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.*･｡CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.*･｡

——

"Ground all dragons!" Stoick demanded as he ran down the stone staircase, Hiccup and Vega close behind him, stumbling and tripping in confusion. Gobber was bringing up the rear, seeming to have already known too much to be asking any questions.

    "What?" Hiccup called out after him, "Why?"

Vega gasped when her boot slipped down a step, the water from falling in the ocean still having not completely dried out and sending her flying. Though, before we could have fallen far, Hiccup reached out and caught her with his arm, proceeding to hoist her back up with ease. He had gotten much stronger over the years they had been together, and the chiefs son had barely missed a beat when sweeping her back up. He placed a rushed kiss to her cheek, cringing slightly at the reminiscence of face-paint upon his lips, and quickly carried on.

"Seal the gates!" Stoick commanded as the dragon chambers came into view, all heads flying towards where he had appeared, "Lower the storm doors!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa- wait, wait." His son appeared behind him, desperately throwing his arms around in both confusion and frustration. It was another example of the way their relationship often worked; it was an ignore, ignore dynamic that they were both guilty of. "What is happening?"

Vega span on her heel to look up at Gobber, raising a challenging brow, "What the Thor is going-"

He simply pushed past her and continued down the stairs, waving a hand at those whom stood like fools. The young woman scoffed at the audacity and marched her way behind the three men, feet stomping. Vega didn't like to be ignored.

    "Hey!"

"Come on! You heard the man, lock it down!" Gobber ushered, sending everyone flying into action. He slammed down the leather to start closing the gates and watched as the Vikings rushed their dragons to their nests, hardly an idea about what was happening but quick to obey their chief's orders. Vega was nearly pushed off of her feet once again by a Gronckle and she scowled, but petted the dragon on the head nonetheless. She waved her hands gently to get it to move on to its human, the man thanking her with a head nod. Gobber shouted again, "Go, go!"

"No dragon or Viking sets foot off this island until I give the word!" Stoick proclaimed once again. A chorus of agreements and shouts followed in suit.

"Wait, because some guy you knew is stirring up trouble in some faraway-land?" Hiccup almost laughed at the concept. It was odd to him, to see his father run away from a fight for once in his life. He had never been the type of man to bow down, yet here they were.

Stoick turned and glared down at his child. It held nothing more than anger at the situation that could [and probably would] unfold, none of it aimed towards Hiccup himself, but it was still rather intimidating. Though, Hiccup had grown used to these glares over the years and stood his ground, narrowing his own green eyes at the man before him. The forest green grew wild, his lips pursed and jaw clenching. Vega looked between the two with uncertainty.

She wasn't ever sure how to handle situations such as these, despite having seen them many times. Even though it was a regular happening for Hiccup and Stoick to brawl, she had never experienced it herself. Her parents hadn't been around quite long enough for them to argue about ridiculous things or to have a spat of any sort, so Vega was forced to let the heat simmer on its own. It wasn't as though she could have done all too much, anyway. This was the chief of Berk that they were on about, and although he treated her like family, the bottom line was that she wasn't. She didn't have a say.

"Because Drago Bludvist is a madman without any conscience or mercy," He corrected, "And if he's built a dragon army, gods help us all."

   Stoick turned to face the people behind him, "Get them into their pens!"

    "Aye, Stoick." The Vikings nodded and began to make sure that each dragon was headed into their rightful pen, and that none were leaving against the chiefs orders. He nodded back, satisfied as they hollered out to the crowds with waving hands, "Quickly!"

   Hiccup pushed himself around the back of his father and ended up on his other side, ready to offer some sort of alternative.

    "Then let's ride back out there!" He suggested, making Vega sigh. There was no way his father would go for that, not in a million lifetimes. "We'll follow those trappers to Drago and talk some sense into him."

    "No." The man denied, "We fortify the island."

