Got distracted for a bit with other stories, sorry.

Little bit of a break with this episode compared to the others. Not much to it other than the Dragon Fly stuff and Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless being Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless, which is always fun.


The Next Big Sting:

The Dragon Riders were panting up the mountain, but Hiccup couldn't have been any more excited. It was time! She took everyone out to a little island with just the right amount of updraft to test out and showcase her newest invention.

Sure, they had frowns now, but that would soon change once they all saw what she had in store. She stopped at a cliff with Toothless, waiting for the others to catch up.

"Alright, Hiccup", Aric started, trudging up like everyone else, "You dragged us all the way up here. What is it you have to show us?"

"It better involve food or destruction", Tuffnut said. "Or a combination of the two."

"I bet you're wondering why I brought you all up here", Hiccup began her little unveil, trying to reign in her smile. "The answer is, to show you my latest invention. Presenting…" she bent to where Toothless was hiding it under him, "The Dragon Fly 1!"

Presented before her friends was a new invention of red fabric and mechanics, her trademark skull painted on it just like Toothless' tail, but no one looked impressed.

"Huh? Huh?" she pulled the wing, showing it off a little. Still no reaction, except for Chicken, ominously clucking.

"The chicken is not amused", Tuffnut lifted her up.

"What is it?" Snotlout asked.

"It's a flight suit", Hiccup answered, the contraption unfolded completely with Hiccup swaying it side to side as if it were gliding. "You know, for you guys?" Still, the silence persisted, and Hiccup frowned. "Don't all applaud at once."

"Hiccup, I don't think I need to remind you that we already have flying dragons", Fishlegs said. "Why would we ever need a flight suit?"

"Well, if I ever get separated from Toothless, I can always fly back to him, but if you guys get separated from your dragons, all you can do is fall. So, I figured, why not give you guys wings too?! I got the idea while I was side-by-side gliding with Toothless. Right bud?"

"Don't bring me into this", Toothless bleated.

"So, who wants to jump first?" Hiccup eagerly asked, and when Astrid raised her hand, Hiccup beamed.

"I'll do it", Astrid said.

"Of course you will", Aric droned, but Astrid still stepped up, turning back at him with an annoyed glare, before stepping towards the edge of the cliff.

"You do realize this is insane, right?" Aric questioned.

"Relax", Hiccup assured. "You feel that updraft? That's why I chose this place. It'll pick up the flight suit's wings and Astrid will be safely floating on a bed of air. Push that lever?" she pointed towards Astrid's hip.

Astrid pushed the lever down, supposed to be the trigger for the wings to open, but then the right wing got stuck mid-way.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Astrid asked, a hint of worry present.

"Or, crashing on a bed of rock", Snotlout mocked.

Hiccup humanly growled at him, shooting a small glare, as she manually unfolded the rest of the wing. So, there was a little hiccup, big deal. No invention was perfect the first try; that's what these tests were for. She would have tested it herself, but she already had her own wings, so she needed a human. Luckily, Astrid had her back.

After getting the wings opened, Astrid was set. "If anything goes wrong, Stormfly will be there to catch you", Hiccup told her, before patting Stormfly's side. "Right, girl?"

"Huh?" the dragon squawked at being called out. "Oh! Right!"

Rolling back her shoulders, Astrid rared to go. "Alright, everyone, get ready! Dragon Fly 1, maiden flight." Astrid jumped, for a moment gliding, until something went wrong. All of a sudden, she started plummeting. "Ahhhh!"

"Astrid!" Aric exclaimed.

"That's me!" Stormfly squawked, and dove for her rider.

"Uh, I don't know about you guys, but I was under the impression that a flight suit was supposed to…fly", Tuffnut said.

"Yeah, that looks more like a plummet suit", Ruffnut said, and Hiccup groaned in her hands.

Stormfly caught Astrid in her claws before hitting the water, then flew her back up to safety where Astrid sat a moment.

"Thanks, girl", she looked up.

Ruffnut chuckled. "Do it again."

Taking it back, Hiccup took out her tools and adjusted it a bit. Something must have been stuck, or maybe she just needed to ease up on the spacing of the rods and loosen the fabric. Figuring that was the problem, Hiccup made the adjustments then gave it back to Astrid.

"Test two is a go", Hiccup said as Astrid stepped up to the cliff again. "Behold some serious flying", she said to the others, before turning back to Astrid. "Just go when you're ready."

Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Astrid readied herself for the second time. "Here we go!" she ran and leaped. The wings opened easily this time, Astrid able to open them up mid-jump. "Yeah!" Astrid whooped, actually gliding through the air this time, until her momentum slowed, and she dropped like a stone. "Stormfly!"

"To the rescue!" Stormfly roared as she dove.

Glancing at Toothless, Hiccup saw the deadpanned stare at her and she smiled back awkwardly. "So, there's still a few…kinks", she said. "She's fine."

They heard a splash.

000

"Now this time, this time I absolutely know where I went wrong", Hiccup said confidently after another round of tweaks, though this one didn't take all that long.

