"This dragon is known for playing tricks with your mind. It digs deep into your heart and uses your own desires and secrets against you," Valka explained as they were about to enter a snowy mountain. "Don't let yourself be fooled. It's only trying to prey on you."

Every rider saw something different the moment they stepped inside the humid darkness.

"Is that running water I hear?" Hiccup asked with a frown. He could feel Astrid next to him, clutching to her axe and squinting. "How do we know what this dragon looks like? Mom?"

He received no response. Hiccup turned to his bethroded but found her vanished from sight as well. "Astrid?" He tried calling for Toothless but his voice felt trapped inside his head.

In a quick flash a beautiful dragon stood before him. It was silvery and almost blinded him. Hiccup thought of reaching out to greet the dragon but then remembered his mother's words.

"No," he whispered, shaking his head and stepping away. Just like that, the illusion was shattered and he found himself standing inside a cove where Toothless seemed to be waiting for him.

Valka was used to dealing with this dragon and was the only one so far to pass through the cursed mountain. She seated herself on a tree stump as she waited. She only hoped the kids would use common sense and make it through in time.

For her the same illusion had played over and over again. It was always of Stoick, Hiccup and her together as a family. Valka wiped a tear and sighed to herself. The worst part was that it had almost come true.

Snotlout was in Valhalla.

He was surrounded by beautiful women and food. At first he let himself relish in the moment, this didn't happen to him every day after all. Especially ever since Eret had arrived and captured all the female attention on Berk.

Snotlout only snapped his eyes open when he felt a knife dig into his side. The beautiful women that had been sitting next to him had turned into something out of a nightmare. They looked hungry and it appeared he was their main course.

Snotlout jumped up and started running.

"Why are the Gods always so cruel to me?" he cried, rushing towards the nearest exit.

Hiccup recognized the cove immediately.

This was where he and Toothless had bonded and also where he and Astrid had first become friends all those years ago.

He felt at home here.

From the corner of his eye he saw Toothless hanging upside down from a tree.

"What are you doing, bud?" Hiccup asked half-amused. Toothless didn't answer. He simply jumped down and wobbled over to him.

That was when Hiccup noticed that this wasn't his Night Fury.

The eyes were different.

Eerie and soulless.

Hiccup felt his heart race and started backing away immediately.

He didn't know he made it to his next point but he was suddenly right outside another cave-opening where his mother sat and waited.

Hiccup opened and closed his mouth. "Mom?"

Valka snapped her head up and laughed. "Finally! I was starting to get a little worried there son."

Hiccup sighed in relief.

Ruffnut felt her heart drum in her ears.

Unlike her brother who had practically sleep-walked out of this place, she was in shock from the fear that crept inside of her.

"Why did I agree to come here?" she groaned to herself and suddenly bumped into someone.

As she looked up, she found herself staring in a mirror.

"Hey!" Ruffnut scoffed. "You are not me, I'm me!"

The illusion repeated her words and motions.

Ruffnut tried to punch it but then felt herself be punched in return. "Ow!" she clutched to her sides painfully before starting to run with her double-ganger hot on her heels.

Hiccup and Valka had made a bonfire by the time Snotlout and the twins emerged.

"Why did you put us through that?" Snotlout complained. "I'm going to have nightmares for eternity now!"

Hiccup sighed, pinching the nose in frustration.

"It's the only way to get close to the Phantom. This was just a diversion to keep people away," Fishlegs chimed in as he exited out of the nightmare cave next.

Hiccup frowned. "What is taking Astrid so long?" He felt his mom place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Everyone handles this differently, son. She will be here soon. We just have to be patient."

Snotlout snorted. "Astrid likes to pretend she doesn't have fears and secrets so good luck with that." Ruffnut punched him on the arm, making him wince and pout.

Astrid was blind once again.

She could hear voices whisper into her ear and shivered from the coldness those words left.

Her feet moved slowly as she blindly tried to navigate her way out.

"You should have been dead by now!" the gruff voice shouted. "You should have been dead instead of me," the voice suddenly turned softer and more feminine. "You robbed me off my life!"

Astrid recognized it immediately and felt her legs give out as she dropped down to her knees.

It was past midnight now. Hiccup stood up abruptly, making everyone around jump in surprise.

"Son, what are you doing?" Valka asked wearily, already suspecting his intentions

"I'm going to find her," Hiccup said and started making his way back up to the cave opening.

"You can't go back in there, you will get yourself lost!" Valka tried to warn.

Hiccup halted for a moment and shot his mother an apologetic look before letting darkness envelop him once more.

Eret felt like he had been following the same path for hours now and he was yet to encounter any demons from the past.

He decided to take a break by a waterfall and helped himself with some water.

It didn't take long before he saw something shift from the corner of his eye.

Eret turned around and felt his jaw drop down to the ground.

It was Astrid but she looked nothing like how he had seen before.

She was dressed in nothing but battle armor and her hair was flowing free. She looked like a Valkyrie.

