Chapter 23: Shock and Awe
"Here you go, baby." Fishlegs said to Meatlug, as he tossed her another rock he was holding. The two were strolling along the shores of the Edge, observing the after effects of the thunderstorm that happened earlier. "Oh, that big storm washed up all kinds of cool things up here."
They stopped when they spotted a pile of rocks nearby. Meatlugs eyes widened in delight. "Quartz, Icelandite." Fishlegs noted. He noticed one rock that Meatlug definitely loves. "Travertine, Meatlug!"
He reached out to grab it, but was surprised when it suddenly fell to the ground on its own and rolled into a nearby bush. "What the-"
The same bush started ruffling, causing Fishlegs and Meatlug to approach it with caution, worried about a possible ambush by the Dragon Hunters. And then-
"LOKI'D!"
Both Fishlegs and Meatlug fell back in shock.
Ruffnut and Tuffnut started laughing at the success of their latest prank.
Fishlegs sat up and glared at the blonde twins, trying to get his heart to calm down.
"Loki'd. It never gets old." Tuffnut said, holding a rope which was attached to the rock Fishlegs was trying to get.
"Nope." His sister agreed.
"Don't you two have something better to do?" Fishlegs snapped at them.
"Are you kidding? On Loki Day?" Tuff asked in disbelief.
"The day of our favorite god's birth?" Ruff added.
"One of the greatest days of pranking ever conceived by any man, woman, child, animal, vegetable, mineral or rock." As Tuffnut said this, he swung the rock back and forth with the string. This made Meatlug lock in her focus on her favourite snack. She couldn't take it anymore and immediately tackled Tuffnut for the rock.
"Stop, stop!" Tuff called out in distress as Meatlug sat on top of him to eat the rock. She got off of him and he stood up, with his right arm covering the area where his left arm is supposed to be. "Ah, my arm! My arm!"
"How could you, Meatlug?! You were always such a gentle dragon." Ruff exclaimed in outrage.
"I'll never be able to clap again, and you know how much I love applause." Tuff said solemnly, his left hand clutching onto the fabric of his sleeveless vest.
Fishlegs mood quickly changed from annoyed to worried. "Meatlug didn't mean it. She-" He suddenly got punched in the face by Tuffnut's right hand as it popped out from the vest it was hidden in."Ugh!"
"It's still here, I still have the arm!" He exclaimed, waving his right hand. He turned to his sister. "Do we really even need to say it?"
"I think we do. We've earned it." Ruff answered.
"Loki'd!" The blonde twins exclaimed.
Once again annoyed, Fishlegs huffed and walked away followed by Mealtug whose mood matched with her human.
"Loki'd!" Tuff exclaimed again.
"Yeah!" Ruff cheered.
"The missing arm gag."
"Classic Loki. Only outdone by the missing leg trick." Ruff commented.
"Yeah, but that's been done to death. Gotta keep it above the waist these days." Tuff pointed out.
"Hiccup. What a show-off." Ruff muttered.
(Linebreak)
Fishlegs and Meatlug continued to walk along the shores, hoping that the twins would pick a new target to prank.
Fishlegs was about to pick up another rock to give to Meatlug when a strange noise caught his attention. He looked up and out to the lagoon, the direction that the noise was coming from, but it was hard to see due to the fog. One thing he was sure was that there was definitely a figure out there.
Fishlegs sighed, having a feeling he knew what was going on. "Very funny, you two. "Loki Day". I get it. Joke's on Fishlegs. Huh?" Looks like Ruff and Tuff weren't done pranking him just yet.
"You say something?" Tuffnut asked as he, his sister and their dragon joined the boy and Gronckle duo.
Fishlegs eyes widened in surprise. "Wait a minute. If you two are here and Barf and Belch are over there, then-" He looked back to the lagoon where he saw the same figure moving. "You saw that, right?"
Tuffnut walked closer to get a better look. His eyes widened. "Oh, my Thor. I did!"
"Really?"
"No!" Tuff exclaimed. "Not at all. Not even."
He and his twin started laughing as they walked away, followed by Barf and Belch.
Fishlegs didn't care about their antics as he continued to look out at the lagoon.
(Linebreak)
Soon, Fishlegs and Meatlug both went back to the Clubhouse where they found Hiccup, Astrid and Snotlout. Fishlegs started explaining to them what he saw.
