Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the slightly changed plotline.

Episode Narrator: Astrid

Hiccup glanced around the Great Hall, slowly and absentmindedly sipping on his cup of mead, gently scratching a lightly warbling Toothless on the top of the head. The whole village was here - apparently his father has some sort of announcement to make, though he never told Hiccup what that was. Hiccup didn't understand that, seeing as his father had been so determined to chief-train him. One would think that announcements would be a part of that training, but apparently not.

He took not of Astrid, sitting with her parents and dragons at a different table - and, gods, the babies were huge. She was probably going to have to send them off on their own soon, to find their own mates or human companions. Maybe they'll even find a new nest - a few other dragons had left the island permanently after the defeat of the Red Queen.

He also took note of the rest of the teens seated together, along with their dragons. He then noted Gobber and his father seated at the chief's table at the front of the Hall. Stoick was slowly standing, distracted by his chat with Gobber, and Hiccup figured the speech was about to take place.

"Alright, alright!" Stoick called out, and the Hall slowly quieted down the chatting, turning their attention to him.

"Now," He continued once their full attention was on him, "For hundreds of years, we Vikings were at war with the dragons - it was a time of kill or be killed, and it was unknown if this island would ever see peace. However, thanks to Astrid, our very own Dragon Trainer, and my son, Hiccup, our Dragon Rider, we have been shown that peace is, in fact, possible. They showed us that the dragons were not our enemies, and that we even shared an enemy - the Red Death."

A tenseness entered the Hall at the mention of the beast's name, remembering the colossal sized dragon - could that monster even be considered a dragon? - and the price it cost them and the wake up call it gave them.

"But," Stoick continued, "My son did what any chief would've done - what any chief should've done - and took charge, protected his people. He and his dragon defeated that beast, but it came with a price - his own limb. But, what that price showed was his bravery, his loyalty, his willingness to sacrifice himself in order to protect his tribe. Like a true chief."

There were a few cheers and claps, and Hiccup gave a halfhearted smile before it fell off and he turned his attention back to his mead.

"And Astrid - she risked everything to show us the truth about dragons. Her family, her tribe, her life. She showed us that not living up to the Viking standards wasn't truly a bad thing - that being different is an advantage. That being small doesn't equal weakness. She, together with Hiccup, brought change to our tribe. Together, they ended a war that has plagued us for over three hundred years. Together, they finally brought long-awaited peace to our home."

More cheers and claps came from the crowd, and a few even stomped their feet.

"Thanks to them, there is no more living in fear, no more worrying about the safety of loved ones, no more bloody nights, no more death. They both acheived something amazing - became the first of our people to befriend dragons - to train them and ride them. They did this both separately and together. And it has been proven that they make a wonderful team - they treat each other as equals. It is for this reason... that I have made negotiations with our very own Cnut and Thora. Hiccup and Astrid are now promised to one another. Betrothed."

There was a shocked silence before cheers picked up. Hiccup barely felt the claps on his back and the congradulations being thrown his way. Everything just seemed muffled, and there was a pressure in his head. He didn't notice Toothless croon at his rider's distress, attempting to get his attention. Was his dad being serious?

He glanced over at the others. They all looked just as shocked as he did, their jaws dropped. Fishlegs was frozen, a piece of food halfway to his mouth, Ruffnut and Tuffnut shared identical looks of awe, and Snotlout looked a little frustrated.

He looked at Astrid. Her ears seemed to be red, but he couldn't tell, her back to him, avoiding his gaze.

Astrid could feel Hiccup's gaze on her, but she avoided it, looking up at her parents. "Why did you do this?" She asked softly, "Why didn't you ask for my opinion, or at least tell me?"

"Astrid," Thora began, her voice soft but firm, "Hiccup is the son of a chief. He would have a lot of offers, not just from other heirs attempting to expand their tribes, but from fathers trying to get their families into status. If we waited too long, Stoick might be given an offer he, as a chief, would be unable to refuse. Besides, he's right - Hiccup treats you as his equal, and that's hard to find in Viking men. I would rather you be with someone who I knew would treat you right. Astrid, you care for Hiccup, and he cares for you, too. He will be a good husband. He'll take care of you and protect you. Astrid, this is really the best thing we can do for you, to secure your future."

