The next day, there's talk all over school about how the Night Fury is dead. School goes on as it did before, learning, playing in the band, trying to hide my wings and tail. Well, not Band. The first few minutes into playing, the band teacher says, "Shawn? Why aren't you playing?" "Because," I say. "Because isn't an answer. Now, why aren't you playing?" He persists an answer out of me, and it's getting me ticked. "Because I can't," I say. "Give me an answer. Why aren't you playing?" The band teacher is getting mad. I'm ticked. "Fine. You want to know why I'm not playing? Because I died, okay? That good enough of an answer? I was verified dead. Zero heartbeat. Flatlined. That a good enough answer? Because it sure is for me!" I shout. "Excuse me," I say, not noticing I had a small roar in my voice. "Shawn! Everything okay, Shawnie?" Carla says. "I could hear you down the hall. My whole class did. And I'm pretty sure we weren't the only one," "everything okay, here?" A teacher says. "Yes, everything's okay," I say with a growl in my voice. "Shawn, your voice," Carla says. Pop! We hear a gunshot and the next thing I know, I'm lying on the floor, in a small puddle of blue blood, wings torn through my shirt. "What!" The teacher backs away.

"What was- What the-?" Students say, noticing a kid with wings sticking out of his shirt. "Is that, Shawn?" A kid says. I'm getting up, weak. "The Night Fury," somebody else says. "A student at our school," well, guess I don't have to hide my secret anymore. "So, the talent show? It was authentic? The roar?" A kid says. "Is that more important that a student shot?" I say, growling. "I'm sorry," he backs away. "Wait, if Shawn is the Night Fury. Then that means Carla is his rider," the freshman girl says. "Everyone just back up! Okay?" Carla shouts. Changing to Night Wing, Carla runs to the lockers and grabs the old saddle. You kept that thing? I growl as she straps it on. "Yeah. I had a feeling I'd need it here at school someday," Carla says. Hang low. I growl. "Alright," Carla says. Stretching my wings, it's been a few days since I did that, I charge through open doors. Dramatic exits. I think I like those. Flying to where Carla was changed, I check to see if they'd be there. No, they moved. "They're not here," Carla says. Any ideas? I growl. "No. Wait, yes. But now since they think you're dead-" There! I cut Carla short. I see the clerk walking by a window. So, I heard you're alive. I hear a growl. Toothless! Glad you could join. Is Siare here? I growl. Why wouldn't she be? She growls. Hey.

I growl. So, why are we crouched? Siare growls. Him. I growl. So what do we do? Toothless growls. Just surround him against the wall. I growl. Okay. Siare growls. I jump first, scaring him against the wall. "What? I thought you were dead!" He says. Surprise. Now, come help. I growl. Toothless and Siare jump down. "What? Two- two riders?" He says. He tries to dash to his left. A shot from Siare prevents that. Same with Toothless. He tries to sprint past me but is stopped by my tail. "Okay, you got me, what do you want?" He says. Payback. I growl. "He says he wants payback," Carla says. "Is that the, Night Fury?" A person paying by says. "Okay. Just make it quick," he says. You aren't seriously going to kill him, are you? Siare growls. No. I growl. Turning around, I smack the clerk with my tail, knocking him out. Okay, that hurt! I growl. Carla saddles Siare with the new saddle while strapping the clerk to me. Flying off to the police, Hiccup flies back to Berk while we turn in the clerk to the authorities. Glad that's over. I growl. "Same here. So, wonder how school will be, everyone knowing your secret," Carla says. We'll see. I growl. "Isn't that the Night Fury kid?" Flying to school, I'm not afraid to land. "Hey, Shawn!" Kids say. Hey. I growl. I head to the locker room with my clothes in a

Bag strapped on my new saddle. Walking out of the locker room, I have no need to hide my wings and tail. The excitement kinda dies down near to the end of the day. Feels weird not having to hide my wings. I growl on the flight to Carla's house. "Well, see you later, Shawn," Carla says, kissing my head. See ya later. I growl. I can tell that things are going to be different. I growl to myself on the flight home. "So, how was your new day of school?" Mom says, preparing food for the fight to Berk. Good. I growl. "Good. Oh, you and Carla left some stuff at Berk. They're in your room," Mom says, undoing my saddle. Oh? I growl. Opening the large package, I see the Gronkle Iron shield and dagger. That's where that went! I growl. "Everything's packed for the flight up, and back," Mom says. Thanks, Mom. I growl. You ready? I growl. "For what?" Carla says. Diving down, I level out above the water. "Really?" Carla says. Yes. I growl. Arriving at Berk, we're greeted by nobody. Hello? I roar. Nothing. Nothing but the growling of a Terrible Terror. Where is everyone? I growl. "I know. It's odd," Carla says. H- hello? We hear a scared growl. Wh- whose there? The voice says again. Where is everyone? And where are you? I growl. How can I trust you? "It's okay, we are friends of Hiccup,"

Carla says. Oh. Well, I'm behind you. Turn completely around and I'm in the house to the right. House to the right. Oh. Hello there. I growl. Toothless? What happened to your voice? The strange dragon growls. I'm not Toothless. I'm Shawn. I'm friends with Toothless. Where are they? I growl. They're at Dragon Island. I'm staying here to look for any survivors. She growls. Survivors? What happened here? I growl. I don't know. Very strange men came here with fiery metal. Killed Vikings. Dragons. Whatever didn't look like them, they killed. I'm Mara, by the way. Mara growls. Nice to meet you. I'm Shawn. I growl. Shawn? The Night Fury Kid? Mara growls. Yes. So, Dragon Island? I growl. Yes. I'll help you get there. Mara growls. Thank you. I growl.