"Mom, you'd never even recognize it!" Hiccup said excitedly as he crossed the room, a wooden tray in hand. "Where they used to make weapons, Berk now builds saddles, wing slings..." Hiccup reached into a basket of fish, taking some out and putting them on the tray. "Even fix dragon teeth!" he said with a laugh.

Hala batted Toothless' head when she caught the dragon trying to snag fish out of the basket, and Toothless looked at her innocently, obviously in a way of saying, I didn't do that.

This whole time, Valka and Stoick were watching their children with amusement as the two ranted and bragged about how much had changed since Valka was taken. All in all, Valka was quite impressed by the two dragon riders.

"Your son and his lovely wife has changed Berk for the better," Stoick said proudly, laying his hands on his wife's shoulders. "I think we did well with them, Val."

"Thanks, Dad," Hiccup said, while at the same time, Hala said, "Thank you."

Valka attempted to carry the tray, but, she stumbled over a very misfortunate placed stone and lost her balance for a few moments. The plate tipped and the fish dumping onto the floor. Scarlett got to it only moments before her brother did, scooping the food up into her mouth before Toothless even had the chance and even Shortstuff got a small bit from her as he lays on the female Night Fury's head.

Toothless looked up at his sister sadly, and apparently, the dragon felt bad for the him, because she regurgitated fish back onto the ground for the dragon. Toothless was more than happy to accept the more-or-less chewed pieces of what used to be cod, slurping it up off the ground.

Heather winced, and Hiccup only laughed softly. It wasn't long before Heather joined in. They both understood the behavior of dragons and got used to how Windshear does the same for the Razorfuries back home, and were used to watching dragons regurgitate food for each other.

Still, though...

"That was kinda gross," Hala commented.

Hiccup shrugged. "It's even more gross when you know what it tastes like," he shivered.

Hala turned to him, confused as Heather already knows the sort. Even though he and Hala were brother and sister, there were still so many things he hadn't talked to her about. Little things, probably insignificant things, but things she felt the need to know.

"What are you talking about?" Hala asked.

Hiccup shuddered and squeezed her shoulder. "Let's just say I've had some unfortunate dragon bonding experiences while training Toothless," he said plainly.

Hala didn't even want to know now.

Valka laughed nervously, and the sister and the brother turned to look at their mother. "I'm..." Valka sighed. "I'm a little out of practice."

"Well, you know," Stoick said, pausing as if to savor every word he was saying, "I didn't marry you for your cooking."

"I hope not!" Gobber said, ruining the moment. Valka handed another tray of fish to Hiccup, and Hiccup instantly took it and approached his mentor, setting the tray to the side. "Her meatballs could kill more beasts than a battle ax!" the blacksmith went on. "I've still got a few knocking around in here." He pat his stomach and chuckled lightly.

Gobber took a bite of the fish, grimaced in disgust, and quietly fed what was left on his plate to Grump.

"And once you two move back, with all your dragons," Heather said, almost excitedly, "oh, Drago won't stand a chance." Honestly, she didn't see how between Valka's dragons, Berk's dragons, and the Edge's, Drago would stand a chance, even if he did have an army.

They had never actually seen Drago face-to-face before, but they didn't think he was capable of doing anything that would defeat these people, and Stoick's people.

"That's right," Hiccup agreed slowly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Everything will be okay!" he said, shutting his eyes and gesturing with his hand to nothing in particular.

Heather couldn't help but agree, but when she looked at her father, she saw him shaking his head, smiling faintly. "Slow down, you two," he said, moving to stand behind them. "It's a lot to take in."

"Oh," Hiccup and Heather said quietly, almost in perfect unison. Hiccup let his arm drop back to his side, twiddling his fingers uneasily. Heather looked down at the ground, unsure of what to do.

"Gotcha," Hiccup said at length, but at this point, no one was listening to him. Valka stepped towards one of the icicles that jutted from the ceiling, a wooden pitcher in hand. She set it under the dripping icicle and held it there as if oblivious to her family for the first time since they were reunited.