Astrid wasn't sure what was going wrong, but she didn't exactly mind the jumping, gliding for a few seconds, and then falling. It was kind of like cliff diving, except instead of her having to catch on Stormfly, Stormfly had to catch her. Sure, they ended up in the river last time, but that was part of the fun, right? Besides, with fire breathing dragons, she was practically dry already.

"It's all in the timing", Hiccup went on, though sounding a bit frazzled. "I simply judged the updrafts wrong. Okay, Astrid", she turned back to her. "When I say 'now', you jump. Not a moment before."

"Alright", Astrid gave a thumb's up.

Third time's the charm. Astrid could feel it; she was gonna fly this time.

The wind picked up.

"O-oh, see?" Hiccup turned back to the others. "There it is! Okay… Now!" she shouted, and Astrid jumped.

"YEEEEEAAA-AAHHHH!" Astrid screamed on the way down, falling once more. Just as she was about to hit the water, though, there was a click from the wing suit, and Astrid's screams halted. She suddenly swooped up above the water, almost creating a wake akin to Toothless on the ocean.

"What?" Astrid 'stood' stunned for a moment, before she realized. "I'm flying? I'm flying!" she yelled. "Whoo-hoo― Woah!" she tilted too far and teetered off course, before righting herself back again, laughing with exhilaration.

She was flying, actually flying! It was incredible, like she was completely weightless. Was this how Hiccup felt every day she flew on her own? Astrid tilted and swerved along the rocks and water, as free as a bird. Why had Hiccup ever held herself back for so long?

"This is amazing!"

000

Hiccup couldn't believe it. It was working. Astrid was flying!

"I cannot believe that hunk of junk actually worked", Snotlout said shocked.

Hiccup was just bouncing where she stood. That is, until a turn in the canyon came. Hiccup frowned, realizing something.

"Oh no. I forgot turning!"

"Okay, right turn", Astrid said as she saw the turn coming, but as she leaned right, it wasn't steering. "Oh, that is not good... STORMFLY!"

"Astrid!" Hiccup exclaimed, and without even thinking, jumped on Toothless and took off, even as Stormfly was already on her rescue mission.

"Oh gods, come on!" Astrid began to panic, when she suddenly began spinning in a corkscrew. "Whaaaaa!"

"Oh Thor! Oh Thor!" Fishlegs covered his and Meatlug's eyes.

"Come on, Toothless, faster!" Hiccup pushed, when they finally caught her. "Got ya!"

What they hadn't accounted for was Stormfly. Coming in hot for Astrid too, she couldn't stop in time. " "AH!" " She crashed into them, and they all flew into the river.

000

As they clambered out onto a rocky shore, the Dragon Fly 1 on Astrid's back was in practical shambles. Everyone was soaked.

"Well, at least we saved Astrid, right?" Hiccup looked sheepishly back at Toothless. She was met with water shot at her like a geyser. "Okay, I deserved that."

Hiccup honestly couldn't believe she'd forgotten about steering. What good was flying if you couldn't switch directions?

"Astrid, you okay?" Hiccup asked. She was sitting over by Stormfly, her dragon shaking the water off her scales, Astrid shielding herself from the water.

"I'm fine", Astrid said with bright eyes. "Although, next time, maybe just have Stormfly do the rescuing, okay?"

Standing, Hiccup picked up one of the pieces that broke off the flight suit. "Looks like our test flights are probably over for the day", she fiddled with it, and Astrid stood as well, unbuckling the flight suit.

"Okay, that's it", Aric's voice then came, him and the riders landing before them. "You're done with this."

"Right", Hiccup conceded, before her and Astrid shared a knowing look. "For now", she muttered.

Suddenly, a roar echoed through the canyons, sounding like a screech.

"What was that?" Astrid asked.

"A dragon in distress", Hiccup said with worry, turning towards where the sound seemed to be coming from. "Come on!"

They took off with no more delay, Hiccup and Toothless leading the charge towards the calls.

"The calls are coming from up ahead!"

The call came again, this time much closer, as if they were right on top of it. Hiccup looked towards it, and she saw the little dragon who'd been calling for help, hidden in shadow.

"A Speed Stinger", Hiccup said.

"Speed Stinger. Why did it have to be a Speed Stinger?" Snotlout worried.

"She looks like a young one. But why would she be out during the day? They're nocturnal dragons."

"Ach, poor little guy", Snotlout sympathized, until he didn't. "Let's head home! It's starting to get dark, and where there's one, there's usually a whole pack of them!"

Hiccup looked back to the Speed Stinger as the little one attempted to stand, one leg held up, but as the dragon attempted a single step, she collapsed with a cry for help.

"Snotlout, we're not leaving her", Hiccup said. "Come on", she told Toothless, and after a moment of hesitation, Toothless obliged and they turned around.

"Is she seriously going back?" Snotlout exclaimed.

"Snotlout, meet Hiccup. Of course she's going back", Aric said.

"Oh, come on!"

