How To Train Your Dragon- From One World To Another, And Yet I'm Home  

Disclaimer:

The Film 'How To Train Your Dragon', is Copyrighted by DreamWorks Animation and Distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois and released on March 26, 2010

The DreamWorks 'Dragons' were directed by Dean Deblois and Chris Sanders and released in 2013- 2018. I only claim Copyright to my characters and some of the elements of the story that are of my own creation.

Soundtrack (s):

John Williams- Sick Triceratops (Jurassic Park)

 Author Warning, Notes:

This symbol (*) means that there's something written about this particular paragraph in the Ending Author's Notes.

...

Chapter 7

I was startled awake with music ringing in her ears; my breaths were coming out in quick gasps, my chest heaved and my heart pounded against my rib-cage.

Whatever that dream I had just seen, it had been startling enough for me to have been jolted into wakefulness. I slowly sat up, holding a hand to my chest and hoping that I hadn't awoken Anca, Astrid, and Ruffnut with my flailing movements.

But thankfully both girls had moved away from my immediate vicinity sometime during the night and hadn't felt me flail to wakefulness.

Even Anca hadn't stirred at all which was quite an oddity for the dragon who was usually a very light sleeper and would startle awake at even the slightest of sounds, let alone movements.

'' What in the world... was that dream all about?'' I groaned inwardly and rubbed my uninjured left hand over my eyes.

'' Was that dream actually something that will occur in the future? What's with the whole' revealing my entire life-story to everyone in a Wizarding World by publishing it in a newspaper?''

I groaned again, this time out loud, which had the consequence of making Anca shift slightly behind me. I could feel her shift. But she didn't seem to have been entirely awoken.

'' Gods, what I saw in that odd dream just cannot be the real future! Although I must admit that the thought of Snotlout becoming a trustful, loving person that I apparently can count on as a life-companion doesn't seem bad at all, to me. That part is actually a very soothing glimpse of the future.... but wait just one sodding moment! What in Niflheim am I thinking?!''

Ronja pinched the bridge of her nose tightly enough to make it almost hurt.

'' There's no certainty that the dream I just saw was an actual premonition of the future! Gods, the whole Odin brought me to another world incident has clearly messed with my head! It's making me wonder whether every strange incident is a premonition of the future or something of my past or future that Odin purposefully wants to show me.''

I grimaced at the thought and leaned more heavily backwards against Anca's side. She grunted at the feeling but didn't open her golden yellow eyes.

'' Get a hang of yourself, Ronja! You're becoming a superstitious maniac if you keep worrying about matters that may or may not happen in ten years, a year, a month, a week or even in a day's time,'' I sighed out loud and started unwinding my hair from the three tight braids.

I still felt so very tired owing to the events of earlier (or last evening). The physical and emotional strife I had gone through earlier were still affecting me and I could feel my eyes closing on their own accord. But I had no mind to fight the feeling.

Some moments later my eyes closed all the way.

I just hoped there wouldn't be any more strange dreams for the rest of the night.

...

When I, at last, woke up from my restful (and needed) sleep, it wasn't by my own volition. It was, in fact, due to Anca 'screeching up a storm' and nuzzling me on the chest insistently.

'' Hey, hey, hey! Easy there, girl! Anca, what's wrong?'' I yawned out, reaching up to rub the female dragon's snout to calm her down.

Which didn't happen, instead she used her snout to easily push me into a sitting position.

'' Whoa, really now, Anca?!'' I muttered before yawning a second time and blearily looking around at my surroundings.

Until the surroundings fully registered in my head. I found myself suddenly fully awake.

I pushed myself to my feet, mouth gaping in shock, and stared at the tall and wide Movie theatre screen right in front of me.

I slowly spun around on the spot as I took in everything, to the lazily blinking Led-lights fitted onto the stairway that circled in a wide arch around the room (the walls were fitted with the same sort of lights).

But the most incredible thing about the surroundings was that everything from the walls, to the soft, red-clothed chairs and the floors were unstained and unscratched. Everything was new and pristine, with no person having sat on the furniture to watch what was to play on the screen.

And to make things even more bizarre, when I happened to peer down at myself I could see that I was once again wearing my black tunic over my white undertunic.

But I hadn't been the one to dress me!

