Author's Note: We are finally at the climax of the movie arc. Gosh, it didn't really feel like it took that long to get to this part. Yes, I am posting two chapters today, because then it would feel like two weeks, fourteen chapters, with one per day. I liked writing this chapter, especially the arena scene with the Final Test sequence. I hope you guys enjoy it as I have!
Chapter 14: The Final Test
Toothless and Luna glided into the cove and touched down on the moonlit beach. Astrid, on Toothless, was reeling her mind, talking to Hiccup. "No, no, it totally makes sense. It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers…and that's their queen. It controls them."
She leapt off Toothless and ran toward the village. "Let's find your dad."
"No, no!" Hiccup gasped, a horrifying thought coming into him. "Not yet. They'll…kill Toothless and Luna."
"We can't do that to them, Astrid," Bright added, shaking his head vigorously. "They're our friends, and Luna is my sister. What do you think they'll do? Behead them?"
Luna shifted nervously on her paws, while Bright placed his arm around her neck in comfort.
Astrid saw this. "I'm sorry for troubling you, Bright."
"Astrid, we need to think this through carefully," Hiccup said.
"Hiccup, we just discovered the dragons' nest…the thing we've been after since Vikings first sailed here. And you want to keep it a secret? To protect your pet dragon? Are you serious?"
Hiccup stood firm, resolute. "Yes."
Astrid took a step back, surprised. "Okay. Then what do we do?"
Bright smiled, happy she had thought it over. "Just give us until tomorrow…we'll figure something out."
"Okay," Astrid nodded…and then punched Hiccup in the arm. "That's for kidnapping me."
Hiccup looked over to Toothless for support, but he only snorted, dismissively. Then Astrid grabbed Hiccup, and he braced for another hit, but she surprised him by kissing him on the cheek.
"That's for everything else," she continued. In the awkward wake of the moment, Astrid hurried off…leaving Hiccup rubbing his cheek, stunned.
Toothless hobbled up beside him, eyeing him. "That was unexpected with the way she kissed you, Hicc."
"What are you looking at?" he asked.
…
The grounds have been transformed. Banners and flags flap in the morning sun. Surrounding the ring, a festive crowd had gathered. All of Berk has turned in for the event.
Bright was the next to "slay" his dragon, after Hiccup had done with his own kill.
Stoick spoke aloud to the crowd. "Well, I can show my face in public again." Laughter and applause. "If someone had told me that in a few short weeks, Hiccup would go from being…well, Hiccup, to placing first in dragon training, I would've tied him to a mast and shipped him off for fear he'd gone mad. Yes! You know it!" A short pause. "But here we are. And no one's more surprised…"
Hiccup was standing in the entrance to the ring, listening, looking burdened.
"...or more proud than I am," Stoick continued. "Today, he will become one of us!"
Loud cheering and roar erupted from the crowd.
Astrid approached Hiccup. "Be careful with that dragon," she told him.
"It's not the dragon I'm worried about," he replied.
"What are you going to do?" she asked worryingly.
"Put an end to this," Hiccup said determinedly. She eyed him, dubious. "I have to try." A short pause. "Astrid, if something goes wrong…help Bright make sure they don't find either Toothless or Luna."
"I will," she nodded. "Just promise me it won't go wrong."
Hiccup couldn't. Gobber approached.
"It's time, Hiccup," the smith said. "Knock him dead."
Hiccup put his helmet on and entered the ring. Hooting and hollering from the teens came from the stand.
"Show 'em how it's done, my man!" Tuffnut cheered.
Bright eyed him cautiously, then worryingly looked down to Hiccup. Please, be careful, Hicc.
Hiccup locked eyes with Stoick, who nodded with a smile. Hiccup returned a half-smile, and took a deep breath. He hoisted a shield onto his forearm and selected his weapon from a rack of many—a small dagger.
Stoick huffed, muttering to himself, "I would've gone for the hammer."
Hiccup turned to face a bolted, heavy door and took another deep breath. "I'm ready."
The door bolts were raised, and the crowd went quietly…a short beat came at that moment. Suddenly, boom. The doors blasted open with a stream of sticky fire, followed by a Monstrous Nightmare, coated in flames. It tore out of its cave like an irate bull—as the crowd roared and jeered. It climbed the walls and chain enclosure like a bat, hissing at the provoking crowd and blasted fire.
The Nightmare spotted Hiccup and descended, leering and licking the flames drool from its lips. The crowd went silent, bracing for the big fight.
Bright stared anxiously down at the two opponents.
With the eyes of the Monstrous Nightmare locked onto him, Hiccup deliberately dropped his shield and dagger, stepping away from them. The dragon paused, confused.
"What is he doing?" Stoick wondered to himself from the stand.
The dragon pressed closer, snorting. Hiccup extended his open hand, as it hissed. "It's okay. It's okay."
Unaware of the crowd, Bright silently communicated with the Monstrous Nightmare. "Please…accept his peace offering."
The Nightmare looked up toward Bright, while Hiccup tensed anxiously. Then the dragon continued its pace, focused on Hiccup's helmet. Hiccup realized it, then reached up and removed it, taking a breath to acknowledge the point of no return, he tossed the helmet aside. It hit the ground.