The riders met back up with her and they all landed before the Speed Stinger, the youngling quickly becoming defensive from where she laid.

"Stay back!" the Speed Stinger screeched furiously. "Back! Or else", she finished in a growl.

"Easy now", Hiccup tried to soothe, kneeling low to the ground and cooing. "Easy."

The Speed Stinger instantly raised her stinger, poised to strike. The threat was obvious; take one step closer, and they'd be stung.

"Hiccup, it looks like that thing can take care of itself just fine. Let's get out of here!" Snotlout advised urgently.

Aric shushed him. "Quiet down, Snotlout."

"You quiet down", Snotlout whispered back.

"Unfortunately, she won't be a match for wild boars or dragons", Hiccup said as she stood up. "A Speed Stinger without its pack is extremely vulnerable, especially if they can't run."

"She must have gotten separated from the others, and then they had to go to shelter before the sun came out", Fishlegs said.

"Sounds right. Let's go", Snotlout said again.

"Snotlout, we're not leaving her", Hiccup repeated. "We'll bring her back to Dragons' Edge, nurse her back to health, then bring her back here."

"Hiccup", Toothless drawled in warning, Hiccup's track record with baby dragons not exactly being the best.

"Speed Stingers can't fly", Hiccup argued. "We'll be fine." Toothless still didn't seem completely on board, Snotlout even less so, but there was no stopping her.

After some time thinking up a plan, the sun was starting to set, and they were running out of time. It was now or never. Hiccup stepped up to the Speed Stinger with the twins.

"Ruff, Tuff, you understand the plan, right?" she asked.

"Yeah", Tuffnut said.

"Definitely", Ruffnut followed.

"Of course. …No."

"Nope."

"Alright", Hiccup sighed. "You secure the Stinger, so I can set the splint with these broken pieces of Dragon Fly 1", she held up two connecting rods. "And be careful! I think we all remember what these guys' stings can do to you."

"You don't have to remind me", Snotlout stood the farthest from the Speed Stinger. "I know exactly what they can do", he glared, and the Stinger glared right back, a growl to match.

"This plan is insane, you know that, right?" Snotlout continued. "And if I'm saying it's insane, it's actually insane!"

"Actually, it is insane", Tuffnut seemed to realize. "And for once, it wasn't our insane plan", he and Ruffnut huddled with one another.

"I'm seeing a pattern here!" Ruffnut said.

"First that lunatic flight suit, now this. Could it be?"

"Is Hiccup coming over to our side?" Ruffnut wondered.

"Oh, Loki, please let it be so!" Tuffnut shouted. "We will welcome her with open arms. Teach her the ways of the truly disturbed!"

"Guys, please", Hiccup interrupted. "Let's just do this."

The two still chuckled to one another, then got back to business. The three of them, Ruffnut on Hiccup's right, Tuffnut on her left, approached the Speed Stinger, when the Stinger lashed out at Hiccup, nearly striking her.

"Whoa!" Hiccup dodged.

"Come and get me, Stinger!" Tuffnut drew the dragon's attention away. "Fresh meat on the grill, right over here!"

"No! Over here!" Ruffnut distracted further. "I'm all yours. Turn me into a pin cushion. I'll even give you a target. Ooh, it's my butt", Ruffnut shook her butt at the dragon.

The Speed Stinger roared and lashed, but missed the twins.

"That's it? That's all you've got?" Tuffnut taunted, causing the Speed Stinger to scream even louder.

"Guys, what are you doing?!" Hiccup exclaimed. "I meant secure the tail!"

"Hey, we know what we're doing", Ruffnut defended, until the Speed Stinger got her right in the arm. "Ah! Whoa, whoa, what's happening to me? I can't…" Ruffnut's upper body seized, the Speed Stinger paralysis taking effect.

"Talk?" Tuffnut tried finishing her sentence. "She can't talk! At least I think that's what she's saying."

"Interesting", Fishlegs hummed as Ruffnut's lower body still worked, Ruffnut beginning to pace around. "Only part of her is paralyzed. Since she's an adolescent, her sting potency must not be at full effect."

"Alright, now how do we get her to sting her lower half?" Tuffnut asked, until he perked up with an idea. "Here, Speedy!" he called. "Come on, it's the whole lower half of Ruffnut. Don't you want it?" he enticed, and the Speed Stinger got up, but as she placed her foot down to walk towards him, the Speed Stinger cried and collapsed once more.

Tuffnut seemed to take the opportunity to jump on the Speed Stinger, as if that had been his plan all along, but Tuff had only gotten hold of the body. The tail…

"Someone, help Tuff!" Hiccup called, and Astrid and Aric rushed in.

"I've got the stinger!" Astrid wrestled down.

"I've got the head", Aric held in place.

The Speed Stinger still fought and wriggled. "No! No!" she cried, the poor thing probably scared out of her mind, but everyone had a good hold on her, and it gave Hiccup just enough time to set the temporary splint in place.

"There!" she exclaimed, and the Speed Stinger was set free, up on her two legs and stumbling towards Hiccup. "Hey, okay, okay", she cooed. "We're here to help you. It's okay."