Astrid sighed softly and shakily, lowering her eyes. She wanted to protest, but she knew Thora was right. But, this is marriage. Sure, she and Hiccup have been... together, but their relationship is still so new. And marriage was such a grown-up thing, a commitment. Astrid didn't know if she could promise her whole self to someone else, even if it was Hiccup. Would she even be a good wife for him? She only just learned how to properly cook, how could she possibly take care of the whole house for him? And what about their dragons? Would they all be okay living under one roof? Could she attend to her wifely duties while also attending to her duties with the dragons? This was just too much to take in all at once.

"Whoa," Tuffnut muttered, "Hiccup and Astrid are getting married..."

"I know," Ruffnut sighed, "That's just... crazy."

"Well, I mean," Fishlegs suttered, "They are kind of... together. Maybe it'll be okay. Right?"

"Maybe," Ruffnut said, "Who knows?"

"Who cares?" Snotlout snorted, looking irritated. This is unbelievable. Hiccup has to win everything, doesn't he? He even gets the girl Snotlout's been trying for, for a few years. This is totally unfair. Sure, he knew they were together and he hit on her before, but now they're betrothed. They're promised to one another, and Snotlout may be a jerk, but he's not jerk-y enough to hit on his cousin's... fiancée.

This was going to take some getting used to.

"Hiccup seems to care a lot," Tuffnut noted, "He's walking up to his dad right now. He looks angry."

"Did the chief not tell Hiccup about the betrothal?" Fishlegs asked.

"C'mon, Fishlegs," Ruffnut said, "Our chief's not that stupid... Is he?"

"Dad," Hiccup whisper-yelled, attemping to get his father our of his conversation with the other Viking, "Dad!"

Stoick glanced at him.

"Can I talk to you?" Hiccup asked lowly.

"Yes, Hiccup?" Stoick sighed, already knowing what was coming.

"You went behind my back," Hiccup hissed.

"Because I knew you would never be the one to make the declaration."

"Because it's too soon, Dad. Gods, it's only been a few months."

"Plenty of time Hiccup, or so other tribes would say."

"Well, this is our tribe, Dad, not some other tribe. You should've let me be the one to do it. You should've waited until I was ready to do it. Until Astrid was ready."

"Hiccup," Stoick interrupted, his voice stern, "You are the heir to this tribe. There have already been offers from others wanting to expand their tribe and status, and if we wait too long, there would be an offer that I, as chief, would be unable to refuse due to politics. And if that happened, you wouldn't be able to be with Astrid anymore - be happy that it's with someone you care for and not a political marriage. You have duties you must attend to. Not only does that include the duties of a chief, but the duty of providing another heir for this tribe."

Hiccup sucked in a sharp breath, his brows furrowed in anger, but his eyes shocked. No matter what shit he and his father went through, Stoick has never used his duties as heir to blackmail him.

A long pause.

"Whatever," Hiccup muttered, stomping off as best as he could with his bad leg.

Stoick sighed heavily, knowing the storm of anger was only brewing.

Vikings are tough, strong, and courageous people.

But courage is a funny thing.

Many are born with it.

For some, it's a never ending struggle.

And others... well, they just don't know enough to be afraid.

Ruffnut grinned as she bashed the side of her sheild against Tuffnut's repeatedly until he fell over. She laughed at the dazed look on his face, holding her hands up in victory.

Gobber stepped forward, ending the spar. "As I said before, and as Ruffnut has demonstrated so splendidly, the shield can be your most important weapon. Who's next?"

"Hold on," Tuffnut muttered, incredulous, standing, "I don't get to hit her back?"

"In your own time," Gobber said, and Ruffnut smirked at him smugly, "Why don't our betrothed give it a go?"

Hiccup grunted at Gobber's teasing tone. "Gobber, I really don't think -"

Hiccup suddenly cut himself off, ducking, dodging the fist sent his way. Surprised, he looked at Astrid. Her form was sloppy and too loose, and it definitly didn't seem like she could hit him very hard, but, man, was she trying.

Well, this is new.

He continued to dodge the clumsy punches thrown at him, backing away from her, further from the others, before he ducked low under another fist, shouldering her bodily over him, causing her to flip over his head. He winced when she landed on her back, hearing the breath get knocked out of her. She quickly stood, charging at him, tackling him to the ground. Intinctively, he wrapped an arm around her waist, quickly throwing her under him, reversing their positions.

