Viggo Grimborn's camp, Ahch-To - Unknown Regions

In the short amount of time since Viggo and the Dragon Hunter's triumphant escape, the Dragon Riders were left at a loss of what to do next. Mara, however, had her attention anxiously focused on Zenna, who was struggling to recuperate. She wouldn't leave her dragon's side, and Stormfly was showing signs of distress as well.

Seeing Zenna's distress, Astrid brought the gang over to make Zenna's recovery their first priority. While Mara sat by Zenna's head to comfort the dragon, her eyes closed in deep concentration, Fishlegs inspected the injury left behind by the Hssiss dragon biting her leg. Despite applying a healing herb he had on hand, which prompted a pained yelp from Zenna, the wound remained agitated and swollen, oozing a faint trickle of pus.

Still immensely frustrated by Viggo's dominating ploy, Hiccup nevertheless tried reigning in his pride to express concern over Zenna. He and Toothless approach them, the holding onto the latter to support himself due to his broken prosthetic.

"How is she?" Hiccup asks.

"Not good. And getting worse," Fishlegs grimly replies.

"What, is she poisoned or something?" Ruffnut frowns.

"That's exactly the case," he states.

"Hssiss dragons," Astrid scowls, glaring at the corpse of the dark side dragon.

Zenna lets out a faint moan of pain and Mara soothingly rubs her head. She opens her eyes to glare at Zenna's injury in frustration, unable to use the Force to help.

"When did Viggo even get a Hssiss dragon?" Snotlout demands incredulously. "I thought they were all dead!"

Hiccup frowns, unsure of the answer. He glances over and spots Heather wiping her axe clean of the Hssiss dragon's blood. Her expression showed she was deeply unsettled.

"Heather, did you know Viggo had a Hssiss dragon?" he asks her.

"No," she shook her head in reply. "I didn't even think they were real."

"There was a whole pack of them on Dragon Island that obeyed the Red Death," Astrid tells her. "But Mara's family killed all of them."

"Then there's probably other places to find them," Hiccup deduces with a weary sigh. "Hopefully he doesn't have more."

Zenna whimpers in pain once more, prompting Stormfly to gently nudge her with her snout.

"Is there a cure for the poison?" Heather asks.

"Not that we know of," Fishlegs replies.

Mara looks down at one hand, frowning.

"We need to get her to my parents," she determines, her voice quiet and calm. "They can cure it."

Fishlegs' eyes light up in excitement and he nods his head.

"That's right! Just like with Hoark!" he exclaims.

"Wait, parents? As in plural?" Tuffnut interjects in confusion. "That doesn't make sense. You're mom's dead, right?"

The assembled group all turn to glare at him, though Mara didn't give it much thought.

"Tuffnut!" Astrid snaps at him.

"What?! I'm just saying!" he replies defensively.

Ruffnut smacks her twin brother on the head, knocking his helmet down over his eyes, and he yelps in pain.

"Dude, not cool!" she scoffs at him.

"Guys, it's fine!" Mara shouts. "Can we just get going? Please?"

Hiccup briefly observes her with narrowed eyes, taking note of Mara's intensity and subtle panic, and then nods his head in agreement.

"Yeah, right," he says, looking at Zenna for a moment. "We'll need a net to carry her in. Snotlout?"

Snotlout groans in frustration.

"Oh come on, why do I have to go looking for it?" he demands.

"Because I need to fix my leg," Hiccup retorts.

Snotlout scowls but concedes with a roll of his eyes.

"Ugh, fine," he says, mounting Hookfang's saddle. "Come on, Hookfang."

The Monstrous Nightmare growls and takes flight with powerful flaps of his wings, buffeting the ground with air. Heather folds up her axe and approaches Hiccup with Windshear.

"There's a place nearby that should have some things for you," she informs him.

"Thanks," he nods to her.

"Be quick, okay?" Mara tells them, and her lip quivers faintly. "Like, really fast!"

Hiccup nods to her in reassurance and climbs into Toothless' saddle. They start to follow Heather when she and Windshear take flight, though pause for a brief moment so that Hiccup can glare out at the moonlit ocean, which is obscured by a dark wall of fog. Astrid and Stormfly move up beside them, the former regarding Hiccup with a worried gaze.

"Hiccup..." she murmurs.

Hiccup sighs in frustration.

"I know," he replies. "Zenna first. Then Viggo."


Royal Palace of Valaskjalf, Asgard - Nine Realms

A golden sun bathed the Realm Eternal in radiant light. Everything about the home of the Asgardians was glorious and full of majesty, but nothing was more so than the Royal Palace itself which shined like a star by itself with the light of the sun. The palace's grandeur and radiance shone like a beacon to many across the cosmos of the might and glory of the Realm Eternal, serving to bring hope and safety to many while warning any who would dare challenge the Allfather against entertaining such foolish notions.

There were few who thought one could never be too boastful of their strength and among them was none other than the son of Odin himself; Thor, the God of Thunder and Prince of Asgard.

"Ahh, Loki! What a magnificent day!" the god's boisterous laughter always seemed to shake the palace itself. "Another glorious adventure to be told in songs for ages to come!"

Walking through its grand halls beside him was his younger brother, Loki, the God of Mischief. As slippery and cunning as they come, most felt as though he despised Thor's booming theatrics more than anybody, though if you asked Thor he would laugh and claim nonsense. Still, he always remained puzzled by Loki's standard of a seemingly sour mood.

"It was only a bilgesnipe," the black-haired prince states.

"'Only a bilgesnipe?' You serious?" Thor scoffs and chuckles. "More like the biggest and angriest beast I've ever seen!"

"You exaggerate," Loki disagrees.

