Chapter 7: Momma's Kids
At Night on the open sea, Astrid and Henry, Wildstar and Stormfly circle a lone iceberg, being used for the Riders and their dragons to rest up. They land with a frown, eyeing the distance while the Riders are having a snack with a big cooked chicken they packed before they left Berk.
"I don't like it. They should've been back with Hiccup and Hicca by now." Astrid said in worried.
"Usually by this time, they would've caught up with them. Even if two Night Furies are fast." Henry added in agreement.
"And no sign of Heather and Ragnar either when they flew off to where Hiccup and Hicca went." Dagur added in worry as he looked around. "They should've been back while talking some sense into Hiccup and Hicca by now." He added.
"I don't like it either. Eret son of Eret was the man of my dreams. My everything!" Ruffnut complained on wanted to see Eret again.
"Ugh, seriously, Ruffnut? You just met him." Valerie pointed out in annoyance.
"Yeah, I mean, I grew facial hair for Raeda." Snotlout steps in next to Raeda while rubbing his facial hair.
Raeda gave a blush and a chuckle. "Well, that's generous of you Snotlout, but with or without facial hair, you still look great." She commented with a smile.
"Thank you, Raeda." Snotlout said with a proud smile.
Fishlegs strokes his peach fuzz beard, meek and dejected. "Me too for you, Ruff." He commented to Ruffnut.
"Fishlegs, we have bigger problems to worry about then the love of your lives." Valiere said in annoyance of them thinking about Fishlegs crush and some guy Ruffnut just met.
"Yeah. What if Drago shot them down? What if they need our help?" Astrid pointed out as she took a deep breath. "We have to find them." She told them as they looked at her.
"I agree. They could be endangered." Henry said in worry.
"What? But Stoick said…" Fishlegs started nervously on not defying the Chief's orders but was cut off by Raeda.
"Fishlegs, when do we ever obey the grown-ups' orders? It never stops us before." Raeda pointed out their past experiences.
"She does have a point." Henry said in agreement with a shrug.
"And it doesn't matter what he said, if they've all been captured. Come on!" Astrid called off as she and Henry flew off, determined.
"I'm with them. I never miss an action like this, especially if Heather and Ragnar are captured as well." Dagur said as he got on Sleuther and flew off while giving his signature laugh.
(Linebreak)
In the other part of the glacier, Eret's ship is beset by ice floes. The crew stirs on deck as Eret paces, grumbling, while nursing his head with a large chunk of ice.
"Do we go back?" One of his crew asked.
"We've nowhere to go! Nothing to sell! And no heads to call our own, if we don't turn up with dragons and fast -" Eret was interrupted when he suddenly scooped up in Stormfly's talons.
"Careful what you wish for!" Astrid joked out as they flew away from Eret's crew.
"Eret Son of Eret!" Ug cried out as the crew men's shot nets at the riders to get their captain back as they flew past Stormfly as Astrid and the other Riders rocket out of range.
"What is this?!" Eret demanded while in the air.
"A kidnapping." Astrid simply said to him.
"It's how we get information from our enemies like this." Henry added, as Wildstar flew next to Stormfly.
Ruffnut grabs his leg, clutching him possessively. "Yay! Can he ride with me?! Can he?! Can he?!" She pleaded as both Both Eret and Tuffnut groaned in protest as Eret tugged his leg out of Ruffnut's reach as Tuffnut shifted their dragon away from him.
"You're gonna show us the way to Drago." Astrid tells him.
"And help dragon riders sneak into Drago's camp?" Eret asked sarcastically as he dangled himself from Stormfly's claws. "Just kill me now." He said.
"That can be arranged." Astrid said with a smirk as Henry saw it.
"Tell me you're gonna do your favorite trick, Astrid?" Henry asked with a smirk as well.
"Oh, yes I will. Stormfly, drop it." Astrid told her dragon. In enthusiastic response, Stormfly pops open her talons, sending Eret plummeting. He wails and flails as he hurtles toward the ice far below. "Good girl! Stormfly, fetch." She said to her dragon as Stormfly dives after him, just as enthusiastically.
Eret screamed in terror as the ground rushed up to him as he finally cracked. "All right! Okay! I'll take you to Drago!" he called out, going to do what they told as he wanted to live.
Stormfly suddenly snatches him out of his free-fall just before hitting the ice. Astrid giggles and cracks her knuckles. "Works every time." she said.
