I know I'm already currently in the middle of another "watching" movie and I've yet to finish any of the stories that I've currently started, but the idea to do this one had just leaked into my mind and was refusing to leave me alone, bugging me until I finally gave in, so here we are then. I've currently got a vote going on my other story that I'm waiting for, so I've got some time to kill before I can start the next chapter. I can't grantee how long the gap between my updates will be as my Wicked story will be taking top priority but I can only promise that I'll update as often as I can. So here we go then, on with the show! SS

Disclaimer: I own no characters or ideas but my own, all rights to their respective owners.

Chapter One –

The heavy mass of Vikings were cramming themselves into the already heaving viewing areas surrounding the arena as the two small teens stood together in the walking way next to the entrance, hidden from view by the ceiling above their heads. Hiccup watched the boisterous crowd guar themselves through above them through the bars while his blond companion's gaze rested heavily on his back. Neither of them noticed the quiet footsteps of another small figure walking slowly down the slope behind them.

"Be careful with that dragon." He raised his head to look at Astrid solemnly, his mouth opening to speak but was cut off by a soft, feminine voice before he could answer.

"He won't have to be." Both Vikings jumped and spun round to face the new comer defensively. She stepped out of the shadows and into view in the light.

She was small, and young, perhaps only a year or so older than them, dressed in fitted black leather trousers, a long thick looking black coat made from an unknown material covering her upper body and coming to hang just above her ankles. A large heavy hood hid her pale face from view and covered mostly of her hair, a few black corkscrew tumbling free to hang down over her forehead and down the sides of her face. Guarded blue eyes watched them wearily as the girl took another cautious step closer to them. Astrid picked up her axe from where she'd left it propped up and gripped it lightly in one hand which she held out in front of her warningly.

"Who are you and how did you get here? This Berkian territory! There hasn't been a visitors ship for weeks and we're not expecting anybody!" Astrid's voice rose as she became more and more alarmed. Hiccup took another step forward to stand at her side. The stranger eyed them warily, appearing to be only the tiniest bit nervous, but otherwise unaffected. She seemed to pause for a few seconds as though attempting to think exactly how to word her answer.

"Well!?" Astrid demanded, begging to get angry. Finally, after another moment's hesitation, she answered the enraged shield maiden.

"Peace. I'm here to help you. I know what your friend here is about to attempt to do and I've come here to tell you that it will not work. The only way for your family to understand the truth is to see it for themselves, the whole thing, and go through it as you both did." That dumfounded them and the two Viking teens blinked at her stunned for a moment. Astrid's axe slowly lowered in her hands.

"What?" Hiccup finally managed to whisper quietly, being the first to snap out of it. Astrid snapped out of her daze and her weapon slowly began to rise again. The quiet moment was shatter when Gobber's bulky form lumbered down into the walk way, the tapping of his wooden peg alerting the trio to his presence a moment before he actually appeared. The Old blacksmith froze, the jovial expression falling from his face when he spotted the new stranger.

"Oh, hello there lass, don't think I've seen you around before. If you've come to wish Hiccup luck I'd be quick about it, it's time for him to go in." He waved his hand at the in question in a gesture to get moving. He nodded, surprising everyone when he leaned forward to give Astrid a loose hug, whispering something in her in to which she nodded as he pulled away ad made to enter the area behind them. He was stopped when the stranger stepped forward to block his path, one hand held out towards his chest binging him to a halt. Three Vikings now looked at her strangely.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow this. There is something very close to a near-miss tragedy is fast approaching and it had become my responsibility to prevent it before it evens happens. My preferred method of doing this is by showing the people involved both what has been and what would have been in the hopes that they can learn from their actions, both past, present and yet to be made and thereby changing their future for the better. This is what I plan to do today, if you let me. I would prefer to do this the easy way, with you all coming willing, but I will still do this by force if I have too."

The older Viking reached forward and caught his metal hook in the back of the girl's coat and he'd done with the boy himself many times, causing her hood get pulled even further back, reveal more of her stringy black hair, lifting her up, clear off the ground and pulled her away from the young protégée defensively. "Now hold on just a minute there lass, I don't know who you think you are or what you think you're doing here, but if you think just for one minute that we're going to let you get away with threating our heir like this, on today of all days, I'm afraid your sorely mistaken!"

He held the girl firmly, dangling her just in front of him, close to his face, glaring angrily. The girl in question didn't flinch other that the slight jerk of surprise that occurred when she was suddenly man-handled and to curl up her nose slightly in disgust at the Viking breath, being lifted so close to him while he spoke. She sighed tiredly before mumbling, "The hard way it is then."