"Nonsense!" the God of Thunder laughs in dismissal. "And even if I were, who doesn't enjoy listening to a good tale in the company of several women? I certainly would."

Loki maintains a calm, unbothered facade, and merely shakes his head.

"I'd expect nothing less from you, brother," he simply says.

Thor grins at him and smacks him on the shoulder.

"Hah! I share the sentiment!" he booms.

Loki stumbles forward slightly but quickly recovers himself, doing so almost flawlessly, and maintains his pace at Thor's side. Eventually the pair reaches the end of the hall and stand before the Hlidskjalf, the golden throne, upon which sat the wisest and most powerful being in the Nine Realms.

"Father!" Thor greets with his arms spread.

"I hear you've had an eventful day, my sons," Odin states, acknowledging them with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, it was glorious, father! A tale worthy of our ancestors!" he declares zealously.

"Indeed," the Allfather remarks, looking between his two sons. "But I ask you stay your songs for now. There is a matter which requires our attention."

Loki looks up at Odin with a slight frown, curious, and opens his mouth. However, Thor interrupts him by speaking first.

"Trouble in the realms?" he demands, seeming almost eager. "Which giant is causing a ruckus again?"

"This matter does not concern the order of the Nine Realms, but elsewhere," Odin states. "Nor should it be approached without tact."

Thor's grin falls to a look of confusion.

"Oh," he mutters.

Seeing his opportunity, and his curiosity even more piqued now, Loki steps forward.

"What is it that troubles you, father?" he inquires.

Odin regards the two with a thoughtful gaze for a moment before responding.

"Do you recall the legends of those who wield the White Current?" he questions.

Thor frowns again, but Loki answers almost immediately.

"Of course, father," he answers. "Their origins date back to the children of the Tho Yor and their voyage across space, seeking enlightenment."

"You mean... Andromedans?" Thor asks slowly.

"Indeed," Loki confirms, tilting his head. "The Jedi, to be more precise."

"Ugh, Force-sensitives," Thor grumbles. "What business do we have with their ilk?"

Odin purses his lips—though very faintly, an action even Loki barely notices—before answering.

"After Elegast's passing, their domain was thrust into chaos. Since then, Heimdall has kept a watchful eye on the Well to ensure that it does not fall," he informs them. "However, in recent years he has noticed something... unexpected... and in need of investigation."

Thor listens, only somewhat intrigued, whereas Loki does so with rapt attention.

"What are we to do then, father?" he inquires.


Barbaric Archipelago, Ahch-To - Unknown Regions

The bright rays of sunlight from Ahch-To's binary stars shone through the dense fog, burning away the ocean mist. Up ahead, the tiny silhouette of Temple Island comes into view.

The Dragon Riders flew through the sky in a group; Stormfly, Hookfang, Windshear, and Toothless carried a large net holding the wounded Zenna, who let out a weak moan of pain. Sitting in Stormfly's saddle behind Astrid, Mara looks down at her dragon companion with worry in her eyes.

"Almost there, girl," she murmurs.

She stretches out with the Force and attempts to brush away the fear and anxiety emanating from Zenna. Dark side energy, which is concentrated around the injured limb, slowly spreads up the dragon's body.

"Ugh, I'm sick of flying!" Snotlout suddenly groans. "Why couldn't your dad just bring your spaceship or something?"

"And risk blowing their cover?" Astrid retorts.

"What cover?" he scoffs in reply. "Clearly this Viggo guy already knows about them!"

"He does have a point," Heather admits, albeit begrudgingly.

"Thank you!" Snotlout exclaims.

"Because we don't need to," Mara states irritably.

The twins fly a bit closer on Barf and Belch.

"Doesn't mean you don't not need to," Ruffnut interjects.

"Yeah!" Tuffnut shouts in agreement, then frowns. "Wait, is that don't need? Or they need to, but don't? Don't need to but do? Ugh, this is very confusing."

Mara and the others stare at him for a few seconds, some shaking their heads in exasperation.

"Anyways..." Mara says slowly, hesitating somewhat before continuing. "I should probably warn you guys in advance about, uh... who you'll see when we get there."

Hiccup lifts a curious eyebrow at her comment, figuring there's a new visitor on the island: probably an alien.

"That's alright. We love new friends, right gang?" he asks everyone to reassure her.

"Right!" Fishlegs enthusiastically says.

"I hate everyone," Snotlout deadpans.

"Yeah, just like us!" Tuffnut laughs and shares a high-five with Ruffnut.

Mara chuckles nervously to herself in response, prompting Astrid to glance back at her.

"Well... you've actually met them before," she reveals, much to the group's confusion. "Just promise me you guys won't freak out."

Heather frowns and thinks back to the one person she knows who she could only describe as sinister and evil.

"It's not Calder, is it?" she asks warily.

"No," Mara replies, noticing Heather's skepticism. "It's a really good thing—great thing! Just trust me, ok?"

Astrid and Hiccup both share a curious glance and he shrugs.

"We trust you," Astrid says.


Jedi village, Temple Island - Ahch-To

The loud beating of numerous wing flaps drawing closer gains the attention of Jarik, who wearily emerges from his hut as the dragon riders drop in for a landing. He stretches out his arms and shoulders with a small sigh, waking himself up in the early morning sunlight. As soon as the dragons land Mara leaps off of Stormfly and rushes over to her father with haste.

"Dad!" she cries out.

"Mara?" Jarik asks, just then taking notice of Zenna's condition. "What happened?"

"We ran into a Hssiss dragon," Mara says.

Jarik widens his eyes in surprise, waking up more fully.

"Hssiss?" he repeats, frowning. "Where?"

"I'll explain later but, please, you gotta help Zenna! It poisoned her!" she tells him, looking around frantically. "Where's Mom?"