The Speed Stinger stopped for a moment, then looked from Hiccup, down to her leg, and back again.

"Yeah, see?" Hiccup cooed.

"Help me?" the Speed Stinger asked, wary.

"I promise", Hiccup assured, and tentatively, the Speed Stinger stepped closer.

"Ooh, she's gonna do the hand thing, right?" Fishlegs asked excitedly. "Please tell me she's gonna do the hand thing!"

Hiccup raised and extended her hand, before turning her head and closing her eyes. A few precious moments, and the sounds of sniffing, later, Hiccup felt the feeling of rough scales under her palm.

Hiccup smiled and opened her eyes. "Okay, I think we're good. Now, let's get her back to Dragons' Edge."

"You know the pack is going to do everything in its power to find her, don't you?" Aric reminded.

"Yep, and that's why we have to get her back on her feet, and back to this island as quickly as we can", Hiccup replied.

"Oh, but they can't fly, so it's alright", Toothless mocked beside her. "Right?"

Hiccup looked to him unamused. "You're not funny", she rumbled.

000

A few nights later, the riders gathered up in their mini arena, dome closed, to check on the Speed Stinger's progress. She was being kept inside a metal cage, not Hiccup's first, nor favorite choice, but one she relented to for the safety of the other riders and the Speed Stinger herself. Astrid stood beside it, leaning against Stormfly with a proud smile.

"Have a look at this", Astrid said, then with one arm, swung the cage door open.

The Speed Stinger, dubbed Speedy by Tuffnut, stepped out of the cage and began trotting around with a cast, speed increased and looking much more confident.

"Nice work", Hiccup commended.

"Uh-huh", Astrid bragged, before Fishlegs elaborated.

"It's all thanks to a rehabilitation method based on trust, understanding, and―"

"Oh!" Stormfly ran off distracted, Astrid's arm falling limp.

"―Maybe one, or two, stings", she chuckled.

Tuffnut walked up and poked it, much to Astrid's visible displeasure. He grabbed, pulled, and dropped it, the arm swinging helplessly as Astrid fixed a death glare at him. "Heheh, it's like a dead ol' fish", he chuckled, until Tuffnut noticed, and quickly stopped.

"Fishlegs, if you could take this one?" Astrid offered. The two had been tag teaming on this, Fishlegs being the dragons expert and Astrid the medical one. Unfortunately for Astrid, her job required more hands on time with Speedy, while Fishlegs could stand a good distance away, and even hide behind a shield.

Grabbing said shield, just in case, Fishlegs went to a little set up made from logs, Speedy needing to jump from one log to the other until she made it to where Fishlegs stood on the other side.

"Alright, come on, girl, you can do it", Fishlegs encouraged, helped by Meatlug's gentle nudge forward.

"Go on", she said, and Speedy looked back with an unsure trill, before jumping to the first log.

"Alright, there we go. That's it."

"Huh, interesting", Aric said as they watched. "Aside from the occasional outburst, it seems like she's actually accepting them as her own."

"Makes sense", Hiccup shrugged. "After all, they are pack dragons; they can only function as a group. But, if they accept you into that group, then you have their allegiance. Huh…"

"Wait, you're not actually thinking of training her, are you?" Aric accused, and Hiccup jumped.

"What? No! No. I-I could never", Hiccup brushed off.

"Uh-huh", Aric said, and something told Hiccup he wasn't entirely convinced. It also seemed Fishlegs and Astrid weren't the only ones tag teaming lately, as Toothless gave her that knowing disapproving look too.

"What?"

000

Done with the logs, Speedy came to a barrier she needed to jump over, the encouragement from Fishlegs and Meatlug helping to distract from how hard this was. These exercises were all hard, but they were also supposed to help her get better. She wanted to get better. Speedy kind of liked this mismatched pack; she liked her new name, even if it was only temporary. But, she did want to go back to her own pack, and to do that she needed to get better, so the exercises and almost constant checkups she would allow. Besides, everyone in this pack was really nice.

"Well, well, well", Snotlout opened and stepped into the dome as Speedy jumped and landed on top of the barrier. Well, almost everyone. There was one boy, one she absolutely couldn't stand, and for good reason; her healer, Astrid, hated him too. "Lookie here, our little friend can stand on her own two claws again. Only a matter of time before she's trying to sting all of us into oblivion!"

Speedy jumped to the floor and screeched at him. That usually worked to make mean pack-mates back off.

"My vote is we take her back to where we found her. I'll get the cage", he pushed passed Hiccup, the alpha of this pack, though not a very good one.

"Snotlout", Hiccup turned disapprovingly, but it didn't stop him.

Speedy ran and blocked his way for the cage, otherwise known as her temporary nest. No way she was letting him touch it. She hissed at him, and Snotlout hissed back, challenging her.

"Snotlout, she's staying here", Hiccup pointed down assertively. "At least for the time being."

Snotlout still refused to listen.