   Vega decided to intervene this time, marching over to Stoick with a pretty smile. He liked Vega. She wasn't his son, so there may have been a slightly higher chance that she would listen to him. Generally, he and Hiccup bickered far too much to ever listen to one another properly. But there was something about Vega that made people listen to her; perhaps it was because she was more threatening and serious, or maybe that she wasn't as humoured as her boyfriend was. Who knew?

    "Stoick-" she began, noticing Hiccup's shoulders slack. Vega forced a wider smile, "-isn't it our duty to keep the peace?"

   The man knew she was right, it was their duty to keep the peace, but it was too late for that now. 

    "Peace is over, Vega." He shook his head gravely and looked at both of them closely. Vega was a good fighter and always had a level-head; Stoick didn't doubt that she would find a way to get through this, his son alongside her. "I must prepare you both for war."

    "War?" Vega repeated incredulously.

    "Dad-" Hiccup gently guided his girlfriend back, the sound of her being involved with war making him feel weird and queasy. The two words didn't sound right together, they didn't fit. He pretended not to shudder, but kept her elbow in his hand for safety. "If Drago's coming for our dragons, we can't wait around for him to get here. Let's go find him and change his mind."

    "No. Some minds won't be changed, Hiccup." Stoick huffed, "Berk is what you need to worry about. A chief protects his own."

   The words frustrated Hiccup, Vega could tell. It was all in the way that the muscle in his jaw feathered as he grit his teeth, the crease in between his eyebrows and the vein in his forehead. He looked intently at Toothless, who has showed up along the events with Atlas and had peered up from around Hiccuo's father. She eyed him suspiciously as he then glanced around the chambers with a scowl after his father has sped away from their conversation, her face stoic.

    "Secure the stables!" Their chief demanded once again as the main gate began to rise, ready to latch itself at the top and not be opened until this fight was over — it hadn't even begun. "Latch every stall!"

   When he eventually dropped her elbow and took a step back, Vega understood what was going on. She turned and grasped his hand, "Hiccup, don't."

   He looked between her and the gate, the way the light grew smaller and smaller, the rays no longer hitting his face. Hiccup pursed his lips tightly and calmly brought her hand to his mouth, gently kissing her knuckles before letting them go. He shook his head and edged towards the place where Toothless sat, his face soft and warmed by the fact that he could still love her everyday after five years — he was sure that he would never get used to it, nor would he ever get used to how beautiful she looked in the last ounces of sun before the chambers would go black.

    "I have to." He whispered, and she nodded. She knew.

"This way! Quickly!" Stoick continued to delegate, unaware of his sons intentions until the boy flew right over his head. He gasped at the sight of the Night Fury and his face flushed red.

"Hiccup!"

   Rolling her eyes at his antics and the thought of him ever believing that she wouldn't follow, Vega placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Atlas' head quirked and she was soon at her humans side. Vega patted her head and climbed onto her back, ready to chase after the man she loved.

   She would have thought that after all these years, Hiccup would have understood that Vega was always going to follow him when he was going to do something crazy, no matter where it was that he went, just as he did with her. It seemed that wherever one was — most likely causing havoc and looking insane — the other would always, without a doubt, be close behind. It had been that way since they were fifteen, and Vega had followed him into that arena.

   Wherever Hiccup was, Vega would always be close behind. She was sure of it.

    "Vega Storm!" Stoick scowled in his Scottish accent, thick with rage. He stared the girl he saw as a daughter down, as though challenging her. She rose a brow as Atlas started to fly. "Don't you dare-"

    "Can't hear you, Stoick!" She chimed with a childish wave and took off into the distance, eyes narrowed as she and Atlas hurtled towards the gates. It was closing by the second and only a think gap remained; it was one that Vega was sure she'd lose her head if she didn't make it in time, or at least become half the human she currently was.

    "Come on, mom!" The words slipped from her tongue without thought, "We can do this!"

   And, with her head raised in determination, Vega Storm left the building as if the party was suddenly over. Which, it always was when she left any type of party. She was the life of them, after all.