The assembled dragon riders, who were busy dismounting their own dragons after carefully setting Zenna on the ground, whip their heads around to gape at the two Jedi.

"What?!" Astrid exclaims in shock.

"MOM?!" Snotlout yells incredulously.

"She's alive?!" Hiccup asks.

"I knew it!" Tuffnut cries.

"No you didn't!" Ruffnut scoffs.

"H-how?!" Fishlegs sputters in disbelief.

"Wait, I thought you guys said she was dead," Heather interjects, completely bewildered.

"She is!" Snotlout replies.

Jarik looks from the dragon riders to Mara with a raised eyebrow. Before she could say anything, however, Ahsoka emerges from the hut herself with a sleeping Talia held in her arms.

"By the Force, what's with all the shouting?" she asks, also tired.

Upon seeing her Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the Thorston twins all let out a collective scream of shock; Fishleg's mostly in astonishment whereas Snotlout is more frightened. Talia jolts awake as a result of the screaming and, frightened, starts to whimper and cry.

"Now you've done it," Ahsoka scowls at the group.

She then shushes the toddler and bounces her gently on her hip while the dragon riders continue to gape at her, and Talia, in a baffled stupor. Jarik grumbles to himself and then turns toward Mara with his arms crossed.

"Really? You couldn't say a single word?" he asks.

"I tried to warn them! It's... really hard!" she stammers in protest.

Jarik sighs in exasperation and Mara grimaces, offering a sheepish smile in apology, though it falls away when Zenna releases another pained moan.

"Look, help Zenna first, scold me later?" Mara says anxiously.

"What happened to Zenna?" Ahsoka asks in concern, having calmed Talia a little.

"Hssiss poisoning," Jarik explains grimly.

Ahsoka widens her eyes slightly in surprise but nods her head in acknowledgement.

"Ok. Mara?" she says.

She holds Talia out to Mara, who quickly takes her younger sister into her arms. Ahsoka and Jarik then make their way over to Zenna and Mara follows quickly, gazing at the dragon with worry. Stormfly croons and rubs Zenna's head with her snout, though takes a few steps back as Ahsoka and Jarik approach.

The shock of the moment slowly starting to fade away, Hiccup look over to Mara with an astonished gaze.

"I... how?" he stammers out. "When?"

Talia glances over at Hiccup when he spoke, the other dragon riders gathered behind him, and she presses her head under Mara's neck before she could answer.

"Mawa? Who are they?" the toddler asks with a nervous whine.

"Just a few good friends of mine," Mara replies with a faint smile. "They don't bite."

The dragon riders stare at Talia with wide eyes, making the girl more nervous with all the attention focused on her despite Mara's assurance. Hiccup takes note of the little girl's strange appearance, automatically making the connection that she isn't fully human—or fully alien, either. He fidgets with his hands with a nervous chuckle, unsure of how to react.

"Um... hi," he says in a quiet voice, hoping to come across as non-threatening.

Talia peeks out at him through Mara's red hair.

"...Hi," she meekly replies.

"I can't believe they had a baby," Ruffnut murmurs incredulously.

"You sure it's theirs? It doesn't look right," Tuffnut frowns.

Mara scowls at him.

"Shut the—" she starts to say before censoring herself for Talia's sake. "Ugh, shut up, Tuffnut!"

"Everyone, quiet!" Jarik calls out to them.

The group immediately do so and return their attention to Zenna. The other dragons look on with uncertainty and a small amount of tension, Toothless especially cringing from the reek of the dark side poison.

Recalling the response from Hoark as he was being healed, Hiccup glances at Snotlout and Astrid.

"Guys, keep her head still," he tells them.

The two Vikings rush to do so and stand on either side of Zenna's head and Astrid rubs her snout in reassurance. Ahsoka and Jarik likewise kneel down on either side of the dragon's wounded leg.

"What about her tail?" Astrid then asks.

"Right," Hiccup frowns in realization. "Fishlegs, Heather, you guys make sure her tail doesn't lash out at us."

"Umm, you sure about that?" Fishlegs nervously asks. "I'd rather not get hit by one of her spikes."

"Well, it's a good thing you guys have the most armored dragons," he replies.

Fishlegs groans but concedes his point, and he and Heather move to do so. Mounting their dragons, they move Meatlug and Windshear over to help secure Zenna's tail.

"Good call," Mara murmurs.

Ahsoka inspects the injury with a hard gaze; an unnatural black pus is oozing from the wound, and the coloration of Zenna's skin and scales across her leg have gone ghostly pale. She meets Jarik's eyes and, sharing a faint nod with each other, they begin calling the Force to them. Using his prosthetic arm, Jarik maintains a firm grip on Zenna's leg and places his right hand beside the wound. Ahsoka also holds her own hands directly above the injury, and the pair close their eyes in concentration. The dragons croon in curiosity, sensing the presence of the light side increasing. Calling upon its power, a dim glow of light emanates from Ahsoka's hands as the dyad pours their energy into Zenna's wound.

The dark side poison recoils with unheard screeching and Zenna reacts almost instantly with squawks of pain, attempting to pull away. Snotlout and Astrid yelp at the violent movement and frantically push down on Zenna's head with all their strength to prevent her from moving while Jarik grits his teeth in exertion as he struggles to keep her leg still. The spikes on Zenna's tail extend out, but Windshear and Meatlug maintain a firm grip with their claws to keep it from lashing out.

Receiving half of the energy from Jarik across their dyad, the white glow becomes brighter as Ahsoka thrusts more power into the healing process, washing away the thick taint of poisoning darkness that tries desperately to remain latched to the dragon. Slowly but surely Zenna's struggles lessen as the poison is washed away, and eventually there's nothing left of it. Releasing their hold on the Force, Ahsoka lowers her arms with a weary sigh and inspects the injury; while still a painful bite wound, it no longer looks swollen or infected.

