Author's Note: Here is the tenth part of the movie arc. This is mostly about Astrid finding out about Toothless and Luna, and the discovery of Dragon Island. I hope you guys enjoy!

Guest: :D

Chapter 13: Exposure

A Gronckle was hovering above the ring, hunting its victims as the teens scrambled from it. Bright was with Hiccup as Astrid ducked behind a barrier to find them there. She forced her ax at Hiccup's throat. Bright glared at her for her intensity.

"Stay out of my way!" she demanded them. "I'm winning this thing."

"Please," Hiccup started.

"By all means," Bright smirked.

Astrid glared at Bright, before she darted off, closing in fast on the dragon. The crowd above cheered her on.

"You got it, Astrid!" They cheered loudly.

Hiccup and Bright stood and looked around. Amidst the crowd of onlookers was Stoick the Vast, watching keenly and giving them a nod of encouragement. Hiccup adjusted his helmet and forced a half-heartedly smile. Unbeknownst to them, the Gronckle spotted them and made a bee-line toward them.

Astrid was catching her breath behind a barrier, while she scowled in focus, determined. "This time. This time for sure," she muttered to herself. With a fierce battle cry, she leapt from cover, ax cocked to throw. "Aaaaaa…" And as she cleared the barrier, she saw Hiccup had already laid the Gronckle out.

Bright was standing beside him with a wide grin on his face toward Astrid, who noticed it and growled at him.

"...aaaaaugggghhhhh! No! No!" Astrid screamed.

Hiccup looked at Bright, who shrugged as unhappy with the situation as she was.

"No! No! Son of Halftroll rat eating!" Astrid continued her scream.

Bright was beginning to feel uncomfortable, shifting on his feet while a loud clack rang out. From the crowd above, Gothi, the village elder, stepped forward, tapping her staff. Everyone excitedly lights up.

"Wait! Wait!" Stoick called.

"So…" Hiccup started.

"Later…" Bright finished, but Gobber snagged them before they attempted to leave.

"Not so fast," Gobber said to them.

"We're kinda late for—" Bright started speaking.

An livid Astrid stomped toward them. "What? Late for what exactly?" She was fuming in rage.

Stoick held his hands out to silence the jabbering crowd. "Okay, quiet down. The elder has decided."

Thrilled, Gobber sat Hiccup and Bright down and stood behind the three children. He pointed to Astrid while the crowd waited in silent excitement. Gothi shook her head 'no'. The crowd went 'ooohh'.

Gobber then pointed to Hiccup and Bright, with the elder nodding an affirmative 'yes'. The crowd erupts in cheers.

Astrid turned a seething, deadly glare to the two friends.

"You've done it!" Gobber cheered excitedly to the duo. "You two have done it, Hiccup and Bright! You two get to kill your dragons!"

Stoick laughed heartily. "That's my boy and his friend!" he said beamingly.

Hiccup and Bright were hoisted up onto the teens' shoulders and carried out to the cheering spectators.

"Heh, heh…" Hiccup laughed nervously. "Oh yeah!"

"Yes...we can't wait," Bright added.

"We're so…"

…

"...leaving," they decided as they were in the cove.

"We're leaving," Bright called out. "Let's pack up."

"We're taking a little vacation, forever," Hiccup stated.

However, Toothless and Luna were nowhere in sight. Hiccup sat down his basket and opened it, his head clouded with troubles. "Oh…man…"

A shrinking sound startled them. They looked up and saw Astrid, sitting on the rock in front of them, sharpening her ax.

"Agh!" Bright yelled, surprised. "What the…how did—"

"What are you doing here?" Hiccup asked, recomposing himself from the shock.

Astrid hopped off the rock and backed them down, spinning her ax threateningly. Hiccup's eyes darted nervously around, looking for Toothless. Bright's were searching for Luna. "I want to know what's going on," she said threateningly. "No one just gets as good as you two. Especially you," she pointed to Hiccup. "Star talking! Are the two of you training with someone?"

"Uh…training?" Hiccup asked, cluelessly lying.

Astrid grabbed him by his odd-looking harness. "It better not involve…this."

"I know this looks really bad…but you see…"

"This is…not what you think," Bright finished, gulping nervously as she glared at him.

"And how do you know about dragons, Bright?" she snarled. "From the looks of it, you seem to have known them for a long time, seeing as Hiccup here went along with whatever you helped him with."

"Well…I…" He couldn't form the words.

Hiccup panicked. as they heard a rustling coming from the other side of the cove. Astrid dropped Hiccup to the ground and set off to investigate. "You're right! You're right, I'm through with lies."

Bright looked at him with an 'are you serious' look.

"I've been…making outfits," Hiccup continued. "So you got me. Drag me back. Go ahead. Here we go." He put her hands on his harness, getting her to 'drag him back'. However, Astrid bent his hands backward, driving him down. "AAAAUUGGGHH! Why would you do that?"