She breathed heavily through her nose, glaring, before her look softened. "Did you go behind my back?" She said sofly so the others wouldn't hear.

"No," He answered calmly, "I didn't know about it, either."

She stared for a moment. "Okay."

He nodded a little before Gobber interrupted, awkwardly clearing his throat, and Hiccup slowly stood before walking to the other side of the Academy. Astrid stood as well, taking a spot beside Ruffnut.

"Right, well," He said, "Uh, good try, Astrid. You put more of an effort to it this time, but, uh... still got to work on that form. It's clumsy. Alright, Snotlout, Fishlegs, let's see what you've got."

"Whoo!" Snotlout cheered, "I think we all know what I've got! Snotlout, Snotlout, oi, oi, oi!" He hasn't had a chance to take out his aggression over the engagement yet, and this was a perfect opportunity to do so.

"Fishlegs," Gobber called, looking around for him, along with the others, "Come on, now, Vikings can't rely on dragons alone to protect them. Hm. Thoughts on where Fishlegs went about? Anyone?"

"I'm starting to get a little worried about Fishlegs," Astrid said later that night, turning to look at the others before quickly looking away, avoiding Hiccup's eyes, "Do you think he's okay?"

"Looks okay to me," Ruffnut grinned, pointing forward, and everyone turned to see Fishlegs and Meatlug flying toward them, his pouch appearing to have a light glow coming from it.

"Uh, is Fishlegs glowing?" Tuffnut said slowly, eyes narrowing.

"I think he is, actually," Hiccup narrowed his eyes as well.

Snotlout slapped a fist into his palm, grinning, "Not for long."

"Fishlegs, where have you been? We've been looking all over the place?" Hiccup asked.

"You missed hand-to-face combat!" Snotlout interrupted, "My hand to your face!"

"I prefer to use the part of my body above the neck," Fishlegs muttered as he dismounted Meatlug, irritated.

"What neck?" Snotlout scoffed.

"Oh, amusing," Fishlegs said, monotoned, "But I refuse to encourage your violent tendencies, Snotlout."

"Don't knock it till you try it," Snotlout said, "And you have no problem when Hiccup does it."

"That's because Hiccup can harm me," Fishlegs said, unashamed, "But he usually harms you, and gets you to keep your mouth closed."

"He's glowing again," Ruffnut interrupted.

"I know," Tuffnut answered, "It's weird."

"It's not me that's glowing," Fishlegs said, reaching into his pouch and pulling out an odd, shimmering stone that slowly and continuously shifted between colors, "It's this."

"What is it?" Astrid asked.

"It's a stone of good fortune," Gobber said the next day, loud enough so that the crowd of Vikings surrounding them could hear, "My great uncle's wife's brother once told me about it's powers."

"I thought he was mute," Mulch said, narrowing his eyes at Gobber.

"Until he found the stone," Gobber smiled, then his expression suddenly turned annoyed, "And then we couldn't shut him up."

He turned back to the crowd, "This stone brings good luck to whomever comes in contact with it."

Which was a bad thing to say, considering the crowd of Vikings suddenly went crazy, trying to get to the stone, wanting the good luck for themselves. Luckily, Stoick was able to settle them down, allowing Fishlegs and the others to leave.

"Twenty sheep and Gustav Larson! You're turning that down? C'mon!" Snotlout groaned as he and the others walked down the steps of the Great Hall, "What'd you want for it?"

"You can't have it, Snotlout," Fishlegs said, bringing the stone closer to himself, "Not for any price."

"You seem to forget that when Snotlout wants something, he takes it!" Snotlout boasted, mimicking a swiping motion.

"How badly do really want it, Snotlout?" Hiccup growled, glaring.

Snotlout scoffed, "Why don't you go take care of your wife, Hiccup?"

Hiccup blinked in shock before his eyes narrowed and he snarled as he began stalking towards his cousin, only to stopped by Astrid. "Let's just go, Hiccup," She said softly, though she refused to look at him.

He looked at her for a moment before scoffing and backing off, glancing back up at Snotlout in irritation. Astrid turned to Snotlout. "You need to settle," She said firmly, glaring at him.

Snotlout scoffed again, turning his eyes away from her, mumbling halfheartedly, "You're just lucky I don't hit girls."

"Yeah?" Hiccup growled, "So are you." He quickly spun around, storming away, and Astrid hesitated for a moment before following, along with the others.