Then, to their confusion and slight delight, Stoick pulled away from her and Hiccup, and began whistling.

The whistle was quiet and serene, very peaceful and tranquil. A tone softer than any other noise they had ever heard come from him. Heather, Hala, and Hiccup, as silent as possible, stepped back towards Gobber, Heather at his left and Hiccup at his right.

"Oh, I love this one," Gobber said, almost dreamily as Stoick continued whistling. Heather didn't recognize the tune her father was whistling, but some part of it felt...familiar. Like something she had seen in a dream.

The whistling came to a quiet end, and Stoick took the pitcher from Valka's hands, setting it to the side. Valka leaned against a smooth rock that was serving as a countertop, breathing almost heavily.

"Remember our song, Val?" Stoick whispered. Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he paused, and then began singing. "I'll swim and sail on savage seas," he sang softly. "With ne'er a fear of drowning..."

Now that they heard the words, they knew what the song was. It was a commonly sung song during weddings and renewals of vows. She glanced over at Hiccup and realized that the boy must have realized the same thing at the same time as she did, because he smiled even bigger, his eyes fixated on his mother and father. It was the same they sung at their wedding.

"...And gladly ride the waves of life," Stoick continued, his voice lowering only slightly. "If you will marry me." He paused and took a breath, taking Valka's hands in his own. "No scorching sun," he went on, his voice rising, "nor freezing cold, will-"

"Will stop me on my jour-" Gobber began excitedly, waving his hand. Heather, Hiccup, and Stoick alike glared at him, and Gobber's face twisted into embarrassment. "-Ney," he finished lamely. "Sorry."

Heather elbowed him, and Hiccup shook his head in silent shame.

Sighing only slightly, Stoick went on, "If you will promise me your heart..." He paused, hesitating only for a moment before continuing. "And love...?" he asked hopefully, nodding in a silent "okay" for Valka to sing her part of the duet.

But Valka remained silent, and Stoick sighed, looking back at the ground sadly.

"And love me for eternity..."

Hold up.

That was her Valka's voice, beautiful and calming and soothing all at once.

Hiccup, Hala, and Heather jerked their head up in their direction, watching as Stoick's features softened and Valka turn towards her husband.

She took a shallow, shuddering breath, and then continued. "My dearest one, my darling dear," she sang, "your mighty words astound me...but I've no need of mighty deeds when I feel your arms around me."

The song began to pick up, and without missing a beat, Stoick took his wife's hands in his and continued singing. "But I would bring you rings of gold. I'd even sing you poetry-"

"Oh, would you?" Valka laughed.

"And I would keep you from all harm!" Stoick went on. "If you would stay beside me!"

"I have no use for rings of gold!" Valka continued singing, the tempo of the song picking up just a little more. "I care not for your poetry! I only want your hand to hold!"

"I only want you near me!" Stoick sang.

Then, they began singing together as one voice, as if they had rehearsed it a thousand times. The tune modulated, and the tempo became faster. "To love and kiss to sweetly hold, for the dancing and the dreaming!" they said in unison.

Gobber stood up and began dancing with himself as Stoick and Valka continued. "Through all life's sorrows and delights, I'll keep your love inside me!"

Gobber grabbed Heather's wrist and pulled her up with him, despite her feverish protests. Hiccup laughed, but his laughing was ended abruptly when Hala yanked him up with them as well. Hiccup stumbled on the first few steps as he was yanked around as though he were the end of a whip, but he was laughing the entire time.

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas," Valka and Stoick continued, the tempo getting even faster as they did the final verse, "with ne'er a fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life, if you will marry me!"

Gobber finally released Heather, which resulted in her and Hiccup tumbling into each other and crashing against Toothless, who then crashed into Windshear and Scarlett. Gobber, oblivious to the two of them, continued holding the word me out as if his life depended on it.

"I'M STILL GOIIIIIIINNNNGGGGG-" Gobber went on.