"It had two heads, maybe three. And it made this weird sound, like nothing I'd ever heard before. It was like a...like…"
Snotlout gasped. "Oh, my Thor. That's incredible, Fishlegs!"
"I know, right?"
"Wrong! Not getting me on Loki Day." Snotlout chuckled as he started to leave. "If it isn't already obvious to you all, I am way smarter than-"
He didn't realise he stepped on a snare trap until it was too late and he was now hanging upside down.
Fishlegs rolled his eyes. "Obviously. Much smarter."
"Loki'd!" Ruff and Tuff yelled, jumping out of their hiding spots.
"Ha, ha, ha." Snotlout said sarcastically. "Fine. You got me. But I still don't believe Fishlegs about that creature in the lagoon."
"Creature in the Edge Lagoon. Just when you thought it was safe to take a bath in a lagoon." Tuffnut commented.
No one commented on that.
Snotlout, still hanging upside down, looked at Hiccup. "Okay. Any day now."
"Toothless?" Hiccup requested.
Toothless fired a plasma blast at the rope holding Snotlout, causing him to fall.
"Oof. Thanks. Much appreciated." He moaned.
"You can Loki all you want. I know what I saw." Fishlegs said adamantly.
"We've been swimming and fishing in that cove for months, Fishlegs. Don't you think we would've seen something if there was something to see?" Hiccup pointed out.
"Are you sure it wasn't just the light coming through the fog? It can play really weird tricks on you. Especially at that hour." Astrid suggested.
"Sounds more like somebody got Loki'd by the fog." Tuff said.
"It wasn't the fog, you guys! There's something out there. Something real." Fishlegs insisted. "And, as usual, you won't believe it until I prove it."
He left the Clubhouse deciding to do just that.
(Linebreak)
Fishlegs and Meatlug went back to the lagoon with a plan. They flew over the lagoon with Fishlegs dangling a fish with rope. "All of Thor's creatures have to eat. Right, girl?"
Now all they have to do is wait for the creature to take the bait.
Hicca was patrolling the outpost when she heard something in the distance.
Well, I've got my Meat,
And I've got my Lug,
And a great big heart,
Filled with Fishlegs love,
I'm a Dragon Rider through and through!
She and Midnight flew closer to the singing where they found Fishlegs and Meatlug. Since Hiccup told her about Fishlegs discovery before she went to patrol, Hicca had a good idea what Fishlegs and Meatlug were doing.
"I really hope this isn't Ruffnut and Tuffnut pranking him." Hicca said to Meatlug who warbled in response. She made a mental note to check up on them from time to time as she and Midnight went back to patrolling.
As the time passed, Fishlegs and Meatlugs patience and energy began to fade as they continued to wait, but still no results.
Hicca and Midnight passed by them once again during their patrol to find the blonde boy still singing but with less energy.
"Okay one more round and we'll get them to come back with us to the Clubhouse." Hicca said to Midnight, noting the tired expressions on both the boy and the Gronckle.
As they flew by, Hicca noticed a familiar dragon flying near the clouds. "Is that-" The dragon started flying away into the clouds. "Midnight we need to follow that dragon." The female Night Fury, noticing the same dragon followed it into the clouds.
As Midnight flew away, Meatlug started losing altitude due to fatigue. Fishlegs was also starting to doze off as he laid on the saddle. Neither of them were aware of the figure in the lagoon moving below them.
Meatlugs claws dipped into the water when suddenly-
ZAP!
She and Fishlegs felt a sudden jolt, putting both of them back on alet. The actual shock caught them both off guard and caused Fishlegs to fall off the saddle and into the lagoon.
Underwater, Fishlegs saw the creature swim at a fast past, but couldn't figure out what it was. The rope that was holding their bait suddenly appeared in front of him and he grabbed it. He was then pulled out of the water by Meatlug
"I knew I was right! It lives!" He yelled as he flew in the air. Unfortunately, he landed back in the water.
He then saw the same creature swimming back towards him. Frightened, closed his eyes and braced himself.
A few seconds later, he yelled as he was blasted out of the water rather painfully. He started falling, but this time Meatlug swooped in, in time and he landed on her saddle.
"Oh! Oh, Thor, I promise I won't stay up late reading books anymore. I promise I won't pocket extra burly cakes. I promise I'll tell Snotlout where I hid his favorite axe." Fishlegs pleaded to himself, now terrified.