"Okay," Snotlout muttered, "Take it, it is."

"You sure you want to do this, Fishlegs?" Astrid asked later that night, flying alongside Fishlegs and Meatlug with Stormfly. Hiccup and Toothless were with them as well, always wanting to protect in case anything should happen. A good quality to have, Astrid thought, though she still refused to look at him.

"There's too much stress," Fishlegs answered, "You saw that mob, they ran right over me!"

"Like a sack of flower," Hiccup smirked.

"I just want to put this thing back where I found it, and never think about it again," Fishlegs said, muttering something about a "stone of good fortune" and "yeah right" and "Gobber's undies are luckier than this."

"Whoa!" He shouted in surprise when Meatlug suddenly dived downward, flying off in a direction Fishlegs didn't remember the stone coming from.

Toothless let out a growl, irritated, shifting. Hiccup patted his head. "They sense something," He said, looking around, eyes catching something. "Hey, I thought you said you found it in the sand."

"I did!"

"Then what's that?"

Fishlegs followed where he was pointing, catching sight of trees, glowing in the night. The trio lead their dragons into the glowing forest, flying through the trees.

"Are those-?" Fishlegs started.

"Dragon nests," Astrid answered, looking around in awe.

"Well, okay," Fishlegs started hesitantly, "Why would a dragon fill its nest with gems?"

"Because they're not gems," Hiccup stated.

"They're eggs," Astrid finished his thought, and the two quickly glanced at each other before looking away again.

"Dragon eggs! How did I miss that?" Fishlegs moaned, smacking a hand to his head in frustration, "The egg I dug up must've fallen out of the nest and got buried. I can't believe I almost kept this baby away from it's mother."

"But you didn't," Astrid comforted, "So let's put the egg back and get out of here before the mother finds us. I don't want to deal with an angry mother ever again."

Hiccup grunted in agreement, remembering Torch and the mother that tried to crush him.

The trio lowered themselves toward a branch, and Fishlegs took the egg out of his pouch. Stormfly suddenly grunted before her tail spikes flared out, shifting around. "The mothers are close!" She warned.

Toothless growled, a whirring noise resounding. "Yeah," Hiccup muttered, "Really close. Fishlegs! Say goodbye and lets go!"

"Okay, okay, okay," Fishlegs said, exaperated, "Goodbye little color-changing dragon egg." He set the egg on a tree branch, and the trio turned away and began flying back through the forest.

Hiccup glanced back at the sound of a groaning tree, turning in time to watch it hit the ground, and more fell after it, following them. "They're following us!" He warned.

"I don't see anything back there!" Astrid shouted, watching as the trees were knocked over by seemingly nothing.

Hiccup shouted when Toothless suddenly ducked, some kind of green slime shooting past him. It landed on a tree, which suddenly eroded away and fell over. "They're shooting some kind of acid at us!"

"Invisible, acid-spitting dragons," Fishlegs muttered, "Great."

The three dodged the falling trees before directing their dragons upward, away from the forest. The last thing they heard from the nest as they flew off was an eerie and angry roar.

"Here it is," Fishlegs said the next morning, marking the page in the Book of Dragons, borrowed from Hiccup, of course, that they were looking for, "A Changewing - a dragon that spits hot, burning acid."

"Where are the drawings?" Astrid asked.

"There are none."

"Well, you can't really draw something you can't see," Hiccup muttered.

"'This remarkable dragon is able to change the color of its skin to blend in with its surroundings'," Fishlegs read.

"Does it say anything about eggs?" Astrid asked.

"N-no," Fishlegs stuttered, feeling guilty about nearly separating a mother and baby, "Those didn't look like dragon eggs, right? If I had known that, you know I would've never gone and stolen-"

"Fishlegs," Hiccup interrupted, voice firm, "None of use knew."

"Well, I should've known!"

"All I know is," Astrid said, attempting to comfort, "It's good we brought back that egg to it's mother. Who knows what they would've done if it was still on Berk."

Suddenly, the Great Hall doors opened and the twins walked in, Tuffnut carrying one of the 'stones'.

"Um," Astrid stuttered, "What's that?"

"Um, I don't know," Tuffnut grinned, "Maybe a lifetime of good luck."

He and Ruffnut suddenly headbutted, though Tuffnut sent Ruffnut straight to the floor with the force. She grunted, glaring at him while he did his stupid victory dance before dragging herself to her feet, taking not of how stressed Astrid, Hiccup, and Fishlegs suddenly looked.