"Having a Speed Stinger around is way too dangerous, especially for me. Whoa!" Speedy struck. Snotlout dodged.

"Stay still!" she roared.

"Not even on your best day, pal", he just bounced on his toes.

Speedy growled at the taunt.

000

"Good news!" Ruffnut rushed in. "The stinger venom wore―" Speedy struck again, Snotlout dodged again, and Ruffnut's leg was hit. "―off", Ruffnut strained and then collapsed.

"Okay, everyone", Hiccup cautioned, Speedy now seeming agitated and flighty from all of Snotlout's prodding, and now Ruffnut's interruption. "No sudden moves", she said carefully.

"Ah, who's got jokes", Ruffnut said as she tried to climb up onto a chest. "Frozen from the waist down, come on", she complained.

Speedy began to growl louder, stinger raised.

"Whoa, whoa, hey, settle down", Hiccup tried to calm her. "I'm your friend, remember?"

Speedy looked back at her, clearly agitated. "Then make him stop! Order him!" she roared at her. At that moment, the twins couldn't have picked a worse time to start fighting.

Ruffnut had gotten herself onto the chest, getting her right leg to cross her left.

"Ha! Ruffnut one, dead leg zero", she said victoriously, before her right leg suddenly kicked out, kicking Tuffnut's rear end. "Huh, not so dead after all", she chuckled.

"Hey, what'd you do that for?!" Tuffnut rounded on his sister.

"Oh, like I have any contr―!" Her left leg kicked, hitting Tuffnut's chest and throwing him to the ground.

"Eh, guys, quiet down? She's really agitated", Hiccup warned, Speedy looking from the twins to Hiccup and back.

"That makes two of us", Tuffnut said. "You better control that butt before it gets kicked!"

That did it. From zero to one hundred, Speedy lashed out and ran.

"Oh, I was afraid of this; everyone, take cover!" Hiccup shouted, and chaos ensued, Speedy on the equivalent of a temper tantrum, stinging any and all who crossed her stinger.

Everyone jumped and ducked out of the way, Fishlegs yelling for everyone to remain calm as Aric deflected Speedy's tail with a shield, Meatlug flew away, and Barf was hit, the dragon head collapsing to the ground.

"Barf!" Ruffnut reached out, only to tip off the chest and fall flat on her face.

"Stormfly, spine shot!" Astrid called, and Stormfly aimed her spines around Speedy, funneling her back into the cage with the help of Toothless' plasma blasts. With a final blast to the cage lock from Shadowstar, stealing Toothless' thunder the last second, Speedy was locked back in. Toothless glowered at Shadowstar as she stood smug, just to tease the proud Night Fury.

"Uh, guys, a little help here?" Ruffnut asked at Barf's paralyzed head, having dragged herself there by her arms. There was a pool of gas leaking out from his mouth.

"Eh, no", Tuffnut answered.

000

Gathering back in the clubhouse, Astrid's arm, Ruffnut's legs, and Barf's head were all still paralyzed. Poor Barf was just being dragged around by Belch, gas trailing wherever they went. It was rather unsettling.

Looking around the room, morale was pretty low. Everyone was either numb, tired, or both.

"Mhm, exactly as I thought this would end up", Snotlout said. "That thing is going to paralyze everyone on the island before this is over, and then there's going to be no one to take that stupid dragon back to where we found it."

"Alright, I-I'm too tired to argue with you", Hiccup conceded for the time being, suppressing a yawn in her need for sleep. The last thing she had right now was the energy or patience to talk in circles with Snotlout, especially after that fiasco. "We'll talk about this in the morning", she said, then turned and left with Toothless for their hut and a good night's rest.

Once Hiccup and Toothless left, Ruffnut turned to Snotlout from where she sat on top of the center table. "Hey, if you want to get rid of that Stinger, I'm in. Ah!" she exclaimed as she tipped and crashed to the floor. "I don't know how much more of this I can take. I figure it's her, or me."

Snotlout merely smirked.

000

A few more nights passed, Snotlout uncharacteristically quiet about Speedy the past couple of days, though they just figured he'd given up. Sometimes Hiccup was harder to sway than Stoick, and it probably didn't help that Fishlegs, nor Astrid, felt any objection to helping the small Speed Stinger they were working the closest with.

Early in the morning, the sun barely rising over the horizon, Astrid and Fishlegs stood in his garden, allowing Speedy to run to her heart's content once the cast was finally off. Fishlegs assured Astrid the Speed Stinger wouldn't run far, and given the bond they'd been making with her over the last week, he was sure of it.

Astrid bent to Speedy's level.

"Good news, little one, your cast comes off today!" she said joyfully, Speedy looking like she wanted to leap in happiness. "Meatlug?" Astrid then prompted, and Meatlug dutifully shot a small glob of lava at Speedy's leg, instantly melting the cast off.

Speedy looked down to her leg curiously, testing it with a hesitant step. She looked back up at them.

"I can…run? Jump? Yeah?" she asked with a curious squawk, tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah, see? No more pain", Astrid told her.