'' What in the 'Gods names' is going on here?'' I stammered out in wide-eyed disbelief as I looked around again, taking in my surroundings like a 'baffled owl'.

'' Do not be afraid, Ronja,'' a soothing voice called out to me all of a sudden.

I froze to the spot in disbelief.

That sound, it was so familiar it brought me straight back to a life I'd lived almost a full sixteen months ago.

Immediate tears appeared in the corners of my eyes before sliding unchecked down my cheeks at the sight of the person standing up from a tier higher up in the theatre.

There he stood, looking almost exactly like he had when I'd last seen him. His long blond hair, that he had been growing over the years was just as I remembered it, but his beard looked like he hadn't bothered to cut it shorter in months.

And he looked pale and weary, with dark circles under his eyes. He also looked thinner than I remembered!

But it was my father! My dear 'ol dad whom I hadn't seen in far too long!

I quickly soothed Anca when she gave a low, uncertain growl as my father quickly made his way down the lighted stairs before pausing at the foot of them.

'' I-isä, oletko se t-tosiaan sinä (dad, i- is that really you)?'' I whispered in Finnish (my father's native tongue), voice shaking with emotions as he smiled at me.

'' Voi Ronja, rakas pikkutyttöni. Olen niin onnellinen kun saan nähdä sinut jälleen (Oh Ronja, my dear little girl. I'm so very happy to see you again),'' he answered,  his own blue eyes moistened from tears.

'' I- isä (d-dad)!'' I choked out as I took a stumbled step forward before running straight into his outstretched arms.

'' Voi Ronja, kaipasin sinua niin (Oh, Ronja, I missed you so),'' he murmured, lifting me up in a hug and pressing me close against his chest.

'' Ja minä kaipasin sinua, isä (And I missed you, daddy),'' I whimpered out, nuzzling his cheek with my own.

His scratchy beard tickled at my eyelids in a familiar way as I grasped him around the neck tightly, but not tightly enough to restrict his breathing.

I could feel my father's shoulders shaking with quiet, emotional sobs as he walked us over to the front Cinema- tier and sat down with me firmly held in his arms.

I clutched onto him like my life depended on it, shedding tears against his neck.

'' You look so weary, dad! Have you not been sleeping? Or eating? How did you even get here, dad?'' I murmured.

'' I haven't had much of an appetite these past weeks, yes, and I've been waking up every night due to a repeating nightmare of you running to the woods to look for mushrooms. And it wasn't that long ago that I'd found myself here following an early excursion to the kitchen making myself a pot of coffee. It was while in the kitchen that I realized Odin was standing outside on the lawn,'' father sighed.

I stiffened slightly at the reminder of how I'd unexpectedly met a real God. The nasty physical pain he had given me upon branding the 'Mark of Odin' onto my skin was something I would likely never forget.

And to think, the day had started off so well with me looking forward to meeting Annukka and Elsa again at the end of summer vacation, but instead, I'd gotten my trust betrayed.

And then the following incident in the woods had only added to the misfortunate August day.

'' Oh dad,'' I murmured regretfully, feeling worried for his health, and hugged him a fraction tighter.

'' I hadn't expected to meet Odin in those woods, dad. Sonja and I had been trespassing that area for years and yet nothing of such calibre had ever happened to us. Although I do recall several incidents where Sonja and I had felt that there was something, or someone out there watching our every move. And yet we couldn't see anyone out there, neither person nor animal,'' I murmured.

'' Well, that's a spooky thought! You think it could have been the Ravens, Huginn and Muninn, watching you and reporting to Odin about what they had seen and heard?'' father asked.

He physically winced at the thought and I snuggled deeper into my dad's hold. His warmth was so familiar and comforting.

'' Your right, it is spooky to think that Odin could have had spies in that forest watching us, reporting on us, until finally said god deemed it the right time for him to step forth to rip me away from the life I'd known. I still cannot fathom the exact mission he sent me out to accomplish in the world my mother came from, but apparently, I've accomplished what he wanted.''

I sighed into my father's neck before sheepishly whispering,'' And I'm so, so sorry that I ran off the way I did, dad. But I was j- just so hurt and taken aback by what Annukka and Elsa did to me that I- I just needed to leave somewhere I felt was safe.''

