A/N: This is an important note, so please read it before going into the story!

Some time ago, I wrote a one-shot in which Hiccup and Astrid sing "All I Ask of You" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. In the A/N, I said that I had once had the idea to retell the entire story with these characters, though I never got any farther than initial planning. Well…I've been rereading the book – Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera is my all-time favorite book, and I never get tired of reading it – and the idea was rekindled. And so here we are: I have set out to retell the entire novel with the HTTYD characters.

Now, here are a few things you ought to be made aware of before starting. This story is based on Gaston Leroux's novel, NOT the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on it. So please do not leave any reviews that say, "oh that didn't happen in the musical, you got it wrong" because I will disregard them. It's based on the original book, which I think is better than the stage show or any movie adaptation. The book. Not the musical. Remember that.

It's also a gender reversal of the story. Hiccup will play the role of Christine Daaé, and Astrid the role of Raoul de Chagny. The Phantom…well, you'll find out in due course. I know some of my readers didn't like the fact that some of my fairy tale retellings reversed the genders, but there is a reason for this change, and a pretty big one: Astrid just doesn't fit in the role of Christine. She's not gullible enough to be fooled by the Phantom's lies, whereas I think Hiccup might, if certain things are said and certain events unfold. And besides, Astrid really fits Raoul's character quite well: she's the type to go after Hiccup with everything she's got in order to figure out exactly what's going on. (And besides, the gender reversal allows for Snotlout to play Carlotta, which is simply too good to pass up. XD) So yes, it's a gender reversal. Please, no complaints, for my mind is made up and I'm not changing it.

This is an AU story, but it does assume the events of the first film took place. So Hiccup befriended Toothless and ended the war with dragons and lost his leg in the battle with the Red Death. Other than that, however, no other entry in the franchise fits in this canon. This is especially true of the TV show. The only thing I'm carrying over from the show is the existence of the tunnels under the village. That's it. Some characters from the show will appear, but the circumstances behind their roles are totally different. Also, Valka is really dead in this AU, and she was buried on the island.

One last thing: there will be character death. The Phantom of the Opera is a Gothic horror novel, and it does feature death. Thus my retelling will as well. Just a heads-up.

And of course, How to Train Your Dragon belongs to Cressida Cowell and DreamWorks SKG. The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Leroux. (Also, for this prologue, I borrowed a bit from the radio broadcast adaptation by Big Finish Productions, by far the best and most faithful adaptation of the novel.)

With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy! The prologue's pretty short, but the following chapters will be longer.

Prologue

The Phantom of Berk really existed.

I know what you're thinking: that she was merely a story, a tale made up by parents to entertain or scare their children, a specter produced by the imaginations of the more superstitious Vikings, brought to life by rumor and gossip. But you're wrong. She was very real, of flesh and blood, although she took on the complete appearance of a phantom; that is to say, of a spectral shade.

And this is her story.

It all happened on the Isle of Berk, a small island in the middle of the Barbaric Archipelago. This island is home to a village of Vikings, generally a sensible lot and not prone to superstitious fancy. But in this case, well…let's just say that there wasn't a soul on Berk that did not believe in the existence of this Phantom by the time all was said and done.

Of course you don't have to take my word for it. Her reign of terror wasn't all that long ago, and the people of Berk still remember her with vivid detail. You could ask any of the Vikings dwelling in the village today about what happened, although I must warn you: most of the villagers don't like to talk about it. The Phantom of Berk is a touchy subject for most, and if you bring her up they're just as likely to ask you to leave, sometimes with a well-aimed kick to the rear. Those that are actually willing to speak of her do so in hushed tones, as if afraid she might swoop down from on high and strike them dead on the spot. You may laugh, but just remember: you weren't there. You have no idea of the power of the Phantom, of the hold she had on Berk for those few weeks all those years ago. And even though nothing has happened since then, there are many who still fear her, who still shudder at the sound of her name, who lie awake at night thinking of her and all the trouble she caused. So remember that before you start laughing at what you might assume to be the overreactions of superstitious townspeople. The Phantom was no laughing matter, as I hope to illustrate to you in these pages.

The story of the Phantom took place about thirty years ago, only four or five years after the integration of dragons into the lives of the Vikings of Berk. You remember that story of course, don't you? It's the thing of legend: the tale of how Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III befriended the Night Fury Toothless and ended the three hundred-year war between Vikings and dragons for good is still passed down from father to son, mother to daughter, even now. But of course, that story had a happy ending. This one, however…well, you can ask Hiccup about the ending of this tale. I'm sure he wouldn't say it ended well for him, or for anyone on Berk. He's now the chief of the village, and while he performs his tasks with admirable strength of body, mind, and heart, the mark of the Phantom is still evident on his face. She left quite an impact on him, and no wonder. After all, he was at the center of her plot…

Forgive me. I'm getting ahead of myself. We were speaking of the Phantom of Berk.

I've spent the past several years compiling all the information I could gather on the Phantom. There are some very valuable testimonies out there, for those of you who want to receive a firsthand account of what happened. Perhaps most noteworthy is the story told by one Alvin the Treacherous, for he was another of the key players in this little drama. Do not be fooled by his title, though: he will not lead you astray when he speaks of the Phantom. Whenever she is mentioned, he grows quite grave and somber, and despite his advancing age, his memory of what happened is still sharp and clear as it was the day it all happened.

But perhaps word of mouth is not enough for you. Perhaps you will be skeptical of such a wild and improbable tale as this. After all, surely such things could never have actually happened. These "eyewitnesses" I have mentioned must have been mistaken, or perhaps they are exaggerating the truth to the point of ridiculousness. Either way, you may doubt the validity of the tale I'm about to unfold. Surely the Phantom of Berk could not have actually done all this, and this little book is nothing but a collection of imaginative stories made up by people with too much time on their hands.

Well then…how do you explain the skeleton?

Oh yes, I thought that would get your attention.

A year or so ago, Vikings exploring the tunnels underneath the village discovered a corpse, the body of a woman. But this was no ordinary skeleton: the limbs were distended and the skull…

But you'll find out about the skull in due course.

First things first: let us journey together back in time to that fateful evening in the Great Hall on the Isle of Berk, to those young Vikings and their silly little ghost stories. For this is where our tale really begins.

And how do I know all this?

I was there, my friend. I was there.

A/N: Again, I know it's short, but it's just the prologue. The actual chapters will be longer.

I have a request: I recently posted a one-shot called "The Phantom of the Valley," another retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, this time with horses. I could really use your input on that one, since I hope to rewrite the story as a novel, and any advice would be quite welcome. So please go check it out and tell me what you think.

Also, for those of you who have been following my Dragon Tales and are expecting The Servant and the Heir and The Mermaid and the Glass Slipper, these projects are on hold for the time being. With Halloween approaching, my interests have shifted to darker material, hence my sudden desire to reread The Phantom of the Opera. I'm sorry for those of you who were looking forward to these other stories, or for those waiting for a continuation of Return to the Sea. What with my interests shifting and writer's block making things difficult, all projects are on temporary hiatus except for this and possibly the one-shot collection. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please have patience: I promise to return to these stories as soon as I feel confident I can do so with all the passion and drive they deserve.

I hope you've enjoyed this little prologue and that you'll enjoy the tale to follow. :)