He peeked back down at the lagoon and saw the creature swimming towards the mouth of the lagoon that leads to the open seas.
"Hey! Hey, Meatlug, it's trying to get out! Come on, girl, we have to close the exit." Meatlug flew towards the exit, managing to beat the sea creature. She started blasting lava at the exit to seal it. "Those guys will never believe it was here if we let it get away. Not to mention the fact that we'll get to study it. Who knows? It could be a whole new species! Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself. Keep dumping, girl." He said excitedly.
"Fishlegs!" Hicca called out as she and Midnight flew towards them. "Are you okay? What happened? I heard you scream."
"I am both terrified and excited. You wouldn't believe what just happened! I was right! We just need to finish sealing this off and then we can get the others."
Hicca looked at the barrier Meatlug was making and then looked down at the lagoon where she saw a creature swimming fast, trying to get past the barrier.
"Fishlegs…"
"Oh just you wait till we learn what species this is. I'm so excited!"
Meatlug finished the barrier and she and Fishlegs flew off to gather the others. Hicca and Midnight stayed behind, the Haddock girl getting a bad feeling.
(Linebreak)
Fishlegs quickly rounded up the others and guided them back to the lagoon, promising them that the creature will still be there.
"The last time I saw the creature, it was heading for the deepest part of the cove." Fishlegs said.
"Is it more like a giant fish? Or a big snake?" Astrid asked.
"Or an eel. We have to be really careful about those." Raeda pointed out.
"I don't think it was an eel. Meatlug was fine." Fishlegs said. "It was hard to tell from underwater. Everything looked kind of fuzzy and misshapen."
"You sure you weren't looking at Meatlug?" Snotlout quipped.
"Ha, ha. Very funny." Fishlegs said sarcastically.
"Well, whatever it is, we'll find it." Hiccup said.
Snotlout glared at Ruffnut and Tuffnut who were flying close to him. "Where did you two hide my axe?! I know it's Loki Day, but come on, it was my favorite one."
Both the blonde twins looked at each other in confusion, neither of them knowing what he was talking about.
Fishlegs overheard that and felt guilty. He did promise he would tell Snotlout, but never specified when. He then decided to change the subject. "There's Hicca. Hicca!"
Hicca and Midnight moved closer to the group. "It looks like the creature swam deeper underwater. I can't find it.
"Not a problem. We lured him out once, we can do it again." Fishlegs turned to the others. "Okay, let's fan out and find the creature. Don't get too close to the water."
"How do we know it's even real?" Snotlout asked, still skeptical
"Because it bit me!" Fishlegs exclaimed, showing his arm.
Astrid looked at the wound. "That doesn't look like a bite. That looks like a burn."
Hicca was confused by that. "Wait, how did you get a burn from a sea creature that's not a Scauldron." She muttered, mainly to herself. Something didn't seem to add up.
Hiccup didn't hear his sister and continued on. "Grab your buckets. We're gonna chum the water to see if it'll show itself again."
Snotlout and Hookfang stopped in front of the gang. "Not me. No way." He refused. "Loki Day trick. I can smell it from a mile away. I mean, how dense does he think we are?"
"Uh, Snotlout?" Hiccup tried to interrupt
"What?"
Suddenly a two-headed creature emerged from the waters and slammed right into Hookfang. As soon as they made contact, Snotlout and Hookfang got electrocuted.
The others were in shock at what they were watching.
"That's-That's not a creature at all." Fishlegs said watching it dive back into the waters.
"It's a dragon." Hiccup breathed out.
"And not just any dragon. It's a Seashocker!" Hicca said.
(Linebreak)
The group quickly landed on the shore for safety and Fishlegs got very excited at the new discovery.
"A Seashocker! Right in our cove! And I found him." He exclaimed.
"You mean you trapped him." Tuffnut corrected.
Fishlegs got defensive "I didn't tr- Argh!"
"I-I gotta tell you, Fishlegs, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'm not sure I'd believe it." Hiccup said.
"Same." Hicca agreed.
"Right? Seashockers are extremely difficult to spot because they hardly ever surface." Fishlegs stated.
"Yes, because they're deep water dragons!" Hicca added.
"Exactly. Which explains why it didn't take my bait." Fishlegs said.
"It only eats deep-sea fish!" The three teens said together.
"Exactly." Hiccup agreed.
