Hello fellow dragonites, and welcome to my new story :D This is set before the ending of httyd 3, so when Hiccup and Astrid have their children and are leading New Berk. Hopefully the summary helps, dont wanna give too much away...enjoy! :)

"Unexpected events can set you back or set you up. Its all a matter of - perspective." -Mary Anne Radmacher

BOOM!

Hiccup's heart skipped a beat. He turned his neck around so fast he thought it'd snap. His eyes went wide and mouth agape. The wind that whiffed past him carried the scent of smoke and debris and before he put much thought to it, he sprinted. He dropped the load of cargo he held in his embrace, the other men doing the same with him.

His pupils went so wide he thought they'd burst. An orange hue shined in his emerald green eyes, and he abruptly stopped in front of the burning Great Hall. He furrowed his brow and instinct took over. "Berthel! Hoark! Take everyone and gather as many buckets of water as you can!" He shouted, gesturing to run to the stream and the two Berkians nodded firmly and obeyed. "Phlegma get the livestock away from the Great Hall, and any children as far away as possible!" Phlegma voiced a 'yes Chief' and did as she was told.

Hiccup continued to shout orders, and people began to start attempting to put out the fire. But it seemed so useless, because they made sure to double the size of the Great Hall on New Berk, and now Hiccup was regretting his decision.

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs bounded over to the distressed Chief, and Hiccup turned his clouded eyes towards him. "Fishlegs you're alright! Was there anyone else in the Great Hall when you were teaching?" Hiccup's voice had a nervous tone to it and Fishlegs started to breath a little heavier, his mustache blowing up and down through his deep breaths.

"Yes...Astrid...your kids...I don't know if they made it out I didn't-" Hiccup rushed by Fishlegs so fast it almost knocked him over, a little grunt escaping him. "Keep everyone going!" Hiccup called back as Fishlegs stiffened up and stood a little taller. He let out a little squeak when a supporting beam started to topple over with the climbing fire that was eating it away.

Hiccup ran up the stairs with haste, the worst possible situations coming to mind. Berkians rushed passed him, coughing and stumbling down the steps. Each Berkian that rushed by he checked over to see if it was his family, but he had no luck there. The fire roared and just continued to spread and eat away at the Great Hall. His heart raced faster with every fastened step he took. What if they were trapped in there? What if he couldn't get to them in time? What if-

"Daddy!"

A little tiny distressed voice rang through the chaotic shouts of distress. Hiccup froze in his tracks right before the withering doors, and frantically searched all around for the source of the tiny voice. He knew that voice from anywhere.

"Nuffink! Where are you?!" Hiccup shouted over all the shouts, and collapsing beams. His eyes panned across the whole frenzied courtyard, even the houses surrounding it. His eyes lit up when a little blonde head peeked from behind one of the fallen wooden beams, and he darted over to the little frightened boy.

"Daddy! 'M scared!" Nuffink's lip quivered as he was curled up into a little ball. His face was stained with tears, and Hiccup bent down quickly to check him over and Nuffink quickly huddled into his outspread arms, trembling in fear. "It's okay bud...its okay...where's your mom and sister?" Hiccup hugged him close with relief, and looked into his watered little eyes.

Nuffink only sobbed more into Hiccup, and Hiccup knew his son was too traumatized to talk. He quickly scooped the little blonde into his arms, and rushed back to the steps, but stopped once more when a shout was called out to him. "Chief! Your wife is stuck on the South side of the steps! People are trying to free her as we speak." Hiccup's breath hitched and he nodded in gratitude, and rushed down the steps with haste. He cradled Nuffink close, as his body shook with tiny sobs.

The Chief made it to the bottom of the steps and rushed over to the crowd that was surrounding something. He ran to over to the scene, and immediately the blonde's pain struck face in the middle, lit up. "Hiccup! Oh, Finn!" Astrid cried out as Hiccup pushed through the crowd and looked over Astrid's situation. Her leg was wedged under the fallen burnt beam, and was slowly starting to get removed by Eret and Snotlout. "Pull harder!" Snotlout shouted as Eret just grunted in determination. Astrid yelped in pain when they hoisted the beam off. She gasped and scooted away from the beam before Snotlout and Eret set it back down.