"I'm not one of them," Hiccup declared.
Bright smiled down to Hiccup, while still silently communicating with the dragon. "Do you see him as a threat, Nightmare?"
The dragon looked up once more, confused, then looked at Hiccup again, snorting.
Gasps and murmuring race through the crowd. Stoick, with all eyes turning to him, was welling with upset. Hiccup avoided Stoick's glare and remained focused on the Nightmare, holding his hand out. It paced around him, calming down.
"Stop the fight," Stoick demanded.
"No," Hiccup said. "I need you all to see this."
The crowd grew restless.
"They're not what we think they are," Hiccup continued. "We don't have to kill them."
"I said…STOP THE FIGHT!" Stoick roared, whacking his hammer against the iron enclosure, rattling the arena with a terrible reverberating clatter.
Spooked, the Nightmare snapped at Hiccup's outstretched hand. He yelped and sprung backward.
The spell was broken. The Nightmare reacted to Hiccup's sudden movements and blasted another stream of fire. Hiccup screamed and barely dived out of reach.
"Hiccup!" Bright shouted in fear, growling as his instincts took over. He grabbed his sword and shield and jumped through the iron enclosure.
"Bright!" Snotlout shouted in fear.
"What are you doing?" Fishlegs added in as much fear.
Bright's eyes turned slit and he immediately assisted in the scrambling Hiccup around the ring. The Nightmare was stopped in its tracks, glaring at the intruder of the fight and slashed Bright across his right eye, causing him to scream in pain.
"Bright!" Astrid cried out. She wedged her ax under the arena gate and squeezed through.
Bright recovered quickly, blocking the flames from the Monstrous Nightmare as his draconic eyes were locked onto the dragon.
"What is with his eyes?" Gobber asked Stoick, who was as shocked as him.
"They're like a dragon's…" Stoick realized.
Bright continued the fight, slashing the dragon's side with his sword, which made it roar in pain before it lashed its tail at him and sent him flying into a wall. He fell down on the ground, unconscious.
"Bright!" The teens screamed.
"He's unconscious…" Fishlegs noticed.
"He can't fight in that state!" Snotlout said.
Astrid picked up a hammer and hurled it at the Nightmare, hitting it in the head, preventing its advancement to the unconscious Bright. "Get away from him, reptile!" she shouted.
The Nightmare growled at her, turning its attention to her and began chasing her.
Stoick raised the arena gate, waving her toward it. "This way!"
Astrid made it through, but the Monstrous Nightmare blasted the doorway, cutting Hiccup off from reaching the entrance. The dragon pounced on him and prepared to finish him off.
Suddenly, a terrible roar pierced the din.
"Night Fury!" A Viking yelled.
"Get down!"
Toothless bounded over the crowd and blasted a hole through the chain enclosure. He flew through it and disappeared in the boiling smoke.
The Vikings rush to the railings, in time to see a flurry of wings cutting through the dissipating smoke. Toothless and the Nightmare tumble into the clear, locked in a toothy, vicious fight. Toothless kicked the Nightmare off and planted himself between the unconscious Bright, Hiccup and it.
The Nightmare snarled, circling them. It attempted to go over to Bright and finish him off, but Toothless lunged and roared, causing the Nightmare to relent and back away.
To everyone's shock, Hiccup got to his feet and grabbed Toothless protectively. "Alright, Toothless, go. Get out of here!"
The crowd was gob-smacked, growing livid. "Night Fury!"
Hiccup tried to shoo Toothless away in vain. Vikings began pouring clambering through the enclosure and dropping into the ring. "Go! Go!"
"Take it alive!" A Viking shouted.
Stoick grabbed an ax and charged into the arena. Astrid called out to him, panicked.
"Stoick, no!" she cried out.
"Dad, no!" Hiccup tried calling. "He won't hurt you!"
The other Vikings surround and attack Toothless. He tossed them aside like rag dolls, his eyes focused on Stoick.
"No, don't!" Hiccup shouted desperately. "You're only making it worse!"
Stoick raised his hammer as he charged for Toothless. Toothless ducked and pounced him, and they tumbled end over end.
"Toothless! STOP!" Hiccup cried out, as his dragon pinned Stoick and inhaled. The familiar hiss of gas build, everyone braced… "NO!" Hiccup yelled angrily.
Toothless swallowed the blast back, turning to Hiccup, not understanding. "Why?"
"Get him!" A Viking yelled.
The crowd rushed in, piling on, and took Toothless down. Astrid held Hiccup back.
"No! Please…just don't hurt him. Please…" Hiccup begged.
Stoick got on his feet, fuming, shaking. A Viking presented him with an ax. He eyed Toothless and Bright for a moment, then pushed the ax back into the Viking's hands. "Put it with the others, and take that boy into jail!" His burning glare turned to Hiccup.
…
Two Vikings shoved the unconscious Bright into the jail cell, as he soon regained consciousness. Bright groaned, slowly opening his eyes with a couple of blinks before he was met with a cold, rocky wall.
