Hiccup's POV
"So? Will she be alright?" Gothi was at the Edge with Gobber. Kent had to stay behind because Berk still needed a healer while Gothi was away. There had been an accident with some construction and (Y/n)'s mother was getting worse, so they didn't have much of a choice. Gothi had checked (Y/n)'s ribcage and heartbeat before asking me to put her on her side so she could check her spinal cord. It had been days and (Y/n) still hadn't woken up from what happened at Glacier Island.
As Gothi checked her spine, her face fell again. I bit my nail at that. I was getting more nervous by the second. Gothi turned to Gobber and started writing.
"What's she saying?" I asked. Gobber looked stunned.
"Oh my..."
"What? Gobber, please before I have a heart attack! What is she saying?" Gobber looked at me and sighed.
"Hiccup, Gothi says she's got two broken ribs, which wouldn't be so bad. She'd be down for a few weeks for riding with you all, but...she also has a cracked spine." I was stunned.
"W-what are you saying?"
"I'm saying she came closer to meeting Odin than ever before." I felt my heart skip a beat. Oh gods, no... "Gothi's hardly ever seen anyone survive something like this, lad. Normally, they die and rarely they live and become paralyzed. And even so, they don't last long after that if they can't get the proper care." I stared at the floor, trying not to cry, especially in front of them. "But" I looked up. "that's only if they have broken spines. Hers is only cracked. It's dangerous and she's extremely fragile, but with luck and as much rest as she can get, she should survive." I felt like I was about to faint.
"Oh thank Thor."
"But be careful with her, lad. You're going to have to find a way to feed her if she doesn't wake up for a while and you might even have to do some...embarrassing things, but it's what she needs to survive."
"I don't care. I'll do anything to keep her alive."
"Alright, well, think of it as taking care of a baby dragon! Feed her, watch her from time to time, and you might even have to clean her if she doesn't wake up in a good while." I blushed at that part. That's what he meant by embarrassing. I shook it off.
"It's doesn't matter. I'll take care of her." He smiled.
"I know you will. Gothi and I best be heading back to Berk. We'll tell your father and her family what's going on, so expect a visit sometime soon. Take care, lad." He said and they left.
I watched them go and I turned back to (Y/n) who still hadn't moved. At least, not on her own. I brushed some stray hairs out of her face, gently tucking them behind her ear. I smiled a little. She looked so peaceful. If only it hadn't been because of such a horrific accident.
"Wake up soon," I told her softly before I left. I wanted to stay with her, but I couldn't. The others needed me. Without (Y/n), I was leading alone. Arrow helped, but (Y/n) wasn't like him.
I headed out to check on things and it had hardly been 10 minutes before Arrow was storming up to me. I sighed. I knew he wasn't mad at me, but whoever he was mad at was still my problem.
"The twins are at it again!" He shouted.
"What happened this time?"
"They didn't stand their watch, Hiccup. Those dummies left two dummies in their place!"
"You know, those dummies could conceivably be just as effective as the twins."
"Not funny. We built that watchtower so that-"
"I know why we built it, Arrow."
"I just don't understand how this isn't making you completely insane!"
"Because then there'd be two crazy people in this conversation and we probably wouldn't resolve anything. Plus, I'm more concerned about our main problem right now." He seemed to not even hear the last part.
"Are you saying I'm-!?" I cut him off.
"Arrow, let me talk to the twins. I'll get their side of the story, then we can figure out what we need to do."
"I guess it's a start." As if we said their names too many times, they showed up right on cue. "Well, if it isn't our crack security team now."
"Oh! Please, please, there's no need to shower us with accolades." Tuff replied.
"Tuff, you left two dummies to protect this entire base. What were you thinking?" As Arrow was yelling at them, a Terror mail came.
"Terror Mail? Hm..."
"Dummies, you say?" Tuff asked.
"He does. Poor confused thing."
"What you failed to realize in your foggy morning state, is that those are not dummies. They are scare ships."
"Scareships? You're serious?"
"You didn't see any ships near the island, did you? I think not. And why? They were appropriately scared away. By the appropriately named scare ships." Tuff explained.
"Are you following any of this?" Arrow asked me.
"Not super closely. I'm actually reading this. It's from Johann. He's in trouble." I explained. I didn't want to leave the Edge. I wanted to be around at the very least in case anything happened with (Y/n), but from what the letter said...I didn't have a choice.
*Later*
"You are not leaving me with these two muttonheads." Arrow kept protesting.