Snotlout rolled his eyes at what he was watching. "Geek mode, fully engaged."
"Okay, can we step away from the onslaught of dragon knowledge?" Tuffnut said.
"With pleasure, brother." Ruff agreed.
"Heh." Tuffnut smirked as he only took a small steps back while his sister walked further back until-
"Whoa!"
Tuffnut turned around to the hole that Ruffnut just fell into. "Loki'd!"
"What?! I thought we were on the same team!" Ruffnut exclaimed from the hole.
"Sorry, sis. A team is only as strong as its weakest player." Tuff said.
"As soon as I get out of this hole, it is on!"
"Just wait till she sees the snake I put down there." Tuffnut said to Snotlout.
There was a hissing sound coming from the hole followed by Ruffnuts' screaming.
"You are truly a master." Snotlout praised Tuffnut.
"Jerk!" Ruffnut yelled.
"I think she saw it." Tuff said.
Fishlegs ignored the three of them and turned his attention back to the others. "How lucky are we? To be able to study a Seashocker this closely?"
"Okay, but we have to be careful." Hiccup said.
"Yeah, we don't want to hurt the dragon." Hicca agreed.
"Oh guys, when would I ever hurt a dragon?" Fishlegs got back on Meatlug and flew over the lagoon to watch the Seashocker. "Look at how fluidly it moves through the water. Truly masterful."
The others, minus the Thorsten twins and their dragon, joined him in the air.
"What's it even doing here?" Snotlout asked.
"It must've gotten separated from its pod." Hiccup inferred.
"That's possible considering we just had a big storm." Hicca said.
They watched as the Seashocker was swimming towards the edges of the lagoon at a fast pace.
"Is it just me or does it look kind of agitated?" Raeda asked.
"It actually does." Hicca noted.
"Great idea, Fishlegs. Let's mess with the angry zapper-heads." Snotlout said sarcastically.
"Yeah, I actually think I agree with Snotlout on this one. The Seashocker looks pretty stressed. I think we should help it out of the cove." Hiccup said.
"I know, I know, I know, but after I get some measurements." Fishlegs insisted. "Astrid, can you position yourself near the tail, and then I'll come over here and..."
Fishlegs continued to talk as he flew back to the Seashocker.
"He's not listening to either of you." Snotlout said to the Haddock twins as he and Hookfang flew closer to them.
"We know." Hiccup sighed.
"This is really a bad idea."
Hicca nodded. "Yes, it is."
"You two should listen to me more often."
"Nah, we shouldn't." Hiccup said.
"We really shouldn't." Hicca agreed.
"Based on the Seashocker's length and coloration, I'd say it's a healthy, young adult male." Fishlegs concluded.
His studies were interrupted when the Seashocker suddenly emerged from the waters, electricity flowing through its body. It tried to attack Fishlegs and Astrid, but luckily for them, Meatlug and Stormfly dodged just in time. The Seashocker then went back into the water.
"All right Fishlegs, I think we've seen enough." Hiccup said.
But Fishlegs was not bothered by the sudden attack. "Don't worry. This kind of impulse behavior is completely age appropriate."
"I don't think this has anything to do with age, Fishlegs." Raeda said.
The Seashocker flew back up and continued to attack the Dragon Riders. It tried to shoot a bolt of electricity at Hiccup and Toothless.
"Look out, bud!" Hiccup warned. The Night Fury swerved at the right time.
Stormfly responded to the attack by shooting spikes at it. The spikes hit the Seashocker in the back and fell back into the water in pain.
"No! Stop!" Fishlegs yelled.
He watched as the dragon pulled itself out of the water and laid on the ground in pain as one of the spikes was still on his back. "Oh, no. He's hurt. Astrid!"
"Stormfly was just reacting to being attacked." Astrid defended.
"Yeah, Fishlegs, what did you expect?" Snotlout agreed.
"All right, everybody just calm down. We need to get the Seashocker back into the sea." Hiccup said.
Fishlegs flew down to the Seashocker.
"Still not listening." Snotlout commented.
Hicca and Midnight followed Fishlegs and Meatlug.
Fishlegs and Meatlug landed next to the Seashocker with Midnight and Hicca following suit. Both dragons tensed, on their full guard against the Seashocker as the dragon started growling in warning.