"Uh," She asked, "What's wrong?"

"I'll take that," Hiccup grunted, holding out his hand, but Tuffnut dodged him, beginning to run away.

"Over my cold, dead body!"

"Where did you get it?" Hiccup growled.

"We traded for it," Ruffnut said, "What's going on?"

"Ruffnut, those aren't gems, they're dragon eggs," Fishlegs answered, "And those mothers were terrifying. They're probably gonna overturn Berk looking for those things."

"Oh," Ruffnut muttered, pursing her lips.

"Who did you trade them with?" Astrid asked.

"Snotlout," Hiccup grunted, shoving past the dispersing crowd, not even noticing the ahce in his leg in his frustration, "What're you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Snotlout grinned, "I'm getting rich!"

"But, you can't," Fishlegs said, but was interrupted.

"Already did," Snotlout said, "The gems are gone."

"Gone."

The three glanced down at the sound of a young voice, taking in Gustave. Astrid blinked slowly, staring at him. Did his mother seriously trade him to Snotlout for one of those things? She rolled her eyes before looking back at Snotlout. "They're not gems," She said, "And they really don't bring good luck."

"Puh-leaze!" Snotlout boasted, "They're bringing me good luck. I'm up to my neck in weapons and livestock."

"Snotlout," Hiccup tried again, his frustration becoming even more apparent - it would seem he's not over the 'wife' comment, "Those are dragon eggs."

"Changewings to be exact," Fishlegs said.

"Changewings, smangewi- I don't care what they are!" Snotlout shouted before calming down, leaning against a yak, "All I know is, I'm rich and you're not."

"We're rich and you're not," Gustave copied, leaning against a sheep.

"Kid, if you don't get lost, I'm gonna slap that stupid helmet right off you're head," Hiccup growled, the gloating breaking what little nerve he had left.

"Snotlout, you're the chief's nephew," Astrid said, exaperated, "You're already rich."

"And now I'm even more rich."

"Snotlout, we need to get those eggs off of Berk before something bad happens," Fishlegs said, "You do not want to separate a baby dragon from it's mother. Especially not one that shoots hot, burning acid."

"Really?" Snotlout glared, "You did."

"That was an accident," Fishlegs sputtered, "I didn't know it was an egg!"

"Accident, on purpose, rich, poor, who cares? They're gone, and I have a no return policy," Snotlout glanced at Gustave, "Tell 'em, Gustave."

"No returns," He said smugly.

He suddenly yelped, his helmet flying right off his head from the force of slap on the back of it. He grabbed the back of his head where he'd been hit, looking up at Hiccup, who glared at him.

"I warned you, brat."

Snotlout snorted before guiding his new yak to drag the rest of his new items with them as they walked off. "If you want them back, you'll have to take it up with my customers." Gustave followed, rubbing the back of his head, muttering.

"Ugh, it's all my fault," Fishlegs groaned.

"It's not your fault, Fishlegs," Astrid said.

"Yes, it is. If I hadn't gone to that island and brought that egg back, then Snotlout wouldn't have known where to go get them and we wouldn't be in danger of imminent attack by angry, mother Changewings!"

"When you put it that way, it really is his fault," Hiccup smirked.

Astrid glared at him.

"Just saying," He muttered, glancing away, feeling as if he had been scolded.

Astrid rolled her eyes, walking over to Fishlegs, "Look, it doesn't matter whose fault it is. We just have to find those eggs."

"Tuff," Ruffnut grunted, finding him staring down at the pit of Fireworms he likes to jump into, "What're you doing?"

"I'm gonna jump into the pit," He grinned.

"Uh, why?" Ruffnut scowled, "You remember what that did to you last time, don't you?"

"Yeah, but I'm holding the stone of good fortune. Those skin melting Fireworms don't stand a chance."

"Give me that," Ruffnut grunted, snatching it from him, "It's not a stone of good fortune, idiot, it's a dragon egg. Snotlout's dumb ass decided to steal it from it's mother and sell it."

"A dragon egg?"

The two were interrupted when the rest of the teens, minus Snotlout, flew by on their respective dragons. "Guys!" Astrid yelled as the three circled around and landed, "What're you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything but getting the egg back," Ruffnut grunted, "Dumbnut decided he was going to jump into a pit of Fireworms."