Gobber nearly dropped her in surprise when she suddenly swung her legs round and kicked off of him, landing neatly before twirling around on the spot, the bottom of her coat flaring out around her, slowly sinking lower to the ground as though shrinking. All three of the Vikings started in amazement at the little black cat with icy blue eyes that blinked up at the a few seconds later. Astrid's axe fell to the floor with a sharp thud as it slipped from her lax palm. "Witch."

Gobber spoke in a single breath. The word seemed to wake something up inside him because he snapped into attention, raising his hook high above his head, this time shouting. "WITCH!"

He lunged forward aggressively to skewer the small creature on his hook but it darted away, missing it by inches as it ran straight out into the area where the crowd watched on. There were several surprised gasps as people spotted the tiny black shape that scuttled into the area and stopped in the center, viewing its surroundings with calm, calculating water-coloured eyes as the large black smith lumbered in after her as fast as his thick leg and narrow stump could carry him, still slow and clumsy in comparison to his lithe target.

"It's-it's a Demon!" Gobber managed shout of to the surrounding Vikings as he stumbled after it, but by then they had already begun to form that opinion on their own as the little cat begin to spin round and round again on the spot as though chasing her own tail slowly growing in size, until she was almost the size of a yak and still growing. Gobber finally stopped chasing after the witch and instead simple stood still, starting and her growing form as several shouts of alarm rang out around the ring. Stoick got to his feet and stood close to the bar, one hand gripping them tightly as he looked down at the sight before him. Finally, after several moments of spinning the creature stopped and straightened out, finally standing still, head raised high for all to see.

The dragon stretched out her large, bird like wings, her ebony feathers ruffling themselves, the dark fur covering its body bristling in defence. The Vikings acted as one, roaring as they threw themselves into the pit to confront this now recognised threat head on. Two dark blue eyes narrowed in defiance at the approaching Vikings and the lips below it drew back into a fierce snarl to reveal several sharp, white canines, more like those of a dog or wolf than something found on any reptile. It threw back its head, briefly exposing its narrow neck and blew a stream of a bright, vibrant, glowing indigo flame into air, thick black smoke rolling off of it, blocking out the sky above them.

Hiccup and Astrid covered their faces with their arms, stood at the back of the crowd, as did all those around them. The thick, neon coloured fire continued to blast upwards before the dragon finished and dropped its head down again, spinning around and slinking away into the black fog it had created, already shrinking in size until it was no longer visible. The confused Vikings failed to notice the tiny, terror sized shape as it weaved around their feet and scuttled away somewhere. People coughed and waved theirs arm around in front of the in an attempt to clear the air once more.

Shouts of alarms and cries of shock and fear echoed around the enclosed space when the smoke cleared and the Viking suddenly found themselves in a strange, narrow corridor, roughly forty-five yards long and ten across, slim, coloured candles lighting the space that they were crammed into, tall archways holding thick wooden doors at each end. Hiccup spotted Astrid, still coughing and waving the small remain of the smoke away from her face and reach out, toughing her shoulder lightly to get her attention. "You okay?"

She looked up at him and nodded, hiding a slight smile at his concern. The other teens hoovered around them, confused and nervous, the twins excited. "What's happening?"

Astrid's question was aimed at Hiccup, whose hand still lingered on her shoulder pad. He answered her simply. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"WHAT IN THOR'S NAME IS GOING ON HERE!?" Stoick's thunderous voice boomed down the stone passage way as he fought his way through the crowd to stand at the front, near the closet set of doors and pounded on it with his fist. The door rattled on their hinges bit otherwise held firm.

"I believe I can answer that." A quiet voice spoke from somewhere above them. The entire room jumped in surprise and all eyes turned upwards looking for its source, so nobody saw the lithe shape slither down the wall to the ground in the corner behind the teens at the other end of the room.

"WHO DARES TO KIDNAP THE VIALLEG OF BERK! SHOW YOURSELF, OR FACE MY WRATH!" Stoick boomed once more, answered by a delicate laugh that sounded by the doors at the opposite end. All faces whipped round to see the stranger stood, regarding them placidly with cool eyes.

"Well I'm sure there's no need for that. My name is Sorrow, Sky Sorrow if you will, and I have brought you here to see some things that you sorely need to see. There is something about to happen, a very near-miss tragedy, that of which the responsibility to prevent has been bestowed on me. My hope is that by showing you what has already happen, and what would have happened, you can learn by your actions and change your ways to prevent it the events that were about to occur from ever happening."

Stoick finally appeared before her, and stood beside the teens, glaring at the witch suspiciously. He seemed to debate silently with himself for a moment before answering carefully.

"Show us how exactly? What are you?" The stranger smiled at him sweetly before answering.