'' Annukka and Elsa did explain to us what had occurred at your grandma's house after a lot of prompting on their parents part. I was of course very, very upset at what they had done, but I had to leave it for their parents to punish them for their actions,'' Klaus sighed, hugging me a little tighter.

'' As for running off into the woods, I understand you needed your space, but your grandparents and I were absolutely devastated when you disappeared. We tried to find you with the help from the police and their dogs and yet we couldn't find you anywhere.''

'' And how long did the Police continue looking for me?'' I asked softly, brushing away the tears from my father's eyes.

'' For many months, Ronja. But I had begun to have my doubts about you disappearing due to natural causes by the end of the first month. That forest is way too remote, there, and you were way too knowledgeable about how to survive in the forest for it to have been anything but a supernatural cause.''

My father sighed, breath hitching in his throat.

I could feel more tears wetting the side of my neck, as he said, '' Your grandparents and I were sure that what happened to your mother years ago had occurred again. But this time it was their grandchild and my daughter who was the victim. The thought of holding the search only as a formality was a heart-shattering prospect.''

A soft sound, akin to a sob, roused from his lips and I cringed inwardly at the clear pain in my father's voice.

'' I had hoped beyond hope, that the moment I hugged you in the front yard of your grandparents' house wouldn't have been the last time I saw you, or to hear your voice.''

'' M-me too, daddy, for there were so many occasions where I could have ended up dead. And... I- I even almost ended up a slave to a prestigious Viking- family. But instead of automatically taking me in as a slave, the woman of the family decided it would be interesting, for her, to see whether an 'orphaned child' like me could manage to find another way to survive on the Island of Laketown. She had spies watching my every step as I desperately tried to figure a way out of becoming a slave. But I must say that at that time even that was a much better outcome than being seen as a 'piece of garbage' to be thrown off the ship. And that was what her brother was about to do to me until the woman stepped in to halt that order.''

'' Oh my gods!'' was the only exclamation my father could answer with as he held me protectively against his chest.

'' For days I wondered how in Helheim I was gonna survive, let alone be able to see your face again, dad. I- I missed you so much! Even on Berk where I eventually ended up going,'' I whimpered out, new tears spilling across my cheeks.

'' So... despite all odds, you ended up on Berk after all? Your mother's former home?! Did you end up telling...?'' dad asked.

I smiled wanly into his neck when I felt him stroke my back comfortingly.

'' No, I couldn't risk ending up being exiled from the island or be executed for treason because I had nothing on me that could prove that the Chief of Berk is my uncle,'' I answered quickly before he could finish the question.

Father gave a sad sigh.

'' So even on Berk you had to keep secrets. I wish you had carried something with you to prove who you were, instead of needing to keep secrets from the people on the island who took you into their society; even though you were practically a stranger, and an orphan in their eyes.''

'' Any tangible proof could have been stolen away from me by the ship-crew that took me to Laketown. Or the people of Lake-town themselves. Well, at least I was given back all my belongings upon stepping onto the shores of Laketown,'' I sighed out bitterly.

'' And yes, the people of Berk took me in, gave me a home and occupations in the Village and I repaid that favour by withholding the truth from everyone.''

''You probably had no other choice if you feared the consequences of telling of your relations. Although I'm sure you were on the brink of a mental breakdown at some point during those months.''

'' I was under a mental breakdown not long before I was brought into this Cinema theatre,'' I admitted quietly.

Father looked very saddened, but before he could talk I interrupted him.

'' I'm okay, dad, really. I just... missed you so much,'' I assured him firmly.

I sighed softly when dad ruffled my hair and pressed a light kiss to my forehead.

'' Dad, you started telling me how you came to be here but you never finished the tale. Did you talk to Odin?'' I asked.

'' As I already told you, Odin came to your grandparents' house. I felt his gaze on the back of my head, like a tangible touch, and I turned to see him staring at me through the window with his piercing look. He was just standing out there in the lawn with his four 'Familiars'.''

I sucked in a sharp breath as a shiver ran down my spine.

(*1) '' Well that brings in mind in how Sonja, our little cousin, Krista, and I felt that one evening during winter when it was very dark and we were walking back from the 'Down-house'. We could all feel eyes on us even though we couldn't see anything in the flashlight- light. All three of us ended up 'screaming up a storm' as we ran up the small hill towards grandma's and grandpa's house.

