Astrid said firmly.

Valka started protesting, or pleading, I'm not entirely sure which. I let Astrid deal with that. I had to. if I listened to her, I could be tempted, and if I were tempted . . . I couldn't be. That wasn't an option.

I'm the Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. Berk is my responsibility. I repeated that mantra to myself. It flowed through my mind, driving out any contradictions or threats to that pledge. A odd tranquility fell over me. It was an apathetic state, but at the same time, I felt whole. I wondered if this was what the king felt like day to day. Speaking of which . . .

Your majesty?

The king dipped his head. You are leaving.

Sorry, I said. Valka can probably continue teaching you to write.

Yes, she can. For all the commotion you brought, I did enjoy having you around, Hiccup.

Thanks. I stared at the ground, feeling a little flushed.

The king had one more thing to say. Hiccup, are you sure about this?

I knew what he was asking. I looked back at my mother, studying her quietly.

Yes, I said. I'm sure. She's my mom, but . . . I'm not the Hiccup she left behind, and she's not the person I remember. . . None of that even matters. Berk needs us back .

. . . She has her Nest, and you have yours, the king finished.

I looked at him sadly. She'll know where to find me, if she wants.

Then I bid you a safe journey.

Thank you. I'm glad we got to meet.

I broke off contact with the king and trotted over to my mother. After climbing onto Snotlout's shoulder so many times, climbing her was easy. She froze as I clambered onto her shoulder, and we locked eyes, each unable to move.

I took a deep breath, letting her scent caress my mind. Then I leaned forward, touching my forehead to hers. There was no mistaking what I was saying.

"Hiccup . . ."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, more to myself than anyone.

"I meant it, Hiccup. I've always loved you. If only I had known . . . we could have spent every day together. There is so much I could have taught you."

I stayed there for a few seconds, struggling not to react as her fingers brushed my flank. Too quickly, much too quickly, it became too much. My tranquil mood shattered, my stomach flipped upside-down, and I had to leave. I leapt off her shoulder, and glided to my fellow Vikings.

"It's time," I said to Astrid with a nod.

With steady fingers, Astrid tied the ropes and secured herself and Snotlout to Toothless's back. Valka moved forward, as if to stop me, but Cloudjumper raised her wing and held her back. I waited by Toothless's side, Snotlout having reassured Astrid that I could fly on my own. Toothless, on the other hand . . . I didn't know what he thought. Once Astrid and Snotlout were in place, she patted Toothless's head and dug her heels in. His wings snapped open and moved up and down, testing the air.

They were waiting for me to make the first move, but before I did, I turned back to my mom.

" . . . See you later," I said.

We took off for Berk.

I didn't look back.

And that ends Hiccup's time at the Nest! Not to fear, that's not going to be the last of Valka and friends...

Review Responses:

MM: No worries! See, Snotlout is still alive. Of course, nobody but Hiccup knows that this whole mess was kind of his fault to begin with... And thank you!

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Estrella85: Would you like a tissue for that river of tears? The way I see it, Valka pretty much did walk out of their life. In my view, there's an important distinction between Hiccup and Valka: both of them had a chance to leave, but when that deciding moment came (Cloudjumper kidnapping Valka; Astrid discovering Toothless) Valka took it. Hiccup did not. Even if Astrid had not interfered, I don't think Hiccup would have stayed away for long- especially after he discovered the Red Death. (I wonder if Valka knew about that. I mean, with all her experience with dragons and Bewilderbeast, she must have realized something had been odd about Berk's dragons).

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Jazz: Daddy! Toothless is a guy, silly :p

I think it was canon that the Red Death used some sort of mind control, too. Don't quote me on that, though.

I've finished all the KH games I've played. But, like I said, never played BBS - which is hilarious since I already write about the characters from that one!

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Noctus Fury:Thanks! Last chapter, Hiccup was basically in shock, while now he's moved onto his denial/avoidance stage. Thankfully for Valka, he'll be long gone before it sinks in and he stops keeping such a tight control over his emotions... But at least he'll have his friends around now when he finally deals with it.

Lol just as sudden is Valka discovering who Hiccup is! Obviously, you didn't get your wish about her not finding out for several chapters. Had to happen though. I knew I couldn't have Hiccup spend too much time at the Nest, not with the events that occurred in his absence and how frantic Toothless and Astrid were to find him. Time doesn't stand still when Hiccup's not there to witness it! :D

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a random person: Despite the fact that Hiccup thinks like a Viking, his body and instincts are hard-wired to obey the Bewilderbeast's commands. That 's a major reason for his hero-worship of the king. However, it is canon that the Bewilderbeast cannot control children, so he doesn't have to worry too much (and having a Viking mind does help him keep his head clear).