Hello there everybody! Here we go with another chapter in Moving On.

Warning! This chapter is set during the days and hours leading up to the Gulf War, if you served during that time, or in the part of the world, first I would like to thank you and second, if you don't want to read this as it may bring back some bad memories I completely understand. There is also some pretty nasty descriptions of violence and death as well as language...so basically why this has a T rating, so be forewarned.

"Do you see anything?" Ragnar asked as they were flying patrol over their section of Iraq looking for SCUD launchers. They had been in the same area for about four weeks and this would be their last night on patrol before leaving for home before the invasion started. During that time, they had used ambush tactics and never had to leave dragon back.

"I think we might have one at my 3 o'clock." Hiccup replied, pointing down towards the general area of the potential launcher. Ragnar and Wraith both looked over in that direction to confirm what Hiccup and Toothless had seen. Sure enough, there was a SCUD launcher sandwiched between a BTR-60 and an M35 2½-ton cargo truck knockoff.

"You take out the BTR, I will take out the launcher and then we can tag team the Deuce and a Half," Ragnar said to Hiccup as he was the most senior of the two and therefore in charge of the mission.

"Copy that," Hiccup responded as he broke away from Ragnar so they would attack to convoy from separate sides so the Iraqis wouldn't get lucky and get them both and so they wouldn't know which side they were coming from. They had adopted that tactic once the Iraqis started to escort any SCUD launcher that came in or through their territory. They both got lined up on their targets and began their approach; the high pitched shrill that the Night Fury makes when it powers up a shot started to ring out across the desert sky.

The Iraqis heard the noise and started to react to it, their eyes and guns pointed up towards the sky in preparation for the attack. They started to scan the sky, looking for the two boys and their Night Fury's. They wouldn't have the chance to fire a shot as Toothless and Wraith let their plasma shots go and instantly pulled up. Those plasma shots flew straight and true and hit their intended targets. Toothless's plasma blast hit the BTR-60 first, punching clean through the upper plate. Right through the driver's hatch. The drivers head was instantly vaporizing and the plasma blast kept going through the vehicle, severely burning everybody inside the armored vehicle before it came into contact with the engine and fuel tank, blowing the vehicle to Valhalla.

Wraiths shot hit the SCUD just as Toothless's shot was vaporizing the driver's head. Like Toothless's, Wraiths shot hit the fuel tank of the SCUD missile, causing it to ignite and create a chain reaction which blew up the high explosive warhead, destroying the SCUD launcher and mangling the front of the following truck. The driver and passenger, as well as ten Iraqis who jumped out of the back of the Deuce and a Half, started scanning the sky, taking shots at anything that they thought was moving.

"Hiccup, we better start shooting back before they actually hit something," Ragnar said to the teen as he aimed his M16A2 down range at the Iraqis and opened fire. Hiccup pulled Hefnd Nótt out of its holster and also aimed down range at the Iraqis and opened fire at them. The two young men managed to kill six of the twelve Iraqis before things started going wrong.

"ARGH!" Wraith cried out in pain, though to anybody without a Dragonstone it just sounded like an angry screech. The pair were down lower to the ground due to Ragnar having an M16A2 instead of an M24A3 like Hiccup.

"Hiccup, Toothless, Wraith was hit, we're going down!" Ragnar cried out in alarm as the pair started to flutter down to the ground.

"Hold on guys! We'll be right there!" Hiccup shouted at them as Toothless and him dove after them. Due to the difference in altitude, they made it to the ground a few second after Wraith and Ragnar touched down. Just as they landed, 7.62 mm rounds started snapping and hissing past them as the Iraqi soldiers started to fire at them now that they were on the ground and not able to blend into the night sky. The team got lucky as they had landed just behind a small sand berm that protected them from the bullets.

"Hiccup, we got to take care of these guys before we can patch up Wraith!" Ragnar shouted at him as they snuggled up next to berm and he reloaded his M16A2.

"Roger that Ragnar." Hiccup said just before he popped over to the top and hit two of the Iraqis while Ragnar managed to hit one, leaving three Iraqi troops for them to deal with. Those three troops decided to charge at the boys and their dragons. The first clue that the boys got was when they heard the Iraqis start yelling. Hiccup looked up and over the berm just in enough time to see the three men running on the other side.

"Look out!" Hiccup shouted out a warning to Ragnar just as the Iraqis came running over the top of the berm. Toothless managed to hit one in the chest with a plasma blast, cutting the man in two, before they got too close to Hiccup and Ragnar to fire a blast at. Hiccup tossed Hefnd Nótt to the side, pulled out his M9 pistol and managed to hit the enemy combatant charging him in the gut; the man just kept going though, ignoring the bullet wound.