"It's okay." Fishlegs said to the dragon trying to get closer. "Don't worry. We're not gonna hurt you. Okay, we're just gonna try and get you off the rocks and back into the water."
"Careful Fishlegs." Hicca warned as she saw some sparks flying from the dragon.
The seashocker was understandably defensive against the two humans and each head started charging up some sparks. Hicca stood at a safe distance with Midnight but Fishlegs slowly approached the downed dragon. The two heads then hit each other by the snouts, causing the charged up currents to combine, resulting in an explosive shock.
Midnight acted fast and shielded Hicca with her wing.
"Fishlegs? Meatlug? Are you guys okay?" Hicca called out as the Night Fury lowered her wing.
"We're fine! Sorta." Fishlegs answered, getting up as he recovered from the literal shock. "That was a doozy. Phew! I didn't know you could do that." He said looking at the two heads which got worn out by their own blast. "Looks like you didn't know you could do that either."
Hicca took the opportunity to get closer to the dragon. With the Sea-shocker still glaring at her and Midnight worried warbles, the Haddock girl did her best to examine the dragon from a distance. "It doesn't look like he's in any pain but it's pretty obvious that the dragon is exhausted."
"Because they're not used to being in shallow water." Fishlegs guessed, though he was pretty sure the answer. He turned to the dragon in question. "And you're probably pretty hungry too and we don't have any deep-sea fish."
"He needs to be with his pod, Fishlegs. It's too dangerous for us to keep here." Hicca said.
"I know, I know. You're right. You and Hiccup both are. Can you just give us a minute?"
Hicca nodded in understanding. "I'll get Hiccup and the others and we'll start blasting open the mouth of the cove." With that she got on Midnight and flew to the others.
Fishlegs turned his attention back to the downed dragon. "I'm sorry I locked you in here, away from your home and your family. I should not have been so selfish." He apologised. "But don't you worry. We're gonna get you out of here and back to where you belong.
He walked to the Seashocker's right side and noticed a spine stuck. Something Hicca missed since she examined the dragon from a distance. "Oh, no. Stormfly's spine is still stuck in your side. Poor thing."
He went and pulled the spine out being careful to avoid any more zaps from the dragon. He checked to see if there was anything that would require Hicca's attention, finding nothing. The Seashocker then saw the other dragon riders and their dragons blasting the cave at the mouth of the cavern. Seeing the opportunity for freedom. The dragon dove back into the water towards the exit, with Fishlegs and Meatlug behind him.
At the exit, Ruffnut and Tuffnut flew towards the group, having apparently left them.
"What's going on?" Tuffnut wondered. "Don't ask about your huts."
"They can be fixed." Ruffnut added.
Hiccup sighed. "Never mind. We need your help to clear a path for the Seashocker. Blast the last of the lava wall."
"How do we know this isn't a trick and when we blast the wall, the whole cove explodes?" Tuffnut challenged.
"Really?" The auburn boy asked in exasperation. The blonde twins shrugged and then got their dragons to blast at the wall, successfully covering more surface area. Hiccup spotted Fishlegs and Meatlug ushering the Seashocker. "All right, here they come."
"Almost there!" Fishlegs encouraged. "Just a little-" He got confused when he saw the dragon suddenly stop. "Wait, why are you stopping? Freedom awaits!"
The Seashocker swam back into the cove and Raeda was the first to notice why. "We've got more company!"
Hiccup saw what she meant. "Scauldrons!"
"Oh, no. Scauldrons are Seashockers' natural predators!" Fishlegs realised.
"All the noise from blasting the wall must have drawn them in!" Hiccup inferred.
"The wall. The one that I put there." Fishlegs realised in horror. "Meatlug, what have we done? We have to do something, Guys! The Seashocker can't fight off all these Scauldrons by himself."
"Okay, spread out and flank the Scauldrons. Just try and distract them." Hiccup ordered the others.
The dragon riders tried to stop the Scauldrons, but there was little they could do against the fight below water.
"It's two against one!" Astrid said.
"Every time it looks like he loses them, he zaps and then more come." Fishlegs noted.
"The Scauldrons must track the Shocker by following its shocks." Hicca inferred.
One of the Scauldrons flew up, planning to strike the Seashocker from above. Fishlegs and Meatlug charged right at the attacking dragon. "You stay away from him!" Meatlug successfully headbutted the scauldron, knocking it back into the water. "Yes!"