"He knows we're standing right here, right?" Tuff asked.
"Look, Johann is surrounded by Dragon Hunters, and his ship is taking on water. We have to get out there and help him." I told him...again.
"Then, let me saddle up Stormfly, I'll be there in-"
"Arrow, you need to stay here and hold down the Edge. And make sure nothing happens to the Dragon Eye." I insisted.
"I can't believe what's happening. This actually may be the worst day in history."
"Arrow, Snotlout and I have the only working dragon armor, and Meatlug is immune to the Dragon Hunters' arrows," I told him.
"You hear that, girl? Who's a special dragon? Meatlug is, that's who." Fishlegs said. I pushed it aside.
"It just makes sense for us to be the ones to go." I finished.
"Hiccup, please! For all that is sacred in Thor's world, you cannot leave me alone with these two-"
"What do you say? Simpletons? Blockheads?" Tuff cut in.
"I was always partial to dimwit myself. It rolls trippingly off the tongue." Ruff added.
"Oh, yeah. Watch this. What wit dim, would the twins' dim wit if dim wits could wit dim? Say that five times fast." He turned back to me.
"You see what I'm talking about, right?"
"Hey, it's not like we woke up this morning hoping to spend 24/7 with you either, Arrow. I mean, you are not exactly a picnic. And I think you know what I'm saying. You have not ever been a blanket on a grassy knoll with delicious food. But, we are team players. We will do what is necessary for the good of the group. Hence, we shall remain behind and enjoy your good company, my fair Arrow. Even if you have no blankets or grassy knolls to offer." Tuff said. At least SOMEBODY isn't complaining.
"We'll be back by tomorrow at the latest. Just do the best you can. Okay? And try to get along, please?" I told him.
"No need to worry about us, young Hiccup," Tuff replied.
"And Arrow," He looked grumpy until he saw my change in mood. "take care of (Y/n) for me. Please, if anything..." He placed a hand on my shoulder.
"While I'm not looking forward to anything else about this, (Y/n) will be looked after. I promise." I smiled slightly at him.
"Thank you." He nodded and we left.
Arrow's POV
"Bye! We'll miss you! 抖阴社区 home often! Okay, I think the first team-building exercise we should perform is that of going back to sleep. I mean, as a team, of course." Tuff said. I could already tell this was going to be a long day.
"Couldn't agree more. What say you, Arrow?"
"I have to go hide this and then check on (Y/n). When I get back, I expect both of you to be sweating profusely from hard work." I told them and left. I hid the Dragon Eye and checked on (Y/n). Nightshade was with her. I sighed and gave her some fish. "She'll be alright, Nightshade. I promise. I have to go keep the twins in check. I'll be back later, okay?" She nuzzled me, purring softly. I smiled. "Good girl."
*Later*
"'What say you, Arrow?' Really? Haven't I always told you it's better to beg for permission than to ask for forgiveness?" Tuff told his sister. I sighed.
"Personally, I think it's the other way around."
"Oh, so now you're the literary authority on the subject of permissions and forgiveness-es?"
"Quit talking. You lose focus when your mouth is moving." I told them, though I honestly did want them to be quiet.
"Quit talking! I'm Arrow!" Tuff grumbled.
"Real mature, guys." They set the log on top and I turned toward them.
"We've done all of these already? Man, we are kicking some serious-" I cut Tuff off.
"No, no, no. That's your first one. All the others, I did by myself. Go, team." They threw it toward the others. Unfortunately, it caused all of them to roll off the cliff. Barf and Belch threw theirs down after it. I face-palmed. "You know what? I'll get the rest of the lumber myself. You two start lashing together some poles for the first level of stairs. Do you think you can handle that?" I said and stormed off.
I sighed as I walked off. I had to check on (Y/n) again. I needed to feed her. I went back to her hut and I gave Nightshade some more fish before I made something that I could give (Y/n). It was hard making sure I didn't choke her, but luckily I was able to get something into her body with no issues.
When I got back, the twins were nowhere to be seen. I sighed again. This was too much for me to handle alone.
"Really? Where in Thor's name could you two have-" They suddenly came in on a zipline.
"Whoo! Yeah!" Tuff cheered.
"Ha-ha!" Then, they crashed into the pole. "Look out! Whoo! That hurt." The logs I had gathered rolled down the cliff...again.
"Arrow, you have got to try this. The landing's a little rough, but-" Ruff cut in, cutting Tuffnut off.