At length, the young trio finally got to their feet, and once they did, they elbowed the blacksmith.

"Gobber!" Heather laughed.

"I'm done," Gobber said.

They stood there, breathing heavily for a few moments and regaining their breath.

"I thought I'd have to die before we could have done that dance again," Stoick said breathlessly and very...dreamily.

"No need for drastic measures," Valka said reassuringly.

"For you, my dear," Stoick got down on one knee, "anything." He took her hand, holding it in his large ones. "Will you come home, Val?" he asked. "Will you be my wife once again?"

Valka's eyes softened, but she didn't say anything. Heather could see tears beginning to build in the woman's eyes.

"We can be a family!" Stoick said, standing up, putting his arms around Hiccup and Hala's shoulders and pulling them against his sides, along with Heather, his eyes on his wife at all times. "What do you say?"

Toothless bumped Valka from behind, and Valka chuckled softly. "Yes," she said, and that one word was filled with more emotion than any other word Heather had ever heard.

"Great!" Gobber walked up from behind them. "I'll do the cooking!"

The joke sent a laugh through the group. Hiccup, Hala and Heather broke away, letting the parents have some time to themselves. Hiccup and Heather stood beside their dragons once again.

"This is incredible," Heather breathed, saying the thing they were all thinking.

"I know," Hiccup said in the same breathy voice. He exhaled sharply through his nose, running his hands through his hair. "I've kinda forgot what it's like to have a mother." He looked at her through his bangs and smiled.

She smiled back.

"Thank Odin you didn't listen to me, you two," Stoick said from across the cave. "We never would've found each other."

Hiccup opened his mouth to respond, but then, all at once, Toothless, Scarlett and Windshear bared their teeth and growled towards the mouth of the cave.

Heather's smile quickly turned into a frown, and she stared at her dragon in confusion. "Windshear?" she questioned. "What's wrong with you?"

"Scarlett, Shortstuff?" Hala asks seeing her two dragons looking out.

"Toothless?" Hiccup said, putting himself in front of his dragon. "What's happening?"

Toothless didn't have a chance to answer. Outside the cave, they heard the sounds of dragons roaring in terror. Valka And Hala shoved past their family, raced outside the mouth of the cave, and ran to the edge of the cliffside.

Heather, Stoick, and Hiccup followed her closely, and they skidded to an abrupt stop as soon as they saw what was happening.

A fleet of ships surrounded the ice structure, bigger than any fleet Heather had ever seen before in her life. Bigger than the Berserker's fleet. Bigger than Berk's fleet.

This, was Drago's fleet. It didn't take a genius to figure out that much.

"Oh no," Hiccup and Hala whispered in union.

"Oh no" was right. Heather and her family were finally going to come face-to-face with Drago Bludvist.

And they were going to do it on the line of battle.

Hala knocked her fist into her palm, narrowing her eyes at the fleet of ships before her. "We can take 'em," she said determinedly. "Come on."

She was about to mount Scarlett as Shortstuff planted himself on her left shoulder, when her mother spun around on her heel and stormed back into the cave.

Stoick instantly ran in front of Valka, trying to stop her. "Val, Val, it's alright, alright," he repeated over and over again until finally his wife stopped. "We're a team now, now what do you want us to do?"

"We have to save the dragons." Valka said instantly, her voice sharper than Heather had ever heard it so far.

"Aye, you got it," Stoick said, turning as soon as the words left his mouth. "Come on, son!" he called behind him, and Hiccup chased after his father, followed quickly by Toothless.

"Heather, you're with me," Valka said, and Heather nodded. This was no time to argue. She wanted to go with Hiccup and Stoick, maybe help them, but at the same time, she wanted to help protect her mother-in-law and sister.

"Whatever comes," Drago shouted to his men. "Keep hitting the mountain! We need to draw the Alpha out!" Catapults were fired, boulders flying through the air and smashing against the ice cave. "Ready the traps!" the same commanding voice shouted.