Behind the duo, the second Scauldron emerged preparing to attack them. Hiccup and Toothless quickly swooped in and the Night Fury fired at the dragon, getting Fishlegs attention.
"Phew! Thanks, Hiccup." Fishlegs said. He turned back towards the water, trying to find the Seashocker. "Where'd he go?"
Astrid spotted the dragon. "He's making a break for the opening." The Seashocker wasn't the only dragon she found. "Two Scauldrons, moving fast!"
"We'll lay down some cover fire. Astrid cut them off!" Hiccup commanded.
Astrid nodded and had Stormfly charge at full speed. All of the sudden Stormfly got yanked back by her tail at the same time Sparkfire, who was close to the blue dragon, got yanked forward, causing both the dragons to collide.
Both the dragons and their riders were confused until Raeda noticed a string that was connecting both the Nadders' tails. "How on earth...?"
"Loki'd!" Both the culprits yelled.
"What? No! I cannot believe you two! Loki'ing right now!" Fishlegs exclaimed in anger.
"Astrid's the crown jewel, Fishlegs. When you have a shot at Loki'ing Astrid, you've gotta take it." Tuffnut explained.
"And taking Raeda down too is a sweet two-for-one deal we can never say no to." Ruffnut added.
"You guys think you're so clever?" Raeda challenged, annoyed as she moved to cut the rope.
"Clever? We're geniuses. We always save our best tricks for Loki day." Tuffnut said.
Astrid glared at the blonde twins. "We'll talk later."
"Hiccup, Hicca, would you two please tell them that they have to stop doing all these Loki tricks?" Fishlegs pleaded.
"I'm starting to think we may need to put a ban on Loki day." Hicca said.
Ruffnut gasped. "You wouldn't."
Hiccup was about to agree with his sister when he got an idea. "Wait, I actually think that Loki might be the key to saving the Seashocker!"
Tuffnut grinned. "Now you're talking!"
Hiccup smirked at the blonde boy. "I wouldn't get too excited if I were you."
"Why?" Tuffnut asked.
(Linebreak)
The reason was because the Thorston twins were given a different task than the others. They were currently flying their dragon above the open waters away from the Edge. Each twin carried a bucket of fish.
"Why do I feel like we're being punished?" Tuffnut asked his sister.
"Because those guys don't understand Loki Day." Ruffnut answered.
"Let's just get these things and get out of here."
Ruffnut gagged as she picked up her bucket. "This bait is nasty!"
"Uh. The word is pungent." Tuff corrected.
"Sorry. This pungent is nasty." Ruff rephrased. "Hiccup said to just use a pinch."
Tuffnut ends up shoving his bucket of fish at Ruffnut, causing his bucket and the fish to fall off into the water below. "Ha! Loki'd! Yeah!"
"Good one!" Ruffnut said. "But now, how do we-"
She didn't get to finish because she, her brother and their dragon heard sudden movement from the water. Suddenly they found exactly what they were looking for. And it came charging after them and their bait.
The twins started screaming.
(Linebreak)
Back at the lagoon, the other dragons riders were focused on defending the Seashocker from the Scauldron.
The Scauldrons definitely weren't happy with their interference. They emerge from the waters and shoot boiling hot water at the dragon riders and dragons. The dragons were fortunately able to dodge them.
"Can someone please tell me why we're risking everything to help this thing?" Snotlout questioned.
"Because that's what we do. We're crazy." Raeda answered.
Astrid spotted one of the Scauldrons heading towards the Seashocker and tried to stop them, but with no luck.
"They're underwater! I can't get a clear shot." Astrid said.
"They're in a feeding frenzy. It's too dangerous to get any closer." Hiccup alerted the others.
With no way to fight the Scauldrons from above the group could only water as the Seashocker tries to outswim the Scauldrons. It suddenly spotted an underground cavern and swam straight into it. The Scauldrons followed right behind it.
Because of this, no one could see where the marine dragons were. The waters were still and calm.
"What happened? Where did he go?" Fishlegs asked, feeling panicked. The only thing that emerged from the waters were a few bubbles. "Hiccup, did he just-"
The others were silent as they realised what might have happened.
"No…" Raeda said.
"Oh, man." Snotlout said.
"We tried everything, Fishlegs. I'm sorry." Astrid said.
Even the dragons lowered this heads in sadness.