"And this is why you are Hiccup's girlfriend." Henry comments as he and Astrid laugh as the Dragon Riders fly off to find Drago.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile in the Dragon Sanctuary, Ragnar was sitting at a table in a cave. The cave was filled with stuff that Valka has gotten over the years, he and Heather were surprised that Valka may have been living with dragons for twenty years, but she was still human.
Heather was preparing some smoked fish.
"Must be a bit of a shock for Hiccup and Hicca." Heather said.
"From what I can tell from the stories you've told me, It must've been a pretty shock to let them reunite with their long lost mother after twenty years." Ragnar commented as he prepared the table.
"You know it must be nice knowing that your long lost relative isn't the murderer." Heather said, placing the smoked fish down on the table.
"I almost thought that she would sick her dragons to tear us apart." Ragnar commented.
Heather looked at him. "You thought she would attack us?"
"If we attacked her dragons, yes." Ragnar shrugged.
Heather then looked around to make sure they were and overheard. "Don't you think she's a bit odd?"
"This is Haddocks' mother we're talking about." Ragnar pointed out. "And while I may not know her much, she's lived with dragons for twenty years freeing them from a madman, who believes he's some sort of dragon god. Almost reminds me of Johann during the final battle with the Dragon Hunters on Berserker island when a King of Dragons, or Queen maybe, was on our Island the whole time." He added.
"That is true. Like Johann, anybody would be a little eccentric after that," Heather admitted. She then looked at him curiously. "Do you really think that Hiccup and Hicca can change his mind?"
Ragnar shook his head. "You know them a lot better than I do, Heather, so I should be asking you that. I just hope those two know what they're doing." He said with a worried expression.
And then some rattlings can be heard as the two look around. "Did you hear that?" Heather asked.
"I think so." Ragnar said as he gave a light shrug. "But it's probably nothing. We are in the King of Dragons nest, so there must be other dragons running around." He pointed out.
"Good point." Heather admitted as the two enjoy their food together.
What they didn't see were five dragon cubs hiding in the shadows while chirping to each other before they ran out of sight.
(Linebreak)
In the early morning sky outside the dragon nest, the Haddock twins, Toothless and Midnight follow Valka and Cloudjumper over a majestic fjord in the long rays of the low Arctic sun.
Hiccup and Hicca peer over their shoulders to see that a thick flock of dragons - nearly all of Valka's rescues - are close on their tails. They turn back to their mother, confused.
"Hey, I thought we were going to eat?" Hiccup asked in confusion.
"Yeah mom. Didn't you say we were having fish?" Hicca added as Valka looked at them with a mischievous grin.
"Oh, we are." Valka simply said as she directs their gaze below, where in the choppy water of the fjord, a group of Seashocker dragons are corralling a dense shoal of fish near the surface.
Suddenly, the Bewilderbeast rises from deep below, scooping the fish up in its vast mouth as its tusks break the surface. It breaches just below them, giving the Haddock twins a fright before spitting the fish into the air and crashing back down into the sea.
Valka laughs at her childrens' surprised expressions as the hungry dragons race for the flailing fish, scooping them out of the air. Hiccup and Hicca gestures to Toothless and Midnight to join in and they gladly scoop up mouths full of fish, as the Haddock twins laugh at their dragon's happiness.
'I'm in Valhalla!'Toothless mumbled happily with his mouth full.
'Same here! This is so amazing!' Midnight mumbled as well with her mouth full.
"Easy Midnight. You don't wanna choke!" Hicca laughed at her dragon.
(Linebreak)
Some time later, they landed on the ground after their 'fish fly' of the day. The Haddock twins have their map spread out in the snow, explaining the various lands they've discovered during their explorations over the years to their mother.
"And from Dragon Island, we found this archipelago," Hiccup started as he explained the places on the map.
"And then we built this base called Dragon's Edge where we would stay as we…" Hicca continued but was interrupted when she and Hiccup looked up to see that Valka is no longer next to them, but she has sketched out the rest of the northern land masses in the snow, wowing the Haddock twins with just how far and wide she has explored for years compare to what they discovered.
Valka returns to her children's side with a smile. "Guess that explains where our mapping skills came from." Hicca commented in amazement as their mother nodded in comfirmatiob.
But their amazement is interrupted by Toothless and Midnight joining in, drawing all over Valka's map with two giant icicles. The Haddock twins simply shrug as mother giggles, and Cloudjumper sneers as they draw around him. Toothless and Midnight stopped drawing, Midnight dropped her icicle as Toothless' got stuck on his tongue as he tried to get it off.