My dad gave a small chuckle even as I pulled back slightly and glared playfully at him.

'' Oh, it's not funny, dad! It was terrifying! You know we watched the Moomins, and the Groke used to scare the heck out of us! You can imagine how it may have seemed to us when we were walking outside in the dark.''

'' I bet it was terrifying. With those piercing blue eyes and silent countenance, Odin would fit in the horror stories for young kids. But putting jokes aside, I was very determined to get answers from Odin even if it had turned out to be my last deed on Earth. And yet I found to my utter frustration and anger, that Odin could be a very cryptic God; quite similar to Gandalf the Grey in J.R.R Tolkien's tales.''

'' Which means?'' I asked, raising an eyebrow.

'' He likes to talk in riddles and won't hand out answers easily,'' dad deadpanned.

I found myself bursting into wild giggles despite myself and I could feel my father's chest vibrating against my own as he, too, found the description rather amusing.

'' But what he did say, was that you were safe and sound and that you had accomplished what he sent you out to do in the land of Midgard. And yes, that's what your mother's world is called, not Earth, like the world I was born in.''

'' Midgard?!'' I repeated, thoughtfully tasting the name on my tongue.

'' Odin also informed me that he would send me to a place where I would know what your life had been like for the past sixteen months. But I didn't expect to find myself in a modern Cinema Theater with modern appliances.''''

He shook his head slightly and added,'' What is Odin thinking?''

'' Well, I'd say that Odin is a rather strange fellow. But he is known in the old Viking tales as a God in disguise. A God who seeks greater knowledge and carries the spear, Gungnir. And he makes wagers with his wife Frigg over the outcome of exploits,'' I drawled out, rolling my eyes slightly.

'' And is known as the god who had obtained the skáldskapar mjaðar (Mead of Poetry), that could have made him a (scholar) that can recite any information and solve any question. Perhaps he has been exploiting that skill all around and is now gonna show my own past exploits in the world of Midgard by bringing the two of us here.''

''For the love of... if that's really Odin's plan then its a rather clever, but likely often very discomforting and embarrassing way to give answers,'' Klaus exclaimed with a short, sarcastic laugh.

'' I agree, dad, it does leave one with the question as to how far he will go in showing us what had occurred in my exploits. And if it's just the pair of us who will get to witness those moments.''

BANGGGGG

Before my dad could answer, one of the side doors of the theatre were shoved open with great force.

I looked up slightly at the sound and couldn't help but give a teary smile and a delighted laugh at the sight of four more familiar dragons spilling into the room.

Just that day before the huge storm of the Devastating Winter coming in most Dragons, even Hookfang, Stormfly, Meatlug, Barf and Belch had flown off somewhere and hadn't returned to Berk, yet. (*2)

'' T-those are dragons?!'' father exclaimed in wide-eyed disbelief, shock and fright flitting across his face as he held me even tighter.

The dragons caught sight of me almost immediately and uttered a series of warbling sounds of recognition and acknowledgement. But they had the mind to keep their distance for now due to the now very wary expression on my father's face.

SHHRREEEAKKK

As for Anca, I had momentarily forgotten her presence, let alone how close she was to dad and me; for when she uttered a loud squawk, my father's yelp was extremely loud.

'' Ovatko jumalat seonneet lopullisesti? Miksi Odin toisi lohikäärmeitä elokuvateatteriin [have the Gods gone completely mad? Why would Odin bring Dragons into a Cinema Theater]?'' Dad growled, his wariness intensifying as became fully aware of the massive beast so very close to our proximity.

He set me down on the chair so he could stand in front of me protectively.

https://youtu.be/sS8-Gm27r9I

But I couldn't stifle a grin to my lips as Anca slowly came ever closer to the pair of us with a more curious than wary expression radiating from her pupils.

'' Do not fear them, dad, those dragons won't hurt either of us! Please just listen to me!'' I assured him.

'' T-they won't hurt us?!'' dad breathed out.

He was staring with baited breath at the dragon that seemed to be a living slice of darkness, coal black with eyes of pure golden yellow colour.