"Me too, Fishlegs. I guess we should head back." Hiccup said dejectedly. It was hard to admit defeat in this situation, but he couldn't see any other way. Not when the Seashockers were nowhere in sight.
Fishlegs, however, wasn't ready to give up. "I am not leaving. Not yet. This is my fault and if somehow, some way, he is still alive, then it is my responsibility to get him back to the safety of his pod."
Hicca looked at the determination in Fishlegs eyes and could definitely relate. She too would do the same if she was in his boots. "Let's just wait a few minutes and check the lagoon properly. It won't hurt us if we do." She said,
Despite his sister's defense, Hiccup wasn't convinced they could find the Seashocker. "Fishlegs…"
"Hiccup. He is a fighter." Fishlegs insisted. "He is gonna make-"
All of the sudden, the Seashocker leapt out of the waters, right above Fishlegs. The teens and dragons were shocked at the sight.
Fishlegs watched in awe as the dragon dove back in. "Yes! He lives! He lives!" He cheered.
That's when the Scauldron decided to make an appearance as well. "Uh-oh."
The dragon was getting ready to shoot the boiling water at Fishlegs and Meatlug when suddenly-
"Incoming! Yeah!"
Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Barf and Belch came flying in with a rope attached to a bait that was submerged in the ocean. They made it into the lagoon and flew between Fishlegs, Meatlug and the Scauldron, giving the former a chance to escape.
The Scauldron was drawn to the sparks of lightning trailing behind the Zippleback and chased after it, thinking it was the Seashocker. The Scauldron soon discovered that it wasn't actually it's prey, but a giant electric eel!
"Giant zapping eel!" Snotlout yelled as Hookfang flew further up.
All the flying dragons flew up, not wanting to risk the eel lunging after them.
"I'm pretty sure I said a few small eels." Hiccup said to the Thorston twins as they flew close by.
"On Loki Day, you go big or you go home!" Tuff countered.
Fishlegs watched as the Scauldron had a tough time differentiating the eel from the Seashocker due to the sparks. "It's working. The zapping eel is confusing the Scauldrons."
"Who knew you could Loki Scauldrons?" Tuffnut said, enjoying this.
"Let's Loki 'em even more." Hiccup said, feeling more motivated now that they have an advantage. "Come on, bud."
He led the others to attack the Scauldrons from above water. That, plus the confusion caused by the eel is succeeding in keeping the Scauldrons at bay. The Seashocker takes this opportunity to escape through the mouth of the lagoon.
Fishlegs spotted the Seashocker. "Oh, this is our chance." He and Meatlug followed after the Seashocker. "Come on, just a little further. We're almost there." The Seashocker finally passed through the mouth of the lagoon. "Ha, ha! We did it, Hiccup! We saved him!"
Hiccup smiled, glad that they were able to help the dragon escape. His smile quickly turned to the frown, however, when he noticed a third Scauldron charging right at the Seashocker! "Another Scauldron."
Fishlegs quickly spotted the third Scauldron approaching and started wracking his brain for a way to stop it. He thought of one. "Oh, this is gonna hurt." He stood on the saddle, took a deep breath and jumped into the ocean.
"Fishlegs!" Hiccup exclaimed.
Raeda saw the dive and flew Sparkfire over to them, causing the others to follow her. "What is he doing?"
"I don't know." Hiccup said.
In the ocean, Fishlegs swam to the Seashocker as fast as he could and grabbed the snouts from both heads. He waited until the Scauldron got closer and struck the two snouts together, creating the same explosive shock it caused earlier. Fishlegs struggled as sparks surged through his body but he still hung on. The Scauldron was too close to dodge and got hit by the blast.
The same blast sent Fishlegs flying out of the water and into the air and crash-landed on land.
"Okay."
The other dragon riders quickly landed near him and got off their dragons.
"Fishlegs, are you all right?" Hicca asked.
"That must have blown him twenty yards. New record!" Ruffnut exclaimed.
"Don't worry, Fishlegs. In time you'll be able to feel your legs again. I mean, probably." Tuffnut said.
"That was one of the gutsiest moves I've ever seen, Fishlegs." Astrid praised.
"Yeah, that was amazing." Raeda said.
"Hey, it's nothing I wouldn't have done." Snotlout bragged.
Astrid raised her eyebrows at him and crossed her arms. "Then, why didn't you do it?"
