A/N:
Ok so I'm loving the feedback! Please leave suggestions for what you want to see updated/started after my WTS is done! Someone requested a mature version of the Dragon Nip story, so if you want that on any others I'll try my best I guess. I appreciate anything, even if its just an idea for a currently running story. Prompts are not only appreciated, they're requested!
Oh, and sorry about how long it's taken me to update this story (A PM from Ohsochic made me realize I haven't properly explained it, so thank you for that! 3). Besides the regular problems with schoolwork, this chapter had become a problem due to the fight scene. I hope my methods of compensating for that were ok. I'll try to have another chapter out later; it might be my last one, depending on how this goes...
Ohsochic is also the 50th reviewer, so congrats! This chapter will be dedicated to you for that.
(Quick question: If Drago thought Stoick was dead, who did he think was chief? Did he think it was Hiccup? Just curious, sorry. If you have a possible explanation, leave it in a review please!)
Stoick: I thought I'd have to die before we could have done that dance again.
Stoick grinned, glad that he could once again be with his wife. Beside him, the future Vikings reminisced the brief time when they had this togetherness. Astrid had her mind on other things; leaning into Hiccup she whispered softly, blushing a bit.
"So, I guess we're getting married for real then, huh?"
As the words sunk in, Hiccup's expression became one of shock and disbelief. He and Astrid? It seemed too good to be true. "I mean, I guess..."
"You know, whispering doesn't work too well when we're right behind you."
The two teens looked up at the third whisper, jumping back to see OHiccup's goofy grin and OAstrid containing a snicker.
"Man, were we always this lame?" OAstrid joked, gesturing at the two quiet, blushing teens.
"I knew I was, but you- that's a surprise."
With no way to reply, as the older couple were trying too hard not to laugh to hear anything, the younger pair just shrugged and returned to the movie.
Valka: No need for drastic measures.
Valka could almost feel her heart breaking as she realized that now such a measure was indeed necessary. She perked a bit, though, remembering her son. It was true she missed Stoick terribly, but now she had a son to make up time with. And he knew her pain; together they could heal, while learning from each other. She smiled at the back of Hiccup's head, wondering what she'd already missed in his life that she'd have to catch up on...
She decided it was quite a lot, as her eyes drifted down to his prosthetic.
Stoick: For you my dear, anything. Will you come home Val? Will you be my wife once again? We can a be a family! What do you say?
"Well, I mean, Toothless likes her." Fishlegs joked, the large black reptile nodding and cooing his approval. Suddenly, Deiya perked up, as if remembering something.
"Toothless. Time to go."
"What? Why?!" Hiccup asked, much more comfortable with knowing at least one form of his dragon was there.
"I have my reasons, and there are quite a few. C'mon, Toothless; It's for the best." OHiccup pet his dragon before directing him out, frowning though understanding what was about to happen. There was always the chance that the Alpha could get to him through the screen, putting both he and the Vikings in danger. Plus, there was no telling how the Vikings would react towards him after their tragedy.
Valka: Yes.
Hiccup smiled at the prospect of a complete family. He had never even considered it a possibility, and yet he'd somehow stumbled upon it. Of course, to be fair, he'd never expected to ride a dragon but hey- good fortune tended to come in surprises for him. If it did ever come at all...
Gobber: Great! I'll do the cooking.
Valka scrunched up her nose at the blacksmith, batting a hand at the playful man onscreen. OHiccup caught her out of the corner of his eye and tossed a sly grin her way, as if questioning her maturity. She laughed, directing both her nose-scrunch and a tongue towards her son. OHiccup rolled his eyes as his younger counterpart bit back a snicker, watching the two with great interest. It was official; he loved his family.
Stoick: Thank Odin you didn't listen to me son. We never would've found each other.
"Pays to have a little faith, hm?" Hiccup joked, earning himself a smile and an eye roll from his dad.
"To be fair, he is the one who wanted you as chief..." Astrid pointed out, to the minor confusion yet agreement of Stoick.
"I still don't think that's a good idea."
"Listen, it shouldn't have to come down to this, but think: it's either you, or its Snotlout. Which do you think would go over better?" OAstrid smirked, knowing she had him now. Of course, she already knew he'd become the chief, but a little motivation never hurt anyone...
"Yeah, c'mon Hiccup. Don't want Snotlout running things, do you?" OHiccup joined in, surprising the younger Vikings.
"Aw, what?! Weren't you on my side-?"
OHiccup tried to pull a serious face, though it turned into more of a pout. "But Astrid here makes a good argument."