Now that really didn't sound good. They looked down at the ground. Metal contraptions like bear-traps littered the white ground. Trappers and soldiers gathered around them, pulling cranks and lowering chains.

Hala was about to go down and destroy one of them, but then, gas surrounded one of the traps, and an instant later, the gas lit into flames and exploded.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut emerged from the smoke, mounted on their dragon. "SURPRISE!" Tuffnut cheered. "YEAAAAH!"

"WHAT!?" Drago shouted.

Heather let an evil smile flash across her face seeing the team's finally back together after two years apart. Good. Let's see how this guy likes our dragons.

"Dragon Riders, coming through!" Tuffnut screeched in triumph. "Yeehaw!"

"Fire!" Fishlegs' voice sounded from the South, and they turned her head in time to watch as the rider of the Gronckle pointed down at traps. Snotlout swooped downwards on Hookfang, and the Monstrous Nightmare burned traps to the ground, cheering as he did so.

"Ha ha ha!" Snotlout cackled like a dying mountain goat. "Snotlout, Snotlout! Oy, oy, oy!"

For once in her life, Heather smiled at her husband's cousin obnoxious battlecry. "Yeaha!" she cheered. "Go Snotlout! Go Snotlout!"

Snotlout jumped and jerked in her direction. His face was absolutely priceless. "WHAT!?" Snotlout blurted. Heather only smirked in response. "You're not supposed to AGREE with me!"

Heather shook her head and rolled her eyes. "It's good to see you again too, Snotlout!" she said.

The twins swooped down on their Zippleback. Barf breathed gas over the traps, and then, Stormfly soared over it and lit it. The dragons that had once been trapped were freed, and as soon as they were, they chirped at Stormfly and took to the sky.

"CUT, THEM, DOWN!" Drago commanded.

"HA, COOL!" Tuffnut laughed.

Valka glanced over her shoulder at Heather, and then shifted her gaze towards the dragon riders. "Heather, take out the catapults, if you can!" she called. "Help the others! Keep the dragons safe!"

Heather didn't argue. Instead, she nodded simply, turned Windshear in the opposite direction, and sped towards the traps and catapults.

"Windshear, barbs!" Heather ordered, and instantly, Windshear flicked her tail. Spines flew in all directions, snapping ropes and damaging catapults. More barbs were fired, and they sliced through chains of dragon traps, destroyed winches, and freed trapped dragons.

But there were more traps, and more catapults. More rocks flew through the air, slamming against the ice.

A large icicle fell straight through the air, cut off the ice spike structure from catapult ammo. It fell down, straight towards Stormfly, who had Astrid and Eret mounted on her back.

"Look out!" Heather shouted, hoping her warning was loud enough for them to hear.

Before they even had the chance to react, two blasts of purple light flashed through the sky, and the icicle was reduced to snowflakes by plasma blasts from the two Night Furies.

"Yeah, baby!" Hiccup whooped, despite their situation. He sounded way too excited for his own good.

Below them, soldiers shouted, "Take them down!" but before they could actually react, Gobber flew low over them, mounted on Grump.

"Heads up!" Gobber called in a very relaxed tone of voice. Despite the initial slightly-faster-than-snail-speed of the dragon Gobber was riding, Grump was able to knock the threatening soldiers unconscious, using his tail as a bludgeon.

"Ho ho ho!" Gobber chuckled, obviously enjoying every moment of this.

Hala flew alongside Hiccup, and Hiccup flew alongside Stormfly. "Welcome aboard, Dragon Rider!" he called to Eret, who was sitting in front of Astrid on Stormfly's saddle, holding onto the Nadder's horns for dear life.

"Congratulations!" Heather cheered as well. Eret was on their side now, obviously, and the Dragon Rider couldn't help but smile. That was one less trapper to deal with. "Welcome!"

"Thanks!" Eret called back, although he seemed very unsure of himself. Not unsure of his decision, but unsure of how to control Stormfly. "I think!" he added quickly after another moment.