"I'm glad you asked me that. I have been called many things, a witch. A spirit. A shape changer." She began to circle the Viking chief, eyeing the people crowded behind him.

"A dragon bride!" Tuffnut's voice called cheerfully, his sister sniggering beside him while the other teens looked on apprehensively. Sorrow dutifully ignored him.

"A spirt. A demon." She glared lightly in Gobber's direction as she said this, before turning back round to address the person she was talking to.

"But truthfully I'll answer to anything as long as it's non-insulting. And as for my methods, the main way I prefer to show this is through moving images which are commonly known as film." The Vikings whispered among themselves as the strange witch strode confidently away and clicked her finger high above her head, making the huge doors behind the teens slowly swing open on their own with a loud creek that echoed all the way down the hall for all to hear.

Stoick took a wearily step forward after her as she made to head into the next room. "Whom are you working for? The gods?" A large majority of the Vikings in the rooms looked to the young woman in awe. She hesitated slightly and looked over her shoulder with a slight, guarded smile.

"Not the type of gods that you're familiar with, but yes, I do sometimes act of the physical worker of a goddess." She fingered a small feline shaped pendant hanging off a chidden chain around her neck as she spoke.

Most of the people around them stepped back and there were several gasps of "Valkyrie!" echoed down the hall. The witch's lips quirked to one side in a smirk.

"Valkyrie?" She mused. "That's one I haven't heard before I must say."

She beckoned the starting crowd in with her as she disappear into the room beyond her, her voice calling out over her shoulder. "Let's get this over with then."

The village stood frozen for a moment before snapping out of their daze and hurrying in after her. They emerged into a large room, square in shape and much more spacious than the corridor they'd left behind, filled with rows of strange padded chairs, seeming made from the same fabric as the witches' long coat. "You'll have to excuse the mess, the last group I had in here were quite rumbustious and I hadn't the opportunity to clean up yet before I was given this assignment."

The Vikings eyed the room in astonishment, still unable to believe that they'd found themselves in the lair of what they believed to be a "Valkyrie", while their hostess busied herself draping scraps of paper over the tops of several odd coloured chairs on a raised platform at back near the back of the room. When she'd seemingly finished her task, or as much as was possible going off of the dissatisfied expression of her face as she eyed her own handy work, muttering to herself under her breath and shaking her head ever so slightly.

Everybody jumped when she suddenly clapped her hands together and turned to face them, walking down towards them gracefully. The teens all flinched as she strode purposely past them, tapping them lightly on the shoulders as she went, pointing them to the private row in the back and even Gobber almost shuddered when her slim hand came into contact with the huge bulk. Stoick was the last one she tapped and sent away before motioning to the rest of the village to take up the rest of the seats in the room.

Hiccup fumbled forward in the dimly lit room, nearly tripping several times if not for Astrid's steadying hand arm next to him. This surprised him that she was suddenly so willing to help him in front of others, even if it was unlikely that anyone would notice or even see them with all that was going on around them but decided silently not to punch gift yaks in the face when they presented themselves. They made it to the wine colour seats without further incident thankfully and were surprised to see their own names scribbled roughly on the small, loose bits of paper placed strangely along the tops of the chairs. The writer clearly wasn't used to Norse but the words were otherwise readable, if a bit scruffy. Hiccup was seated at towards the right, second to the end with Astrid beside him, Ruffnut and Tuffnut beside her, followed by Snotlout, Fishlegs, then finally Gobber with Stoick taking the last seat at the left end. They two young Viking at the right exchanged confused glances as they settled down into their seats. They became even more nervous when the witch herself gracefully slide down into the last vacant seat beside Hiccup, giving them a bemused look after seeing their worried expressions.

"Well you didn't expect me to sit on the floor did you?" She sked, almost teasingly. They gulped but didn't answer.

"I feel that I should warn you that what is about to be shown will shatter several very deeply held believe that nearly all of you hold dear. It will be told from the point of view of someone from your village and will stir up many explosive reactions from the majority of you but I must please ask you to fight your own emotions through the imagery being shown and stay in your seats until I announce it over."

There was a heavy silence that hung over the room as the Vikings comprehended the meaning behind the witch's words. Finally she spoke again. "And now that that's all out of the way, I believe its time to begin."

With that she clicked her fingers and the wall in front of them was covered from sight by a thick, black, swirling mist that continued to move and twist until different shapes slowly became visible in its dark shroud…

So, this is going to be the first in a series of 'watching' stories, there is a Poll open on my profile page, listing all of the other's I plan to write for this series. To say whose story, you'd like me to show next, be sure to drop a vote. The Poll will be open until this story is finished. Thank's for your time, and your interest,

SS