"Astrid, are you okay? Where's-" Hiccup's voice strained with anxiousness. Astrid grabbed Hiccup's arm, her eyes clouded with worry and her brows furrowed in desperation. "Hiccup, Zephyr is still in the Great Hall, you need to go NOW!" Astrid demanded, as Hiccup's eyes went wide with fear. No. Not Zephyr. Anyone but his little girl. Astrid's shouts called him back to reality. "Here give me Finn," She quickly took the tiny shaking boy from his grasp and cradled his head against her chest. "What about you-" Hiccup was cut off as Astrid winced in pain when he gently rested his hand on her injured leg.

"Hiccup! Don't worry about me! GO! We'll be fine!" Astrid shouted, fear obviously ringing through her voice. Eret nodded towards Hiccup, gesturing he would watch over them. "I'll find her. I promise." Hiccup got up so fast he almost fell over, but then sprinted with all of his might up the stairs.

Astrid bit her lip in worry, trying to hold back tears, as she hugged Nuffink closer, scared for her daughter's life. Nuffink silently sobbed against his mother, "Shhh it's okay...daddy will find your sister. She'll be safe." She mostly said that to reassure herself. Please hurry Hiccup.

Hiccup threw his cloak off of himself, and with a slight pause in front of the collapsing doors, he rushed inside.

A cloud of black smoke rushed inside of his lungs and he desperately coughed into his arm. He peered across the burning black hall, as beams started to fall, and the flames danced horrifically in the air. All the wooden tables turned black, and the chairs were getting eaten away. The tarps on the walls started to collapse and shrivel from the heat. Hiccup's brow dripped with sweat from the immense heat, and his coughing continued to increase. Instinct snapped back into place.

"Zephyr!" He shouted as loud as his aching lungs would let him, and he started to panic when he didn't get a response. He made his way deeper into the hall, constantly ducking and rolling out of the way of burning objects. Where could she be? Fearing the worst, he continued to call for her. "Zephyr! Zephyr, where are you?!" For a moment, Hiccup thought he heard a faint high pitched shout and his whole aching body lit up. It was so faint he almost missed it, but the hope of his daughter possibly still being alive kept him going.

"Zephyr, come to the sound of my voice!" Hiccup didn't have a choice but to come to a halt in his tracks, when two large beams piled up on top of each other and blocked his way to the other side of the hall which was so thick with smoke and fire, it made him fear the worst.

"D-daddy?" A little raspy voice managed to say loud enough, and Hiccup's chest started to rapidly palpitate. "Zephyr! Yes, it's okay it's me! Come on!" He shouted through a little peep hole between the two burning beams, as he could finally make out the image of a little girl dragging herself closer, and hoarsely coughing.

"I...can't..." Her knees started to give out, and her eyes were so hazy and drooped. She was stained with black ash, all over her face and clothes, and she couldn't seem to stop coughing. Hiccup's heart felt like it was being ripped out as he watched his little girl struggle to get to him.

"Yes. You can. Zephyr, I need you to use all of your strength and come to me." Hiccup reached his hand out to her, desperately trying to reach her. She weakly reached out to him with her limp arm, but stumbled over her own foot and fell to the ground with a moan of pain and exhaustion. "It's too hard daddy..." She whined under her breath and Hiccup searched everywhere for a way around the beams. But it was no use. He couldn't get to her. He watched her panting form helplessly, but then instantly his father came to mind. There was no way he'd let him die, so he wouldn't let her die. Without even thinking, Hiccup kicked down one of the beams and it sent sparks flying in the air. He hurdled over the one that was on the floor, and he scooped up his unconscious daughter into his arms.

She let out a little moan, and lay limply in his strong hold. "It's okay...just hang in there a little longer, Zeph. Daddy's got you." He cradled her close to his chest, trying to protect her from the radiating heat, and orange sparks of debris that flew towards them. Hiccup rushed as fast as he could as he could see the collapsed doors, and the clouded sky. He jumped over all of the excess wood, and beams and tables, and finally scrambled out of the hall right before the whole thing collapsed.

