Ch. 7- Tests and Nests

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The last day of Dragon training, little did me and Hiccup know though.

"Stay out of my way," Astrid told Hiccup. "I'm winning this thing."

"Yes, please. By all mean," I could hear in Hiccup's voice that he didn't Astrid left and me and Hiccup stood up. Dad smiled at us, well probably Hiccup but still.

I heard Astrid give out a battle cry as the Gronkle was right next to Hiccup. When Astrid got there the Gronkle was on its side. Hiccup was on one leg, other leg close to his body with his arms around his head. When he dropped them he saw Astrid and tried to explain that the Gronkle was already near him and etc, etc.

Astrid swung her axe around randomly through the air yelling her heard off.

"Are we done here cause I'm kinda late for-" Hiccup began, about to bolt out when Astrid cut him off with her axe at his throat.

"Late for what, exactly?" She asked with a crazed look in her eye.

"Wait!" Dad yelled. "The elder has decided!" Great. Just great. And right after Hiccup did all this. Why did he show off? Did he forget the best person had to kill the dragon? Darn it, Hiccup!

Gobber raised his hand over Astrid's head: the crowd went silent and the elder shook her head no. Astrid looked heartbroken.

Gobber raised his hand over Hiccup's head: the crowd cheered and the elder nodded her head. Hiccup cringed and I knew he was regretting showing off now.

"Yes, you get to kill the dragon, Hiccup," Gobber cheered.

The rest of then people we trained with lifted him up and Hiccup tried to show enthusiasm, to much fail. "Yay," he said, trying to sound happy- but failing at it. "I'm so..."

***************

"... Leaving," Hiccup finished his sentence from earlier. "We are so leaving. Come on bud. We're taking a little vacation. Forever." He set his basket down and stood back up to find someone not supposed to be there. "What the- Um... what are you doing here, Astrid?" he tried to sound natural but failed miserably. Astrid was just sitting on a giant rock, sharpening her axe with a smaller rock.

She jumped down, "I want answers."

"Uh, answers?" Hiccup asked as we backed away from her as she came closer.

"No one just gets as good as you. Especially you. Start talking. Are you training with someone?"

"Uh, training?"

"Better not evolve this," Astrid said, grabbing on to Hiccup's flight gear on him- the one that kept him falling off of Toothless.

"I know. This looks really bad, but-" A noise the dragons made was heard. Astrid shoved him to the ground and went to find out what it was, walking over him. Me and Hiccup dashed in front of her and he grabbed her hand and put it on his gear, "Alright. Alright.  We've been making outfits. Its time everyone knew, go ahead drag us back." Astrid twisted his arm and made him fall backwards. "Ow... What was that for?"

She kicked him when he tried to stand back up, "That is for the lies. And that" she bounced the handle of her axe on him, "is for everything else."

Toothless came out. "Oh man," Hiccup said, standing up as Astrid went passed us.

"Get down!" Astrid yelled, pushing me and Hiccup to the ground with her. "Run! Run!" She got prepared to kill Toothless and Violet, who was behind Toothless.

"No!" Hiccup yelled, jumping towards her. He knocked them both down to the ground. Hiccup quickly recovered and tossed the axe away before jumping up to calm Toothless while I calmed Violet. Astrid stood up with a crazed look in her eye. "You scared him." Hiccup was facing her and Toothless was trying to get past him, growling.

"I scared him?" Astrid asked. A shocked look appeared, "Who is him?"

"Astrid, Toothless," he said, nicely. "Toothless, Astrid," he said to Toothless bitterly. "Astrid, Violet. Violet, Astrid," he said, gesturing to Violet.

Astrid looked at us like we were insane before running off.

"Duh duh duh. We're dead," we said in unison. Toothless stood on his back two legs and walked away with a satisfied look. Violet followed in the same manor. "Were do you think your going?" we asked our dragons in unison.

We got our dragons and go after Astrid. "There," I point to her, running as she looked back.

Hiccup dived in and caught her as she was in air, jumping off a fallen tree.

"Ah!" she screamed as she goes higher into the air. In a panic, she desperately tries to get a good hold on Toothless's leg, the one that stops her from falling. Toothless drops her on a branch near the top of a tree before landing on the top, bending the tree over. Me and Violet landed on a nearby tree, also bending it over. "Hiccup! Get me down from here!" she yelled, moving her hands- thus herself- closer to the trunk of the tree.

"You have to give me a chance to explain," he said.

