^o,o^ It is an owl. I love the owl. :D
Hey guys! Long time no see, aye? :D Okay, so I think this story's only going to go up to seven chapters...yeah, sorry, it's going to be a bit shorter than SITC and TWP1, but I don't want to stretch it for longer than I have to...you know, adding totally useless details and dialogue and such. The story gets boring really quick if I do that. :) So, shout-outs:
ShadowSpirit020: Die, Viggo! Yeah, Astrid! Feed Viggo to the Screaming Death! :D
Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: Yeah, Hiccup and Snotlout interactions are great. I have too much fun writing them sometimes. :D
Crystallion12: I...have...posted...more. XDXDXD YES, let's get the twins to use their dragon, blow Viggo to bits, throw Viggo's remains to the Whispering Deaths, and throw those remains to the Scauldrons! Bwahahahahahahahaha! Or we can just leave him to rot in highschool! That works too! :D :D :D Aww, no, I don't have a Build-a-Bear Toothless, but I've seen pictures of them! THEY'RE SO CUTE! :D :D :D It's funny, I don't actually have any toys/necklaces/hairpins/whatever from the HTTYD franchise, which is kinda weird, because I'm a big fan of it. XD
MissPitchPerfect25: Thanks! :D And yeah, Hiccstrid feels! :D
Guest (#1): Okay! :D
Midnight510: Yep. I think Snotlout can care a lot more than he lets on. XD And I love the twins! They're so funny! :D :D :D
Charr2003: I know, right? I think something went wrong on Fanfiction when I posted that last chapter, because normally I get email alerts myself when I post a chapter to my story, and I didn't even get a chapter alert. o_O Fanfiction u ok? XD And do NOT get on Astrid's bad side, or Stoick's, or Toothless', or Snotlout's...or anyone who's Hiccup's friend for that matter. :D Thanks! :D Hiccstrid, yay! :D
LunarCatNinja: Die Viggo! :D
SnivyDragon: Viggo needs to die! And the fight shall commence, soon! :D :D YAY, FIGHT VIGGO, DAGUR! GO BERKIANS! :D
Artwing7: I love the twins! :D :D :D Thanks! :D
Guest (#2): Thanks! :D
wikelia: EXACTLY! GO ASTRID! AND GO SNOTLOUT! :D :D :D
bananablight: Aw, thanks! :D I'm glad you're liking the series of "episodes" so far, and I hope you continue to like them! :D Thanks a bunch! :D
AnimeAngel: I understood that reference! XD And yeah, I write a lot, but sometimes I still make typos...*shrugs* XD
The dragon riders took to the sky on the backs of their dragons, just as dawn stretched over the Edge. Stormfly and Astrid led the group, and the other riders and dragons filed in V-formation behind her.
Then, from behind, they heard a roar, and when they turned, they saw Skullcrusher and Stoick soaring towards them, Stoick's axe held in his hand.
"Chief!" said Fishlegs. "I thought you were going to stay with Hiccup!"
"I was going to," said Stoick, "but the idea of killing Viggo myself became extremely appealing."
"I wanted to kill Viggo!" pouted Snotlout, crossing his arms. "This isn't fair!"
It was impossible to tell which side would triumph and which side wouldn't; quite impossible indeed. By the time the dragons and riders caught up with the Berkian ships, Viggo's armada was coming into sight.
"Remember, he has dragon root arrows!" shouted Astrid across the sky to the other riders. "If your dragons get hit, land on one of the Berkian ships and wait the fight out!"
"We're not going to get hit by any of those loser arrows!" said Snotlout. "We'll dodge them and hit Viggo before he knows what's coming! Booyah!"
"Booyah!" echoed Ruffnut and Tuffnut, punching their fists into the air.
And the riders soared down, towards the surface of the ocean, towards the Berkian ships, where they would wait for just the right moment to strike. As soon as Viggo's ships got close enough...it wouldn't be long now...
"VIGGO GRIMBORN! I DEMAND YOU FIGHT ME, IF YOU DARE!"
Astrid yanked on Stormfly's horns to pull her back; beside her, the other riders jumped in what appeared to be shock, all staring at the source of the voice.
"That wasn't one of our own, was it?" Fishlegs asked, moving Meatlug upwards anxiously as to get a better look.
"What's going on?" said Snotlout.
"Whatever it is," said Tuffnut, crossing his arms, "it sounded like Dagur."
The shout was followed by maniacal laughter coming from the same person who had shouted. Stormfly raised her head; so did Astrid and the other riders and dragons.
"Whoa!" said Ruffnut. "I think it is Dagur!"
"But what does he want with Viggo?" said Astrid. "They're supposed to be allies, right?"
Dagur was back on his ship with his Berserkers, and Viggo and he stared at each other, a small patch of ocean separating the Berserker mothership and the dragon hunter mothership.
"You killed my brother!" shouted Dagur, swinging his axe around threateningly. "I was waiting for so, so, so long to get my revenge, and you stole it from me!"
"What is he talking about?" muttered Tuffnut, waving his hands madly. "Dagur has a brother? Who'd want to be his brother?"
"He's not talking about his about his actual brother," said Astrid, coming to the realization. "He's talking about-"
"Hiccup?" called Viggo back, though he sounded unconcerned, as if he had been expecting Dagur to rebel against him. "The boy was as much my enemy as he was yours. Killing him was-"
"It was my destiny!" shouted Dagur maniacally. "And you took it from me! I faced Hiccup in many battles, for many years! Killing him was my ambition, not yours!"
"He doesn't know Hiccup lived," Astrid said, her voice a breathless whisper. "He doesn't know Hiccup survived. He thinks Hiccup is dead."
"And he's angry with Viggo because of it," said Snotlout.