Midnight shakes her head with dragon-like giggle at her mate as the others laughs, having enough, Midnight uses her teeth on Toothless' icicle and yanks it off as both dragons topple in the snow, landing on their backs as they got up, shaking their heads as the others laugh some more at their silliness.
(Linebreak)
Later in the afternoon, on a cliff side, Valka, the Haddock twins, now with their two Berserker friends joining them after Valka went to them to come along, rise on their dragons, carried skyward by a strong coastal wind that thrusts vertically up the shoreline cliff.
The four Riders lifted off of their saddles by the force of the wind, laughs giddily as they watches Valka walk across Cloudjumper's wing and onto several others, dragon-hopping from one to another, until she gracefully crosses Skully from wing tip to wing tip and then to Toothless followed by Windshear and then Midnight. She then drops out of sight, reappearing a moment later standing atop Cloudjumper.
The Haddock twins are in utter awe at their mother.
Valka breathes in the frigid air. Let it out blissfully. "When I'm up here, I don't even feel the cold. I just feel…" she was cut off by her kids.
"Free." Both Hiccup and Hicca finished for their mother with a smile, knowing what she means.
"Wow, I can definitely see the resemblance with those three." Ragnar said with a chuckle.
Heather gave a giggle. "That's definitely their mother alright." She added.
Valka smiles back at her kids and chuckles at their friends coming as the Haddock twins gleamed back. "This is what it is to be a dragon, kids." She announced with her arms spread.
Hiccup locks, he pedals in the flared tail position and unbuckles himself, he looks at his sister who nodding on what he is planning as she unbuckles herself from Midnight saddle as well. Valka watches, curious.
"It's all well and good to call yourself a dragon." Hiccup starts off as he and his sister run off Toothless and Midnight, pulling their stowed wings.
"But can you fly?!" Hicca finished as she and her brother jumped off their dragons' saddles.
Valka gasps in shock and worries for her children.
"Don't worry, they've got something to avoid getting killed." Heather assured with a small smirk.
"Trust us, those two are pretty good at cheating death." Ragnar added with a shrug.
The Haddock twins caught the air, snapping open... and sending them gliding.
Valka was astonished. Cloudjumper was also amazed as he turned to Toothless and Midnight who looked at him smugly.
But then remembered that they needed to keep the twins from going splat and flew forward.
Valka and Cloudjumper fly alongside them with Heather and Ragnar following, marveling, as the Haddock twins soars, riding the wild air currents like an eagle, the image of freedom.
Toothless and Midnight descends steadily with them, hovering protectively.
The Haddock twins grins, pleased at having impressed Valka... until they realize that they are once again racing toward a collision with a fast approaching mountain top.
"You gotta be kidding me?" Hicca said in annoyance on why this keeps happening to them, twice in two days no less.
"Oh no. Toothless! Midnight!" Hiccup called out to their dragons as both their dragons tried to rescue them, but with the tight tail lock for Toothless and with less practice for Midnight, they made the tight jackknife turn skyward to rescue their riders, again.
Realizing that they're in trouble, Valka, the two Berserkers and their dragons pour on the speed. All six of them collide just as they reach the mountain top, sending them crash-landing in an explosion of snow.
They all topple head over tail to a messy landing on the wind-swept ridge, Midnight and Toothless landed on their side.
They looked under they're wings but didn't see Hiccup or Hicca. They panicked and looked around frantically before Hiccup and Hicca popped up laughing.
"Man! Almost! We just about had it that time!" Hiccup cheered as they almost got their move right.
"Hiccup, I agree with you, but we really need to work on improving the flight suits for turning in case we don't have our dragons." Hicca stated through laughter of their experience as Hiccup nodded in agreement.
Toothless and Midnight however, not much excitement like their riders, they both raise their snow-covered faces, growling. They tail-swipes Hiccup and Hicca off of their feet and back into the powder snow. Both Night Furies laugh at their trick on their riders.
Valka, Heather and Ragnar landed as Valka inspected her childrens' wing suits with utter fascination. "Incredible." She commented on her childrens' inventions.
"Well, not bad yourself." Hiccup said back to their mother as they both put their flight suits away.
Valka then caresses their cheek, staring deep into their eyes. The Haddock twins didn't recoil this time. "All this time, both you took after me. And where was I?" She said in regret about leaving her children behind for twenty years. "I'm so sorry, kids. Can we start over? Will you give me another chance?" She asked them as Hiccup and Hicca smiles, simple acknowledgement that all is forgiven.