"Arrow, we know this wasn't what you were planning, but we really think we're onto something here. The stairs have their own use for sure, but this can truly come in handy." I was so fed up with this.
"It can, huh?"
"Yes. In the right situations."
"And what situations would those be exactly, Ruffnut?" She paused.
"Well, I mean, we could, if we were in a-"
"You have no clue, do you? Didn't think so."
"Is that a retalkrical question?" Tuff asked but I ignored him.
"And do you know why? Because, the two of you don't think. You don't plan. You just come up with these crazy ideas and you forge ahead, with no regard for logic or what you're even supposed to be doing. What am I gonna do with you guys? Seriously. Tell me!" Ruff looked mad.
"Well, you can start by being kind. Oh, wait, you can't do that because kindness is nowhere in that broad ruthless body of yours!"
"What?" I growled.
"Easy, sis." Tuff began, but she shrugged him off.
"Back up, bro! I got this."
"Do you know what your problem is, Ruffnut?" I growled at her.
"Oh, you bet I do. I've got a list of problems so long, I can't even keep track. Question is, do you know what your problem is, Arrow?"
"My problem? Are you serious!?"
"Allow me to lay it out for you, my flaxen-haired friend. You have no respect for the people around you who are just trying to help and be a part of the team. You have no respect for Fishlegs, certainly none for Snotlout, and you couldn't have less respect for the two of us! Now, you can go ahead and shame the others. You can mock this entire island of dragons if you wish. But I am not gonna stand here and listen to you insult the entire nut family tree!" Ruff snapped before storming off. I felt upset, but I also felt guilty.
"She's wrong, you know. I do. I respect you guys." I told Tuff.
"Oh, please. You can barely even say it. So sad, Arrow. So, so sad." Tuff said before he left. I sighed.
"Hiccup, where are you when I need you?" I went back to watch (Y/n) some more. I didn't have anything else to do.
Hiccup's POV
We had been flying for a while. We soon arrived in the general area where Johann said he would be.
"Okay, from what the Terror mail said, Johann sent it from this general area," I told them.
"And it said his ship was incapacitated," Fishlegs added. I nodded.
"Correct. So, he should be right below us somewhere."
"Good thing Meatlug is immune to those arrows, huh? Too bad you aren't! Hahaha! Snotlout!" Snotlout said. I ignored him. I kept looking for Johann and his ship.
"Don't listen to him, girl. I'll be fine. We'll be fine. Right?" Fishlegs said. Then, I spotted Johann.
"Uh, I'm not so sure about that," I told them.
"Get away! You, don't come near!" He was trying to ward off some angry dragons, not Dragon Hunters.
"Hey, I thought he said it was Dragon Hunters." Snotlout said.
"Not actual dragons," Fishlegs added.
"He did, but you know Johann," I told them.
"Dragons, Dragon Hunters, what's the difference?" Snotlout grumbled.
"I wonder what Johann did to get them so mad," Fishlegs stated.
"Probably told them one of his dumb stories."
"Not funny, Snotlout," I told him.
"I wasn't even trying to be funny!"
"All right, let's just get Johann out of there, and be careful. We don't want to hurt any of these dragons."
"What about them hurting us? That never seems to enter your mind." I ignored him.
"Master Hiccup! They're everywhere!" Johann called.
"Yoo-hoo!" I tried to lure them, but they were very aggressive. "Okay, all right, never mind, never mind, never mind! Wow, bud! We really must have caught these guys on a bad day."
"Ah! Hoo! Back! Back, I say! This reminds me of the time I was attacked by a flock of rabid wild fruit bats off the coast of Palau."
"Be quiet! You're only making them more angry. And us, too." Snotlout snapped at him.
"Master Snoutlout! Thank Thor!" The dragons went after Snotlout.
"Hey! What'd I do? It's Captain Fruit Bat you want, not me."
"No, no! Oh, come on! They're very mean!" Johann said.
"Johann, look out!" Fishlegs called. Suddenly he was taken.
"Hey! Fishlegs! Where are you going? You know, we're not done here." I ignored him. The dragons left and we landed on Johann's ship. I calmed Meatlug and turned to them.
"We need to get him back."
"Haha, need is a strong word." Snotlout said. I glared at him. "Fine! What's the plan, genius?" I paused. That was the thing...I didn't know. (Y/n)...where are you when I need you?
Arrow's POV
It was getting late. I was with (Y/n) again. I watched her closely, checking her every now and again. I checked to make sure she was breathing correctly and I checked her heartbeat to see how strong it was.