Astrid laughed halfheartedly, and then looked back at Hiccup and Heather. "Where have you two been?" she asked. "And who is next to you and where did she get a Night Fury?

"Oh, you know," Hiccup said casually. "Just...catching up with Mom and my sister."

The look on Astrid's face was priceless, and Hala raised her mask to greet Astrid. if on cue, there was a cracking and a roaring.

They turned to watch as the Alpha smashed through the remainder of the ice cave, roaring all the while. Valka stood on top of Cloudjumper, her bullhook raised over her head, her mask once again covering her face.

Astrid gasped, her eyes wide and full of shock. "That's your sister and MOTHER!?" the Hofferson exclaimed.

"Wellp," Hiccup said casually, popping the "P", "now you know where I get my dramatic flair!" He flicked his helmet back over his face, and Toothless broke away from the rest of the dragon riders, towards the right with Hala right behind him.

"The Alpha! Now we have a fight!" Drago cheered.

That was kind of freaky. What did Drago mean? How was it a fight now? They watched as the Alpha froze Drago's soldiers, and some traps as well. Zipplebacks attacked, rolling like balls of fire.

How was Drago happy about this? With Valka's Alpha coming to help fight, Drago was sorely outnumbered.

One of the Zipplebacks got caught in a trap. Heather sped towards it on Windshear, followed quickly by Toothless and Hiccup.

"Come on, Windshear!" Heather cheered. "Let's free that dragon!"

"Show them what you got, bud!" Hiccup instructed Toothless at nearly the same time.

"Let's take them down, guys." Hala tells Scarlett and Shortstuff as they go in.

As soon as the dragons were given their commands, Windshear flicked her tail. Silver spines shot like arrows through the wind, dangerously fast and unstoppable. They sliced through ropes easily.

The Night Furies fired a plasma blast each at the remaining chains that Windshear didn't hit, and the trap exploded into purple fire. The Zippleback that had once been caught shot back into the sky, roaring happily, unharmed and free.

"Yeaha!" Heather cheered, throwing her hands into the air.

"I've waited a long time for this," Drago snarled.

And then, he stepped forward, and the madman and Heather's mother were brought into battle.

"You cannot take our dragons!" Valka said, swinging her bullhook, authority burning through her slightly muffled voice. "They are controlled by the Alpha!"

"Then it's a good thing I brought a challenger," Drago hissed, pushing against Valka's staff.

The timing was perfect. As if on cue, a second dragon rose out of the water, large, terrifying, horrendous...

Another Bewilderbeast, just like Valka's. No wonder. No wonder! Drago had another Alpha.

Drago had a challenger, just like he said.

A good challenger.

A worthy opponent.

"ANOTHER ONE!?" Hiccup shout, just barely from somewhere behind Hala.

"That is a class ten!" Fishlegs yelped. "Class ten!"

"No..."

"Come on!" Drago shouted at his Alpha. His attention had been drawn away from Valka easily, as soon as the dragon had risen out of the water. "Take down the Alpha!" Drago commanded.

"No!" Valka shouted. She swung her staff, hitting the back of Drago's head. The man spun around again instantly, his own bullhook at the ready to defend himself.

Drago tripped her and pried off her helmet. Now that Drago could see her face, she was filled with dread. Valka's eyes, so full of regret and fear and hopelessness...

Drago raised his bullhook...but was stopped. Stoick, was there and he was furious.

It wasn't hard to see why; Drago just attacked his wife, and then went for his family.

"Valka, think you can stop them?" Stoick asks her.

"I can try. Come, Couldjumper." Valka says and leaves to stop them.

Valka directed Cloudjumper to fly directly in front of the Bewilderbeast. She put her hand out to him and raised the bullhook, but nothing happened.

"Mom?" Hala questioned.

Valka tried again, seemingly oblivious to their voice. "I can't do it," Valka whispered, seemingly horror-stricken. She lifted her head to Hala and raised her voice. "I can't do it!" she said.