"I'm not listening to anything you have to say," Astrid basically yelled, still moving towards the trunk of the tree.

"Fine, just let me show you," Hiccup reached his hand out to help her up on Toothless.

Astrid didn't say anything but pulled herself on the branch. She swats away Hiccup's hand and climbed on Toothless by herself, after earning a growl from Toothless that is. "Now get me down," she said when she was on, her arms stretched out by her shoulders, "now get me down from there."

"Okay," he patted Toothless a few time. "Toothless, down. Gently." He turned to Astrid, "See, nothing to be afraid of."

Toothless, however, narrowed his eyes and shook his head, not obeying Hiccup. I saw this and smiled, thinking about telling Hiccup, but decided its to late when Toothless but into the jumps into air.

Astrid screamed as they quickly flew to the clouds, me and Violet right behind them. "Toothless, what are you doing? Bad Dragon. Ha ha." The speed didn't bother me and I doubt it bothered Hiccup much- but Astrid wasn't use to that stuff.

Astrid wasn't holding onto anything so when she almost fell she grabbed onto Hiccup. He laughed halfheartedly, "He isn't usually like this- oh no." Toothless suddenly went racing towards the ocean. Stopping right before they hit then went to dunking himself into the water- getting those two wet but only their feet under water. "Toothless were trying to get her to like us," Hiccup complained. Toothless stopped with the water but shot up to the sky again. Astrid had her head against his back, eyes shut, arms around him. Poor girl. She was probably freaking out. "Thank you for everything, you useless reptile." They got to the height Toothless wanted. "Oh, great and now the spinning." Toothless folded his wings in and started spinning before diving towards the ocean.

Violet was doing everything Toothless was and I was loving it. "Woo woo!" I shouted, despite the situation. "This is awesome!" was said quieter, only to Violet.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Astrid confessed, eyes still shut, arms still tightly around my brother. "I'm sorry. Just get me off this thing."

From the corner off my eye I saw Toothless looked satisfied and he slowed down, greatly. Astrid could tell and slowly and cautiously opened her eyes. Toothless gently went up and stayed just under the clouds. It was sunset, so the sky was all the different pretty colors. I pulled Violet away from the two, seeing how my brother loved her and was getting a romantic moment- you could basically hear the music. I went far enough away so I wouldn't bother than but close enough so I could see them. Hiccup smiled at me and gave a thank-you nod. I simply have a small smile and turned away for a few seconds.

Astrid, who just sat up straight, considered reaching a hand to touch the clouds before doing so. Hiccup looked back and smiled at her. After a few seconds she put another arm in the air, enjoying being able to reach the clouds.

Soon, it was night. The sun gone. Not to show until dawn.

We came out of the clouds and saw our village, a few lanterns making it shine. It was beautiful.

I looked at them just in time to see Astrid wrap her arms around Hiccup and rest her head on his shoulder. After a few seconds, he looked up a bit and smiled brightly at me.

I had never seen that smile on him. He really does love her. I sighed and faced forward.

"Okay, I'll admit it, this is amazing. He's amazing," Astrid said, I flew closer to them, romantic moment gone. "What are you going to do tomorrow? Hiccup, you final exam is tomorrow. You know your gonna have to kill a-" she whispered the last part in his ear. Thank goodness.

Suddenly, our dragons were alert. "Violet, what's wrong?" I asked at the same time Hiccup asked Toothless. They dove down and I asked Hiccup, "What's going on?" Another dragon- a monstrous nightmare- appeared and got between us. I didn't hear his answer. "Violet, find Hiccup and Toothless."  She went under the monstrous nightmare and appeared under them. "Hiccup!" I whispered loudly.

"Halla, get down!" he said in the same level voice I did. I ducked down and Violet got next to them. "Looks like they're hauling in their kill," he told us.

"What does that make us?" Astrid asked. Astrid let out a scream as the dragons suddenly dove down again.

Soon enough, we flew into a cave, "What my dad wouldn't give to find this," I said. Our dragons landed on their rock, ledge thingy.

Toothless landed next to the wall and Violet went as close to them as she could. We watched as the other dragons dropped their food in the fog filled giant hole. "Well its nice to know that all our food has been dumped down a giant hole," Hiccup said, sarcastically.

"Their not eating any of it," Astrid stated.

We watched as a baby Gronkle spit up a tiny fish and scratched its head. We heard a growl and the baby Gronkle went to fly away. A giant head came out of the fog and ate the poor baby dragon. "What is that?" Astrid whispered. All of us leaned backwards.