As I checked her again, I noticed that her heartbeat seemed slightly stronger. I smiled a little. I got some fresh ice for her back to make sure she wasn't in pain even though she was asleep. After that, I checked on Nightshade.
"You know, you've been tucked away in here all day. Do you want to go for a short run with me? You need your exercise." She looked conflicted. I pet her. "Alright. If you don't want to leave, at least go outside and stretch a bit." I told her. She followed me outside and did the old stretches (Y/n) used to do with her back when the two first met.
All of a sudden, Tuffnut rushed up to me. I was stunned. He was panting and looked panicked.
"Tuff, you okay? Tuffnut, breathe. What's going on?"
"You have got to do something about those stairs. I mean, there must be hundreds of them, there's over ten at least."
"That's it? The stairs?"
"Oh, no. It's Ruffnut. They got Ruffnut!" I was confused by this.
"Who did?"
"The Dragon Hunters." I was shocked.
"We've got to find where she is! Come on! You're coming with me on Stormfly!" Nightshade rushed over. She gave me a worried roar. I smiled. "You can come too. We're gonna need as much help as we can get!" I told her. I looked back at (Y/n)'s hut. She'll be alright. She's safe inside. We went searching and I began to feel guilty. "This is all my fault."
"Oh, tell me about it."
"I shouldn't have been so hard on her."
"You were way too hard on her. My poor, poor sis."
"She's just Ruff being Ruff. She can't help it."
"Truer words, aye? Truer words." I glared at him. "Sorry. Just trying to help you work through, you know, the shame, all the bad things that you did, all the things you should feel bad about, you know, get some closure." We landed at the lookout tower and Tuffnut looked worried.
"What is it?"
"There may not be a Ruffnut to apologize to. In fact, there may not be any of us at all." There were at least a dozen ships coming and there was only two of us. We rushed back to the clubhouse.
"Okay, what's the plan? We have to get my sister back."
"First thing is to send an SOS to Berk. We need reinforcements, fast. The auxiliary team." The Terror flew off.
"How do we know he'll get there in time?" I pulled out some weapons.
"We don't."
"Well, how do we know they'll get back here in time?" I frowned.
"We don't."
"Okay, there is a terrifying lack of clarity in those answers!" I put my hands on his shoulders.
"It's all gonna be okay, Tuffnut. We're gonna hold down the Edge, defend this base, and we will get your sister back. Okay? Say, 'okay, Arrow'."
"Okay, Arrow."
"Now, there is no possible way we can defend the Edge against an all-out assault with only one flyable dragon. But maybe, we can slow them down until help gets here if we use our spears and arrows sparingly."
"Wait! I know an even better way we can slow them down." I ignored him.
"Not now, Tuff. I need to think."
"No, seriously, Arrow! You need to hear this. Listen to me!"
"All right, what? What is your idea?"
"Okay, well, as you know, tricking is my area of expertise. I am the official Dragon's Edge Trickster. Trickster extraordinaire. The Mayor of Tricksville." I cut him off.
"Yeah. I get it. We all know how tricky you are."
"BUT, they don't! So, I figure, we trick them into thinking there are more of us than there are. We can start with our scare ships, and then build our own little tricking army. It'll be awesome! Wait. I think I just had another idea. Whoa! Do you know how many Loki-ish thoughts are running through my mind right now?"
"Tuff!"
"It's like a hurricane of practical jokes pounding on the inside of my head! Whoa, here comes one!"
"Tuffnut!"
"Yes?"
"This is not the time for pranks, or Loki-ing. This is a time for strategic thinking and precise preparation. There are times in life when you have to be serious. Deadly serious, or people can die. We can die. Ruffnut can die. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand. I am taking it seriously. I'm seriously a trickster. And I seriously have some ideas that can help."
"Tuff, listen to me. You know all those times early in the morning when it's still dark outside, and I'm out by myself on Stormfly?"
"Uh, well, I do now. Wait, is this gonna get weird?"
"No. What I am doing is training. Day and night, I train myself for situations just like this. That's why we're gonna do it my way."
"But, I have ideas. Good ideas."
"And, I believe you."
"No, you don't. The only thing you believe is that I'll mess this up and get us all killed."
"No. That's not true. The only thing I believe right now is that we're wasting time arguing when we should be preparing. Come on, there's a lot of work to do."
"That's my sister out there, Arrow. And if this goes wrong and we don't save her, I couldn't live with myself." I frowned. I...I can't make the same mistake, but I can't make THIS mistake either. I looked at him. I have to trust him.