The Bewilderbeasts were fighting, and below them, Stoick and Drago were at each other's throats. The other dragon riders were attacking traps and blasting dragons free of nets, but even then, there was only so much they could do.

Their only hope of winning this battle was if Valka's Bewilderbeast killed Drago's Bewilderbeast. If he didn't...

There was no positive way to end that thought.

But then, just as Hala was about to shout for her mother to try again and to try harder, Drago's Bewilderbeast shoved Valka's and slammed him against the ground.

What could they do? It all happened so suddenly. Drago's Alpha pulled back, and lurched forward, burying his tusks into the other Alpha's stomach.

"No!" Valka and Hala both cried.

Valka's Bewilderbeast was dead.

Drago's Alpha rose to his full height, standing over the body of the deceased Bewilderbeast.

The Bewilderbeast was dead. The good Bewilderbeast; the Bewilderbeast that was on their side and that was going to help them win the fight.

At the same time, Hala was overwhelmed with fury. She steered Scarlett back, and sped towards the other dragon riders, who were still staring at the dead dragon's body in terror and she is now filled with anger, and plans on taking it out on Drago's men.

"Hiccup!" Heather shouted. Hiccup jerked his head in her direction, his eyes wide, his forehead and cheek smudged with small streaks of soot. "We need to finish destroying these traps, and then we need to talk to Drago!"

Hiccup remained frozen for a second, and then, he shook his head as if to knock himself out of a daze, and nodded. "Alright, yeah," he said. "Yeah, we do. You're right. Before...before anyone else is killed."

Heather nodded.

"Come on!" Heather shouted. "If we're going to attack, we have to attack soon, while we still have a fighting chance at beating this madman! Any ideas, Hiccup!?" She knew how to fight, but Hiccup had all the best strategies. She was good alone, yet she also was open to any suggestions her brother had for her, because he was so intelligent.

He beat a dragon hunter in intelligence, once, without hardly even trying. That was years ago, and since then, Hiccup had grown even wiser.

"Okay, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff!" Hiccup ordered; the twins and Snotlout snapped to attention. "You three, go down first and give it everything you've got! Don't even worry about aiming unless you have a clear shot! Blast anything that threatens us!"

"That's our specialty!" Tuffnut saluted.

"Snotlout is going down! Whooo! Snotlout, Snotlout, oy, oy, oy!" Hookfang dove downwards, pursued by the twins on their Zippleback.

Heather would have rolled her eyes if they hadn't been on the line of battle.

"Alright, Fishlegs, Hala, Astrid, and Eret!" Hiccup shouted again, and the ones he called whipped their heads in his direction. "You guys go in afterwards, using the smoke to hide you from the attackers!"

"Got it!" Astrid shouted in response.

"Aye, mate!" Eret yelled back, saluting, much like Snotlout has, only Heather could tell that Eret's salute was sincere, whereas Snotlout's salute was just the Jorgenson playing around.

"You got it, Hiccup!" Hala said, and an instant later, she and the others shot downwards after Snotlout and the twins.

"Alright, Heather, you're with me!" Hiccup said as soon as his friends were out of sight, flying towards the ships like silver arrows. "You know what to do."

Heather nodded. "Talk to Drago, get him to change his mind?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Only," he said, "maybe you should let me do the talking, at first, anyways. If I need help, I'll let you help me, but let me start it, okay?"

Heather rolled her eyes. Of course she was going to let Hiccup start it. He knew the right words to choose. He was very good with words. He opened her mind, changed Eret's mind, and Stoick's mind about dragons when the war against them first ended. Heather had no doubt that somehow or another, Hiccup would be able to change Drago's mind as well.

"Okay, I got it," she said, nodding her head in clarification. "Come on. Let's go fight ourselves a madman, Hiccup."

"Right behind you," Hiccup agreed, and the husband and wife turned their dragons and flew towards Drago Bludvist.

