Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! :)

Sorry for any spelling errors I missed. :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 8: This Was Berk

Hiccup,

Toothless's wings beat heavily as he glides across the air away from Berk, the other dragons and teens. My heart is in my throat, no words able to come out except raspy.

Berk and Outcast Island have a history of not liking each other but Alvin is attacking because I was on Berk. He's trying to wipe everything out. It's been hours since our departure from the island and I can't see anything but open ocean and the thick clouds shining down on us almost pitying.

What do I do now? Berk is probably under siege, it's been hours since we left.

It's not like I can waltz onto the island and ask, 'hey Alvin, you wanna be friends again?'

Even as his son, I have high doubts that he would appreciate that very much. Son, I am that crazy Outcast's son. Well I was. Disownment generally changes the perspective on things. My mother died when I was younger four I think and Alvin just kind of gave up on family after her death. Not that I can blame him, I'm a pretty impossible person.

Toothless looks back at me as my shoulders tense. I can't believe I just left! I should have stood my ground, I wasn't thinking, am I ever thinking or am I destined to act like an insubordinate idiot for the rest of my life?

"AHH!" I yell in frustration punching the air as I fall back against Toothless's back. Toothless winces slightly giving a worried growl in my direction. I let out a long sigh letting my hands drop onto my chest.

"We have to go back." I say firmly after several moments of silence between us.

Toothless growls in clear disagreement, 'Are you kidding! We almost died!' he seems to argue.

"I know. But by abandoning them we're no better than Alvin." I say and Toothless gives a long sigh. I feel like echoing him but don't sitting up and grabbing the handle's to Toothless's saddle. He spreads his wings out and we snap backwards, Toothless twists heading back in the direction of Berk. He's been flying for hours, we should stop.

"Bud, i-if you're tired we can-" I start to say but Toothless growls a firm no looking back at me in disagreement and as if to defy me even further, picks up his easy pace. I sigh and roll my eyes slightly, "Well if you insist mate."

000o000

Toothless reaches the forest of Berk, hours later; the village unseen and blocked by trees from here. There isn't a sound as he lands not even birds chirping. My heart plummets to my feet and I swing off his back my foot and peg leg hitting the ground with a soft thud.

"Come on," I say quietly. Toothless and I move through the forest. I scan through the trees looking for Outcasts or anything else that will jump out at us but nothing does.

Something rising into the air catches my eye and I look up towards it my eyes wide as I see a thick trail of smoke joining the clouds. "No." I breathe before taking off in a run towards the village. How could I have let this happen!? Because of me and my stupidity this entire island is gone!

They never did anything!

My breaths come out as heaving gasps as I reach the village my steps stopping.

The buildings are ashes, smoke rising thickly into the air. A thick cloud of dust hangs over the air, char and battle stains across the ground, weapons sticking from wood, the bark hissing and popping as the few dying embers finish off their purpose.

Berk is gone.

Destroyed.

Burned.

Because of me.

"No." I whisper my legs starting to fail me. I force the shakiness to the side and move forward through the streets the burning buildings getting worse the further down I go. It wasn't supposed to end like this!

Everyone is gone, dead most likely. How can I be such a stupid idiot!?

My knees give out and I hit the ground leaning against my heel and prosthetic. With a angered cry I grab Inferno and slam the weapon down onto the ground the stone cracking beneath the force. I grip the hilt as if it's my lifeline and lean against the sword closing my eyes.

What now?

What am I supposed to do?

I can't bring an entire island back to life.

It's a mess.

A hand rests on my shoulder after what feels like hours of leaning against the burning weapon; I whirl my eyes wide looking back at, "Astrid?" I ask with disbelief. Her clothing is tattered, a long burn running up her left arm, cheek bleeding heavily but very much alive. Before I fully register what I'm doing I leap to my feet and tackle her in a hug. She tenses but returns it, grip equally as tight as mine.

She pulls back and I spot Toothless standing in the background watching us but keeping his eyes on the buildings, "Where is everyone else?" I ask grabbing Inferno and ripping it from the ground.

Her eyes grow downcast, "Alvin took them."

My eyes widen, "Alvin took an entire island?"

"No," Astrid says and glances out at the horizon her eyes distant. "Alvin wasn't the only one who attacked."

"What!?" I blurt. Who else would be with him.

Astrid looks back at me. "It was another man named Viggo Grimborne, they knew Berk and the weak spots, he took everyone." She explains and I curl my hand into a fist.