The other dragons scooted closer together.

When the giant Dragon head didn't go back into the fog, "Okay, bud. Time to get out of here," Hiccup said. "Now!" and right as we took off, it tried to eat us.

I turned to look just as it ate a Zippleback instead of us. Poor Zippleback.

I faced forward and we flew to the cove, talking about that giant dragon on the way.

"No, it totally makes sense. Their the workers and that's their queen. It controls them. Let's find your dad," Astrid jumped off Toothless and started running towards the exit of the cove.

"No! No." He got off of Toothless and ran in front of her. "No. No. Not yet. He can't find out. They'll kill Toothless and Violet. Astrid, we have to think this through. Carefully."

"We just discovered the dragons nest. The thing we've been after since Vikings first sailed here. And you want to keep it a secret? To- to protect your pet Dragon are you serious?"

"Yes." Hiccup said simply and certainly, standing straight and tall. Confident.

"What are we going to do?"

"Just give me until tomorrow. I'll figure something out."

She punched his arm. "That's for kidnapping me." Hiccup looked behind him, at the dragons and I, and gave us a questioning look. When he turned back, she put her bangs behind her ear and grabbed his shirt, bringing him to her lips. She kissed him! She kissed my brother! "And that's for everything else."

She walked off.

Toothless stood next to Hiccup and looked at Astrid, then Hiccup.

"What are you looking at?" Hiccup asked, trying to seem normal or tough. I couldn't tell which.

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(AN: everything in parenthesis is third person POV)

The crowd cheered and Dad gave a speech about how proud of Hiccup he was, "Well I can show my face in public again. If someone told me Hiccup would be from being... Hiccup, to being first in Dragon training, I would have ship him off for feeding God made! And you know it! No one's more surprised or more proud than I am. Today, my boy becomes a Viking. Today, he becomes one of us!"

Hiccup made us promise that if something went wrong they wouldn't find Toothless.

"It's time Hiccup," Gobber said, "Knocked them dead."

Hiccup went into the arena and picked up a shield and small dagger. "I'm ready."

The doors opened and the monstrous nightmare circled around the cage a few times before spotting Hiccup.

The dragon slowly walked in front of him. Hiccup dropped his equipment and put his hand over the dragons nose.

Whispers throughout the crowd was like a hum in my ears.

"What's he doing?" I faintly heard dad ask.

Hiccup calmed the Dragon before throwing his helmet down saying, "I'm not one of them."

"Stop the fight," demanded dad.

"No," Hiccup said. "I need you all to see this. They aren't what we think they are. We don't have to kill them."

"I said stop the fight!" dad yelled, banging his hammer against the metal bars that stopped the dragons from flying away.

The dragon's eyes widened at the noise and snapped at Hiccup. Hiccup yelled and ran, barely missing the fire the Dragon blew at him.

(Toothless and Violet, who were lying down, resting, heard Hiccup's yelling and started trying to get out. Toothless desperately tried climbing out of the cove. He pulled out his class, determined to protect Hiccup, and climbed out of the giant cage he'd been trapped in. He ran through the forest as Violet flew closely above the trees, racing to protect their masters)

"Hiccup!" me and Astrid yelled. She grabbed an axe and used it to open the gate just enough for us to slide under. We ran to the weapons and she grabbed a hammer and threw it at the monstrous nightmare. I hid behind the weapons board. The dragon chased Astrid then I ran to the hammer and threw it near the Dragon, but didn't plan on hitting it. I loved dragons then almost as much as I do now.

I didn't hit it but got its attention. He paused for a second, looked at me, then continued to chase Astrid. "Well that did nothing," I muttered. But it bought her a few seconds.

Soon the Dragon was chasing all three of us at once.

"This way!" dad yelled, over by the gate. We started running there immediately.

Me and Hiccup were side by side, Astrid was ahead of us. She made it to dad and we were almost there when BAM a fire ball came in between us.

Hiccup grabbed my arm and scrambled in the opposite direction.

We looked behind us and the monstrous nightmare was closing in.

The dragon pushed us down and his claws came around us, trapping us in a cage- like thing.

I heard a high pitched scream before a blast.

The cage was gone.

Violet. Toothless.

They were fighting the monstrous nightmare.

"Night Fury! Two of them!" people gasped. Toothless and Violet fought the monstrous nightmare. The monstrous nightmare was on guard trying to get to me and Hiccup but Toothless and Violet wouldn't let him pass. After a few seconds the nightmare went into its cage.

