A/N: Hey, everybody! Just wanted to say right off the bat, thank you so much for stopping by to read this little fanfic of mine. This is actually the first fanfiction story I ever wrote (not the first story I've ever written, though), so the writing style might be a little sketchier than my more recent stories. It's also more condensed - I was trying to keep it shorter because I was entering it in a local fandom contest (Second Place winner, baby! Yessss!) Anyway, I did some editing but kept it true to the original draft. I hope it'll please you.

Although this is movieverse, it does take some characters and scenarios from the books, especially the fourth one: 'How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse'. If you've read the books, some things will be familiar, but there will be some twists and turns, so don't think you know how it ends.

So, that's all I've got for now. Leave some reviews telling me what you think, settle back and allow yourself to be immersed, and I hope you enjoy.

How to Cure a Dragon's Poison

The errand was supposed to be simple, if not downright boring: escort the Viking ships from Berk to its destination in the outer isles. The trip was only supposed to take two days, but sudden storms drew the journey out. Constant wind and blowing snow knocked the dragons out of the sky and the ships were on constant 'All Hands'.

Five days of this monotonous job had the whole crew of dragon riders – Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Tuffnut and Ruffnut – and their dragons practically jumping out of their saddles for some adventure. Well, now they had what they had wished for.

Hiccup was used to being attacked by dragons. Why wouldn't he? Dragons had been all around when he was a baby, a small boy, and even now he was constantly surrounded by them. They were around even more now that he had made friends with his very own Night Fury, Toothless, three years ago. What was unusual was when the attacking dragon was the size of a miniscule, angry lizard.

The dragon was very small, yellow, and had a long stinger like a scorpion arching over its back. Most dragons that size would scurry for cover if six young Viking teens came barging through the snow looking for firewood, but not this dragon. Without any warning, it sprang out of the bushes like a flash of golden lightning, stinger raised.

Hiccup – sitting on Toothless' back – was the first one to see it, but not until it was nearly on top of him. It scuttled toward him at astonishing speed. Hiccup yelled and Toothless gave a roar, rolling over to try and crush the intruder that had made its way onto his back. Hiccup's shout was smothered in the snow as the full weight of his sturdy black dragon landed on him. He lay there for several seconds trying to get his breath back, dimly aware that Astrid was shouting at him.

"Hiccup! Get up!" she screamed. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he gasped.

Astrid unhitched his tether that attached him to Toothless before he was dragged away. Hiccup sat up and dazedly looked at his peg leg, trying to clear away the black spots before his eyes. Toothless was circling the other dragon, blocking its attacks with his fake tail.

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup looked up to see Fishlegs barreling over to him, a concerned expression on his face.

"Fishlegs," Hiccup tried his best to focus his eyes, but they refused to focus. "What is that thing?"

There was no Viking alive who knew more dragons than Fishlegs. "I've never seen one of these before, but I've read about them," Fishlegs started, eyes opened wide as they could go. "I think this particular dragon is called the Vorpent. The Venomous Vorpent. Hiccup…"

"Venomous Vorpent, huh?"

Hiccup could finally see again without the world swirling before his eyes. He hoisted himself to his feet.

"I haven't heard of a Vorpent before," Astrid said.

"That's because they're extremely rare. Hiccup…"

Before Fishlegs could continue, Astrid shouted "Get down!" and threw Hiccup to the ground, knocking the breath from his lungs. Again.

The Vorpent had apparently grown tired of the circling game with Toothless and had darted. It whipped over Astrid's shoulder, running at top speed through the snow before Astrid could counter with a blow from her axe. Through the snow it sped, coming around again for another attack.

"I'll get it," Tuffnut said, shoving his way in front of his twin sister.

"No you won't! I'll get it!" shouted Ruffnut, and soon both of them were engaged in a fight.

"Those guys; so immature," snorted Snotlout, trying to impress Astrid as usual.

The Vorpent dashed quickly toward the trio, not appearing to take any more notice of them. Snotlout yelped with surprise and dropped his shield and Tuffnut and Ruffnut halted their fight to jump to the side. The yellow gleam of the Venomous Vorpent disappeared into the snow and did not return.

"I had that!" shouted Ruffnut.

"No you didn't! I did!" hollered Tuffnut. Both of them started throwing snowballs at the other.

"Alright, gang," Hiccup resumed control again. "We'd better get back to camp before that Vorpent decides to show up again. We'd better tell my dad to have everyone sleep in the ships, too. And check in with Gothi to see if anyone got stung. Not now, Fishlegs."

Fishlegs seemed quite upset about something, but Hiccup was too preoccupied to take much notice. The wind had begun to kick up again, so any attempts at communication between the two was futile. Fishlegs eventually gave up. He would tell Hiccup when they landed.

Inside the temporary hut that had been set up for Gothi – the tribe's elder and healer – the dragon riders warmed themselves beside the fire while their dragons shivered outside.

When she heard that the riders had been attacked by a Venomous Vorpent, Gothi's eyes opened wide in fright. Gothi could not talk, but she communicated by way of her wooden staff with which she scratched words in the ground.

"Very poisonous?" Hiccup read. He lifted his hands up to his hair and ruffled it like he was apt to do. "How very poisonous?"

Gothi's stick scratched again.

"Fatal?" gasped Astrid. Behind Hiccup, Fishlegs whimpered.

"Gothi, is there a cure?"

Scratch, scratch.

Hiccup read out loud, "A cooked red potato? That's so easy!"

"Um, Hiccup?" Tuffnut raised a hand. "Ruff and I ate the last red potatoes this morning with breakfast."

"And they were really tasty!" added Ruffnut.