"Oh for Thor's sake- traitor." Hiccup's grin gave him away, and it only got bigger when he took in everyone else's similar smiles. It was almost like having a big brother, except sassier and with the same name. Weird.
[Toothless growls.]
Snotlout snorted, though it seemed far from amused. "I was wondering when something bad was going to happen. I mean, it's literally in the name- no offense." He added that last piece to soothe the glaring eyes of the Haddocks. He could generally handle Hiccup's, and occasionally Stoick's, but when there were also an older Hiccup and his long-lost mother? Nope. He laughed nervously, sighing and returning to the action.
Hiccup, of course, agreed with him, after another second of thought. However it wasn't everyday that Snotlout could be intimidated by his family, so he let it slide.
"Mom's got a death glare...who knew?" Hiccup snickered to Astrid, who looked genuinely scared for Snotlout.
Hiccup: Toothless? What's happening?
"As if he's going to answer you..." Ruffnut snickered, Tuffnut not far behind.
"Classic." Tuff added after getting a fair share of chortling out of his system.
"He could always, oh I don't know, do that?-" Fishlegs pointed out how he led them to the outside of the nest, silencing the two. Fishlegs only took a moment to revel in his victory before returning to the action onscreen.
[The Dragon's nest is under attack by Drago and his men.]
"We don't want your Girl Scout cookies!" Deiya yelled fiercely at the screen, conjuring up a small pebble from mid-air to throw. Astrid was about to ask what a "Girl Scout cookie" was, when she noticed the future Vikings frantically looking towards Stoick with tears sparkling their eyes. Oh gods...
Without a moment's delay, she hopped up onto Hiccup's lap, getting catcalls from the teens, a confused stare from Stoick, and thankful looks from those about to unleash water works.
"Oh-okay, I'm lost." Hiccup didn't even put up a fight, not seeing the point. To be honest, she was causing no harm so.
"Good thinking, Astrid..." OHiccup sounded sincere, and rather depressed. Astrid now had similar tears threatening to spill. Deiya noticed that she wasn't herself, and decided that some backup was needed. She ran out of the room, without a word.
Hiccup: Oh no.
Stoick: Val, Val. It's alright, alright. We're a team now, now what do you want to do?
Valka: We have to save the dragons.
"Sorry. Probably not the most descriptive plan..." Valka apologized through a blushing face, earning a few quick smiles.
"I find the lack of explosions involved disturbing." Tuffnut grinned devilishly, getting groans from those who knew him to be serious.
"Hey, if Hiccup gets a fire sword in the future, shouldn't we at least be able to explode some bad guys?" Ruff supported her brother, who nodded after giving her a high five.
"Explosions do sound like a good idea..." Hiccup mumbled, still very uncomfortable by the Hofferson on his lap and the obvious secret being passed around.
Stoick: Aye. You got it. Come on, son.
Stoick's gears turned as he remembered what Deiya said about Drago Bludvist being the ringleader of the operation. "Stay away from that man, Hiccup. He's deadly, and I don't want to think of what could happen-"
"Dad. I didn't. I regret it. And I'm sorry." OHiccup didn't even sound mad. Just more sadness. His voice was laced with remorse, actually. He was practically dripping with the stuff. Then, in a whisper that only Astrid caught, he added on. "And it should have been me."
The young blonde turned and tried to argue with her eyes, though it was clear he wasn't having it.
Drago: Whatever comes, keep hitting the mountain. We need to draw the Alpha out.
"I have a bad feeling about this-" Fishlegs whimpered, as Deiya rushed in with the Elitists.
"Alright, stay by the door so that no one gets in or out. Got it?" She ordered at the group as a whole, watching them scatter towards the back.
"What, do I freak out and join Drago or something?" Hiccup scoffed, trapped under Astrid.
"Oh, poor thing..." Valka whispered towards the now even more confused boy. He caught on to the pitiful stares and started struggling a bit.
"Hiccup, please, this is for your own good." Astrid tried to keep him calm. She gestured at her older self for support.
"Trust us. We would tell you if we could, just stop fighting it...you can't change it, and that's all that matters, okay?" This seemed to have the opposite effect, now leaving him wondering what he couldn't change. OHiccup stooped down to eye level with himself.
"You have to stop. You need to understand, for Toothless' sake..." His voice sounded terrible, and Stoick got shivers when it reminded him of the times they considered him a nuisance. Luckily Hiccup sensed that this was too important to fight, and gave in to the restraints.
"If anything happens, I swear to the gods-" Hiccup glared at his older self, unsure what he would even do.
"Did you just threaten yourself?" Fishlegs asked, shutting up when both Hiccup's threw him annoyed looks. Neither seemed interested in reasoning.