"She'll be alright," Ahsoka announces.

"Thank the Force!" Mara says in relief.

The Vikings and dragons step away from Zenna and Mara rushes over while Jarik and Ahsoka stand back up. Mara hands Talia back over to Ahsoka and then crouches beside Zenna's head.

"Can't scare me like that, girl," she murmurs.

Zenna croons quietly as her and Mara rubs her snout. Her parents look on with small smiles, Talia more amazed and curious than anything. After a short time Ahsoka turns toward the dragon riders, who stare back at her in kind.

"Well, it's nice to see all of you again," she remarks. "You've certainly grown."

"Y-yeah, we did!" Astrid replies first, giving a light scoff. "How did..."

"I'm not dreaming this, right?" Snotlout interrupts. "Tuffnut, hit me!"

"Oh yeah!" Tuffnut grins wickedly.

Pulling his arm back, he throws a heavy haymaker that sends Snotlout spinning.

"AHH!" he cries in pain, holding a hand to his jaw. "Not dreaming!"

"Chill out, Snotlout," Heather sighs.

"Yeah right," he scoffs in a muffled voice, and he winces in pain. "What if this is some evil magic? She could be a witch pretending to be Ahsoka!"

Ahsoka rolls her eyes in exasperation and Jarik crosses his arms.

"I would know," he deadpans.

"Snotlout, I'm pretty sure no one here is using witchcraft," Hiccup says.

"Wait till he meets Cera," Mara comments off-handedly.

Snotlout gapes at her with wide, frantic eyes, and Jarik turns to glare at her.

"Mara..." he says.

"Sorry," she replies with a sheepish smile.

Despite the annoyance it brought, Ahsoka manages a small scoff of amusement.

"Guess some things haven't changed," she remarks.

"No kidding," Hiccup grumbles in begrudging agreement, then shakes his head. "How... how did you survive? When did you get back?"

"Were you actually dead? We heard that you were fighting... umm..." Fishlegs trails off nervously.

"Dead?" Talia asks in confusion, looking up at her. "What does he mean, mama?"

Fishlegs grimaces and shrinks inward a little, feeling guilty. Ahsoka sighs but gives Talia a reassuring smile in response.

"I'll tell you some other time, sweetie, ok?" she says.

"Mmm..." Talia replies with a mumble.

His shock having faded mostly now, Snotlout instead stares at the Jedi family with a dull and perplexed expression.

"This is so weird," he comments.

"Short answer: she actually escaped. We just didn't know it for a while," Mara chimes in.

"It's a long story, of course," Ahsoka adds. "If we were to tell it in full, we could be sitting here for hours. Which we can, if you would like, but there's much you may not be able to comprehend, much less understand. And I mean that with respect."

"No, yeah, we totally get it," Hiccup nods in understanding. "Probably a bunch of Force stuff."

"Y'know, the Snot might be onto something about witchcraft," Tuffnut murmurs to his sister, who frowns in contemplation.

Astrid rolls her eyes at the twins.

"At the end of the day, we're all happy to have you back," she says, smiling. "We missed you."

"Thank you, Astrid," Ahsoka smiles back. "The same goes to you."

Talia then starts tugging on her sleeve.

"Mama? I'm hungry," she says.

"You ready for breakfast, little miss?" Ahsoka asks, lifting a brow at her.

"Mm hm!" Talia nods her head.


With Talia anxious to get food, the group of dragon riders figured they might as well join the Jedi family for breakfast. Without anymore pressing issues to keep their minds occupied now, they now realized just how exhausted they were from the previous day's events. None of them wanted to go on another flight for several long hours, and the dragons would probably fall out of the sky from sleep deprivation if they did, so they might as well take the time to rest and get some food.

Not to mention the added bonus of catching up with their lost friend.

While the dragons found a place to sleep around the island, the large group of Jedi and Vikings gathered around the village courtyard to eat breakfast. Astrid looked on in wonder as Ahsoka fed Talia a bite of fish.

"What's her name?" she asks.

Ahsoka smiles and waits for Talia to finish chewing, and the toddler looks up at her curiously.

"Go on," she encourages her.

Talia's eyes flicker over to Astrid nervously, but after a few seconds she manages a quiet response.

"Talia," she meekly answers.

Jarik smiles at his daughter's timid response, taking a small bite of his food after.

"Nice to meet you, Talia," Astrid smiles as well. "I'm Astrid."

Talia frowns and attempts to repeat the name.

"Asstwwed?" she says slowly.

Close by, Tuffnut cracks up in a fit of laughter.

"Hah! That's a good one!" he cackles. "Sounds like she said—"

"Do you want to get punched in the throat?" Astrid threatens with a glare.

"Would I? Happens all the— wait, throat?" Tuffnut pauses, his amusement slipping away to unease. "Uhh, nevermind."

Jarik shakes his head and releases quiet, restrained sigh of irritation.

'The Twins should never hang out with Talia,' he tells Ahsoka over their dyad.

'Agreed,' she replies, also frowning.

"How old is she?" Fishlegs asks, drawing both parents out of their thoughts.

"Almost two!" Talia chirps, a bit braver this time.

"Seriously?" Ruffnut scoffs in bewilderment. "When did you guys have the time to—"

"Ruffnut, seriously?" Hiccup quickly cuts her off.

Noticing the irritable look shared amongst Hiccup, Astrid, and the Jedi, Ruffnut grimaces in reply

"Oh, yeah, sorry," she apologizes.