"How did you-"

"Stormfly. She protected me until she was captured."

"Oh." I say and look down at the ground.

Things were bad before but this, this is worse.

Toothless growls and I turn around looking back towards him as he stares at something, "Did you find something?" I ask and race towards him. Obviously, otherwise he wouldn't be growling to get my attention. Wow, Freebird, it's amazing how you get outsmarted time and time again. Shut up.

I stop as I reach Toothless and stare at what he is. My eyes widening as I quickly make up the moves placed across the board.

"What is that?" Astrid breathes looking over the board with me.

"Maces and Talons." I answer staring at the pieces scattered across the board, the two ships "sunken." Berk, that side is Berk and the other must be the Outcasts and this Viggo character.

Astrid's eyes sink, "I didn't even see this when I was searching for the others." She says and I stare at the pieces as Astrid picks up a broken piece, "What do you think it means?"

"It's a challenge." I say and frown, "Viggo and Alvin are obviously working together for something, but what?"

Astrid sighs and rubs her temples, "This is ridiculous. We're never going to get anywhere without a map or any clue. We don't even know if Alvin took Berk to Outcast Island." Astrid groans and my eyes widen as I look up at her. The map!

"That's it!" I exclaim and my hands scramble back towards my coat pocket. My fingers brush over the dozens of pieces of paper and I rip them from the pocket and fall to my knees spreading it across the ground.

Toothless pokes his head over my shoulder as Astrid leans down beside me. "This map, it was on the Night Fury. " I say and brush out the squiggles again.

"This is a giant mess of lines, Hiccup." Astrid says angrily.

"Relax, milady. If there's one thing you learn as a pirate it's that up, is always down." Astrid gives me a blank look.

"What does that even mean!?" She demands.

I smirk and shift the pieces of paper across each other starting to get a figure, "That the solution you're looking for isn't the first one you think it is." A cylinder looking object appears a name scribbled out in Alvin's horrible hand-writing at the bottom. Dragon Eye.

Alright well that didn't help in the slightest. I release an angry annoyed breath before crumbling the papers and stuffing them into my pocket. Astrid's shoulders slump and her posture seems to ring off defeat. My heart sinks even lower and I rest a hand on her shoulder, "Astrid, it's going to be okay." I say and she looks up at me.

"How do you know that?"

I tense at the sharp venom in her voice; I pull my hand back instinctively and curl my fingers inward staring at Toothless for several seconds as if he can give me the answer. Toothless coos softly before he nudges my shoulder as if going, 'wing it.' Why is that such a popular thing to do right now?

How do I know?

Instinct or just the need to make her feel better. I haven't known her for very long but she's a strong person, one who doesn't break down easily like this. Then again, watching your entire villages burned and your only family taken captive will make you uneasy. I let out a soft sigh, "I don't."

I get to my foot and lift out a hand to her, "Let's go get back your island milady." I say and Astrid purses her lips her hands wrapping tightly around herself as if it's keeping her intact before she sucks in a breath and takes my offered hand. I pull her to her feet and climb onto Toothless's back the Hofferson mounting on behind me.

Toothless leans down before he leaps into the air the wind rippling through his wings as we leave the burned island behind us, the remains of Berk.

000o000

Hours later, close to a day I finally spot Outcast Island in the distance.

Finally.

"Do you have a plan?" Astrid asks leaning over to look at me. I twist looking back at her. Well...no. But I have an idea to build up a plan and that's generally close enough.

"You distract Alvin as I look for the Berkians. We'll meet up at the arena in a few hours." I say and Astrid's eyes widen.

"You expect me to distract Alvin the Treacherous without a weapon?" She demands.

I shrug, "Well you can always dance."

Her clenched fist and my upper arm meet with a heavy force. I yelp slightly and rub the injured part, yup, that's going to bruise, "No then." I deadpan.

"Why don't you distract Alvin? You two obviously have a history." Astrid says and the desire to punch her arm rings through me but I resist my fingers curling around the saddle handle as Toothless tenses.

"Um, no thanks? Milady, have you ever been on Outcast Island before three days ago?" I ask and she pauses for a second an inward battle playing in her eyes before she sighs and shakes her head the movement seeming to frustrate her even further.

"No."