Drago: Ready the traps!
[Zippleback gas surrounds one of the traps. The trapper shows surprise, then the gas ignites.]
Tuffnut: SURPRISE! YEAH!
"Woo! Yeah!" The Elitists all cheered, surprising Tuff who expected to be the only one.
Drago: WHAT?!
Astrid snorted a bit at his surprise. "Idiot."
Hiccup burst out laughing, not even caring that he was getting funny looks. Finally he calmed down, and smirked.
"If I'm going to be held captive by my girlfriend and a few people I barely know- with no explanation, mind you- I'm going to try and enjoy myself while I can."
"That's...a really good idea." His future self said in a trance, moving closer to Stoick as he did so. He was going to enjoy himself until he couldn't.
Fishlegs: Woo-oo-oo.
Astrid: (To Eret) You really are full of surprises! [jumps from Meatlug to Stormfly] Let's go!
OAstrid blushed at the slight looks she was getting from her future in-laws, but calmed down seeing OHiccup was fine with it. It wasn't like she was making out with him or something...
Tuffnut: Dragon Riders coming through!
Fishlegs: Fire!
Snotlout: Ha-ha-ha!
Tuffnut: Woah-ho-ho! Yeah!
[Barf breathes gas over the traps, and Stormfly lights it. The trapped dragons escape from Drago's traps, free.]
"Freedom!" Deiya called, throwing a fist into the air. The others in the room cheered as well, though the ERD was careful not to move from their positions too much. Astrid practically fell off Hiccup's lap in excitement, though he caught her and put her back.
"I'll never let you fall." He whispered seriously, before going back to the movie. Astrid stared at OAstrid as if seeking confirmation, and only returned her eyes to the screen when satisfied by a nod.
Drago: Cut them down!
"Jokes on you! I bet you don't even have a sword big enough to reach us from the ground!" Ruffnut grinned, thinking this meant they were sure to win. OHiccup started as if he were going to correct her, but simply shook his head and sat back in his seat.
Tuffnut: Ha, cool.
[Ruffnut falls off Barf and falls towards the ground.]
"Oh my gods, Ruff!" Astrid cried, once more forgetting she was sitting on Hiccup. He winced as she grabbed his shirt, holding the fabric like it was the only thing that could save the girl.
"Fall, fall, fall!" Tuff chanted, though the fear in his eyes made sure no one was deceived.
"Where's your boyfriend now?" Snot grinned wickedly.
Ruffnut: Eret, son of Eret!
[Snotlout and Fishlegs catch Ruffnut.]
"Oh, boy..." Stoick chuckled, as the young girl's face began to burn. Hiccup just shot her a sympathetic glance, knowing she'd need it.
"Is it too late to drop her again?" Snotlout groaned, hiding a bit of a blush next to a very red Fishlegs.
"Oh Thor, this explains a lot..." OAstrid whispered at the screen, eyes fogged over as she contemplated what she saw.
Astrid: Up, girl. Lean left, Eret! That's it.
Astrid: Look out!
[A large icicle falls towards them but is destroyed by a plasma blast.]
"Nice, babe." OAstrid joked, gesturing towards the dramatic introduction of the rider into the fight.
"Thank you, milady." He bowed, laughing as he straightened back out. She placed her face in her hand, slightly muffling her own laughter.
Hiccup: Yeah baby!
Drago's men: Take them down!
"Y'know, I really much prefer being in the air, if it's all the same to you..." Fishlegs whimpered, ghostly white and whimpering.
Gobber: Heads up!
[Grump uses his tail as a bludgeon to knock them unconscious.]
Gobber: Ho ho ho!
"What even are you, Gobber..?" Hiccup asked no one in particular, struggling to keep a straight face.
"Uh, a blacksmith? You're the one who works with him, shouldn't you know by now?" Tuffnut asked, grimacing at the supposed stupidity of the heir.
"You- already work with Gobber?" Valka asked the young version of her son, surprised.
"I started him young." Stoick supplied simply, focused on the screen more than anything.
[Toothless flies past.]
Drago: Dragon Master...
"Why does everyone call you that?" Snotlout grumbled, obviously jealous. OAstrid would have stepped in to defend Hiccup, but she couldn't tear her focus from the action.
Hiccup: [To Eret] Welcome aboard, Dragon Rider.
Eret: Thanks! I think!
"Think he'll ever get used to our little dynamic?" Hiccup asked his friends, grinning slyly.
"I hope not..." Ruffnut snickered in reply.
Astrid: Where have you been?
Hiccup: Oh, you know. Catching up with Mom.
[Valka summons the Alpha]
Astrid: That's your mother?!