"You know what? You're right. You do what you have to do, and I'm gonna set up our defenses. Then we'll come together, and when the time is right, decide which one to use, okay?"
"Awesome plan. I like it! And we'll definitely end up using mine. So, it's great."
"Good, just so long as we understand and agree that I lead the counter-attack and you follow me." He nodded. We got to work. I watched as he did his thing. I sighed. This is going to be a LONG fight.
Hiccup's POV
"And they just picked Fishlegs up and flew off?"
"Yeah, definitely, that's how it happened." Snotlout told me.
"Johann, did the wild dragons take anything from the ship? Food, fresh water, anything?" I asked.
"No, Master Hiccup. They seemed only interested in terrorizing me until you lot came along, then they started terrorizing you. Which was a bit of a relief, if I'm being honest. I've always been a great friend to the dragons. That they would turn on me like this, it's inconceivable." None of this was adding up to me.
"This doesn't make any sense. Nightmares, Nadders, Gronckles, even in the wild, these dragons shouldn't be this aggressive. I mean, from a Speed Stinger or a Changewing, those dragons I could understand, but maybe these guys have just never seen humans before."
"All I know is that we've been around these guys in the wild. None of them have ever acted like this." Snotlout admitted. I thought about it.
"Snotlout, I hate to admit it, but you've got a point." We soon arrived at what looked like the dragon's camp. We peeked over the edge of the cliff to see what was going on.
"Stop. Don't move." I pushed them down.
"Oh, finally. Do you know how long we've been walking? My feet are swollen to the size of watermelons-"
"Shh!" I silenced Snotlout.
"Master Hiccup, I realize that you are the dragon expert among us-"
"I wouldn't say the dragon expert, I'd say-"
"Shh!" I hushed him again.
"As I was saying, it appears to me that this island is occupied by a rather unfriendly pack of wild dragons." I looked into my spyglass. I frowned.
"You're right, Johann. But it's worse than that." I said, handing it to him.
"Oh, ho-ho, you're full of good news, aren't you?" Johann gasped as he saw it too. "Gimme that!" Snotlout groaned afterward. "So, this means we get to go rescue him, I suppose."
"It does. And thank you for volunteering. But it's not gonna be easy."
"With you as captain, I know it won't." I ignored him.
"Right, you see up there? Dragon sentries. They look like they're ready for anything. It's gonna be really hard to get anywhere near Fishlegs."
"Well, I suppose the life of a Dragon Rider is shorter than most. I'll miss him dearly." Johann said, standing up.
"Good point, Johann. Let's get out of here." I yanked both of them back down.
"No, no, we're not going anywhere. I said it's gonna be hard, not impossible."
*Later*
"Okay, we all know the plan, correct?"
"Yes!" Snotlout replied.
"No!" Johann said nervously.
"We all know the plan, you told us 25 times. Just so you know, I still object."
"Objection still noted. Now Johann, remember, your only job is to distract the dragon sentry on the far cliff. Approach it from the rear so that Meatlug doesn't see Fishlegs." I told him.
"M-Master Hiccup, w-why shouldn't Meatlug see Master Fishlegs?" He asked as Meatlug wiggled around excitedly.
"Because she might...well, we don't know what she'll do." I lied.
"Sure we do!"
"Snotlout!"
"What? You don't think Johann should know what could happen to him?"
"Yes, I do! I think I should know what could happen to me!" I sighed.
"Nothing is going to happen to you, Johann. You're going to be fine as long as you stick to the plan." We got close enough soon enough to get Fishlegs' attention. "Psst. Hey, Fishlegs. We're here to rescue you. Are you okay?"
"Hiccup!" He exclaimed.
"Yes, yes. It's me. Let's go while they're not looking."
"Look at these dragons. They have scars all over them." He pointed out. I didn't see why it was important.
"Well, this is quite a diverse pack. They probably fight all the time. Now, can we just get out of here?"
"The scars aren't from other dragons, Hiccup. They're from humans. Those are arrow wounds, bola scars." I realized he was right.
"Dragon Hunters. That explains why dragons that can usually be trained would be so aggressive."
"They attack humans 'cause they've all been hurt by Dragon Hunters."
"Then why would Dragon Hunters come near this place? Unless they drove Johann here on purpose." I pieced together.
"Knowing he would send for us?" Fishlegs added.
"It was a trap and we flew right into it." I realized. I felt my heart skip a beat as I realized something.
