Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon and do not own any of the character. Halla and Ash are based on character from the movie, but have been modified for my story

Since it is my first fanfiction reviews would be nice thanks enjoy

thought '...'

speaking "..."

I want to warn anyone reading this story that due to school I may not be writing as much as I used to, but give me time and I will update I don't plan on ditching this story ever. I will update when I can.

Halla knew her face was still warm. Ash's actions and Gabriel's words are still ringing in her head. Halla had wanted to ask Gabriel what he meant by "never change" but was too afraid to receive the answer. Gabriel had left Halla with the dragon some time ago, and the young girl felt foolish for letting a trivial thing affect her so much when she had bigger issues to worry about.

"It's fine," Halla muttered to herself, pacing in front of the dragons. "I can think of something," Halla was rambling, but she was unsure how to make herself stop. "I'm smart. I could think of something…but then I have to figure out what to do with the dragon's nest." Halla stopped coming face to face with Toothless. The dragon titled his head at the human, cooing. "Your right, first thing first tomorrow match." Halla started to scratch Toothless' ear "such a smart dragon." Toothless closed his eyes, purring louder "too bad your rider is so stupid," Halla whined, placing her head on top of Toothless head.

Halla knew that she would have to go into the ring, and she knew that she would not be able to fight, let alone kill a dragon. Halla knew that the truth would be coming out soon, and all she could hope was that she would be able to keep her dragon's safe in the aftermath.

"How did this get so complicated" Halla deeply sighed, continuing to scratch Toothless, Scarlet watching the pair with intense eyes. 'On the plus side, you two won't be alone if something happens,' Halla thinks.

Halla had plans forming and swirling in her mind, but honestly, most of them needed a miracle from the Gods to work. "I need to head home now, Toothless." The dragon groans leaning more of its weight onto the human girl. "I know, I know, but no matter what happens, I'll see you soon." Halla walked over to Scarlet and gave the older dragon some love before leaving the cove to head home.

Halla looked up at the sky, wondering if even showing up at the training ground was a good deal. 'Could still leave? On top of a dragon, we could get pretty far find some barren island make a new home shouldn't be too hard with Gabriel, and I-'Halla stops eyes widening. 'No, no, I can't involve Gabriel anymore than he already is?'

Halla raises Toothless head. "No matter what happens, you stay out of sight." Toothless tilts his head, his pupils becoming big as he coos and nudges his head back into Halla's stomach. Halla looks over at Scarlet "whatever happens, you two, stay safe." Scarlet looks has a little mirth to it, and neither of them gave Halla any comfort that they would listen to her.

Halla sighs "wish for the best, prepare for the worst."

Halla had not slept at all, and all she could feel was dread in her stomach as she saw the banners and flags flapping in the morning sun above the training ground. Halla bit her lips as she watched all of Berk surrounding the ring. The crowd was cheering, ready for the main event.

Halla was waiting by the entrance of the gate, shield in hand, still wondering if it was too late to run away. "Halla," the young girl startled, dropping her shield. Halla slowed, turned unsure how to feel when she saw her Auntie standing there. 'Everyone in Berk really did come,' Halla thought.

Before her aunt could say anything else, Helga smothered her niece in a hug. "I know I haven't been in your life long, and I know that I should have done more for you, but I just wanted to say I'm proud of you." Helga tightens her hold on Halla before releasing the girl at arm's length. "Your mother would be so proud."

Halla felt sick. 'I'm your biggest disgrace, and eventually, the whole village will see that.' Helga was looking at her niece with wide eyes shimmering with pride. Halla had no idea what she was supposed to say to that.

Cheering rose for a moment and then silence. "Well, I can show my face in public again." The opening lines were met with laughter and applause. "If someone had told me that in a few short weeks, Halla would go from being, well…Halla, to placing first in dragon training, I would've tied him to a mast and shipped him off for fear he'd gone mad." The crowd cheered, followed by a "Yes! And you know it!"

Halla felt her stomach drop even more. Helga could only roll her eyes at the opening speech, taking Halla's expression for nerves. Helga squeezed her nieces' arm, shooting her a smile that Halla tried to return.

"But here we are. And no one's more surprised or more proud than I am." Halla regretted not running away, regretted not jumping on Toothless and flying as fast as possible. 'Should have been a coward.' Halla thought, listening to Stoick's speech. "Today, my girl becomes a Viking. Today, She BECOMES ONE OF US!" The cheers and roars grew.

Gabriel approached the family members looking a little sheepish. Helga looked between her niece and her charge. "Ah, I will leave you two alone," she says with a smile to her niece and a grin to her charge.

The teens stood silent next to each other for a moment, making sure they were truly alone. "You have a plan," Gabriel asked, worry settling in his gut.

"Less of a plan, more of a wish list," Halla says with a queasy smile.

"We could still run," Gabriel says with a casual shrug, not taking his eyes off the ring.

If Halla wasn't so nervous, she might have heard the 'we' in Gabriel's statement. "Running is not going to change anything. Besides, my father would stop me the minute I try to leave this arena."

Gabriel placed a hand on Halla's shoulder. "If you need help, I'll be right here." Halla felt the tension leave her for the first time, actually feeling like things could work out.

Before Halla could respond, Ash appeared at the entrance making hi-way other to the duo. Ash's face was neutral, but Halla could see the worry in his eyes. "Be careful with that dragon" is all Ash said as he clenched his fist.

"It's not the dragon I'm worried about." Of that, Halla is confident. How many times had she survived dragons? It was the Vikings in the crowded that worried her.