The villagers started races towards us.

"Okay Toothless, go. Go! Get out of here!" Hiccup pushed Toothless as he growled at the surrounding villagers. Villagers who would love to kill our dragons.

"Violet go! Go back! Leave! Now! Go, Violet," I told her. She flew to the top of the arena but didn't leave. Probably because of Toothless- she was watching him.

"No! No, dad he won't hurt you," Hiccup yelled as dad grabbed an axe and started to charge at them.

Toothless charged at dad, pushing any viking in his way away. He jumped on dad, his front pass in dad's hands. Toothless opened his mouth and was about to throw a fire ball at him.

Hiccup and I tried to go stop Toothless but Astrid stopped Hiccup and Gobber stopped me.

"No!" I screamed. "Let me go!" I tried to reach Toothless but Gobber was stronger than me.

"No! Toothless! No! Toothless, no! NO!" Hiccup ordered. Toothless stared at Hiccup with confusion and sorrow. Violet landed next to me.

Vikings pulled Toothless off dad then piled on Toothless and Violet to keep them from escaping or attacking.

Couldn't they see that our poor dragons wouldn't hurt them? Couldn't they?

"No! Don't hurt them!" Hiccup pleaded.

"Please, don't hurt them!" I begged.

Someone handed dad an axe so he could kill our dragons. Luckily he pushed it away and said, "put them with the others."

************

Dad threw us into the great hall.

"I should have seen this," he said to himself. "We had a deal."

"Oh, this is so messed up," Hiccup said to dad.

"Was everything in the ring a trick? A lie?"

"Oh, we should have told you. Just be mad at me. Take it out on me. Just please, don't hurt Toothless. Or Violet."

"Please don't, dad. Take it out on us. Not them. Please."

"The dragons? That is what your worried about? Not the people you almost killed?"

"They was just protecting us! Their not dangerous!"

"They've killed hundreds of us!" dad yelled at us.

"And we've killed thousands of them!" I yelled back.

"They defend themselves," Hiccup protested. "They raid us because they have to. If they don't bring enough food back, they'll be eaten themselves. There's something else on their island, dad. It's a -"

"Their island? So you've been to the nest?"

Hiccup backed up, "Did I say nest?"

"How'd you find it?" Dad questioned.

"I didn't. We didn't. Toothless and Violet did. Only a dragon can find it." Dad got an idea look on his face. "No. Dad, please listen to me. You can't win this one." Dad started leaving. "Dad, for once in your life would you please just listen to me?" Dad pushed us to the ground.

"You thought you had it with them. Your not a Viking. Your not my son. Or daughter." He walked out, "Ready the ship's!"

Me and Hiccup looked at him with shocked faces as he left. Disowned. Disowned, repeat in my thoughts. Violet. Toothless. No.

********

We watched as they chained up Toothless and Violet, put them on the boat dad was on and sailed away. We stayed long after the ship's were gone.

"It's a mess," Astrid said. "You must feel horrible. You've lost everything. Your father. Your tribe. Your best friend."

"Thank you for summing that up," Hiccup said, sarcastically. "Why didn't I kill that Dragon when I found it in the woods? Would've been better for everyone." Not Toothless and Violet, I thought to myself. But it wouldn't be a good time to share that thought this moment.

"Yeah, the rest of us would've done it, so why didn't you?" Astrid asked. "Why didn't you?"

"I don't know. I couldn't," Hiccup answered simply.

"That's not an answer."

"Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?" Hiccup asked.

"Because, I want to remember what you two say. Right now."

"Ugh, for the love of- I was weak! I was a coward! I wouldn't kill a dragon."

"You said 'wouldn't' that time," she pointed out.

"Well I wouldn't! Three hundred years, and we're the first Vikings who wouldn't kill a dragon."

"First to ride one, though." There was a pause. "So..."

Hiccup looked shocked before giving a real answer. "I wouldn't kill him because he looked as frightened as I was. I looked at him, and I saw myself."

"Halla?"

"She looked scared and hopeless and lost. The same way I used to feel every single day. Like Hiccup, I looked at Violet, and saw myself."

"I bet their both frightened now. What are you going to do about it?"

"Probably something stupid," he responded with a shrug.

"Good. But you've already done that."

Hiccup's face lit up. Idea time. Yes!

"Than something crazy," he said, running off.

"That's more like it," me and Astrid said in unison. We smiled at each other and ran after Hiccup.

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