"Exactly. I grew up on it, if Berk is on it, I'll find it a lot faster than you will." I assure and Astrid grumbles something under her breath about stubborn idiot pirates before looking up at me. She didn't disagree so I claim that a success. Toothless banks right looping around the sea-stacks the thick black of the night blending in with his scales making us near invisible.

Toothless dives deeply and I look back at Astrid with a small smirk, "Hold your breath." I command and her eyes pop.

"What-?" She starts to demand before Toothless plunges into the ocean. I scan around the inky blackness for a second and Toothless looks back at me for a second. Astrid's hands curl around my upper body as she tries to stay attached to me and Toothless. Toothless moves forward towards the entrance of the caves leaking all around Outcast Island; a small maze of tunnels.

Toothless moves through the water swiftly and moves up before bursting through the top of the water breaking it into a small cave. Astrid and I take in gasping breaths of sweet air and I swing off of Toothless's back shaking water from my hair.

Astrid coughs several more times before wiping water from her eyes, "You could have warned me." She snaps. I raise and eyebrow and roll my eyes slightly.

"I did."

"That doesn't count-" She starts angrily before the sound of footsteps echoes through the tunnels, I slam a hand over her mouth cutting off her words.

"Do you hear that?" I ask softly moving back and she nods, "That is the sound of the soldiers coming this way. If they find us, they take us to Alvin. From there, he'll happily remove both our heads, be quiet, milady."

Astrid nods again and I remove my hand from her mouth, "It's just echoes, if we're lucky, they aren't nearby. Go right and follow the tunnel-take no turns you'll end up in Alvin's throne room." I say and Astrid nods yet again.

"Me and Toothless are going to take left, the only place I can think of big enough to hold an entire island is the arena." I say.

"And you're sure this will work?" Astrid asks, "I don't see how me distracting Alvin fits into this geinous scheme." Astrid adds dryly after another second. Well it-if Alvin does have the Berkian's, they could be dead. I don't want her to see that.

"With Alvin busy, that's one less thing I have to worry about now go!" I hiss and point towards the entrance to the tunnels in front of us. Astrid tenses for a second before she moves forward pausing the doorway.

"Hiccup, be safe."

"You too." I say quietly and she takes off down the tunnel silently. "Come on, bud." I say and Toothless moves forward at my side as I walk forward from our entrance heading right. Alvin generally has a few men on patrol down here, five or three on the good days, I'm pretty sure he doesn't know I know about them or he would have thought about adding a few more Outcasts. I'm just grateful he doesn't.

Toothless's ears are perked up as we move down the tunnel as quietly as we can. It smells oddly of rotting feet and a distinct faint odor of smoke I can't recall being here before. It's damp and cold but nothing unlike the usual. I hid Toothless among these tunnels after I found him.

My foot and a rock meet suddenly and I let out a silent surprised yelp as I start to tumble down. Toothless catches me with his head and shoves me upright. I give a soft sigh of relief, "Thanks bud." I whisper.

I keep a hand on his neck as we move forward and after an undocumented amount of time passes, Toothless and I break free from the tunnel into just behind the arena. I give a small breath of relief and grab Inferno with hand gripping the sword hilt tightly.

Outcasts are lined along the walls and I can hear a quiet murmur of voices ringing up. Yup, Berk.

Now all I have to do is smuggle an entire island off a island and grab Astrid and go.

Easy.

Ha.

"Okay Toothless," I say and turn towards the Night Fury, "we just need a way into the arena-" I start to say but a glint of metal catches my attention and I look up spotting the hole me and my other half had escaped from days earlier. I smirk. "And I think I just found one."

I swing onto his back and click my prosthetic into place watching the Outcasts for a second to makes sure we didn't catch their attention. Nothing. I pat Toothless's side slightly and point up towards the hole. He nods and leans down before leaping up towards the arena ceiling and through it landing with a soft thud on the ground. I slide from off of his back and scan around me at the Berkians watching us with small panic except four: the twins Fishlegs and Snotlout give relieved breaths.

"I'm here to help." I say quietly and they stare at me for several seconds before Stoick moves forward.

"Aren't you the reason we're in here?"

"I-" I start to defend for a second and my voice dies in my throat as I realize he's right. It is my fault they are here. Idiot, idiot, idiot…

Toothless lets out a low growl and I tense, "H!" Tuffnut hisses and I barely have time to process what he says before a sword point is pressed into my back.

Author's Note: Cliffhanger! :)

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