As she stepped out of the pond, water ran from the top of her breast plates and down to her toned, exposed stomach and beautiful, long legs.

Eret gulped as she stepped closer, her hips swaying seductively.

"You want me, don't you?" she asked with a flirtatious smirk. "I have seen the way you look at me, Eret, Son of Eret."

Eret didn't say anything but his heart was racing viciously.

"Hiccup.." he started, clearing his throat.

Suddenly, Astrid's entire demeanor changed and her eyes turned blacker than the night.

She stepped away from him, giggling girlishly and throwing him another coy look before disappearing away from sight.

Eret rushed after her. "Astrid, no.. wait!"

He ran in the dark for a while before he found himself face to face with Berkian Chieftain.

"Hiccup," Eret exhaled in surprise. "This place really messes with your mind, mate."

"It does?" Hiccup said in a monotone voice and started tracing his dragon blade with the tip of his finger. "So what exactly did you see, Eret?"

Eret laughed nervously. "Um, it was.. nothing, really. Have you found a way out of here?" He looked around quizzically.

Hiccup remained stoic and cold. "Did you touch her?" he asked quietly.

Eret gaped and then shook his head. "Of course not!"

Hiccup suddenly ignited his sword, setting it aflame. "But you have thought about it.. haven't you?"

Eret didn't say anything, frowning slightly at Hiccup's sudden coldness. The Chief had never spoken to him like this before.

"You have thought about touching my bethroded," Hiccup repeated and swung his weapon at Eret. "Haven't you?!"

Eret ducked away just in time and started to flee away towards what looked like the end of the tunnel.

Valka looked up hopeful as she heard someone make it outside but then sighed in disappointment when she realized it was just the ex-pirate and not her son and future daughter-in-law.

"Eret!" Ruffnut exclaimed happily.

"Looks like not even Eret, Son of Eret is above getting scared," Tuffnut chuckled. "Look at his face!"

Eret growled, ignoring both of the twins before taking a seat next to Fishlegs.

"So what did you see?" the husky boy asked curiously.

Eret merely shook his head.

"Astrid?"

Hiccup felt like he was going in circles inside a maze.

He sighed and halted for a moment to hear light sniffling. Hiccup closed his eyes and followed the sound.

Soon enough he found a small body curled up on the floor, crying. Hiccup rushed over quickly.

"Astrid," he whispered, taking her into his arms. "Astrid, I'm here now. I'm-"

"I can't see," she whispered, interrupting him. "How do I know you are real?"

Hiccup stroke her hair. "You will just have to trust me."

He tried carrying her up but she broke away from him. "No."

"Astrid, I'm real! I promise," Hiccup exclaimed. "I came back to get you."

Astrid shook her head. "It doesn't matter. You should leave me here."

Hiccup gaped at her in mild shock. "What? Astrid what is going on?"

"I deserve this, Hiccup," she mumbled. "I deserve to die."

"No," Hiccup shot back firmly. "Astrid you need to snap out of this. Whatever you are feeling, it's not real."

"It's real! It happened and.. it's all my fault."

Hiccup cupped her face. "We have been through everything together. Whatever you think you did wrong, you can tell me, Astrid."

He kissed her on the forehead. "Please."

She sniffed before speaking. "My childhood friend died because of me. I was so wrapped up in my own world, I didn't think to look back for Ingrid."

Hiccup leaned his head against her. "Astrid, you have already told me about that and it wasn't you fault. You were just a child and that was 18 years ago!"

Astrid shook her head. "But it happened again."

Hiccup stayed quiet, silently urging her to elaborate.

"Your.. father."

Hiccup froze up. "What?"

Tears leaked through the blind eyes. "It's my fault he is dead. I was the on that told Drago about you and Berk. It was me! I'm the reason you lost him!"

Hiccup took a moment to steady his breathing. "It wasn't anyone's fault, Astrid. You didn't know Drago was going to do that. No one did."

"But, I-"

Hiccup put a finger over her lips. "It wasn't your fault, okay?" he stated firmly. "I'm the one that should have listened to him in the first place instead of trying to talk sense into that madman. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine."

Astrid shook her head and wrapped her arms around him. "No. You were only trying to do what you believed was best."

He returned her embrace. "And so did you."

Astrid nodded at last, finally believing him.

"There they are!" Fishlegs announced upon seeing his comrades at arms emerge, hand in hand.

Valka let out a sigh of relief. "Took you long enough. What happened?" she asked in concern.

Hiccup simply wrapped his arms around a weary Astrid. "It doesn't matter now, it's in the past."

Valka nodded in understanding.

Hiccup's glanced curiously over at Eret. "Hey, when did you get out?"

Eret coughed awkwardly and merely shrugged.

I don't know why I even wrote this, it just popped into my mind and I decided to write it down. Have not proof-read this yet but will do so later.

On a different note: HICCUP AND ASTRID ARE OFFICIALLY ENGAGED!