It took a remarkably short amount of time to locate the leader of the dragon trappers, and once they did, they took a few moments to analyze their situation: Valka and Stoick were no where to be seen, so they figured Stoick must have taken Valka to safety.

But what's safety in this battle?

"STOP!" Hiccup shouted, just when it looked like Drago was going to start shouting demands to his Bewilderbeast again. Drago froze for a split second before jerking his head in the direction of the sky as Toothless and Windshear flew in and landed on the icy ground.

Hiccup dismounted, and Heather did the same beside him. Hiccup took off his mask and tossed it behind him while Heather took to drawing her axe again, holding it in front of her threateningly.

Drago was even more hideous than the description given to them by Stoick. The scars on his face were white, the rest of his skin a dark - almost black - tanned color. He had obvious muscles; in a way, he reminded Heather of Stoick, by the way he was built with muscles and a bulky frame.

Drago smiled mockingly and let out a dark, horrendous chuckle that made Heather want to cover her ears. "This, is the great Dragon Master?" Drago laughed, pointing briefly in Hiccup's direction. "The son of Stoick the Vast?"

Hiccup glared back at Drago, but said nothing, and Heather did the same. Drago stopped laughing, his eyes narrowed.

"What shame, he must feel," Drago said, savoring his words.

Heather stepped forward threateningly, but Hiccup's hand set in front of her stopped her.

His eyes said it all: Let me start it. I'll let you know if I need your help, alright? Let me do this by myself for now.

Heather put her hand on her hip, yet did as she was told. Hiccup was right; she had to let him do this, and it would work out okay. He could convince Drago to stop this fight, and if he couldn't do it, nobody could do it. Hiccup was their last chance, now that the Bewilderbeast was gone.

Hiccup took a step forward. "All of this loss," he said, gesturing to the battle raging around them, "and for what? To become unstoppable? To rule the world?"

Drago looked upwards and shrugged as if the idea were what he had been thinking the entire time.

"Dragons," Hiccup went on. "They are...kind, amazing creatures that can bring people together-"

Drago barked a loud "HA!" that sounded like he had been gargling with gravel. "Or tear them apart," he said darkly, reaching for his left arm with his right one. He gripped his forearm, and pulled his arm clean off.

Well, it wasn't really a flesh "arm", now that they saw it clearly. It was a prosthetic arm, made of metal that gleamed the color of silver. His real arm was...

Gone.

He hooked his arm back to his stump and approached Hiccup slowly. "You see," he said, "I know what it is like...to live in fear." He stepped around Hiccup, circling him, cutting Heather out of the circle. Heather had never felt farther away from her husband in her entire life, but she didn't step forward.

"To see my village burnt," Drago went on, "my family, taken. But even as a boy...left with nothing...I vowed to rise high above the fear of dragons, and liberate the people of this world."

"Then why a dragon army?" Hiccup questioned.

"Well," Drago said, "you need dragons to conquer other dragons."

"Or maybe you need dragons to conquer people." Hiccup took another step forward, his eyes as cold as ice. "To control those who follow you, and to get rid of those who won't."

"Clever boy." Drago said, his comment made under his breath yet intentionally loud enough for Hiccup to hear. But he didn't seem fazed, just yet, by anything Hiccup was saying.

Heather tightened the grip on her axe and looked towards Hiccup. Can I jump in now?

Hiccup shook his head. Not yet.

"The world wants peace," Hiccup said, his attention refocused on Drago, "and we have the answer back at our Edge."

Here it comes. It was now, or never. If Hiccup couldn't change Drago's mind and show him the truth, Heather knew this war would end in death. Lots of death and destruction. People would suffer. People would die.

"Just," Hiccup went on to say, "let me show you-"

"No!" Drago shot back, and Heather could have sworn her heart stopped, even if just for a second. "Let ME, show YOU!"

That was it. Heather raised her axe to attack him then and there, but then, Drago raised his bullhook and swung it in arching circles over his head, screaming all the while. The screams made them both stop; made them think twice.