Snotlout took a few seconds to think of an answer. "'Cause I wanted to give Fishlegs a taste of the Snot. Tastes good, doesn't it?"
"Oh please, Snotlout. This is Fishlegs' moment. Stop making it weird." Raeda said, rolling her eyes.
Hiccup helped Fishlegs to his feet. Suddenly the Seashocker emerged from the ocean, flying in the air before it dove back down. The group then noticed the Scauldrons had recovered from the attacks and were charging the Seashocker again!
However, before anyone could make a move to go to their dragons, more Seashockers arrive to help their friend. They all started to attack the Scauldrons, forcing them to retreat.
"Look at that, Fishlegs. You did it. You won." Astrid said.
"We did it." Fishlegs said, in relief.
(Linebreak)
After the events unfolded, the group spent the rest of the day unwinding from their latest adventures.
Soon evening time came and the Thorston twins were making their way to the Clubhouse.
"Finally, we're getting the respect we deserve." Tuffnut said to his sister. A while ago, Hicca came to the blonde twins and told them the gang was going to have tonight's dinner in their honor for their part in helping the Seashocker. The twins were excited to hear that.
"Yeah, do you think I'm underdressed? I could have worn my browner tunic." Ruff said. Nonetheless, she went with her brother to open the door to the Clubhouse.
"Your Vikings of the Year have arr-" Tuffnut started to declare when he got interrupted, by a pile of fish raining onto him and his sister "Ow!"
"Loki'd!" Hiccup exclaimed, laughing as he stood there with Toothless. The Night Fury then prepared to fire a plasma blast, causing the twins to run out.
"Bad dragon!" Tuffnut yelled.
They stopped when they saw several bear traps placed on the ground. However, Toothless was still firing at them, giving them no choice but to run through the traps. They managed to do so without getting caught in any of them.
They ran to a ladder so fast that they collided into each other, causing Tuffnut to fall onto the lower ground. Ruffnut got on the ladder to go down, but it suddenly broke apart, causing her to fall onto her brother.
"Loki'd!" Fishlegs exclaimed with a smirk as he appeared on the higher platform where the twins were a second ago.
The twins got up and Tuffnut tried to walk, only to notice too late that he hit a tripwire. The blonde twins then got hit with a makeshift paint bomb.
"Loki'd." Raeda exclaimed from a distance.
The tables have definitely turned for the Thorston twins. Now they were the ones getting Loki'd from everyone on the Edge.
They quickly ran back to their hut, unsuccessfully trying to avoid the pranks and traps set up for them. They finally reached their hut and got inside, both were panting as they leaned on the walls.
"Safe now." Tuffnut said catching his breath.
"I never thought I'd say this, brother, but I think I am ready for Loki Day to end." Ruffnut said.
Suddenly, the hut started to shake and move.
"Uh, we might have to wait on that." Tuffnut said.
"Whoa. How weird is that? An earthquake on Loki Day." Ruffnut said.
"Yeah. Too weird." Tuff agreed. He then noticed something outside the window. "Hey, is it also weird that there are dragons flying in place outside the windows?"
Ruffnut opened the door to their hut slightly and peeked out. She turned back to her twin. "Not if you take into account that we're thousands of feet above the ocean, hanging by a rope attached to Stormfly!"
"Okay, this has gone too far." Tuff said. "I'm declaring it officially. When dragons start Loki'ing Dragon Riders, that's when the whole sys-" He was cut off when the hut shook again.
Getting a bad feeling, the two of them opened the door and walked out to find they were now on top of a sea stack. "I don't think the system is safe." Ruff said.
"Loki'd!" Astrid yelled from above. She and Stormfly then started flying away. "Enjoy your new home, guys. I hear the neighbors are really quiet."
"Evil genius. You got to admire it." Tuffnut commented
"Admire it? I'm straight up jealous of it." Ruffnut admitted
"If I ever mention Loki Day again, hold me down and pull all my nose hairs out." Tuff said.
"Mmm, but that's only what we do on our birthday." Ruff pointed out.
"Oh, yeah. Well, think of something else that's really painful and has to do with my nose, do that instead." He then sighed. "Loki Day."
"Heard that." With that Ruff tackled her brother and delivered on her promise she made just now.
"No!" Tuffnut yelled.
A/N: After this chapter, I will start the next one in my own way to continue where Skylight369 left off.