"The others...oh gods...(Y/n)..." She wasn't awake yet as far as I knew and she was vulnerable. The others only had each other and no help. If anything happens to her- Fishlegs cut off my thoughts.
"Speaking of flying, where's Meatlug?"
"They're right over that ridge. Johann's riding her."
"Johann? You let Johann ride my Meatlug? MY MEATLUG?!" And Meatlug came as quick as she could. I frowned.
"I knew this was going to happen!" Snotlout groaned.
"Please just get down here and help us!" I told him.
"Oh, sure. Come bail us out again. It's always the Snot that has to clean up the mess." He came down to help.
"Don't hurt them! None of this is their fault!" Fishlegs called. There was too many of them.
"Fishlegs, come on!" I called, but the Gronkles of the pack wouldn't let us get close again.
"Meatlug! No! Meatlug, no! There's too many of them and they don't know how lovable and awesome you are. It's all right girl, don't you worry." We had to leave.
"All right, guys, fall in behind me. We gotta regroup."
"Go, girl. It's okay, go with Hiccup." She left with us. I felt a pit in my stomach as we left. We couldn't leave Fishlegs, but...I wanted nothing more than to get back to the Edge and make sure they were alright. I had to make sure (Y/n) was safe.
Arrow's POV
"This is our last line of defense, Stormfly. If they make it this far, hopefully, these will take them out." I saw Tuff start to float off with balloons.
"Uh-oh. Uh, regardless of how this looks right now, I can assure you I have a master plan for these balloons."
"I'm sure you do."
"Um, but Arrow, just a little quick thing. Can you bring me back down to Earth, before I fly into the sun?" I brought him back down. "Is it time?"
"It's time. This is gonna be a rough day, Stormfly. Whatever we have to face, I'm glad we're facing it together." Tuff came over with a box of weapons. "Hey, whatcha got there?"
"Ta-da! Only the solution to all our problems. I call Macey, but you can have any of the others, except maybe this sword and this axe. Can't decide, huh? Yeah, I can understand that."
"Tuff, these weapons are all for close combat. If we get to that point, there's two of us and we're done."
"Oh. Well, no, I know that, but-"
"Listen, we don't have time. Just do me one favor."
"Fine, but-"
"The ballista on my roof, you know how to use it, right?"
"Uh, it's a massively destructive weapon, isn't it?"
"It is. So, get up there, and massively destroy things. But on my command, not before. Got it?"
"Got it. Come on, Macey." Nightshade came over to me. She looked worried. I sighed.
"Nightshade...if we get overwhelmed, take (Y/n) away from here. It'll destroy Hiccup if..." Nightshade whined and nuzzled me. "You're going to fight with us, but you need to be ready to leave if I tell you to." She whined, but she nodded. I sighed. Let's hope this works.
Hiccup's POV
"So, lemme get this straight. Those really crazy whacked-out dragons don't want to hurt our dragon?" Snotlout asked.
"Right," I replied.
"They just want to hurt us?"
"Correct."
"Because they think we're Dragon Hunters and they are going to hurt them and our dragons?"
"That's about the size of it."
"Oh. That is quite the conundrum." Johann said.
"Look, why don't you just go in there and have a talk with the dragon in charge, tell them that we're not Dragon Hunters and that these guys love us." Snotlout
"You know, there may be something to that."
"Thank you. Now, off you go. If you don't come back, we'll tell everyone you died heroically." Toothless wasn't happy about that statement. I sighed and moved on.
"Okay, here's the plan. Toothless and I will go in there and get the dragons really riled up and lure as many of them out as we can, starting with the leader. Then, you and Johann-"
"Uh, Master Hiccup, I feel as though one more ride on that dragon - may turn my insides into my outside."
"You'll be fine, Johann. As soon as Toothless and I have them following us, you guys sneak in and grab Fishlegs. Without their leader, it shouldn't be a problem."
"Ha! We've heard that before." I ignored Snotlout.
"All right, fine, then you rile the dragons up and get them to follow you. That sound better to you?"
"Hey, calm down, cranky. I was just exploring our options."
"All right, so can we go then?" I took off on Toothless and we got them to chase us. "Okay, bud. Let's see how long we can keep these guys busy. We're not here to fight, bud. Toothless, sky!" We had them chase us for as long as we could. The leader smacked him a few times. He growled. "It's okay, bud. It's okay. They're just trying to save you from me. They think I'm trying to hurt you. Higher, Toothless!"