"That's for the lies," she told him. She pounced the hilt of her ax off of Hiccup's laid-out body. "And THAT'S for everything else."

Hiccup's yelp was answered with two growls, coming from the other side of the cove. Astrid looked to see…a Night Fury and Light Fury. Toothless pounced towards them, snarling, with Luna joining in.

"Oh man…" Hiccup gasped.

"Not good…" Bright added in shock.

Astrid dived into Hiccup and Bright. "Get down! Run! Run!" she shouted to them. She pulled her ax, ready to take on the Furies.

"No!" the boys shouted in unison.

Bright knocked Astrid's cocked ax to the ground, and then he stopped Luna, who was short from crushing Astrid. Hiccup did the same with Toothless. "Don't!" Bright growled to Luna, who immediately stopped her advancement.

"You can talk to a dragon!" Astrid realized in a gasping shock.

"Yes, I can!" Bright said. "Now that you know I can communicate with them, what are you going to do about it, huh?!"

"No," Hiccup tried to stop Toothless. "It's okay, it's okay." Toothless pulled up short and landed hard, spraying Astrid with sand. "She's a friend."

Toothless snorted in disagreement. Astrid was frozen. Toothless looked from her and Hiccup, and back to her, confused.

Luna did the same. "What's going on, Bright? Why did she try to hurt you?" she growled.

"It's okay," Bright replied. "She is a friend…"

"No," Luna snorted. "Clearly not."

"You just scared them," Hiccup told Astrid.

"I scared them?!" Astrid shouted.

Hiccup made a 'be quiet' motion.

"Who are they?" Astrid continued.

"Astrid, Toothless and Luna," Hiccup introduced. "Toothless and Luna, Astrid."

Astrid backed away, eyeing the four with pure disgust. She turned and ran for the village.

"We're dead," Hiccup moaned.

Satisfied with Astrid's departure, Toothless and Luna turned away.

"Where do you two think you're going?" Bright demanded. "We're going after her!"

"And be exposed to the village? No thanks," Toothless said.

"We're going after her, and that's final," Bright told them, as he and Hiccup mounted their respective Fury.

Moments later, Astrid was running through the woods. Just then, a large shadow overtook her and she was suddenly snatched into the air. She screamed. "Oh great Odin's ghost, this is it!"

Hiccup and Toothless flew Astrid to the top of a towering pine. It bows and creaked under their weight, as Astrid dangled a hundred feet in the air.

"Hiccup!" she screamed. "Get me down from here!"

"You have to give me a chance to explain," Hiccup started speaking.

"I'm not listening to ANYTHING you have to say!"

"Then I won't speak," Hiccup stated. "Just let me show you." He extended a hand. "Please, Astid."

"Do as he says," Bright called from on top of Luna, who was hovering beside them. "Or you'd rather have a flying tour with us?"

She eyed him and Luna, then the ground far, far below. After a moment, she swatted Hiccup's outstretched hand and reluctantly climbed over the pedal, lines, and harness. She settled behind Hiccup, avoiding as much contact as possible.

"Now get me down," she demanded.

"Toothless?" Hiccup called, patting his friend. "Down. Gently."

Toothless leered mischievously. He spread his wings slowly. With a whop, they fill with the updraft. Toothless released the tree, tucked his legs, and hovered in place.

"See?" Hiccup smiled at Astrid. "Nothing to be afraid of."

"Oh, really?" Toothless then launched straight upward, while Astrid screamed.

Luna shook her head to Toothless.

"Let's go!" Bright ordered her.

Luna followed Toothless, whose acceleration is tremendous. Every downbeat bucked the saddle, heaving them into the sky, doubling their speed like a rocket. Luna smiled, joining Toothless while Bright held onto her saddle at the sudden speed of boost.

Astrid was thrown backward, as she screamed and hugged Hiccup for dear life, squeezing the breath out of him.

"Toothless!" Hiccup shouted over the wind. "What is wrong with you?!"

"Nothing's wrong with me," Toothless responded with a warble. "What's wrong with you?"

"Bad dragon!" Hiccup yelled. He mortified Astrid. "He's not usually like this. Oh no…" he added in fear, as Toothless rolled and plummeted toward the coastline far below, while Astrid screamed.

Toothless rocketed over the ocean waves, deliberately dipping them in the froth.

Luna laughed. "Way to show her, Toothless!"

Toothless looked at her with a grin, while Hiccup demanded, "Toothless, what are you doing? We need her to like us!" The dragon rocketed upward, tumbling head over tail. "And now he's spinning. Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile."

Astrid clamped her hand over her eyes. "Okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Just get me off this thing!" She was defeated, her aggressive energy was gone.

Satisfied, Toothless relented. They leveled off and headed up into the clouds, with Luna and Bright joining them. Astrid opened her eyes again, and looked out over a world she'd never dreamed of. She reached out and touched the clouds, piercing columns ablaze in golden hues, and floated over a vast, alien sky-scape. Her terror was replaced by wonder. She grinned, despite herself.