"Go on", Fishlegs encouraged.

"No pain", Speedy seemed to realize, testing her leg again. "No more pain!" she roared, this time ecstatic, and took off, lapping circles around them.

"Whoa", Fishlegs laughed as she circled him. "You sure had a lot of energy stored up, didn't you." It certainly seemed like she was happy.

When Speedy began heading for his pond, however, he and Astrid both gasped, Fishlegs quick to turn to Meatlug.

"Meatlug, quick, stop her! Speed Stingers can't swim!" he exclaimed in panic, and Meatlug took off, only to stop when Speedy reached the pond and instead of sinking, was running on water.

Astrid gaped. "How did she do that?" she turned to him.

"I don't know", Fishlegs said.

Speedy came back and stood before them.

"Water doesn't scare me. See?" she said, and Fishlegs paid closer attention to the Speed Stinger's foot.

"Webbing", he said surprised. "Of course. You can't fly, so you needed a way to island hop. You adapted, evolved."

"I'm sorry, but how did we miss that?" Astrid asked incredulously, but Fishlegs didn't really hear over this new discovery.

"Oh, I have to tell Hiccup about this right away!" he exclaimed, then quick as, well a Speed Stinger, ran for Hiccup's hut.

000

After Fishlegs had completely blown Hiccup's mind with his and Astrid's discovery, the rest of the day had gone by relatively the same. Well, except for the fact she and Fishlegs couldn't stop talking about the Speed Stinger webbing, although that was technically normal.

"To think, actual proof of dragon evolution", Hiccup started up once again as she, Aric, and Fishlegs made their way towards the dome. "It's historic!"

"I know!" Fishlegs beamed as he pushed it open.

"And the Speed Stinger webbing gave me an idea for a little something I've been working on", Hiccup hinted, to which Aric was quick to glare.

"If you say Dragon Fly 2, I'm locking you up", he threatened, Hiccup smiling sheepishly.

"Oh no", Fishlegs then said, voice dower. "She's gone."

Immediately looking over, Hiccup and Aric found Fishlegs standing before the open cage, empty.

"How could she have gotten out of her cage?" Aric asked.

"She couldn't", Hiccup said. "At least not on her own. I think I have a pretty good idea who helped." And they needed to hurry. The sun was setting.

000

Finally, Snotlout's plan worked, he and Ruffnut flying on Hookfang with the Speed Stinger laying behind Ruffnut. Although, if Snotlout had just listened to her, they would have gotten the pesky Speed Stinger out days ago.

The Speed Stinger stirred, and Ruffnut looked down to the little slumbering dragon.

"Awe, she's dreaming", she cooed.

"Uh, no she's not", Snotlout said. "She's waking up. It's almost sunset!"

"Oh, great", Ruffnut groaned. "Ruffnut gets paralyzed. Again." If they had just gone with her plan instead… But no. No one listens to the Ruffnut, and now said Ruffnut was going to pay for it. Not fair; not fair at all.

"Come on, Hookfang, fly faster!" Snotlout exclaimed, but it didn't matter. As the sky began to darken, the Speed Stinger's eyes snapped open. "Oh no."

"The ropes should hold", Ruffnut tried to stay positive. "I tied them really―"

The ropes snapped, the Speed Stinger free on Hookfang's back.

"―tight. Whoops."

"Whoops?! That's all you got? Whoops?!"

"There's other things I want to say, but none of them are very ladylike!"

And just like that, Ruffnut was struck again, this time in her right leg. Her entire right side fell numb.

000

"Uh-oh", Snotlout heard Ruffnut slur, immediately turning in alarm. Ruffnut's entire right side was seized, paralyzed. "Snotlout, Viking going overboard", she then said as she began to list to the left, falling like a stone. Snotlout shot into action, catching her foot just before she fell out of reach, but then the Speed Stinger decided it wasn't satisfied with almost killing his teammate, so it struck Hookfang's right wing too.

"Oh no", Snotlout muttered, Hookfang beginning to list only seconds later, before completely losing control. "Hookfang!"

They crashed to the forest below, separating upon impact. Somehow, the Speed Stinger landed in Snotlout's arms. Then, it licked him, its small forked tongue sliding against his cheek.

"Augh! Ew!" he threw the Speed Stinger away before standing in a fight or flight response. "Hey, watch the tongue!" he jogged back to Hookfang, his back not once towards the Speed Stinger.

Hookfang ignited with a roar as the little terror approached.

000

As night fell, Hiccup had a feeling their two thieves were probably in trouble. Well, as much trouble as Snotlout and Ruffnut could get with the little Speed Stinger. When Hookfang's body lit, he became the perfect beacon for where the four were. Thankfully, they were still on the Edge. She'd begun to worry if they'd already made it off the island.

With Aric and Shadowstar and Fishlegs and Meatlug in tow, Hiccup and Toothless made for a landing in the clearing below. They landed right between where Snotlout and Hookfang stood and Speedy approached.