'' Yup, I know them all, dad. And besides, Dragons were never as bloodthirsty as it was believed for centuries. We discovered they can actually be very gentle, protective animals to those they trust.''

My dad looked at me in disbelief even as the other dragons carefully came closer, forming a ring around us.

'' You're sure they are what you say they are, Ronja?''

'' I'm very sure, dad,'' I answered, slipping out of the chair before he could stop me.

'' My friend's name is Ancalagon, Anca for short.''

'' As in Ancalagon the Black? In J.R.R Tolkien's Silmarillion? But it's a boy's name,'' father said in a hushed tone of voice.

'' Trust him to have remembered that piece of the franchise from the book, Silmarillion. He is just as much a fan of Tolkien's Middle Earth Franchise as I was back at home,'' I thought, grinning even wider at his words even as dad stiffened slightly as Anca finally closed the small gap between us humans and curled her long tail over the chairs of the theatre behind dad's back.

I moved to sit just shy of touching her front leg as my dragon friend stretched her neck and began to curiously sniff my dad.

I could spot the slight tremors to my dad's form as he sat stiffly on the chair as Anca's nostrils and snout lightly touched his hair and skin, her breath blowing light gusts against his face.

I could feel it too; it felt almost like the gusts of vapour after the water had been thrown on the stones inside a sauna. But Anca was toning it down to avoid hurting us.

'' She doesn't mind me having given her a boy's name, don't you girl? You are such a tomboyish dragon,'' I crooned at her and Anca uttered a peaceful purr and gently nuzzled my face.

I lifted a hand to stroke the side of her jawline and giggled out loud when I felt the weight of my dad's hand suddenly lifted over my own.

As his longer, thicker fingers went over my much smaller ones and were able to reach over to trace over my dragon's warm scales, (ever so gently as if he were touching a fragile fossil), I glanced at his face from the corner of my eye.

I could see that the look on his face was one of boyish awe and curiosity.

Anca gave a slight noise of surprise at the feeling of a stranger's fingers against her jaw but didn't baulk away from his touch when my dad whispered,'' Hey, hey it's okay, girl. I won't hurt you. I admit I was caught off guard by having you and the other dragons here, at first. But the way you react to my daughter's presence... it seems there really is more to you Dragons.''

'' That's it, dad, no sudden moves,'' I said, but had to elaborate when father gave me a questioning look.

'' She was uneasy around adult Vikings for a while following certain events in Berk, but I think she understands that you are someone I know very well and that you have no weapons in sight. Just don't touch her with your whole palm, yet. Let her initiate the touch,'' I whispered, lifting his palm away from Anca's scales before sliding my own hand from under my father's hand.

Anca gave another warbling noise and sniffed at dad's palm for a moment longer.

(*3)

But then he slowly nudged into it, seemingly getting over her wariness or shyness.

'' Ummm... Ronja, what does this mean?'' father spoke in a hushed tone as Anca suddenly pushed stronger against his hand until she was nudging his chest.

I giggled, slightly amused by the almost panic on his face at having my dragon friend rub the side of her jaw against him.

 Anca now looked completely at ease with his presence.

'' Hahaha! She accepts you as a no threat to her, dad. She wants to be friendlier with you.''

Dad gave a nervous chuckle at my answer but relaxed after a moment. 

A short moment later he became more daring and started sliding his hands over the scales on Anca's snout before moving his palm towards where her lighter ash- coloured horns were located.

'' This is... probably what it would have been like to touch a live dinosaur in that first 'Jurassic Park movie'. Do you remember it, Ronja?''

I nodded with a smile.

'' Not necessarily in how the texture of the skin would have felt like, but in the feeling that you're touching such a large, magnificent animal,'' he added in a murmur, running a palm over the horns, too.

I glanced around at the red Monstrous Nightmare, Deadly Nadder, Zippleback and Gronkle in the room. They were all watching my father's quick acceptance of their presence in what I deciphered was 'confusion'.

But I think I understood the reason for my father's boyish curiosity, now.

Unlike my mother, the people of her village and even I, father had only heard stories of Dragon Raids in the Village of Berk. He had never seen the destruction or mayhem when it came to dragons flying to one's village to steal farm-animals. He hadn't witnessed dragons destroying buildings with their fire; even killing villagers if things had escalated to another destructive level.