"That's where the story gets complicated," Mara then says after a moment's pause, then frowns. "Also, no bad words in front of my sister!"

"Yeah, sure, but you also say—" Snotlout starts to argue.

"No bad words!" Mara repeats angrily.

He throws his hands up in surrender and the group continue to eat their breakfast. Doing a brief headcount, Hiccup suddenly realizes that Heather is sitting with them and looks around to see her standing at the cliffside by the edge of the village, staring out at the ocean with her arms crossed. Concerned, he gets up and walks over to talk to her. Jarik watches him go at first, sympathetic and understanding as he picks up on the worries held by both Hiccup and Heather.

Heather glances over at Hiccup as he approaches her but otherwise doesn't say anything, prompting Hiccup to speak up first.

"You gonna join us, Heather?" he asks.

"You sure they'd be alright with it?" she warily responds.

"Would we have brought you here if they weren't?" he points out.

"Fair enough," she concedes with a mirthless chuckle and then sighs. "I just can't stop thinking about Viggo."

Hiccup's demeanor hardens and he gives a grim nod of agreement.

"Me too," he replies. "Even with Ahsoka being back."

"What're we supposed to do?" Heather asks him. "He could be anywhere."

"I don't know. But we'll figure it out," he states with a sigh, mustering a smile. "Let's just... try to enjoy today. Astrid and Mara wouldn't be very happy if we spent the whole time here moping."

Heather nods her head in understanding and then scoffs.

"You're probably right," she says.

Hiccup pats her on the shoulder and then leads her back to the rest of the group.


*:*:*


A rocky wasteland is covered in shadow. Evil whispers fill the air.

~They are near. They are the key.~

Metal screeches and groans as a sword is dragged across the ground.

A ghoul stands still, its robes soaked in the blood of unholy conquest.

~Find them. Find them!~

There's a flash of divine light.

Vengeful yellow eyes gleam with malice.


Jarik sits up in bed, his reaction more calm and controlled but still filled with unease. Once again he's faced with a strange dream that transforms itself into a vision, though this was even more vague, and quicker, than previous ones he's experienced.

Sensing his distress, Ahsoka emerges from her own slumber and sits up in bed herself while moonlight filters through the window to give the hut some illumination, no matter how dim. She doesn't say anything, but gently rubs his back with her hand while waiting for him to share. After calming himself a few short breathing exercises Jarik glances over at his wife and quietly shares the details of his dream over their dyad.

"It's a new one," he murmurs.

Ahsoka frowns, pondering the things he saw, though her response remained just as assured as it would've been in any case.

"If it comes for us, we'll be together," she tells him.


THE NEXT DAY...


After receiving a full night of much-needed rest, the dragon riders woke up the next morning to Hiccup announcing the need to return to Dragon's Edge. While they packed up their things and prepped their dragons for the flight, Mara curiously emerged from her own hut.

"Where are y'all headed off too?" she questions.

Hiccup glances over while tightening a few of the straps on Toothless' saddle.

"As much as I'd like to stay and catch up with Ahsoka, we need to get back to the Edge and figure out Viggo's next move," he explains.

"First things first, we gotta get to Berk and scare the whole village!" Tuffnut declares.

"Scare them?" Heather asks in confusion.

"Ahsoka back from the dead!?" he says, grinning madly. "It's the most perfect prank ever!"

Ruffnut cackles in agreement and high fives her brother.

"That's your first plan of action?" Fishlegs frowns at them.

"Now now, I could get behind this," Snotlout interjects, grinning as well. "I'd pay gold to see my dad and uncle's terrified faces."

"Good luck with that one," Astrid scoffs.

Hiccup rubs his face and groans at the realization.

"Oh gods, how are we gonna break the news to my dad?" he mutters.

"You could do what I did. Just rip the bactas patch off and get it over with," Mara suggests before frowning. "He won't react bad, right?"

"I have no idea," Hiccup sighs in response.

Mara eyes him sympathetically, understanding his nervousness about sharing the news but also relieved that she doesn't have to be the one who gives it now.

"Alright. Well, I'll get back with you guys when Zenna recovers," she says.

"Not that I'm complaining, but you sure you're not too busy?" Astrid asks her.

"Not really," she shrugs in reply. "The Rebellion keeps getting bigger, so there's less need for us to get involved in a lot of missions. And we gotta take care of Talia."

She glances back at her parents hut, where they're probably waking up the toddler right now.

"Sounds fun!" Hiccup says while climbing onto Toothless' saddle. "We'll see you soon."

He and Toothless take flight, followed shortly by the rest of the dragon riders, while Mara waves them goodbye.


LATER THAT DAY...


"So let me get this straight: your little secret adventure in the background was really just you tailing me and your present day self?" Mara asks with an incredulous look on her face.

They're sitting around the stone fire-pit of the village courtyard, a flame burning in the middle as the evening wind blew up from the ocean. Right next to them Talia is giggling as she plays with Zenna, the Nadder gazing at her in a mix of timid uncertainty and discomfort.

"That's sort of an oversimplification of things, but... yeah," Jarik nods in confirmation.

"So it was you that called me on Atollon," Mara realizes, frowning. "No wonder you weren't making any sense then."

She then turns to Ahsoka, who looks back with a wary gaze.

"And where the heck did you say you were staying at? Jit pan?" she asks.

"J't'p'tan," Ahsoka corrects her.

"Whatever!" Mara scoffs. "And while there you reunited with your—"

All of a sudden a loud eruption of noise sounded from the center of the courtyard, accompanied by a great pillar of light falling from the sky. Despite being entirely caught off guard with no idea of what's happening, Jarik and Ahsoka are quick to compose themselves and rush toward the pillar of light.