    "Vega!"

   Then, the gates closed. The woman snickered, even if she would be in serious trouble when she for back. But Stoick always went easier on her, anyway.

• • •

"So, what's the plan, solider?"

"Agh!" Hiccup let out a yell of surprise, somehow having verbalised a scream rather perfectly. Vega watched in amusement from where she hung upside down, herself and her dragon flying above Hiccup and Toothless, blood rushing to her head. "Vega- what the-"

She snickered at him and Atlas rotated, the girl no longer needing to grip her saddle harshly as they now flew right side up. She fixed her hair and shook her head at the blood rushed back down behind her eyes, and she became dizzy for few moment. Vega had done such a thing many times before, but the sensation of the blood leaving your brain and freeing your face was one that she would always cringe at. No matter how fun it was to scare people as she flew upside down.

At his left side, Vega rose a brow at the boy and let out another laugh, one that was more of a playful giggle. He huffed and rolled his eyes but a smile made its way onto his lips. She grinned.

"Miss me?"

Hiccup pushed a scowl onto his face and shook his head, looking at her as though she were insane. "Why'd you follow me?"

"Nice to see you too, sunshine." She scoffed and sent him a pointed look, "You know- when the pride of Berk goes running off against his father's orders, someone has to follow him, right?"

"You should've stayed." Hiccup responded simply.

"And let you two have all the fun?" Vega smiled when Toothless snorted in excitement at her presence, clearly happier than her boyfriend. He then moaned and wiggled his tail, causing Hiccup to wobble and fall from side to side, scolding his dragon lightly. Toothless didn't listen, he was too happy to see the girl. She smirked and cooed at the Night Fury, "You agree with me, don't you, bud?"

He moaned again, and Hiccup frowned. Of course he was happy to see Vega, he always was, but this wasn't the time for her to play this game. If she was coming with him to find Drago, then she was going to get into just as much trouble as he was when they got back. Hiccup didn't particularly like it when the girl he loved was scolded for being sucked into his stupid actions, and this was one of the times that he wished that she wasn't so stubborn in wanting to help him out. He appreciated it, but he didn't want her to get hurt. They didn't know what they would find when they found Drago.

Hiccup had never doubted Vega. Not once. Since she helped him out in the arena when he was chosen to fight Hookfang, he had known that she would always be there to help him in the future. And she had been. From lifting a shield, to recusing endangered dragons and freeing them from ships and traders, she has always been there.

But for the first time, Hiccup hadn't wanted her to help him. If his father was spooked enough by Drago to hide away their dragons and put the village on lockdown, then there has to be a real threat.

He didn't want to admit it, but he had a feeling a nice chat wouldn't quite suffice in taming this man.

Vega was special to him. She was the light of his life other than his best friend, and even though she could fight better than any Viking in Berk, he was worried that this was one battle that they might not come out of. If Stoick the Vast was threatened, then anything could happen the very minute that Hiccup showed up on Drago Bludvist's doorstep. The word war echoed in his mind and he pursed his lips. This could end in war.

And for that reason, he needed Vega to go.

"You should head back." He insisted, "You're going to get in trouble, you know."

"Like that has ever stopped us before!" Vega threw her hands into the air, listening to Atlas squawk in agreement. The dragon was intelligent. "Your father loves me."

She had a point.

"Vega, this is serious-" Hiccup almost whined, glaring softly when she rolled her eyes at him and carried on flying, "-again I say, serious. Now, would you please turn back around?"

"No." She said bluntly.

"Vega-"

"Nope."

"Would you just-"

"I'm good."

Hiccup groaned, "Vega-"

"I'm just flying." The brunette shrugged her shoulders at him, "Is it illegal to fly, good sir?"