Toothless and Luna rose above a blanket of clouds…and levels off under a starry sky. They emerged from a blanket of clouds under the dancing Northern Lights, shimmering in ribbons across the vast sky.

Below them, Berk's torches flicker in the inky darkness. The new perspective was breathtaking.

Bright joined them from top on Luna. "So, what do you think, Astrid? Definitely different from the ground when you're in the air on a dragon, right?"

She didn't answer at first, as she tucked her arms into Hiccup's vest, burying her chin into his shoulder. The moment was not lost on either of them. Hiccup smiled nervously.

Toothless and Luna climbed past Berk's tallest peaks and headed out over open water, leaving the village lights behind them.

"Alright, I admit," Astrid started speaking. "This is pretty cool. It's…amazing." She looked over to Bright, then answering his earlier question, "Yes, Bright. You're right. It is different when you're on a dragon."

Bright smiled, pleased with the answer.

Astrid then looked to Toothless and Luna. "They're amazing." She carefully reached down and patted Toothless's side. "So, what now?"

Hiccup groaned. It was a problem without an answer.

"Hiccup, Bright, your final exam is tomorrow," Astrid continued. "You two know you're going to…"

"...kill a dragon," Hiccup sighed. "Don't remind me."

Bright was uncertain, but suddenly, his eyes turned draconic without his control.

"Bright?" Hiccup asked, concerned.

"What happened?" Astrid added.

Bright didn't answer. He was merely staring at the sea.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup tried again.

Again, no answer.

A strange, unearthly din approached. Toothless's ear plates, along with Luna's, suddenly stand on end. Panicked, they abruptly dived, dipping into cloud cover.

"Toothless?" Hiccup asked. "What's happening? What's wrong?"

Toothless barked at him. "Quiet!" he silently hissed.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a Monstrous Nightmare emerged.

Luna's sharp eyes made her fly across the cloud, surprising Toothless and his rider.

"Get down!" Hiccup told Astrid quietly, ducking their heads low. The Nightmare called out. A Zippleback appeared to the other side of Toothless, boxing him in.

"What's going on?" Astrid whispered. "Why was Luna acting strange, and Bright?"

"I don't know," Hiccup replied honestly. "Toothless, you've got to take us out of here."

"And leave Luna here alone? Not going to happen," Toothless hissed.

Other dragons, previously invisible in the thick clouds, appeared all around them. Hundreds of them, all carrying fish and game in their talons.

"It looks like they're hauling in their kill," Hiccup whispered, noticing the kills in the dragons' talons.

The Zippleback eyes them ravenously.

"What does that make us?" Astrid asked, frighteningly.

The dragons banked and dive in formation, plummeting through the thickening fog and weaving between towering, craggy sea stacks. They emerged at the base of a massive volcanic caldera, glowing with rivulets of lava. The flock of dragons fall into rank, funneling through a crack, and zipping through a winding tunnel.

It gave away a vast, steamy inner chamber, tiered with pocky shelves. Dragons of all breeds lay about, nested in hordes. The arriving dragons fly in, dropping the fish and game into a central pit, glowing red and shrouded in mist.

Hiccup was amazed. He noticed Bright and Luna by a rocky pillar. "What wouldn't my dad give to find this," he whispered.

Toothless peeled away from the procession, landing on a shadowy shelf to keep a low-profile. Next to them was Luna. "Luna, what a relief you are all right," he whispered lowly.

"Shh, the Monster will be coming up soon."

"What Monster?" Toothless asked in wonder.

Hiccup, Bright and Astrid peeked around, taking in the busy hive of sorts. They watch as the food continues to be dropped into the pit. "It's satisfying to know that all our food has been dumped down a hole."

"They're not eating any of it," Astrid noted.

"That's because the Monster is in there," Bright whispered.

"What Monster?" Hiccup asked, same as Toothless did.

Bright merely nodded toward a Gronckle, who lastly arrived. It hovered over the pit and regurgitated his paltry contribution—a pathetic little fish. As it fell down into the steamy pit, a terrible roar rang out.

The Gronckle tried to flee, but before it could, a gargantuan dragon head jutted from the steamy pit and snapped it out of the air. Swallowing it back whole.

The group recoiled, terrified.

"What is that?" Astrid whispered in wonder.

The Monster sniffed the air, seemingly aware of them. It neared the ledge where Toothless and Luna was hiding…and roared. Several dragons took flight in fear.

"Alright, you two," Hiccup immediately decided. "We gotta get out of here. Now!"

Toothless and Luna took flight, barely evading the Monster's snapping jaws. The Monster lunged for them, snatching a Zippleback out of the air instead.

Toothless and Luna disappeared into the winged exodus as thousands of dragons fled out of the caldera in fear.