We went higher together, but I got hit and started to fall. "AH! Toothless!" He tried to get to me, but the dragons were everywhere. "Okay, bud, I guess we don't have a choice." I used my wings and glided for a bit until we landed together. He caught me as I stumbled, almost falling off the edge. "Whoa-oo-ah! Thanks, bud, that was close."
The dragons landed, growling and roaring at us. "Easy, Toothless. No sudden moves." The leader got closer. Toothless got ready to fire. "Toothless, wait." I walked closer. I showed them my wings. The Nadder hopped back before coming over to inspect them. "Pretty cool, right? Yeah, you see. We're not so different. We're not like all those Hunters. We would never hurt a dragon." They looked accepting after that and I got an idea.
*Later*
"Uh excuse me? Did you know there's an entire pack of angry wild dragons following you?" Fishlegs asked.
"You don't say." I retorted.
"You're losing your touch, Hiccup. I mean, they're literally, like, right behind you!"
"I know, Snotlout. And I couldn't be happier about it!"
"All right! Hiccup has officially lost his mind."
"Well, they're not trying to eat us. So I'd say something's changed." Fishlegs spoke up.
"They saw my wings and they knew I wasn't a threat," I explained.
"This is an amazing discovery," Fishlegs said happily.
"And we have the Dragon Hunters to thank for it."
"Speaking of which, is that not Heather?" Snotlout asked. I saw Ruffnut riding...Windshear?
"There you are. Hey, where'd you get all the cool dragons?" She asked.
"Long story. Why are you riding Windshear?" I asked.
"Equally long story. Right now, we need to get back to the Edge before there's no Edge to get back to." I was stunned.
"What?" I asked.
"The Edge! It's under attack! Tuff and Arrow are back there by themselves!" I gasped.
"Come on, gang!" We rushed onward. I thought of (Y/n). I'm coming. I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Just hold on. Hold on ALL of you guys.
Arrow's POV
"There you are. Listen, I've been thinking a lot-" We had been fighting all day and we were out of options.
"It's over, Tuff. We tried, but there's just too many of them. My plan didn't work." I said. Nightshade came over.
"Nightshade, you need to get (Y/n) out of here. Please, just go, girl." She growled. I knew that meant she refused to leave. I sighed. Tuff cut me off before I could tell her to leave.
"I found the Dragon Eye. Someone buried it."
"I did that, to keep it from the Hunters."
"You wanna be captured and tortured by crazed Dragon Hunters, or listen to Plan Tuffnut?"
"Your plan? Well, what do we have to lose?" I admitted.
"Quite a bit, actually. The huts, Fishlegs' topiaries, Macey, our lives Wait. That was a rhetockrical question. Was it? No, now I think that's rhetockrical." I sighed and we got to work.
*Later...yet again*
The hunters started scaling us with their ropes. Tuff dumped Monsterous Nightmare gel on them. They looked up. I grinned.
"Hello! Ropes soaked with Monstrous Nightmare gel? I wouldn't have thought of that."
"Would you like to do the honors?" Stormfly lit them on fire. Nightshade dove down and drove them away. I smiled.
"All right! What's next?"
"You're gonna love this." We used the scare ships to make it seem like there were more of us. "Take that, you lousy Dragon Hunter. You're dealin' with Stoick the Vast now, boy-oy-oy-oy-oy! Oh. Snotlout! Snotlout! Oy-oy-oy-oy-oy-oy!" Tuff yelled, switching between them.
"I don't know. I mean, who hunts dragons anyway? Dragons are our friends." I had to admit, I was even laughing a bit at imitating Hiccup. This was the most fun battle I'd ever had.
"Whoo! I'm Fishlegs! This is how I sound! It's really me! That's right. You don't want none!" I went back over to Tuff as he chased them off by dumping rocks as 'Fishlegs'.
"Yes! I told you my plan would work!" I nodded.
"Let's just hope this keeps working!" I said and we hurried off. Unfortunately, they came back again.
"Oh, come on! Are these guys serious? What is it gonna take? Arrow, take Stormfly and go. These Dragon Hunters are never gonna give up, no matter what we do. I'll hold them off so you can make it out."
"No way. I'm not leaving you."
"Okay, then how about I take Stormfly and you hold them off? Kidding. I almost got you though, right?"
"Yeah, you did. All right, whatever we're gonna do, we need to do it fast."
"What do you think about another crazy, out of control, brilliant idea?" I grinned.
"I feel like it's all we got. Let's do it."