"Oh. Well, we won't need it. None of us was stung." Gothi let out a small sigh, shaking her gray plaits. "Right, Gothi?" asked Hiccup, an uneasy feeling drifting over his stomach.

Gothi looked solemn.

"One of us was stung." It was more of a statement than a question. Looking at Gothi, even Snotlout could tell that the answer was 'yes'.

"Um, Hiccup?"

"Just a minute, Fishlegs. Who was stung, Gothi?"

"Hiccup…"

Gothi's staff scribbled furiously. I cannot tell, it read, If the person that was stung realizes that he has Vorpentitus, that person has five minutes left to live.

"Only five minutes?" gasped Hiccup.

Gothi scribbled some more. Even if the one does not find out, that person still has three days since the point that he was first stung. After those hours are up, the person will die.

"Only that long?" murmured Astrid.

"So… we have three days to look for a cure?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm going to be the one to find it," Snotlout said confidently.

"Hold up, Snotlout. Gothi, what are the symptoms of Vorpentitus?"

Gothi started writing a long list. "Even though there are many symptoms," read Hiccup out loud, "all may not be apparent in all victims. The symptoms include shaking, sneezing, instability, times of extreme anger, headache, sore throat, episodes of madness… Gothi, is there anything not on the list?"

Gothi thought for a bit, then wrote down Nosebleed.

"So," said Tuffnut, putting his hand to his chin in a considering gesture, "you mean that if I get a nosebleed that means I didn't get stung? Ruffnut, quick, punch me!"

Ruffnut happily obliged.

"OWW!" hollered Tuffnut, getting up off the ground and inspecting his nose. Although the blow was not a soft one, no blood was spilled. "I'm not bleeding… I've got Vorpentitus!" Tuffnut went into a series of choking coughs, spun around, then flopped down on the ground like a flounder, shaking uncontrollably. "This is the end," he moaned dramatically. "I go now to Valhalla." His shuddering ceased and he lay limply, tongue out, in the very image of death.

Gothi rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, Tuff," Hiccup sighed. "You don't have Vorpentitus."

"Yes, I do. And I'm dead. Don't you see the tongue sticking out; the glazed eyes?"

"If you're dead, then this won't hurt a bit." Ruffnut said, giving him a kick.

"OWW!" Tuffnut launched himself to his feet. "You are so going to pay for that, Ruffnut! I challenge you to The Challenge."

"You're on," growled his sister.

"Here, hold these." Tuffnut handed Snotlout his helmet. Ruffnut removed hers and handed it over to him also.

"Snotlout… what's going on?" asked Hiccup, looking baffled.

"Just you wait and see," Snotlout snickered.

Tuff and Ruff stood face to face, neither flinching. "Alright. On three. One… Two… Three!"

As soon as the last number was out of his mouth, the twins crashed their heads together with sickening speed. The heads collided with a 'smash!' and they stumbled about the room before collapsing unconscious on the floor.

Snotlout burst into uncontrolled laughter, staggering backwards and sitting in a convenient wicker basket filled with halibut heads.

"Snotlout…"

"I taught them that," grinned Snotlout, rubbing his hands together and extracting himself from the basket. "I told them that it would be a great way to solve their problems. The one who is still conscious by the end of the round is the winner. So far…" he dissolved into giggles again, "there hasn't been a winner."

"Wow," Astrid said. "That was actually a really smart idea, Snotlout."

"And we can actually have some peace and quiet, now," Fishlegs grinned.

"I did it all for you, babe." Snotlout held out his arms as if he was bestowing a gift. "When I told them what they should do, your face rose primary to my mind. I could not help my feelings when…"

"And the moment has passed." Hiccup changed the subject abruptly, turning to the elder. "Gothi, I need you to look after Tuff and Ruff until they… you know." Gothi nodded. "The rest of you, come with me. We need to tell my dad. Fishlegs, you've been wanting to tell me something?"

"Umm…" For some reason, Fishlegs seemed to be stalling. "Never mind."

"O.K. gang. Let's go!"

Even after the others had exited, Fishlegs stayed in Gothi's tent, hands wringing anxiously. Gothi put a gentle hand on his arm and scratched some words in the dirt.

"Yes. I do." Fishlegs answered to her question.

More scratching.

"I know. It's just so hard!"

Scratch, scratch.

"The victim of Vorpent venom will be more subject to its power the more he travels?" Gothi nodded. "I didn't know that. Thank you, Gothi." With a smile, Fishlegs went out of the tent.

And nearly bumped smack into Snotlout.

"Staying behind to get some last minute advice, I see?" he smirked.

"Not now, Snotlout." Fishlegs turned away towards his Gronkle, Meatlug.

"Poor, poor Fishlegs." Snotlout followed him, still talking. "Could it be that you're jealous?"

"Jealous? Of what?"

"Of Hiccup." Snotlout smiled, seeing Fishlegs had caught the bait. "He's always so heroic. So perfect. Don't you ever wish that you could be the hero this time? Just a little?"

"That's not what I was talking about, Snotlout." Fishlegs began to bristle in irritation.

"Oh, of course not." Snotlout's tone was deceptively mild. "But, I just want you to know, your secret's safe with me."

"What secret?"

"That you want to be the one who finds the cure, duh!"

"Listen, Snotlout," Fishlegs finally lashed out, "what I was talking about in there wasn't about me! It wasn't about your stupid ideas of heroism. It was about… oh, just forget it."

"Alright, alright," Snotlout said, rather startled by his outburst. "Just forget I said anything."

Fishlegs snorted and climbed onto Meatlug. "Come on, girl," he muttered. "Let's follow the others."