After publishing the last chapter, I received a review that was rather critical. You can go and see it now, if you wish. However, far from being upset, I read through and completely understood the writer's viewpoint. Unlike a review I received for another of my stories, this one was reasonable, with many good, valid and well-supported points. The person hadn't come wanting to be unimpressed. I wish to address this review here, in full, for everyone to see. If you don't want to read all this, just quietly skip it and no-one will know.

Firstly, yes, you were right, Critical(Guest). I understand that the pairing would seem strange, but let me explain myself. No, Snotlout does not love Kat. He never will, as you are soon to find out, and so technically, they aren't a pairing in themselves. And I know, I understand, it's super-tacky, but I've been running so low on ideas of late and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity of a good few dragon-fights. Kat is in store for a very satisfying comeuppance in the chapters to come. I know it seems weird that Snotlout would just go off into the woods and hook up with a girl he's never met, but Kat/Sophie was pushing the relationship to pull him in as much as possible before she tried to destroy him by breaking his heart and leaving him to drown in his own misery (quite literally).

Also, just to clear things up, I'm not against the Rufflout pairing (at least, not any more...)but I just didn't want it to seem like he was about to jump straight from Kat/Sophie to Ruffnut. I'm pretty sure that's not how love really works. I do greatly apologise that you have found these past chapters quite so boring, and that you may well find the next boring as well. However, I thank you for at least reading this far and I will not ask you to force yourself any further if you do not wish. That's not the most polite way ever of saying 'go away', I will add, because I would really love you to continue reading and to enjoy the continuation of your reading, but if you won't, then why bother? Don't waste time doing something you don't enjoy when you could be doing something you do, am I right?

All this with the kindest of regards, of course. Now, I've babbled enough. Let's move on from this to the next chapter! I will answer the rest of the reviews in the next chapter.

Ruffnut stood in the doorway, looking over her charge as he rolled over under his covers, already falling asleep. The moonlight cast her shadow across the floor before her. Finding herself looking at it, she smiled slightly. Moonlight was certainly very pretty. That night, the moon was full, hanging like a great, glowing eye in the star-filled sky, watching over them all. Slowly, she reached out and closed Snotlout's door.

Her back tingled painfully, the salt from the sea water making its way in to sting her. She knew she would at least need new bandages, if not some more stitches, but she couldn't worry about that now. She had to find her way back and tell everyone what Snotlout had told her. He'd asked her to tell, so she thought it only right to do so before she forget everything.

It was just as she was leaving, moving rigidly down the street, that she heard a shout and pounding footsteps coming her way. Spinning around, Ruffnut found herself face-to-face with her twin.

"There you are!" Tuffnut cried out, jogging the last few steps to meet her. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

The sister's lip curled. "I'm not staying in that horrid place, Tuff. I don't rest, you know that."

"Still, you need to get back." He jabbed her playfully in the stomach, then recoiled with a shout of disgust. "Eugh! Why are you all wet?"

Ruffnut sighed tiredly. "It's a long story..."

The others sat, listening intently as Ruffnut told them the story. Their eyes were wide, attention wholly engaged. Even a few of the older Vikings were listening in to the recount of how Kat had tricked Snotlout, while Hiccup busily prepared some clean bandages for the story-teller.

There was a long pause after she had finished, the teens looking at one another or thinking to themselves. Finally, Hiccup broke the silence. "So, what now?"

"You would'a thought he'd see that it was Kat, or hear her accent, or something," Tuffnut piped up unhelpfully. Hiccup's brow creased.

"She must have disguised herself well. It's hard to see what might be underneath all that war-paint." Hiccup tried to reason, finding his point valid, if only a little.

"But I know Ruff when she paints her face," the twin argued back, eyebrows raised.

"You're bound to know her, she's your twin. Besides, Tuff, love is a funny thing. It can blind you to all reason." Hiccup looked down. "I can only imagine what this is doing to Snotlout..."

"Wonder no more, my friend..." Fishlegs muttered as the door opened and the bedraggled figure of their missing team member stumbled through. Obviously, it had started to rain, great droplets falling from the dark sky and coating anyone who dared venture outside in a slippery layer of cool water. Through the door, they spied the dark clouds, darker than the rings around the new arrival's eyes. Snotlout dragged his feet over to his friends, flopping down on the end of Ruffnut's bed and avoided their curious or piteous gaze.

Hiccup tried a friendly smile. "Hey there, Snotlout. How are you feeling?" He asked cheerily.

There was a long pause, before Snotlout lifted his head, his eyes narrow, full, not of pain, but of a deep, burning rage. "I'm gonna kill her for this." He spat. His eyes alighted on each of his friends in turn, watching them all look away from him. "So I guess you've heard. Yeah, she tricked me, broke my heart, yadda yadda. But I'm not gonna let this change anything. In fact, it's gonna make it worse for her. Just you wait."

They exchanged glances, curious, unsure as to what he meant. They turned their questioning looks upon him, searching his face for an answer. However, he'd lost interest with them. His hands clasped in his lap, shaking with unspeakable emotion.

"What do you mean? You're going to kill her?" Hiccup pressed, eyes widening.

"Not just that. I'm gonna make her suffer." He hissed, teeth clenched. He met his leader's eyes, held a cold, heartless stare. "I'll capture her and kill her dragon in front of her eyes. I'll kill her as slowly, as painfully as possible. Then she might regret it. She might feel what I felt." He leapt to his feet, gesticulating viscously. "When she's dead, I'm gonna put her head on a pike outside the great hall as a warning to anyone else who comes here. No-one, No-one, messes with Snotlout Jorgenson."

And with that, he disappeared once again into the rain, leaving his fellows speechless behind him.

That night, Hiccup called everyone together again. They were to make a plan to get rid of Kat, once and for all. As he and the other riders sat in a circle, their backs to the fire, tossing ideas about, Snotlout sat, cross-legged and silent, thinking over every piece of information. As the discussion turned from luring Kat to Berk to taking her down, however, he became much more animated, suggesting a multitude of ways that they could approach capturing or killing her. No-one had ever seen him quite so engaged.

They left the meeting that night, ready to put their plan solidly into action. This would be the end of it. This would have to be the defeat of Kat for good. The fate of the village was counting on it.

Bad chapter ending is bad. Anyway, that's it, no more soppy emotional stuff for a few chapters. Here it is, the final battle, and then the chapter that makes this whole story a T rating. Gosh, am I looking forward to that or what?

Thanks again for all the reviews of the last chapter, they will be answered next chapter!