"Stay back with her!" Jarik tells Mara.

"Daddy?! Mommy?!" Talia cries out fearfully.

Mara quickly scoops her up into her arms and rushes away with Zenna, reassuring her sister that things will be alright. Jarik and Ahsoka, on the other hand, stop a few feet away from the pillar of light, the colors of the rainbow blindly flashing in front of them.

They can sense at least one person coming, someone incredibly powerful. Maybe two someones.

Realizing this they jump into battle ready positions, Jarik whipping out both lightsabers with a flourish while Ahsoka ignites her shoto blade and holds her Staff defensively in front of her, the Power Stone humming with energy. A few moments later the silhouettes of two men appear within the pillar of light, which itself quickly vanishes. The two Jedi blink their eyes to adjust for the sudden light difference and clear the dust from their vision, and get their first good look at their potential foes.

The first man is fairly tall, standing about the same height as Jarik if not slightly taller, but is far more muscular and imposing. Blonde shoulder length hair accompanied a well-trimmed beard and stormy sky-blue eyes, which look around with no small level of indifference. Adorning his body is a suit of polished silver armor of high quality, accentuated by a bright red cape flowing from his shoulders down to his feet. In his hand he carried a great war hammer.

The second man was very different from the first. He was much shorter and thinner, clearly not a warrior in the same manner as the first. He wore dark green and black leather robes, adorned with gold trim. His short pitch black hair was slicked back on his head, and his face was clean-shaven. The most noticeable feature about him, however, were his eyes, which sparkled with sinister intelligence and cunning. Both Jarik and Ahsoka immediately felt more wary of him than the first man, their senses tingling with danger.

The first man spreads his arms out wide and looks around with a great and boisterous smile, as if he were addressing a large audience.

"Greetings mortals, and fear me not!" he declares loudly, and his companion rolls his eyes. "For standing before you is none other than the Mighty Thor, son of Odin Allfather, and heir to the—"

He then pauses, as if noticing for the first time that there were only two others present.

"Oh, there's no one here..." he remarks in disappointment, turning towards his companion. "Brother, I thought this realm had a great number of mortals who worshipped us."

"There's more than one island, brother," the thin man sighs.

Jarik and Ahsoka remained cautious and at the ready the entire time, yet they can't help but share a bewildered look with each other, recognition dawning in their eyes at the name mentioned.

"Thor...?" Jarik asks carefully. "As in the god?"

'Thor' turns to look at them directly for the first time, regarding Jarik with a frown.

"Well... yes," he says, confused. "Did you not hear me the first time? Brother, did they not...?"

"We heard you," Ahsoka deadpans, lowering her staff somewhat.

Though still wary of course, she can't sense any immediate danger or threat from them, although she holds the end of her staff behind her when the thin man gazes at it with intrigue.

"Ah, yes," Thor says in content before frowning at her. "Hmm... and who are you, strange tentacle alien woman?"

Ahsoka narrows her eyes at him and her temper starts to rise. Likewise, Jarik also reacts with slight offense on his wife's behalf, but also glances at her with equally hidden amusement as well.

"Excuse me?" Ahsoka demands.

"Pardon my brother, fair lady, he has never been good with words," the thin man gives a charming smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

Thor glowers at him and turns away with crossed arms while miming him.

"'Never good with words,'" he mimics him mockingly.

"I am Prince Loki of Asgard," 'Loki' introduces himself, grinning. "We have come here on behalf of my father, seeking two individuals that have caught his gaze—"

"Pretty sure he called them the 'Sun-and-Moon-of-prophecy' or whatever..." Thor interrupts carelessly, picking his fingers. "You wouldn't happen to know them, do you?"

Jarik and Ahsoka stiffen in alarm and share a subtle glance with each other, tightening their grip on the weapons. Loki notices their reaction and frowns suspiciously, approaching them with narrowed eyes.

"Odin's beard... you are the two we are looking for," Loki realizes in surprise. "You are the ones who stole the Infinity Stone!"

In response the two Jedi swiftly bring their weapons back up in a defensive stance and unleash a swift burst of Force energy that knocks Thor and Loki back several feet, though to their surprise they didn't go as far as they intended. Thor's boots dug into the ground as he skidded to a stop, a wide grin spreading across his face as he eagerly marches forward to retaliate, his hammer raised.

"Ah hah! Have at thee—!" he cries out, about to lunge at them.

"No, stop!" Loki exclaims, grabbing Thor's arm and pulling him back.

"Wh- why? It was just getting fun!" Thor complains.

"What do you want with us?" Jarik angrily demands.

"So you are the ones we want!" Thor exclaims in amazement.

"We're not asking twice!" Ahsoka growls.

She holds her staff out straight and jabs one end on the ground to pronounce her intent; set in the circle on top, the Power Stone glows a little brighter. This time the two gods step back in genuine unease and wariness, a scowl adorning Thor's face. Loki, on the other hand, raises his arms in a placating gesture and gives a faintly nervous chuckle, still smiling in an effort to appear less hostile.

"Apologies about the confusion, but we do not bid you any ill intent," he tells them. "Our father, Odin, the King of Asgard, has requested an audience with you."

The two Jedi stare at them for a long time, but briefly share an uncertain look with each other.

"An audience?" Jarik asks.

He and Ahsoka cautious lower their weapons, deactivating their lightsabers, but remain tense incase a fight does end up breaking out.

Nearby, having safely observed the confrontation in silence, Mara ends up stepping out into the open with Talia still held in her arms.

"Are we good now?" she calls out. "No fight happening?"

The four adults turn to look at her in surprise, the two brothers more confused and curious while the Jedi parents are aggravated.

"Mara!" Jarik snaps at her.