The Bewilderbeast rose up behind him, its body towering. Heather knew that if she reacted against Drago now, the ice dragon would surely kill them all.

"No dragon can resist the Alpha's command," Drago said. "So, he who controls the Alpha...controls them all." He pointed his bullhook, right at Windshear and Toothless.

Instantly, the dragons began writhing and growling, throwing their heads back as if in pain. Heather lowered her axe, her attention now refocused on Windshear.

"Windshear?" Heather questioned. She tried to move towards her dragon, but Windshear only hissed and backed away further.

Across from her, Hiccup was trying to find out what was wrong with Toothless, but gaining the same results as Heather.

Fury was the next thing Heather felt. "What are you doing to our dragons!?" she screeched, stepping towards Drago threateningly.

Drago wasn't fazed. "Witness true strength!" he said. "The strength of will over others."

The dragons stilled all at once, all of a sudden, and then, they lifted their heads in unison, their pupils narrowed into slits that were blank, glazed over, and unseeing.

This just got a whole lot more terrifying.

"In the face of it," Drago went on. "You...are...nothing!" He lifted his bullhook from the dragons, pointing it directly at their riders. Toothless and Windshear turned around, Toothless facing Hiccup, and Windshear facing Heather.

"Ah..." Hiccup hesitated, his voice wavering, "what did he just tell you?"

"Are you alright?" Stoick asked Valka for the utmost time after finally managing to get his wife away from Drago with the help of Gobber.

Valka nodded quickly. "I'm fine," she insisted. "We have to go help the others."

Stoick just turned around, but then, his eyes fell on something he had been terrified of seeing: Windshear and Toothless, backing Hiccup and Heather away from each other.

Only this time, the dragons were snarling and growling. Stoick felt his blood run cold. He knew what the Alpha was capable of now, after seeing what happened, and if Drago's Alpha took control of Toothless and Windshear, and by the way the dragons were backing up their riders...

"No," Stoick breathed.

"Windshear!" Heather screamed. "Cut it out, Windshear! What are you doing!?"

The Razorwhip didn't listen to her. It backed her up, away from Hiccup and Toothless. She stole a glance over Windshear; Toothless was backing Hiccup in the opposite direction, separating the siblings.

"Hiccup!" Heather shouted, desperate to get to him, but trying to run to him was useless. Whenever she tried to move away from Windshear, the dragon snarled and snapped at her, forcing her to stay in place.

"Heather!" Hiccup shouted back.

There was nothing either of them could do. They could only step away from their dragons while pleading feverishly as they tried to get their dragons under control.

"Toothless!" Hiccup pleaded. "Come on! What's the matter with you!?" Toothless only snarled back. "No, no, no, come on, what are you doing?" Hiccup questioned. "Knock it off! Stop! Snap out of it!"

Toothless didn't "stop", and he didn't "snap out of it", and neither did Windshear. Heather felt powerless.

"Windshear, no!" Heather shouted in a last ditch attempt to make her dragon see reality.

"Toothless!" Hiccup yelled. "Don't!"

Then, faintly, Heather heard Stoick shouting Hiccup's name. When Heather lifted her head, Stoick running towards them.

No. No no no no no.

"No!" Heather yelled. Windshear raised her spiked tail threateningly, the barbs extending and gleaming against the bright sun. Heather knew what they were going to do, and they didn't want it to happen.

"Dad, stop!" Hiccup yelled. "NO!"

It all happened so suddenly, they weren't even one hundred percent sure what had happened at all. Heather was knocked to to the ground by something dark, and the whiz, whiz, whiz, whiz, whiz of the Razorwhip's darts shot through the sky. And all she could hear is purring.

And then, across from them, a plasma blast exploded, directly after Hiccup shouted, "Dad! No!". The blast was loud, and purple light danced before their eyes. She couldn't move, pinned to the ground.

Ice cracked.

Dragons roared.