"What are you going to do?" Ash asked, hating the idea of Halla in an arena by herself.

"Put an end to this," Halla says before the cheers of the crowd flood the arena. Ash and Gabriel didn't seem convinced, but even Halla herself didn't feel confident, so she really couldn't blame them. "I have to try," Halla says, tightening the grip on her shield. 'After all, this is all my fault,' Halla thought, biting her lip, 'if I hadn't shot Toothless down, if I hadn't tried too hard to be something I'm not, none of us would be here.' "If something goes wrong…." Halla swallowed the lump in his throat." Just make sure they don't find Toothless and Scarlet."

"I will," Ash says, nodding his head shoulder tense. "Just promise me it won't go wrong." Halla gave a dry chuckle looking at the two boys. She could never promise that.

"We will be standing right here," Gabriel says, his voice unwavering.

Gobber approaches the group with a giant grin on his face, unaware of the growing tension with the teens. "It's time, Halla. Knock him dead." Gobber cheers, heading to the door to open the gates.

Halla puts her helmet on and slowly makes her way into the ring. The entire island surrounds the arena, the teens from dragon training hooting and hollering from the stands, and even her cousin was cheering for her, a "show 'em how it's done" reaching Halla's ears.

Halla turns in the ring, finding her father's eyes. Stoick stands above the crowd, the elders standing beside him. Stoick nods with a smile on his face, pride in his eyes. Halla tries to remember the last time she saw her father this happy. Halla can only return the enthusiasm with a half-smile.

Halla takes a deep breath and hoists the shield on his forearm. Halla had randomly selected a weapon from the rack, a small dagger. Halla laughed at the irony it wasn't that long ago that she had held a dagger to Toothless. Halla could almost hear her father's voice telling her to go for the hammer.

Halla turns to face the heavy bolted doors, taking another deep breath to hope to stop the shaking in her knees. "I'm ready," Halla whispers, nodding, knowing that Gobber was waiting for her signal to open the dragon's door.

The doors bolt raised, the crowd grows quiet, and for a moment, it's just silent. "End's here," Halla mutters as the doors are blasted open, the booming echoing in the space. A stream of fire follows the noise, and soon a Monstrous Nightmare coated in flames emerges like an eel out of its cove. In a flash, it tears out of its cave-like an angry bull. The crowd roars and jeers, but Halla was unsure who exactly they were cheering for. The Nightmare climbs the walls and the chain enclosure like a bat, hissing at the cheering crowd and blasting fire where it could. The flame surrounding the dragon dies down as it stops on the chain. Finally, the dragon spots Halla and descends in front of the young girl. The dragon leers a small roar coming from its mouth, tiny sparks emitting from its mouth as it slowly stalks to the human.

Halla can tell that this Nightmare is younger than Scarlet, its eyes challenging and the body more fluid. The red and black also seemed to have a different tint than Scarlet. Scarlet was red and black, and this Nightmare appeared more orange-red with far more black stripes than Scarlet. Halla can hear her father, "Go on, Halla, give it to him." Before the crowd goes silent, bracing themselves for a big fight.

The Nightmare's eyes were cautious, but Halla saw no malice there. Halla dropped her shield stepping back from the stalking dragon. Halla dropped the dagger extending her hand out towards the dragon. The Nightmare pauses, pupil expanding just a sliver. Halla can see its hesitations.

From the corner of Halla's eyes, she can see Stoick standing, and Halla can only picture he was just as confused as the dragon in front of her. The Nightmare steps closer, snorting as if deciding whether to be insulted or sincere. Halla extends her open hand the Nightmare snarls, and Halla does her best not to smile 'it's the same every time. Let's just hope it ends the same way, too.'

"It's okay," Halla whispers, slowly moving back. "It's okay." The dragon continues to pace, but its eyes flicker to Halla's hand and then to her helmet. Halla knows what she has to do. Halla reaches for her helmet, making sure her movements are slow and precise. 'I'm sorry, mom,' Halla thought, fingertip brushing against the horn. Halla took a deep breath, grabbing the helmet momentarily bringing the helmet to her chest. Halla will never let anyone know how much it hurt to toss her mother's helmet to the ground. The helmet clashes as it rolls on the ground. "I'm not one of them."

The dragon's eyes widen, and gasps erupt around the arena. Harsh whispers and murmurs emerge. "Halla, what are you thinking" Skulluims shouted, and for a moment, Halla paused.

The dragon stiffed with Halla's doubt. Halla could hear Skulluim shouting, but other than giving a slight apology to the older man, she paid no attention to the Viking. "I am not one of them," Halla whispers to the Nightmare, hand still out for the dragon. The Nightmare chirps extending its neck a bit.

"Stop the fight," Stoick shouts.

"NO," Halla shouts back, "I need you all to see this." Halla can sense the crowds' restlessness. "They're not what we think they are" The Nightmare was sniffing the air, jaw relaxing as it inched closer. "We don't have to kill them." Gasps emerged, no doubt turning their heads to their chief.

"I SAID STOP THE FIGHT!" Stoick, in his rage, whacks his hammer against the iron enclosure. The hit bent the bar, the entire arena rattling with a terrible reverberating screech.

Halla knew she was in trouble when the Nightmare's eyes grew into slits, jaw tensing with no hesitation. Halla pulled her outstretched hand from being snapped off by the dragon. Halla yelps and springs back, the Nightmare no longer interested in friendship. The Nightmare reacts to Halla's movement and blasts another stream of fire. Halla screams, barely diving out of reach. 'The gods really do hate me,' Halla thought as she heard Gabriel and Ash call out for her.