Astrid looked down, back at Dagur and Viggo. Viggo's men weren't focusing on the Berkian ships anymore, which were still a good ways away. They were focused on the closer threat of Dagur's armada. If Astrid and the other riders could buy the Berkians some extra time, maybe they could get the hunters to forget about the Berkians entirely…
"Oh no," whispered Snotlout, shaking his head feverishly. "Oh no."
"What?" said Astrid. "What is it?"
"That face," said Snotlout, pointing. "I've seen that face before...you're going to pull a Hiccup on us, aren't you?"
"A what?"
"A Hiccup!" snapped Snotlout. "Where you come up with a brilliant plan and don't tell anyone about it until the literal last minute-"
"I'll be right back!" said Astrid, and she turned and flew Stormfly downwards, towards where Stoick had landed Skullcrusher on the deck of the ship.
"Stoick!" she called as she landed Stormfly and leapt off the dragon's back. "Dagur's turning against Viggo!"
Stoick turned to look at her instantly. "What!?" he blurted, sounding more shocked than relieved.
"Did you ever wonder," said Astrid, "the day Hiccup was stabbed, why didn't Viggo just stab him in the chest? I mean, Viggo was trying to kill him, so why not get it over with? It's because he wanted to have the last word. He wanted Hiccup to watch him leave, he wanted Hiccup to see that Viggo had triumphed. He wanted Hiccup to feel guilty for failing again with his final breaths.
"But he didn't count on me making it past his soldiers and finding Hiccup. He expected Hiccup to bleed to death before anyone got around to saving him. The dagger wasn't supposed to kill him, Stoick. That's why he's recovering so quickly. It was the bloodloss, not the stab, that was supposed to kill him Which is where he failed. So Dagur thinks Hiccup is dead, and he wants to fight Viggo because of it."
"What are you saying, Astrid?" said Stoick.
"Well," said Astrid, "the enemy of our enemy is our friend, right? So, what if...what if we backed Dagur up? What if, for once, we fought with the Berserkers and helped them take out Viggo? It doesn't have to be anything permanent, of course-"
"Of course," said Stoick. "I see what you mean...we can back him up, take out Viggo and the hunters, and then, taking out Dagur's armada should be easy. We've done it before."
"Exactly!" said Astrid. "But first we need to take out Viggo."
"HEY!" shouted Snotlout from above. "Are you going to explain or not!?"
"You go on and explain to the other riders," said Stoick. "I'll alert the men. As soon as Viggo's out of the picture-"
"Fight Dagur," said Astrid, and when Stoick nodded, she leapt on Stormfly's back and took to the air, flying upwards to meet the other riders in the sky.
"What kind of maniacal plan are we doing, Astrid?" said Snotlout instantly.
"We're going to back Dagur up," said Astrid. "He's angry at Viggo for 'killing' Hiccup. As long as he's fighting Viggo, we're going to back him up and help him take out the dragon hunters. Then, we'll fight Dagur."
"That's just the kind of crazy, insane, stupid plan Hiccup would come up with!" said Tuffnut excitedly. "It just might work!"
"Now," said Astrid, "we're going to go in, as close to the hunter ships as we can get. Remember not to get too close. We don't want any downed riders. While Viggo and his men are distracted with Dagur, we'll go in and take them out. Take out the catapults, the archers, the nets, anything that will give the Berkians a clear path to these ships."
"Sounds like fun," said Snotlout.
"But be careful," said Astrid. "Ruffnut, Tuffnut, you two are in charge of taking out as many of the catapults as you can. Get in as close as you can, and have Barf and Belch blow up anything in sight."
"Did you just hear what I heard?" said Tuffnut, turning to look at his sister. "Pinch me. I must be dreaming."
"Fishlegs, you and Meatlug, follow Ruffnut and Tuffnut," said Astrid. "After they make their first moves, while the men focus on them, you two go in for the strike."
"Will do," said Fishlegs.
"Snotlout, you and Hookfang are with me," said Astrid. "We'll go behind the others and make sure they're covered. When they're safe, we'll go in for our own lines of fire."
"But what if we get hit?" said Fishlegs. "We need a backup plan."
"We'll have one," said Astrid. "I just haven't thought of it yet."
Snotlout moaned. "Oh, Thor!" he said. "She's going all Hiccup on us! Make it stop!"
"Hey, Hiccup always manages to get us out of everything alive," said Astrid. "When in doubt, do what Hiccup would do. Think like Hiccup. Does everyone know what they're supposed to do?"
"BLOW STUFF UP!" cheered the twins, throwing their hands into the air.
"Yes," said Fishlegs.
"Yeah," said Snotlout.
"Good!" said Astrid. "Come on, let's go!"
They turned their dragons towards Viggo's ships and flew as fast as they could. Viggo and Dagur were lowering planks onto each other's ships, and by the time the riders and dragons got there, war had already broken out. Dagur and Viggo fought each other while the hunters fought the Berserkers. The catapults were being loaded and aimed towards the Berserker ships, and Berserker catapults were being loaded and aimed towards the hunter ships.
"Take out the hunter catapults, now!" said Astrid, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut soared downwards, shrieking like banshees on a holiday.
"Yeeeeaaaahhhh!" they cheered, and with a few blasts from Barf and Belch, two catapults were out. Another catapult was aimed in their direction; a quick (well, as quick as a Gronckle could be) dive from Meatlug and Fishlegs took that out.
"Nice!" said Astrid. "Come on, Snotlout! Now it's our turn!"
They turned and dove straight downwards, towards the ships. Astrid intentionally soared Stormfly directly towards the ship Viggo and Dagur were fighting on, and beside her, Snotlout followed her lead.
"You're going to pay for what you did to Hiccup," Astrid hissed under her breath. "You're going to pay."