It wasn't often that Vega tested him and his patience, but when she did she loved it. The way the muscle in his jaw feathered made her smirk the cheeky lopsided smirk that had become her own over the years, and she found it hard not to laugh at the line between his eyebrows. Hiccup usually had a lot of patience, especially with Vega, but there had been a few occasions where he has nearly lost it.

This was one of those times, definitely. She would bug him until he cracked and gave in. It always worked.

"I don't have time for this," he sighed dramatically as he pushed a little further forward, his heart falling shadowed when she pouted her lips. "Go home, Vega. Please."

   She watched him fly for a few moments, ones which dragged as he got further away, until she narrowed her eyes at his back venomously. Hiccup had tried to send her away a couple of times during missions in order to keep her safe — to which she had always insisted she didn't need to be protected, because she didn't — but he had never turned his back on her, before. Usually, he gave in.

   So, why hadn't he this time?

    "Really, Hiccup?" Her tone held a certain attitude that made him hesitate, "After everything we've been through, all the dangerous situations we've been in, this is the one that you send me away from? Really?"

   He sighed, "Vega, you don't understand-"

    "To Thor, I don't!" She snapped. He immediately fell silent, letting her rant. "Why is this one so different, huh? Of all the crazy things we've ever done, why is this one so different? You think I can't protect myself- is that it? Well, I'll tell you something Mr Soon to be Chief. I can look after myself just fine. I've been doing it for eight years, Hiccup, and I sure as Valhalla won't stop now!"

    "It's not that," Hiccup shook his head, able to see the red in her cheeks as he peered over his shoulder. "I know you can protect yourself, Vega. You broke my arm, once."

   She growled at the back of her throat.

    "I thought you were-"

    "-Dagur, I know." A small smile twitched his lips, but he resisted it. "It's just- my father was scared of this guy, okay? I've never seen him act like that, before. Not even when my mom..."

   He let out a shallow breath before pushing the thought away, not noticing the way Vega's demeanour had softened. He wasn't going to admit that he wasn't sure his plan to talk to Drago would work, deep down. Hiccup wouldn't ever say something like that out loud, and Vega wouldn't ever make him. She didn't make him say it. Even if he did, she wouldn't listen. Because Vega believed in him. Since he had shown her that dragons weren't to be feared and that humans could live in harmony with the creatures, she had believed in every single thing he had ever done.

   When he had proved the village wrong about what they though they knew about the animals, she had believed in him. When they had made a new society for themselves on the edge, Vega had believed in him. Berserkers, Dagur, even fights with his father — Vega had always believed in Hiccup, because she knew that whatever he put his mind to, he had always succeeded in. It was a gift, he had.

   Hiccup was able to do anything he set his mind to, even when he doubted it. That was one of the many things that she loved about him. It was special.

    "This is probably going to get messy, and we're already in heaps of trouble, and-" he paused, "-and I just can't let something happen to you, right? I can't let that happen, Vega. Please go back."

   It was quiet for a while, and he almost thought that she had listened to him. A part of him saddened at the thought but when she spoke, he was uplifted at the sound of her voice. She was soon right next to him again, and this time he didn't complain. Not even once.

    "I don't think you know me well enough if you think that one of your soppy speeches is going to actually turn me away, Hic."

   He smiled softly, and she winked, "But nice try."

She always brought him around, in the end. Vega was his rock, after all, she kept him grounded.

"We've been by each others side for five years, Hiccup. I've walked into fire for you- literally." Hiccup laughed lightly at the memory of his girlfriend helping him test out his inferno, and the times she had aided with with his work on making their armour anti-flammable. Vega had, quite literally, walked into fire for him. She sighed, "We've done some crazy things, and that isn't going to change just because you're worried about my safety. When has that ever stopped me, before?"

"It hasn't." He said, head slightly low. She was right, and he knew it. Vega was always right.

"Exactly. I'd follow you anywhere." Vega nodded once, and Hiccup's heart sparkled. "So- tell me whatever crazy plan you have going on in that head of yours, and let's get on with it, shall we?"

——