All of New Berk watched in horror as the Great Hall collapsed with flames. Children huddled close to their parents and even the twins who always loved a good explosion, watched in terror. Gasps came from everyone, and Astrid let out a stifled cry as she watched the Great Hall fall, praying her husband and daughter made it out.

Hiccup shielded Zephyr from the blow, as everything seemed to fly up into the air and was strewn everywhere. He cradled her close, and panted for the clean air, wishing all the smoke would vanish. He let out some shaky breaths against Zephyr's ash filled hair, which was loosely falling out of her usual pigtails.

All of New Berk went silent. The Great Hall's fall was treated like someone just passed in the village. Hiccup just watched all of his hard work completely and utterly get destroyed in a matter of minutes. And it almost took his daughter with it.

At the thought of his daughter, he positioned her in his arms to where he could see her face, and brushed her sweaty bangs out of her face. "Zephyr? Come on," He shook her a little to try and get her to gain consciousness, but she wouldn't budge. He wiped the ash of her face and continued to try and get her to wake up. "Come on...I know you're in there..." He eagerly begged her to get up, as tears started to sting at the corners of his eyes. "Please..." He buried his face into her hair and quietly sobbed against his lifeless little girl. If only he had got there sooner. If only he could've been with his family in the Great Hall. If only-

"D-daddy?" Zephyr stirred a bit, and choked as she curled up in pain with her aching lungs. "W-why...you crying?"

Hiccup gasped and sat up and stared down at his struggling daughter and laughed in relief, pulling her in close for a tight hug. "Don't scare me like that again, Zeph. I thought I lost you." Hiccup wiped at his eyes, and stroked her hair gently as her brows etched in concern. "I'm sorry daddy..." She apologized softly. Hiccup pursed his lips worriedly when he noticed how traumatized she looked. Her eyes looked frenzied and they wouldn't stop twitching, and she felt tense in his arms.

"Hey, it's okay. You're safe now. I've got you." He held her closely, and she softly began to cry against his shoulder. He rocked her back and forth soothingly, reassuring her that she would be okay. "Hiccup!" Astrid shouted in relief, limping up the stairs towards him with Nuffink on her hip. Hiccup chuckled at how stubborn she was. Even when her leg was sprained, she continued to walk and carry her son.

She rushed over to him (attempted to) and collapsed by his side and wrapped her arm around his neck in relief. "Thank Thor you're okay. Is Zephyr...?"

Hiccup gestured towards the little sobbing girl in his arms and Astrid sighed shakily at the sight of her daughter being alive. "Zephy!" Nuffink shouted as he reached out towards his sister and father, and Hiccup put a finger over his mouth as to quiet his son. "Come here Finn..." Hiccup reached out to his son with his free hand and pulled him closer. "Do you wanna tell your sister she's gonna be okay?"

Nuffink nodded shyly and Hiccup looked positioned Zephyr in his arms so that she could see her brother. She sniffled, and Astrid let out a sad breath at the sight of Zephyr's distraught self. "It's otay Zephy." Nuffink attempted to hug his sister, and she slightly smiled at her little brothers gesture. "Thanks Nuff," She sniffled, and coughed once more. Her eyes went wide when she spotted her mother crouched down beside her.

"Momma!" She reached out for her mother who instantly took her from Hiccup's embrace. "Ohhh, Zephyr...I was so worried." Astrid held her tight, and Zephyr buried her head into her mom's shoulder. Hiccup smiled at the sweet reunion, as Nuffink joined the little hug. He turned his head to face the pile of debris and ash, whatever was left of the Great Hall, and grimaced his face.

"Son! What happened?!" Valka, along with Gobber and the rest of the gang quickly rushed up the steps, everyone shooting him confused and worried glances. Astrid stood up (difficultly with her injury and a six year old) with Zephyr limply resting against her mother's shoulder, and Nuffink clung to her skirt. She shared a glance with Hiccup before he turned to the group, face grimaced with anger and fists clenched.

"Someone set the Great Hall on fire. And we're going to find out who."