"What?" she asks defensively.

"Ah! A small mortal!" Thor booms loudly, then tilts his head and frowns. "And... an even smaller mortal?"

Loki inspects the two young girls with a piercing gaze that Mara instantly notices, making her shiver. The raven-haired god looks between the parents and the children for a few long seconds, causing Jarik and Ahsoka to tense up even more in unease.

"Very interesting indeed," the God of Mischief comments.

Jarik grips his sabers tightly, tempted to ignite them once more as he and Ahsoka slowly move over to get between their children and the two gods. Talia then speaks up with clear nervousness in her voice.

"Mama?" she says timidly.

"It's alright, sweetie. Mama's got this," Ahsoka gently reassures her, trying to keep calm.

"Yeah, yeah sure you do," Thor scoffs dismissively, prompting a scowl from Jarik. "As we were saying, mortals, your presence is required by the Allfather!"

"Required...?" Ahsoka repeats him.

"Requested, to be more precise," Loki corrects with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

The Jedi don't respond right away and Mara remains back with Talia, sensing the tension. Thor frowns in clear irritation at their silence while Loki lifts a single eyebrow.

"I assume you don't trust us, correct?" he questions.

"Should we?" Jarik asks in reply.

"Uh, yeah," Thor says chuckles, shaking his head. "We're gods, remember?"

"Not all gods are benevolent," Ahsoka argues.

Thor frowns at her and opens his mouth to retort, but Loki interjects before he could do so.

"I suppose you do make a fair point, Master Jedi," he concedes. "But I can assure you that our father is a fair and just ruler of the Nine Realms."

Jarik furrows his brow in recognition, recalling some of the things he's read from the old Jedi texts kept on the island. Though Thor and Loki weren't mentioned in them, Odin was. He's also heard all three names invoked by the Vikings plenty of times.

"The Nine Realms?" he asks carefully.

"Well… I suppose technically this place isn't one of them, but that's beside the point," Thor shrugs. "We're good! The Allfather is good! Simple!"

Jarik shares a quick glance with Ahsoka and subtly opens his mind to her.

'The Prime Jedi talked about Odin in his journal,' he states.

'And the Vikings say Thor is his son,' she replies in acknowledgement. 'But gods... how do we know they're the real deal?'

Jarik ponders her question, and after a few seconds he looks back at the Asgardians.

"Are you familiar with someone called the Prime Jedi?" he asks.

Loki tilts his head, the corner of his mouth flicking upward only slightly, and Jarik gets the feeling that the Asgardian could see right through the purpose of his question. However, Loki humors him with an answer anyway.

"Not very well. Neither of us ever met him, as that was before our time," he states. "But he was a close friend and associate of our father."

Ahsoka glances at Jarik and he nods his head, letting out a sigh.

"Well… at least you're telling the truth there," he remarks.

"Great!" Thor booms with a grin. "Then just stand right here and we'll—"

"Just a minute, blondie, we still don't know why exactly you're here," Jarik interjects.

"What do you mean? We just told you!" he scowls irritably.

"Why does Odin want to see us?" Ahsoka asks them.

"Woah, Odin? The Odin?" Mara gasps in amazement, and Talia looks at her with a curious hum. "The Hooligans are never gonna believe this."

The Asgardians ignore her comment and continue their conversation with the Jedi.

"You are the ones called the Sun and Moon, yes?" Loki asks them.

"We are," Ahsoka answers after a moment of hesitancy.

"Excellent," he grins in response. "Though we hold no dominion over your galaxy, our father has kept himself familiar with the culture of your people. He extends to you the offer of his guidance in handling your power, should you ever have need of it."

Ahsoka nods in acknowledgement and ponders his words while Jarik merely crosses his arms, accepting the reasoning but not entirely satisfied.

"Tell him we are honored by his generous offer, and will keep it in consideration," he says politely.

Ahsoka inclines her head to express her agreement. Loki's smile falters, only briefly, though his eyes seem to glitter a bit. Thor, on the other hand, showcases his displeasure by scowling and taking a step forward with a thundering gaze.

"If that was all my father wished to say, we would not have made this journey," he states.

The two Jedi grow uneasy at the sudden increase in tension, sensing that despite the cordial nature of the Asgardians' visit... it's not exactly a request.

"What else does he ask?" Ahsoka says warily.

"The Allfather never seeks to impose his influence beyond Asgard's jurisdiction," Loki tells them. "Nevertheless, he keeps a watchful eye over matters that concern the safety of the universe at large—"

Thor, whose scowl only grew deeper, loses his patience and interrupts his brother.

"What business do you have with an Infinity Stone?" he demands.

Jarik and Ahsoka step back, startled at the return of hostility.

"Business?" Mara asks.

"Do not play games with us!" Thor snaps in reply. "Do ye seek to undermine the order of the cosmos?"

Ahsoka anxiously gestures for Mara to move back to safety while Jarik holds his thumbs over the ignition buttons on his sabers.

"We're not conquerors, if that's what you're worried about," Ahsoka says defensively.

"Then why steal it?" he demands. "Speak!"

"To keep it out of the wrong hands!" Jarik retorts.

Thor laughs without any humor and starts moving forward, brandishing his hammer in a threatening manner.

"The only wrong hands I see here are—" he starts to say.

Loki halts his advance with a hand on his shoulder and fixes him with a stern glare.

"Thor, stop, just wait a moment," he says.

"Know your place, brother," Thor rebukes him. "These two are not to be trusted with such power!"

"And you are?" Jarik retorts.

Thor turns back around to glare at him, and Ahsoka grows even more tense when she notices a tiny flicker of lightning flash through the god's eyes.

"We do not want to fight you," she says quickly in an effort to placate him.