"Wait, wasn't Drago planning to lure out the Bewilderbeast?! You need to get him back inside!" Hiccup panicked, fearing for the dragon and the others.
Hiccup: Well, now you know where I get my dramatic flair! [flicks helmet down and breaks right]
"This does explain a lot." Fishlegs pondered to himself about all the connections between behavior.
"Honestly, this is too weird..." Ruff remarked, visibly confused.
"I know! I thought I'd be used to a Momcup-"
"Really, that's what you're calling her?" OHiccup deadpanned.
"-by now, but it just feels unnatural to know Hiccup has more than one parent."
The older Vikings froze; they all knew that problem would soon fix itself.
Drago: The Alpha! Now, we have a fight.
[The Alpha freezes some of Drago's soldiers and traps.]
Cheers filled the room, excited by the amazing freezing powers of the giant dragon.
[Zipplebacks attack in balls of fire. One gets caught in a trap.]
"Woah, not cool!" Snotlout cried, angered by the scene. They had all been ecstatic by the awesome fighting maneuver the Zipplebacks had pulled, but the traps brought them back to the reality of the situation.
Hiccup: Come on, Toothless! Show them what you got, bud!
[Toothless fires and frees the Zippleback.]
Hiccup: Whoo-hoo-hoo! ATTABOY!
Valka placed a hand on her heart, beaming. They really were something.
[Valka and Cloudjumper are shot down with a net and crash land near Drago.]
"Valka!" Stoick yelped, gaping and quivering with rage. She waved him down, smiling that he cared. Astrid smiled a bit at how protective the chief was of his wife. While distracted, Hiccup whispered in her ear.
"So, how come you're in on this big secret when I'm not?"
"Because I can put two and two together. Now sit still or I'll stay on your lap longer..." She hissed, blushing.
"Who says I want you to get off-" she smacked him. "Ow! Ok, I deserved that..."
"Yes. Yes you did."
Drago: I've waited a long time for this.
Valka: You cannot take our dragons! They are controlled by the Alpha!
"If only it were that simple..." Valka mumbled to the image of her on the screen.
Drago: Then it's a good thing I brought a challenger.
Hiccup laughed in a panic, causing states of concern. "He's got his own. He's- really?!"
"Hiccup, calm down." Deiya pleaded, though a slap to the face by Astrid proved much more effective in stopping his hyperventilating.
[Drago summons another Bewilderbeast.]
Hiccup: Another one?
Fishlegs: That is a class ten! Class ten!
"You don't say?" Snotlout snapped, ripping his eyes from the screen to shoot an incredulous look at the singer man boy.
Valka: No…
Drago: Come on! Take down the alpha.
Valka: No!
[Valka attacks Drago. Drago trips her and stands on her, about to kill her with his bull hook.]
"No! Absolutely not!" The Haddocks boys of the past yelled. Valka, knowing she was in no danger, chuckled at her two protectors. They may not understand it, but they are- or, were in her case- extraordinarily similar.
[Stoick shoves him, saving Valka.]
Valka: Thank you.
Stoick: For you my dear, anything.
"Stop it, that kind of cuteness is not okay on a battlefield!" Deiya fanned tears, grinning stupidly at the two. OHiccup snorted at the Elitist, secretly enjoying the adorable interactions.
{Stoick and Drago take up fighting stances as the two Bewilderbeasts begin fighting.]
"Aw, look! One for each of us!" Ruffnut joked with her brother, ignorant at the tension building in the room.
"More like two for me!" Tuffnut smiled, pushing his sister out of her chair. "We're going to need a bigger stable!"
Stoick: Val, you think you can stop them?
Valka: I'll do my best. Come on, Cloudjumper.
"Cloudjumper is so majestic..." The two Astrid's remarked, scaring everyone with their sync. Fishlegs nodded in agreement, captivated by the movements of the Stormcutter.
Drago: You? I watched you burn.
Stoick: It takes more than a little fire to kill me.
The older Vikings and Astrid turned to OHiccup to make sure he was okay. However, they were surprised to find he was busting up laughing. Most turned away in confusion, though OAstrid needed an explanation.
"He's right. I'd consider a plasma blast more than just some run-of-the-mill fire." He whispered, taking her raised eyebrows as some sort of unspoken question. She too began a fit of hysterics, though she felt odd about laughing at such a tragic circumstance.
[The Bewilderbeasts begin to fight, as do Drago and Stoick.]
[Valka tries to stop them but fails.]
[Drago hits Stoick to the ground. Gobber flies past.]
Gobber: Stoick!
"Gobber to the rescue!" The teens cheered, proud of their ex-mentor.