"Hey, Hiccup", Ruffnut hobbled over as Hiccup dismounted, words slurred as the right side struggled to move. "I got stung again. Just the right side this time. I tried to walk it off, but I just keep going around in a circle", she demonstrated, her left leg walking as her right leg remained planted on the ground. It was like rowing only one side of a boat, just spinning round and round and round.

Hiccup turned to Snotlout. "Dragon-napping, Snotlout? I mean this is a new low, even for you."

"I was trying to save us", Snotlout defended.

Hiccup was about to say something to that, when a screech suddenly came from the forest. And it wasn't just any screech.

"Uh, you guys heard that, right?" Aric asked.

"Tell me that was an echo. Please, tell me that was an echo", Fishlegs hunched in on himself.

The call came again, louder, closer.

"Oh no", Aric dreaded. "The pack's come looking for her."

"How is that even possible?" Snotlout freaked. "Speed Stingers can't fly!"

"Yeah, but we did just discover that these particular Speed Stingers can travel across the water just fine", Fishlegs spilled.

"WHAT?! HOW?!" Snotlout screamed, until Hiccup stopped him with her hand over his loud mouth.

"If we keep quiet, we might not give away our location", she whispered, then pulled her hand away.

It was only a moment of silence, though, before Speedy screeched, calling back to her pack and leading them straight to them. Their dragons, sensing the oncoming Speed Stingers, readied themselves.

"I'm guessing that very soon, I'm gonna wish I could run in a straight line", Ruffnut said, and it wasn't long before that was indeed true, Speed Stingers surrounding them as they lined the tree line.

"You", Snotlout accused at Speedy. "I knew you'd rat us out."

"But… I thought", Speedy started, seeming confused, and maybe even frightened as she looked between him and her pack, until the alpha came through and stood before his ranks.

"Charge!" he ordered, and the Speed Stingers ran.

"Guys, stand your ground!" Hiccup exclaimed, the Speed Stingers surrounding each dragon-rider pair as if taunting them with their stingers individually, cutting them off from each other.

Toothless tried shooting the ones circling them, but they would either dodge, or where one Speed Stinger was stunned, another Speed Stinger would replace him. There seemed no end to how many there were.

Ruffnut and Hookfang were stuck walking in circles like two tops, the Speed Stingers generally ignoring them, until two stopped at the pair.

Meatlug rushed to the pair's aid, rolling to a stop between them and the Speed Stingers with a ferocious growl, only for one to simply sting and run, leaving Meatlug paralyzed.

"Hey, girl, thanks", Ruffnut pat her side.

"Ther-there's just too many of them!" Hiccup exclaimed, Speed Stingers swarming them from every direction, numbers growing worse and worse with each passing second. "Our only hope is to draw them away!"

"Ahhhh!" Snotlout's voice caught her attention, the man thrashing a branch around. "I'm not leaving anyone behind!" he exclaimed as he swung at the Speed Stingers coming towards Ruffnut, Hookfang, Fishlegs, and Meatlug.

"Really, since when?" Hiccup questioned.

"Since right now! Don't ask me why, but I'm suddenly feeling selfless and heroic! Ahhhh, back! Get away!"

000

Still, more came.

"Uh-oh", Ruffnut saw them stalking close. "Gotta get away. Come on, come on leg!" she started hobbling in circles, and seeing their little Speed Stinger, just standing there watching it all, Snotlout suddenly knew what he needed to do.

Grabbing Speedy from behind, he secured her tail in one hand with her body in the other, the length of her body and tail wrapped around his back.

"Don't worry, guys. I'll be back for you. Come and get me, Needle Butts!" Snotlout shouted, raising the end of Speedy's tail into the air, then ran.

The Speed Stingers chased, the little one in his arm screaming and wriggling.

"Snotlout, Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!" he chanted as he ran through the trees, until they made it to another clearing, and Snotlout let the little Speed Stinger down. It had gotten strangely quiet.

"Gone?" he wondered, until a branch snapped. "And that's because they're all here for the big ambush." Turning around, Speed Stingers stalked up through the trees. "This was a bad idea!"

Snotlout backed away, eyes wide and solely on the dragons that would no doubt at any moment run at him and sting him to oblivion before taking their youngling and then going back for his friends.

Something rushed passed him, and Snotlout flinched, but he wasn't stung. Instead, before him, three Speed Stingers laid partially paralyzed, the others behind them stunned.

"What the…" Snotlout trailed off. "Wait."

Speedy stopped, then squawked up at him.

"I'm never gonna get you, dragon."

That was when the alpha came, and something happened Snotlout would never be able to understand.

000

As the alpha of her pack stepped into the clearing, he looked around, first shocked by the state of their pack-mates, crawling along the ground helpless, and then angry. His head whipped to her with fury.

"Traitor!" he roared.

"Just leave us alone!" Speedy roared back.

"What?" Snotlout questioned behind her.

"She's torn between her pack and the one that saved her life! Ours!" Hiccup's voice rang from above, and it was true. Just what was she doing going against her alpha? Did it mean she was renouncing him as such? Renouncing her pack? Even so, Speedy couldn't let him hurt Snotlout, no matter how much she didn't like him. Something inside couldn't allow it.