"Hey, I thought I had a good luck stone," Tuffnut argued, "What kind of dragon is this thing?"

"An angry mother that can blend in with it's surroundings and shoot hot, burning acid that will destroy anything in it's path," Fishlegs answered.

"Okay, so if, like, a tree, for example, were shooting acid and destroying everything in sight," Tuffnut began, "It would be one of these dragons?"

"Wow," Ruffnut grinned, "He got it on the first try."

"I'm not stupid," Tuffnut grunted, "And besides, there's one right there."

The others froze at his comment, turning to where he was pointing at in time to see a couple of trees fall to the ground. They suddenly saw a red blur shoot to the side before disappearing into a large boulder.

"Amazing," Hiccup murmured, "They really can blend in."

"Hiccup, quick, trade it so that we can keep it," Tuffnut grinned, "And have it shoot acid at Ruffnut."

Ruffnut grunted in annoyance, using the hand that wasn't holding onto the egg to shove him aside. The movement startled the dragon into spitting acid at her, and she flinched to the side in order to avoid it. More acid was shot, knocking over the trees near Stormfly, startling her and forcing her spikes to protrude. Hiccup glanced over, taking in the sight of three Changewings appearing near the falling trees. "Ruffnut, the egg!" He shouted.

Ruffnut glanced over at him before lookig at the now visible dragons. She took aim and tossed the egg at them. One of them roared, shooting up to snatch the egg into it's claws. It purred a little at the sight of it before roaring again, shooting up into the sky, followed by the other two.

"Geeze," Ruffnut grunted, shaking out the arm she threw the egg with, "At least they're gone now."

"Um, they're not gone," Astrid stuttered, nervously watching the dragons get smaller and smaller in the sky before they finally disappeared.

"How do you know?" Ruffnut asked.

"Because those Changewings worked as a team to save that one egg," Fishlegs answered.

"Wait," Ruffnut blinked, her eyes suddenly nervous as well, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Oh, that's what he's saying," Tuffnut grinned before the smiled disappeared from his face, replaced with a look of confusion, "What is he saying?"

"He's saying those Changewings aren't going to leave until all of their eggs are safe," Hiccup muttered with dread, "And they're going to tear apart Berk until they find every last one."

Convincing Stoick to evacuate the island didn't really go as planned. The man was too determined to not run and hide from any threat, but, the Changewings soon came and, after witnessing their ability to blend in (and after a failed attempt to attack one even after it disappeared), he told the villagers to escape to the boats. It didn't take as long as they thought it would, getting the eggs back. Astrid and the twins helped out Bucket, while Hiccup and Fishlegs helped the woman with the, uh... baby (is that kid a baby? No wonder she wanted luck so bad).

"Okay," Hiccup sighed in an exaggerated manner as he, Fishlegs, the twins, and Astrid landed with their dragons on the docs with Gobber and Stoick, Thora and Cnut standing behind them, "We got the eggs. The Changewings should be gone."

"Not quite," Thora said, and the kids followed her line of sight, catching sight of the three Changewings, starting when a fourth appeared.

"There are four of them," He murmured.

"But there were only three eggs," Tuffnut said, "Weren't there?"

"They're going for the ship," Astrid said, her voice questioning as she followed the dragons' line of sight.

"What would they want with-"

"It's not the ship," Fishlegs interrupted Gobber, "It's what's on it. Another egg." He glared, catching sight of Snotlout talking with Gustave, probably ordering the kid around some more.

"Can you guys keep the Changewings at bay?" He asked.

"What're you gonna do?" Astrid asked.

"Something I should've done a long time ago," Fishlegs said lowly, directing Meatlug to fly toward the ship. The sight of a strange dragon riled up the Changewings, and Hiccup tapped Toothless' head as a signal to shoot out a plasma bolt, scattering the four of them. Astrid followed suit, directing Stormfly to shoot out a volley of spikes, scattering them once again, and she, Hiccup, and the twins chased them off, forcing them to circle around the island.

Back on the ship, Fishlegs slowly approached Snotlout as he and Gustave watched the fight taking place in the skies.

"Going somewhere, Snotlout?" He said lowly.

"Who's asking?" Snotlout grunted, turning to him.

"Who's asking?" Gustave tried to mimick, his voice not mature enough to mimick properly.

"Go find your mother, Gustave."