"I can teach you both all I've learned these past twenty years. Like…" Valka starts as she walks to Toothless and Midnight, finds a spot at the top of Toothless and Midnights' necks and rubs in a circular pattern.
In response, their dorsal blades slowly crack, split and extend, forming a pronounced, aerodynamic `V' down the length of their backs and tails.
"Did she just…" Ragnar started in surprise.
"I think she did." Heather said in surprise.
"Now you two can make those tight turns." Valka said to her children as they and their friends looked awed.
Toothless and Midnight shudders, as if experiencing a much-needed chiropractic adjustment. They bounce over to the Haddock twins, giddily retracting and splaying their dorsal blades like two kids with new toys.
"Did you two know about this?" Hiccup asked their dragons playfully.
"And I don't think Toothless and Midnight knew they had them, compared to their experience of having them now." Hicca added as noted their Night Furies who are excited with their new skills.
Heather then turned to Valka, "What about Windshear, does she have anything like that?" She asked, gesturing to her dragon.
"Oh, she certainly does." Valka said as she turned to Windshear, who was looking eager to see what Valka was gonna show her. "Windshear, try and flap your wings and spin around as fast as you can." She said while waving her arms and spinning around.
Windshear looked at Valka for a moment before she flew up and did just that as she spun around really quickly around the five riders and the dragons. After a second, a tornado hurricane begins to form around them as Windshear flies faster as the miniature hurricane starts to speed up.
Heather gapes in awe, "Wow." She says as Windshear ceases the tornado and lands next to her, "Heh, at least the 'Wind' part of your name makes sense now?" She chuckled as Windshear nuzzled her.
"Mom, how do you know about these things?" Hicca asked in awe as taking some snow off that got on her when Windshear did that tornado.
"Yeah, and does Skully have a secret ability?" Ragnar asked as Skully looked interested.
Valka laughs as she holds Skully's head, "Every dragon has its secrets kids, I learned a few from a few other dragons like them before." She said as Toothless and Midnight bounces around, showing off to Cloudjumper, who seems thoroughly unimpressed.
"And I'll show them all to you. We'll unlock every mystery, find every last species, together, as mother and children." Vala stated as she continued, "And your friends could join in if they want." She added with a smile.
Ragnar and Heather were surprised by the offer. "You want us to join you?" Heather asked in surprise.
"W-we… We don't know what to say." Ragnar said as he and Heather were speechless.
"This gift we share, kids... it bonds us. This is who you both are, kids. Who we are. We will change the world for all dragons! We will make it a better, safer place!" She encouraged them as the Haddock twins looked in awe in inspiration to their mother's speech.
"That sounds... amazing." Hicca said with a smile, as did her brother.
Hiccup and Hicca are pulled into a hug by Valka, forceful, bursting with emotion. Hiccup and Hicca hug Valka back while their two Berserker friends watch with heartfelt smiles at the mother and children bonding. They share a cathartic moment, before the Haddock twinspeel away from her.
"This is so great! Now you, Hicca and I can go talk to Drago-together!" Hiccup called out that with their mother, they can talk Drago out of this as he and his sister smiled.
Heather and Dagur are surprised that the Haddock twins are still thinking about talking Drago out of it while Valka looked at her childrens for a second and chuckled, incredulous.
"What? There's no talking to Drago." Valka said to her children as they looked at her in shock.
"But we have to -" Hicca was cut off by their mother.
"- No. We must protect our own." Valka sternly said to them. Hiccup and Hicca stares, exasperated by the familiar line from what they're father told them before. Cloudjumper lumbers over, eager to be rid of Toothless and Midnight's puppy-like energy. Valka pets him. "Now come on, we should be getting back. I got a surprise for you two and your dragons, but until they're ready, you better wait out where I am in my cave." Valka said to them with a mischievous smirk.
The Haddock twins stare at her, both confused about what she's gonna show soon and the line their father said to them that came out of her as they turned to their friends, who were not sure what to say about this.
"Guess she and your father had the same idea about Drago." Heather said with a shrug.
"Yeah, sorry you two." Ragnar said with a unsure look. "She's your mother. So you both have to listen." He added as he and Heather mounted their dragons as they flew off after Valka back to the Sanctuary.
Before the Haddock twins could say anymore, they hear heavy breathing next to them, and look over to see Toothless and Midnight with gummy grins, clapping their dorsal blades together.