"But she hates me!" Snotlout pointed out.

"But you're one of us! It's her instinct to protect you!" Hiccup explained, so was that what this feeling was? An instinct to protect a pack-mate? She supposed that made sense, but then that meant…

"Last chance, little one. Stand down", the alpha growled, a last warning.

Speedy growled back, mind made up. "No!" she roared, and the alpha lunged, only stopped by a sudden blast from the sky.

000

"Nice shot, bud", Hiccup said. "Now let's get these guys back in the water."

Firing below, they herded the Speed Stingers like sheep, alpha included, towards the water. When the alpha steered off from the group, he was only intercepted by Deadly Nadder spikes.

"You needed backup?" Astrid flew up beside her, and looking back, Tuffnut was riding in on Barf and Belch on his own, Barf dangling with gas still spilling from his maw. They created a wall between the Speed Stingers and the tree line on the beach, before Belch lit it up and there was a wall of fire. The Speed Stingers jumped from the explosion, and ran into the water to get away.

"Nice, Barf", Tuffnut praised. "I mean, freaky, but nice just the same."

It was then that Belch suddenly seized up, the Zippleback completely frozen and falling to the ground, the alpha Speed Stinger left in sight behind them. Somehow he'd gotten around the fire wall and climbed up on a rocky hill to get to Barf and Belch.

"We need to get rid of that Stinger alpha!" Hiccup exclaimed. Astrid shot her a look, and Hiccup smirked in turn.

Stormfly shot ahead of Toothless and they made a bee-line for the alpha.

"On three!" Hiccup called.

The Stinger alpha ran at them towards the ledge.

"One", Hiccup counted.

They were coming up on him fast.

"Two", Astrid readied herself.

The Speed Stinger leaped off the ledge, stinger poised.

" "Three!" "

Shoving her arms into two loops at her side, Astrid jumped off Stormfly and raised her arms out, the wings of the flight suit spread to catch the air. Stormfly dove as Astrid rose, and the Speed Stinger flew through the middle to meet Toothless' plasma blast, knocking him to the sandy ground.

Meanwhile, Astrid was soaring.

"Hahaha! Dragon Fly 2―" Hiccup cheered.

"Success!" Astrid whooped, able to turn and even slow down with ease. All she had to do was turn herself upwards, wings perpendicular to the ground instead of parallel, and she could land without crashing.

They landed as the alpha Speed Stinger jumped back to his feet, angrier than before, but now with the pack already retreating on the ocean, he was alone and outnumbered. The Dragon Riders stood opposite of him, including little Speedy.

It didn't give him much choice. The alpha turned tail and retreated to the ocean as well. Speedy stayed behind.

"Yeah! Swim away, Stingers!" Snotlout shouted.

Speedy stopped at the edge of the beach, and looked out sadly towards her pack. "You took me in. I couldn't let them hurt you", she said, then turned back to Hiccup. She leaned her head out, and Hiccup extended her hand, but then stopped. She looked back out to the Speed Stingers on the ocean, then looked back to Speedy, the little Speed Stinger wondering why she'd stopped.

"No", Hiccup took her hand away. "I'm sorry, but, little one, you need to go back with your own."

"But, will they take me back?" Speedy glanced back at the pack. "I went against my alpha."

Hiccup bent to her level. "You're young. I'm sure they'll forgive you. You belong with them, not with us. Now, go on", she stood again and shooed. "Before they get too far to catch up."

Speedy trilled, then came up at Hiccup and rubbed her head against her leg. "Thank you", she said, then stood back, and turned to everyone else. "Thank you!" she roared. Then, with a call to her pack, ran onto the ocean.

"What are you doing?" Snotlout suddenly protested. "We can't let her go back with them."

"Snotlout, it's where she belongs. That's her real pack", Hiccup reasoned.

"And just when we were starting to get along? Why does this always happen to me?!" Snotlout stormed off.

"So, Dragon Fly 2, eh?" Aric walked up.

"Okay, I know what you're gonna say, but come on, that was cool and you know it", Hiccup defended.

"And reckless."

"And fun", Astrid butt in.

"And unnecessary."

"But saved the day", Astrid pointed again.

Aric sighed. He wasn't winning and he knew it.

Hiccup took the flight suit bundle from Astrid. "You wanna try it?" she offered.

"Scared? Ha!" Snotlout interrupted Aric's answer, scoffing at whatever the twins had said. "That stinger was more scared of me than I was of him."

"Hey, look, isn't that them, swimming towards us?" Tuffnut said.

"Maybe they're coming back for you, Snotlout", Ruffnut followed ominously from where she sat by Barf and Belch.

"What?!", Snotlout panicked. "No!" he ran.

"Heheh, they weren't swimming this way", Tuffnut 'revealed'.

"Look at him run", Ruffnut said. "Stupid."

Shrugging, Hiccup held the flight suit to Aric again, humming in question.