But now the Villagers were aware of the reason why their Village had been targeted six times a year! Year after year! Since the Vikings of 'my' ancestors had first sailed to the island and made it their home-island!

'' Dad has never been in the midst of a raid; and so here he stands, now, with hands completely untarnished from spilling Dragon-blood. Anca, Hookfang, Stormfly, Meatlug, Barf and Belch could all sense it, I'm sure, '' I thought, beaming at the sight of my father's marvelled expression. 

Just getting to experience this sort of moment with my own father brought tears of joy to my eyes. But those tears of joy were soon engulfed by tears of sad remembrance of my past exploits on Berk.

Because dad was looking at my dragon-friend for the first time. With eyes that didn't see the 'Monster' that she was deciphered in old Viking stories!

Something I failed to do when I'd first laid my eyes on a dragon!

Because I knew Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut or Tuffnut, HAD never physically spilt dragons blood with their own hands!

Sure, Hiccup had unfortunately been responsible for Toothless's crippling injury to his tail. And sure, we had all been there to stop the Queen Dragon from killing the Elder Vikings who had sailed to Helheim's Gate on orders from 'our Chief'.

Hiccup and Toothless had, in a way, been the heroes responsible for ending said massive dragon's reign over the other Dragons. Though it had self-combusted when it had attempted to kill my cousin and his dragon, those two had been the ones to 'lit the fuse' when Toothless had fired a strong Plasma-blast in its mouth and throat.

But I was the only teenager of our group of Riders who had ever felt dragon's blood slide across my hands and down my arm; still very hot and sticky to the touch.

Because I had been the one to push a sharpened sword through its flesh!

I may NOT have 'killed' a dragon, but I HAD wounded one!

'' Dad's soul is quick to accept the reality that these creatures could be just animals with their own instincts on life because he has never witnessed the horrors of a Raid ,'' I thought with a lump lodged in my throat as I reminded myself how I'd once been so willing to become a dragon- killer one day, if it meant keeping the people who had taken me in as a member of the Village, safe.

'' Unlike... unlike me who had believed them to be nothing more than a constant threat to our lives in the Village. Because I, a person who was proven wrong, was responsible for showing him the bond formed between Anca and me!'' I thought inwardly, still feeling incredibly humbled and sad.

'' Dragons are incredible, aren't they?'' I whispered out loud to dad, trying to recollect the happiness and joy that had been present earlier but had been discarded when my thoughts had wandered to those sorry days before we teens had been dubbed the 'Dragon Riders'.

'' I- I never thought I'd meet a real dragon, let alone be able to touch one, Ronja. But now that I've been given that chance, I'd say that these dragons are just about the most amazing animals I've ever laid my eyes on,'' my father answered with quiet fervour showing in his eyes.

'' They are, dad. They really are amazing,'' I answered, laughing and crying at the same time as Anca crooned at my father's touch against her scales.

I swiftly ran a hand over my eyes to stave off the remaining tears in my eyes and asked,'' Say, you wanna ride Anca?''

'' W-what? Ride her?'' my father stuttered as he immediately turned his head in my direction.

I only smiled cryptically at him and resolutely moved towards where my saddle was strapped over Anca's neck (someone had put the saddle on her, but it hadn't been me) just slightly behind her jutting horns, and nimbly climbed on.

End of Chapter 7

...

Author's Note:

(*1) There was a large group of our relations living close-by to each other at a time when my father had been a young child. The three houses were called 'Down-house', 'Middle-House' and 'Uphouse'.

The reason for those names was that the 'Up House' was on top of a high hill, the middle-house was between the hill and the 'Down-house' was on flat ground.

( *2) The How To Train Your Dragon Series episode "Animal House" will henceforth be largely different from canon.

(*3) The result of this drawing wasn't completely in sync with what I had in mind for the result. But I'm satisfied. :) 

As for the first meeting between Klaus and Anca, I was strongly influenced by a scene from the 'Jurassic Park' movie. The novel 'Jurassic Park', is Copyrighted by Michael Crichton, and the 1993 film adaptation film by Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment.

P.S. Sorry, I couldn't come up with the right sort of title for this chapter.

P.S.S. Constructive criticism is always welcomed by the Author