"Oh great…" he grumbled. "How did I get here?"
"You are here, because of your relation with the dragons, boy," said a Viking.
Bright glared at the Viking, who was supposedly the guard. "Let me out! I need to help Hiccup!"
"You do not need to say anything, boy," the Viking guard continued. "You've made a bad impression for us all. Your so-called friend is already with his father, and you need to close your mouth shut if you know what's good for you."
Bright growled like a dragon would in anger.
"See what I mean with your relation with the dragons, kid?" the guard smiled darkly. "Your head will soon be taken care of while Chief Stoick is done with his son."
"Hiccup has nothing to do with this!"
"Oh, really? And what about that Night Fury, hmm? I thought he had shot it down for good on the night of the raid."
Bright went silent, while the guard walked off, leaving him alone in the cold cell. He leaned against the wall, letting himself down on his rump.
…
Hiccup was shoved into the dark, dimmed Great Hall by Stoick. The massive doors slammed, rattling and echoing. Stoick pushed past him. He paced against a backdrop of shadowy tapestries and carved pillars—a legacy of heroes, all peering down in angered judgment.
"I should have known," Stoick started, fuming in rage. "I should have seen the signs."
"Dad…" Hiccup began.
"We had a deal!" Stoick roared in his face. He paused to say something, but stopped short. He snorted and resumed pacing, repeating the cycle. "And for that kid, Bright…how did I not know about his relation with the dragons? You knew about this, Hiccup?!"
"I…" Hiccup started, gulping nervously. "Yes…I know about it. Sorry I didn't tell you. And I know we had a deal…but that was before…ugh! It's all so messed up!"
"So, everything in the ring," Stoick continued. "A trick? A lie?" He stomped toward Hiccup, stopping short and pointed, fighting back words.
"I screwed up," Hiccup admitted. "I should have told you before now. Take this out on me, be mad at me, but please…just don't hurt Toothless."
"The dragon?" Stoick fumed. "That's what you're worried about?! Not the people you almost killed?!"
"He was just protecting me!" Hiccup explained. "He's not dangerous."
"They've killed HUNDREDS of us!" Stoick pressed.
"And we killed THOUSANDS of them!" Hiccup countered. "They defend themselves, that's all! They raid us because they have to! If they don't bring enough food, they'll be eaten themselves." He paused. "There's something else out there, dad…it's a dragon like—"
Stoick huffed. "Their island?" He stomped back, pointing an accusing finger. "So you've been to the nest."
"Did I say nest?" Hiccup smiled nervously, then went silent. He talked too much.
"How did you find it?!" Stoick demanded.
"No…I didn't," Hiccup corrected. "Toothless did. Only a dragon can find the island."
Stoick glared. A moment passed by, then an idea took form on his face. His eyes flared. Hiccup watched, realizing. Stoick stomped back toward the doorway.
"Oh no. No, dad!" Hiccup tried stopping him, chasing after him in panic. "No! Dad. It's not what you think! You don't know what you're up against. It's not like anything you've ever seen."
He grabbed Stoick by the arm, tugging with all his might. He had no effect, however.
"Dad, please! I promise you that you can't win this one!"
Nothing.
"No. Dad, no. For once in your life, would you just listen to me?!"
He threw Hiccup off of his arm, swatting him to the floor. Icy stillness. Hiccup stared back, stunned.
"You've thrown your lot in with them," Stoick said at last. "You're not a Viking. You're not my son," he added before pushing through the door, leaving Hiccup alone, devastated. He called out, "Ready the ships!" He staggered back on the steps, breaking inside.
…
Bright was crying. For the first time in his life ever since he arrived on Berk, he was crying his eyes out. He failed Hiccup. Now he was in jail, awaiting death. However, all that sorrow was soon replaced by confusion, as he heard something near the window of the cell.
"Psst, Bright! We've come here for you!" Tuffnut whispered.
"Oh great…what do you guys want?" Bright glared at them.
"We're here to rescue you!" Fishlegs responded.
Bright looked away. "I don't need rescuing…"
"Yes, you do!" Astrid countered, coming up to the cell door, a key in her hand. "You've been brave enough for us. And you're our friend, and we don't let our friend be stuck in a stinking jail with no food or water."
"How did…" Bright started.
"We found this?" she smiled. "Well, you can thank a good friend of ours."
Bright blinked, tilting his head. Then his face lit with happiness upon seeing a white dragon coming up from behind Astrid. "Luna!" he beamed.
"Your dragon here was worried about you, you know," Astrid said, unlocking the cell with the key.
Bright stood, wrapping his arms around Luna's neck. "How did you know where to find me?"
"Your scent," she answered. "It's way too familiar to me, and you know that, brother."
"It's still pretty cool you can communicate with her like that," Snotlout commented, arms crossed over his chest. "So, what now?"
"We need to find Hiccup," Bright replied. "We're going to end this meaningless war and put a stop to Stoick's plan to kill the dragons."
"Sounds aggressive," Ruffnut noted. "I like it."
"Me too," Tuffnut nodded in agreement.
"Let's go!" Bright declared, mounting onto Luna as they took off to find their companion.