"Fuck, Fuck, FUCK!" Hiccup shouted as the man who was charging him went to stab him with a bayonet attached to the end of his AK-47. Hiccup leaped to the left, causing the man to miss and stumble past him. Just as the Iraqi was recovering, he turned to see Hiccup leveling his sidearm at the man and then the flash of the gun firing before nothing. After Hiccup shot the man in the head, he turned to find the other and found him with a rather large dagger winning his fight against Ragnar, who was missing his helmet. Before Hiccup could think about what was happening he found himself reacting out of fear for his brother. The pistol in his hand was leveled at the final Iraqi and Hiccup fired at him, emptying the magazine into the man as he ran the few feet over to where they were fighting.

"Hiccup! It's ok! I'm fine, look!" Ragnar said as he intercepted Hiccup in a hug just before he could reach the now very dead man. Hiccup looked over at Ragnar and a sense of relief rushed through him and his hardened facial expression relaxed. Immediately Hiccup fell to the ground and emptied his stomach of all of its contents. Even though this wasn't his first kill, it was the first kill that he had done at short range by himself. "Hiccup, are you doing ok?"

"Ya I'm...I'm fine," Hiccup responded as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve and stood up. "Let's go check on Wraith."

"Are you sure?" Asked Ragnar with concern heavily laced into his voice as he grabbed Hiccup by the arm and staring him straight in the eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine. Let's just check up on Wraith so we can get out of here." Hiccup reinforced as he shook himself free and walked over to the dragons. It was then that Ragnar notice Hefnd Nótt was laying in the sand next to his helmet so he went and picked them up before walking over to where the rest of his team was waiting. He slipped the rifle back into its holster and his helmet on his head before giving Toothless a pat on the neck as he walking over to Wraith and Hiccup.

"How's he doing?" Ragnar asked.

"Oh, I'm just fine. Nothing like getting shot in the tail to wake a dragon up." Wraith said in a sarcastic tone. Hiccup just patted him before turning to Ragnar.

"Besides a damaged ego, it's just a flesh wound that will heal on its own in a few days. I wrapped it up so He should be able to fly, though I would suggest breaks every now and again just to be safe." Hiccup said though Ragnar could tell there was something else on his mind.

"Hiccup, what's going on?" Ragnar asked him, trying to get the truth.

"Nothing, just, let's get out of here before any Iraqi reinforcements arrive ok?" Hiccup responded as he walked over and hopped on Toothless.

"OK," Ragnar said with a defeated tone as he climbed onto Wraith, "when you're ready to tell me, just remember I'm here for you. You can't keep that shit bottled up forever Hiccup. It will eat you from the inside out." Hiccup just nodded as they took off and headed towards Coalition lines so they could head back home as the invasion, Operation Desert Storm, would start in two days and they had to make it back to the airbase and out of there before then.

They would have to stop every now and again to check Wraith's tail but other than that they flew all night in silence. The plane they had flown in on was still there with the tail ramp down so they flew straight into the back of the big cargo plane. Once in they closed the back hatch and signaled the pilots that they were aboard and ready to get into the air and head back to Anders Air Force Base. Ragnar sat across from Hiccup and kept waiting for the boy to say something, but Hiccup didn't say anything. He just leaned back into Toothless and both of them fell asleep, something they never did on plane flights.

"Oh Hiccup, I wish you would tell me what's bothering you," Ragnar said to himself as he leaned back against Wraith to get some rest as well.

"You know he's a stubborn boy. He's nineteen and technically a Viking. Is there any worse combination?" Wraith piped up as Ragnar settled back against him.

"True. What are we going to do? I can't let whatever is bugging Hiccup keep eating away at him, but I know if I push too hard he will never tell me." Ragnar said slightly downtrodden by the thought of not being able to help Hiccup through whatever it was that he was going through.

"Give him some time, I'm sure he will come around. If he doesn't then let's get Toothless involved. He will make sure Hiccup gets help whether the boy wants it or not."

"Okay, let's do that then. Now how about we get some sleep?" Ragnar said, punctuating it with a yawn.

"Fine by me." Was the response as the two laid down and fell asleep, worry on the mind of both man and dragon.

Well, that was a fun/interesting chapter to write. I hope you all enjoyed it! So age-wise, Hiccup left Berk about a month before his 16th Birthday, which is why he is 19 here as this is three years later. Also, Ragnar is a year and six months older, so right now he is 20, but will be 21 before the year is out. Just thought y'all should know that. Now remember you guys, if you have any question, comments, or concerns, just leave them in a review and either NarniaQueen or I will get to them.

Semper Fi,

Thearizona