Thanks for all the reviews last chapter, fellow Dragonites! :D I managed to get another chapter written, so here it is! It gets really interesting in chapter 4...that's when it really kicks off, just so you all know. I imagine this little fic breaking ten chapters, for sure. I have a few ideas for a few what-ifs for other RTTE episodes, so hopefully, I can have those written out and posted sometime later this month...
But anyways, enough about that. :) Enjoy chapter 2!
Astrid stood in front of Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and the other riders stood behind her. Tuffnut held his hands forward, holding something that looked remarkably disgusting and smelled no better.
"Agh!" Astrid groaned, clamping her hand over her nose. "What in the name of Thor is that thing?"
"Thousand-year-old egg!" Tuffnut announced. He sounded oddly proud of himself, although Astrid really didn't know what was so great about offering her a thousand-year-old egg.
"Oh, gods!" Hiccup gasped. "Where...where did you even get that-"
"We have our ways!" Tuffnut said, retracting the egg, almost protectively. "Do not question the ways, young Hiccup! Never question the ways of the truly disturbed!"
Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose. "Nevermind, I don't even want to know," he shook his head.
Astrid felt the same way, although she commented not. Tuffnut thrust the egg towards her again, and she stepped backwards. "No way," she said. "There's no way I am touching that thing."
Tuffnut looked hurt. "You won't touch it," he said. "Just shove it down your throat, and you're good-"
"WHAT!?" Astrid shouted; she always knew these two were idiots, but this was simply insane. Like, beyond their usual insane, if that was even possible. "No way! Just no way! I'll take my chances with allergies!"
She expected a fight from the other riders, but they simply nodded in agreement, and Tuffnut sighed. "Oh well," he said. He threw the egg backwards over his shoulder, and there was a clang and a clatter, followed by Tuffnut's chicken squealing in protest. "Dr. Nut, please bring out our next test."
Ruffnut nodded and stepped forward, a fistful of black fur in her hand. She waved it in front of Astrid's face, right under the girl's nose. "Yak hair!" Ruffnut said. "It takes sneezing to a whole new level."
Astrid batted her hands away. Honestly, she didn't understand what all this was about, and she hoped Hiccup told the twins to knock it off before they got even further carried away.
"Cut it out already," Astrid snapped. "Whatever you're trying to do, it isn't working."
"But," Fishlegs lifted a finger, "I've heard yak hair is one of the most common allergens known to Berk. Do you guys remember my Aunt Gerta? She used to break out in-"
"No, please!" Hiccup put his hands forward, shut his eyes, and waved his hands back and forth pleadingly. He looked up timidly after another moment. "I'd like to be able to sleep tonight," he said.
"Well, scratch that attempt," Ruffnut threw the yak hair back, and Chicken screeched in protest again. "The best part is coming next."
"The end?" Snotlout asked hopefully.
"No," Tuffnut said angrily, stomping his foot. He held his hand out to Ruffnut, and Ruffnut handed him a wooden mug of something that smelled even worse than the thousand-year-old egg. "Spoiled, coagulated goat milk," Tuffnut explained, "with just a pinch of hoof jam. I find it changes the whole experience."
Astrid's eyes widened, and she took a step backwards. She was about to open her mouth to protest, when Hiccup beat her to it.
"No, no, she isn't drinking that," Hiccup said, rushing to stand between Astrid and Tuffnut. "Maybe we can just take this whole…'test' to Berk, get Astrid some real help to find out what's really wrong with her."
"Thanks for the save, Hiccup," Astrid whispered.
Hiccup shrugged, which Astrid guessed meant "you're welcome".
Tuffnut groaned. "Again!?" he said miserably. "Fffiiinnne." He tossed the mug of eww-what-the-heck backwards, and there was a splat, followed by an angry screech. Tuffnut's chicken was NOT having the best day.
"So, we're done here," Hiccup clapped his hands together. "Mount up, and we'll head back to Berk. At this rate, if we fly straight through the night, we should reach Berk by daybreak."
The others nodded. Astrid was thankful for Hiccup's levelheadedness. She didn't know where she and the other riders would be without it. She strode towards Stormfly, put her hands against her dragon's side, and got ready to mount.
But then, she sneezed again, more violently than she had before. Stormfly nudged her worriedly, and she coughed.
"I don't-" Astrid coughed, "get it! I never...I've never...been allergic to anything...before-" She coughed again.
Hiccup looked at her, and then looked at Stormfly. "Um...Astrid…" he began, taking a step towards her. "I want you to try something."
"Great!" Tuffnut clapped his hands together. "I'll get the extra goat milk!"
"What!? No!" Hiccup protested. Tuffnut stopped in mid-step, his face covered in disappointment. "Here, Astrid." Hiccup gripped Astrid's forearm, and she would have pulled away if she could've. "Step over here."
He pulled her across the room, guiding her on. She let him drag her, stumbling along with him.
"Hiccup, I don't know what you're-" she began to say, and stopped suddenly when she realized that she no longer felt as stuffy as she had just a few moments before. She took a deep breath through her nose to test it; yes, her sinuses were clear. Her throat didn't itch.
"Hiccup, I-" she began again.
"I know," Hiccup nodded. He finally stopped walking, standing on the other side of the twins' hut, opposite of Stormfly. "Astrid...I think you might be allergic to...Stormfly."
Astrid's head shot up to meet his eyes. She blinked, just to see if he was joking. "You're kidding me, right?" she said. Hiccup met her eyes and shook his head. She could tell in a heartbeat that he was serious.
"Why, all of a sudden, would she be allergic to Stormfly?" Snotlout asked.
"Yeah," Fishlegs agreed. "It's not like Stormfly is new here. Astrid's been riding Stormfly for years without any problems at all. Why would she suddenly have an allergic reaction to her dragon?"
"Perhaps it's just a simple case of adult-onset allergies," Tuffnut said in his "let's-be-logical" tone.
"An, I concur with your diagnosis, Dr. Nut," Ruffnut said, her hands pressed together, her voice taking up the same tone her brother had used.
"I concur with your concuration," Tuffnut said in response.
"Adult-onset allergies develop in your elder years," Ruffnut explained as if she were speaking to a five year old, "when your immune system mistakenly identifies a dangerous substance."
The other riders stared at Ruffnut and Tuffnut in confusion. Astrid kept wondering, What?
Ruffnut and Tuffnut still looked thrilled with their new discovery, and they bashed their heads together in triumph.
"Don't be stupid, guys," Astrid snapped. She jerked away from Hiccup and stomped back towards Stormfly's side stubbornly. "There's no way I'm…" She was going to try and prove her point by touching Stormfly's side, but before she even got the chance to, she started sneezing and coughing uncontrollably once again. "-A-allergic-" Astrid coughed again. "T-to...St-Stormfly-"
Hiccup ran towards her and grabbed her again. "Stop it, Astrid," he said. He spun her around and pushed her away from her dragon again. Just as before, Astrid's head cleared, and her coughing and sneezing fits stopped instantly. "I think you are allergic to her."
"Diagnosis confirmed!" Ruffnut cheered.
"Alright, you two, knock it off," Hiccup said, and Astrid wanted to clap. She knew he would say it sooner or later, and it was better sooner than later in her own opinion. "Astrid," Hiccup began, "there's only one person I know who might be able to help you."