He moves his glare to her instead, his gaze full of contempt, and merely scoffs in reply.

"But I do, woman," he jeers at her.

Ahsoka hardens her gaze, tightening her grip on her staff, while Jarik ignites his sabers once more.

"Think carefully about that," Ahsoka tells the god, holding her staff out. "Seeing as you know what this is."

The Power Stone glows bit brighter and Thor, while still cautious of the relic itself, doesn't back down this time and instead smirks at the Jedi in clear amusement.

"Is that a challenge?" he says mockingly.

Farther back, Mara observes the confrontation fearfully and tries her best to calm Talia, who is whimpering a little.

Loki places himself between Thor and the Jedi more forcefully this time in an effort to prevent a fight from breaking out.

"Stop! Everyone!" he exclaims, glowering at them all. "Brother, remember what father told us."

"We gave them an opportunity to come peacefully, and they rejected it," Thor sneers derisively. "Clearly they do not recognize the authority we carry!"

Ahsoka glances between Jarik, Loki, and the hostile Thor, determined but still panicking internally about what might happen if a fight erupts between them, especially regarding the safety of her children. Powerful as they may be, especially with the Power Stone, there's far too many unknowns with the prospect of facing the Asgardian gods in battle. Would they even be able to win, if it came to it?

"Alright! Just wait, please!" Ahsoka shouts, bringing everyone's attention to her, and lets out a defeated sigh. "You're right in that we don't know much about you. But the people of this planet do."

The Asgardians furrow their brows and Mara looks on in confusion, whereas Jarik regards her with a skeptical gaze.

'Are you sure about this?' he asks.

'No,' she admits. 'But we have no reason to distrust their story, either.'

Jarik frowns, not the happiest with it, but concedes her point and deactivates his lightsabers. Thor narrows his eyes suspiciously and shrugs Loki's hand off his shoulder, eliciting a scowl from the younger brother.

Ahsoka purses her lips as she ponders what to say for a moment.

"Can you promise that we will not be harmed and will be allowed to return here, peacefully, after speaking with your King?" she inquires.

Thor lifts an eyebrow and crosses his arms.

"Very specific word choice," he comments.

"Indeed," Loki smiles and inclines his head to the Jedi. "You have our word, as Princes of Asgard: upon the conclusion of your parley with the Allfather, you may return to your family in peace."

Ahsoka furrows her brow and spares a brief glance at Jarik, both of them sharing a faint thought of there being more to Loki's proclamation; however, they can find none.

"Then we accept," Ahsoka states.

"Wait, what?" Mara says in bewilderment.

Startled by the sudden change in attitude, she rushes over to her parents with Talia in tow.

"Uhh... shouldn't we discuss this first?" she asks nervously.

"We did," Jarik answers, not taking his eyes off the Asgardians. "And you're staying here."

"But—" Mara tries to protest.

"Mara, we'll be fine," Ahsoka interrupts, looking between her two daughters. "Look after your sister, okay?"

"Well, obviously," she sighs in response.

"Where you going Mama?" Talia asks, her lip trembling.

Ahsoka smiles at her and gently rubs Talia's head.

"We'll be back soon, sweetheart, I promise you," she assures.

She leans over to give Talia a kiss on the forward and Jarik does the same, briefly rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

"But what if you don't come back? What if something happens?" Mara asks anxiously. "We don't know anything about these guys except in myths!"

Ahsoka reaches into a pouch on her belt and pulls out a hush-98 comlink.

"Here," she says, giving it to Mara. "If we don't come back in three days, use this to contact your aunt and tell her where we went. She'll know what to do."

Mara looks down at the comlink and sighs, but acknowledges her with a nod.

"Excuse me, but who might that be?" Thor chimes in.

"It's not our place to say," Jarik replies.

"Well if it relates the Asgard then I say otherwise," he retorts, frowning.

Loki placates Thor with a hand on his shoulder and smiles.

"Relax, brother. I'm sure they have good intentions," he says.

Ahsoka and Jarik both frown, unsettled by the feeling that Loki might know more than they think.

"Ugh, fine," Thor grumbles. "Can we go now?"

Sensing that the God of Thunder was growing impatient the two Jedi bid another quiet farewell to their children and then approach the Asgardian brothers, who stand side by side with each other. Once they're a couple feet apart the Jedi halt in their step.

"So... what now?" Ahsoka asks.

In response, Thor raises his hammer above his head and looks skyward.

"Heimdall, open the Bifrost!" he yells.

A bright pillar of rainbow light appears in the sky and falls upon the group of four, startling the family of Jedi. Talia yelps in fright and Mara jumps back instinctively, squinting her eyes while attempting to look upon the great beam of blinding light; through the rumbling and the flashes, she barely notices as the vague silhouettes of the Jedi and Asgardian Princes shoot up the Bifrost like a cannon.

After a few more seconds the pillar of light pulls away from the surface of the island and ascends into the heavens, leaving behind a pattern of Asgardian runes burned into the ground. Mara stands in silence for a long while, unsure of what to do or think. Eventually, after overcoming her initial fright, Talia reacts to the cosmic event with awe.

"Wooaaaahhhhh!" she gasps in wonder.

Mara slowly nods her head, agreeing with her baby sister at the incredible nature of the Bifrost despite the troubling circumstances surrounding it. She then looks down at Talia and musters a grin.

"Guess it's just you and me, kiddo," she remarks.

Talia hums in response and looks back at Mara with wide, innocent eyes.

"I need to go potty," she reveals.

Mara's grin vanishes quicker than the Bifrost.


Author's Note: Chapters like these with a big group talking or experiencing a revelation are hard to write, and take a while too. Hopefully I got it done right!