"What would we do without that man...?" Valka asked no one in particular.
"We would starve, honestly..." OHiccup joked.
[Gobber passes Stoick his prosthetic mace.]
"Doesn't he need that...?" Snotlout questioned, a bit uncomfortable but ultimately confused.
"Nah, he's just lending a hand..." OHiccup smacked his younger self on the back of the head for his bad pun.
"Stop that, you're so embarrassing..." He joked with himself.
"-says the guy who's talking to himself!" Hiccup shot right back.
"Ugh, I can't take you anywhere."
The two stopped there, unable to talk due to their own laughter. Astrid shook her head, though she had to hold on for dear life to make sure she didn't fall from the boy's lap.
[Drago's Bewilderbeast knocks over the Alpha and kills him.]
"Uh...oh..." The twins gasped, and Stoick sighed sadly.
"This can't be good." Snotlout added, removing his helmet in respect.
Valka: No!
Astrid: No.
[The new Alpha takes control of the dragons.]
Drago: We've won. Now, finish her!
"Mom!" Hiccup didn't even bother thinking about how weird the word sounded coming from his mouth; he wanted her to be safe.
"I'm going to be fine..." She assured him, smiling sadly at his concern.
Stoick: No.
[The Bewilderbeast starts shooting ice at Valka and Cloudjumper.]
Stoick: Hold on! Skullcrusher, go! Come on, Gobber.
Gobber: Right behind you, Stoick!
[A dragon knocks Valka, she falls. Valka struggles to hold onto Cloudjumper and finally falls. Stoick jumps and catches her.]
"Oh gods, this is it...just- just stay on your dragon!" OHiccup pleaded with himself, face covered by his hands. Hiccup felt a lot of despair growing in his stomach by the pure misery he saw around the room.
"Hiccup, what happened happened. I'm sorry..." Deiya frowned, tears stinging her eyes.
Hiccup: STOP! Stop!
Drago: This is the great dragon master? The son of Stoick the Vast? What shame he must feel.
"Heh. Shows what he knows, eh?" Stoick barked, pride for his boy evident in his eyes.
Hiccup: All of this loss, and for what? To become unstoppable? To rule the world? Dragons, they are kind, amazing creatures that can bring people together.
"...or tear them apart." OHiccup mocked the man's voice in perfect harmony, obviously mad at Drago.
Drago: Or tear them apart.
[Unhooks prosthetic arm.]
"Did you just flinch? You're aware you've got the same basic situation going on with your foot, right?" Snotlout teased, gesturing to the prosthetic for emphasis. He found himself shivering only a moment later as OAstrid glared daggers his way.
Drago: You see, I know what it is to live in fear, to see my village burnt, my family taken. But even as a boy, left with nothing, I vowed to rise above the fear of dragons, and liberate the people of this world.
Hiccup: Then why a dragon army?
Drago: Well, you need dragons to conquer other dragons.
Hiccup: Or maybe you need dragons to conquer people, to control those who follow you and to get rid of those who won't.
Drago: Clever boy.
"Do I really have to watch this? It's bad enough that well, you know, but I'm not too pleased by my- er, reaction..." OHiccup pleaded with Deiya, who simply shook her head.
Hiccup: The world wants peace, and we have the answer back on Berk. Just let me show you-
"Seriously though, is that your goto line?" Astrid whispered to OHiccup.
Drago: No! Let ME show YOU!
"Oh boy..." Stoick grew pale, as did the others. "This is going to get ugly..."
[Drago summons his Alpha again.]
"Most of the Vikings who knew what was about to happen were fighting tears now, as Deiya threw them some last minute instructions.
"If history repeats himself, Hiccup's going to need to be restrained..."
"Wait, what?" He straightened out a bit under Astrid, interested.
"Big Hiccup...first off, it's not your fault- not debatable, by the way. Second, talk some sense into him." The man nodded in a daze, preparing what to say to his younger self. He thought over everything he had needed to hear, plus more for good measure.
"Valka, help your husband out. This might be a lot to take in..."
"Alright. This is it..." OAstrid prepared herself, ready to grab Hiccup's arms if needed. They took this as a cue to continue watching, each praying to the gods that Hiccup wouldn't freak out.
And Hiccup? He started running through every possibility, preparing for the worst and never once expecting the best
A/N: Alrighty then. I'll get right on to the next chapter, though I may slip in a different update if I start getting too emotional. It's not so much what happens to Stoick that I can't stand, more the fact that it was Toothless. And don't even get me started on how Hiccup reacts! It breaks my little fangirl heart...
Anyway, review please! Much love!