Hiccup's POV
We got there just in time. I saw them fighting on the ground. Tuff was in trouble! "Toothless, FIRE!!" He shot a blast as I led them all into the battle. "Alright, gang! Let's clean up this mess." Snotlout laughed excitedly.
"Aw, yeah! I love the smell of Zippleback gas in the morning!" We helped fight them off. I was stunned as I saw that Nightshade had been caught. There was a chain around her neck and tail.
"Nightshade! Toothless, hurry!" We dove down, but I pulled him bac as somebody rushed in. I was shocked. "It...it can't be!" It WAS (Y/n)! She was up and...fighting!? "No, she's still hurt! Toothless, get us closer!" I saw her as she was able to get the hunters away from Nightshade. She began to work on the chains, but she was suddenly grabbed and thrown away from her dragon. I saw how she landed. She was weak and it was taking all of her strength just to help us. I saw the hunter go in to cut her. Toothless fired a shot and we landed in front of her. I glared at them. "Don't you dare touch her again!" Nightshade got free and both dragons fired at them. They ran and I nodded, satisfied. I turned to (Y/n). I picked her up gently, holding her in my arms. "(Y/n)? (Y/n), can you hear me?" I asked. Her eyes opened and she smiled at me.
"Yeah....did you miss me?" I smiled, hugging her as I held her.
"Oh thank Thor. I thought I was going to lose you." I heard her chuckle.
"Lose me? Heh...you're stuck with me, Hiccup." I could tell she was worn out. I brushed some hair out of her face.
"Good. I wouldn't have it any other way." I helped her onto Nightshade. "Go back to your hut! We're just finishing up. I'll be there soon, I promise!" She didn't argue with me. She just held onto Nightshade and gave me an exhausted smile.
"I know you will be." They took off and I got back on Toothless. We helped some more before I shouted at Ryker.
"Ryker!" We locked eyes and he held up his arm.
"We will meet again, Hiccup Haddock!" Windshear grabbed him and they retreated. I sighed. At least they're gone and we won for now.
I headed to (Y/n)'s hut. I went upstairs and saw her sitting on her bed, waiting for me. I smiled and walked over to her.
"You should've just gone to sleep. We had everything under control." She grabbed my hand as I sat down. She leaned on me, but I didn't mind. I blushed as she did. I couldn't help it. And I couldn't express my joy. I was so glad she was alright.
"I needed to...see you." I knew she wanted to talk to me, but what she needed was more important. I helped her lay down and I tucked her in. She turned onto her side as I put out the candle. "H-Hiccup, wait. I-I don't want you to just leave." I stopped and smiled softly at her. I didn't want to leave either. I knelt down beside her bed so we were more level.
"I know, but you need rest. It'll be better if I go." I told her, though...I already suspected what she was going to say.
"I'll sleep better knowing you're beside me." I blushed harder, but the darkness of the room hid it well.
"Alright. Just until you fall asleep. There's a lot to do now, you know." She nodded and let out a tiny yawn. I giggled. So adorable... I laid down beside her as the dragons curled up together. We were a lot closer since her bed was kinda small with the two of us in it.
"Hiccup?" I looked at her. She was so close. My heart was pounding. I couldn't help it.
"Y-yes, (Y/n)?" Kiss her. You know you want to. Kiss her already.
"T-thank you for staying with me-mph!" I couldn't stop myself. I kissed her, holding her close and running my fingers through her beautiful (h/c) hair. The kiss was soft and I felt my heart pounding stronger as she kissed back. Does she...love me? My thoughts were cut off as the kiss was also cut short. Her lips fell away and I opened my eyes.
"(Y/n)?" No reply. She'd passed out. I knew she'd been tired, but that felt very unlucky. I sighed and carefully got up, making sure she was all tucked in and comfortable. She looked so cozy. I smiled and ran my fingers gently through her soft hair one last time. "Sweet dreams, (Y/n). I'll be back to check on you later. I promise."
I began to leave with Toothless. Part of me wondered if she would remember the kiss and the other half of me wondered if she'd enjoyed it or maybe if she...wanted it. I couldn't be sure. She was pretty exhausted. She might not have been thinking clearly. I sighed. If only I had the courage to tell her.
I looked back at her hut as we left. I smiled to myself, my worries being pushed away. No. For now, this is enough. Having her by my side it enough. Her being ALIVE is enough. I kept walking, a soft smile on my lips as I blushed, thinking about the kiss. I will always protect you.