Gustave blinked at Fishlegs' tone, his brows furrowed nervously as he speed walked away. Snotlout scoffed as he watched him walk off. "Really, Fishlegs? I was starting to like that kid, too."

Fishlegs held out his palm, his tone never changing. "Give it to me, Snotlout."

"Finally," Snotlout grinned, punching his palm.

"You know what I mean. Where's the egg?"

"None of your business! Aw, what're you gonna do about it, Fishlegs?"

Fishlegs snapped, letting out a war cry as he grabbed Snotlout's cart of traded weapons, showing off his strength as he tilted it over, sending the weapons, and the frightened animals next to it, scattering, forcing Snolout to the other end of the boat in order to avoid it.

Fishlegs slowly approached Snotlout, his tone eerie, growling, and threatening. "Now listen. You can do whatever you want to me. You can threaten me, make fun of me, mock my incredible dragon knowledge, but what you will not do is stand between a baby dragon and it's mother. Do you understand me, Snotlout?"

"I'd listen to 'em," Mulch said, watching the interaction with amusement, "There's no telling what he's capable of."

"It's always the quiet ones," Bucket nodded.

Fishlegs looked over at the sound of shuffling, finding Meatlug scowering through Snotlout's trade items. She shuffled open a basket with her palm, revealing the egg, having fallen onto the inside of the lid when th cart was tipped over.

"Good girl, Meatlug," Fishlegs praised, grabbing the egg, "I think I'll just take this. Any objections?"

Snotlout only stared in awe.

"Didn't think so."

The village finally returned to normal with the return of all the Changewings' eggs, and the repairment got to work on fixing up the destroyed houses. At they know, even when they're not at war with the dragons, that they'll never be out of the job as long as the beasts are around.

Hiccup glanced over at Astrid, squinting a little in the daylight, though the Acadmy did provide some shade, whom was attenting to Stormfly's spikes, before looking back at the Book of Dragons, working on his drawing of the Changewing in their entry. He sighed before tuning Fishlegs back in, not wanting him to know just how long Hiccup had been ignoring him.

"I'm telling you," Fishlegs continued, "Up close, they are much more ferocious." Having returned the final egg all alone, Fishlegs got quite the scare from all four of the dragons in search of the egg - it actually caused him to faint.

"I'm just saying," Fishlegs gloated a little, "One of us was there, one of us wasn't."

Hiccup sighed, exaperated, and erased a little bit off of the mouth before adding teeth and some acid dripping from it. "That's right," Fishlegs grinned before glancing over at Astrid, noting Hiccup's distraction, "Still avoiding you?"

"I'm avoiding her, too, so there's really no blame here," Hiccup muttered, glancing back down at his drawing.

"You have to talk it out eventually, Hiccup," Fishlegs said, "I mean, it'll be a little awkward if you continue to avoid each other and then all of a sudden you're dealing with what to give her for her morning gift."

Hiccup blew bangs from his face, furrowing his brows at the image given to him before ceceding Fishlegs' point. "I know, but how exactly am I supposed to talk to her about our marriage if I'm doubting it, too?"

Fishlegs opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Gobber. "Fishlegs, Snotlout, you're up!"

"You'll figure it out," Fishlegs smiled, "You always do. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's something I've been meaning to take care of."

Fishlegs and Snotlout chose their shields, getting into position to fight one another for their spar, waiting for Gobber's signal.

Having courage is not the same as having no fear.

It's being afraid, but pushing forward anyway.

Whether that mean saving a baby dragon.

Or giving someone the ass kicking they so richly deserve.

Snotlout and Fishlegs charged.

Oh my god, you guys, oh my god, oh my god, look. Look. Look who's back. Look. Look who's here. Look who finally got back into writing and put up a new chapter. Oh my god. How amazing is this shit?

So, yay, I'm back, and I cannot tell you how excited I am! I'm ready to do this! And now I have even more material thanks to the new seasons coming out during my absence, so let's see how that goes.

David-El - Yes, I know what Snoggletog is, and Dreamworks really wasn't wrong. They gave no indication on the timeline the episode took place in. But, I wanted to have it mentioned despite the crazy timing because I didn't want to write it because the chapter would have essentially been exactly the same as the episode, only Hiccup would be more agressive and Astrid would be the opposite, so... that's why it's there.

So, anyways, I'm back and I'm ready to go on with this story!