entry three!
003. imperfect harmony
translated for reading
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    "SO, GOBBER, how was it helping out Mrs. Frode be Gothi for a few days?"

    It was almost evening when they finally returned to Berk. The island was basked in beautiful pastel colours of orange and pink, the seas were calm, and the Terrible Terrors were happily chirping their last dragon songs before they'd go to sleep. It was peaceful, strangely enough, and Valkyrie was glad to be home.

    "Well," Gobber leaned against the sales table of the forge, shrugging. "I didn't get to wallop anybody with my staff, but▬"

    "Gobber! Gobber!" And just like that, the brief moment of peace was broken. Valkyrie's shoulders slumped in slight exasperation as the pounding feet of Agnar the Unfortunate left the stone pathways of the plaza and onto the grass outside the forge. The Dragon Riders and Gothi all glanced over their shoulders, curious. "I must have more of that potion you made me earlier!"

    Agnar the Unfortunate reached the sales table and slammed his hands onto the wood, looking desperate. Gobber crossed his hand and hook, looking pretty smug. "So! It cured your stomach ailments, did it?"

    Suddenly, Agnar grunted. His face contorted. He groaned and lurched forward. He spewed▬all over Hott's shoes.

    "AGH!" Hott squealed and, in his desperation to get away, tripped and fell onto his back. The Twins pointed at him and laughed. "GROSS!"

    Valkyrie covered her mouth, suddenly wanting to throw up herself in her own disgust. "Oh, my gods▬" she turned to Hiccup. He didn't look to well himself and simply patted her on the back as he averted his gaze from the disgusting sight. 

     "Far from it!" said Agnar, queasy on his knees as he wiped his mouth. Astrid made a small disgusted sound next to Fishlegs. "But it did cure something else." The unfortunate Viking took off his helmet and the group of them all gasped in surprise. There, on Agnar's usually bald crown, was one single thick auburn hair. "It's made my hair grow back!"

    Snotlout beamed. "Hey! Congrats, Agnar. You look so▬" he slapped his hand on his back. Agnar's stomach gurgled. Everyone let out horrified exclaims when he doubled over and heaved once more onto the grass. 

    "Snotlout!" they all blamed the Jorgenson.

    "Well..." murmured Gobber, taking a few steps back to avoid being in the splash zone, "... at least you only got one of the side effects."

    A strange sound▬like a soft, hissing squeal, escaped into the air. What followed it was a horrible stench. Astrid quickly covered her nose, the others all copied her as soon as they could. Hott didn't get the memo. As he stood up, he was hit with the disgusting smell and doubled over, coughing and gagging.

    "Sorry," mumbled Agnar, watching Hott heave in dismay. 

    "Urgh," Hiccup waved the scent away from his nose as he pulled his hands away. "Uh▬well, Gobber!" he grinned at the blacksmith. "Just whip up some more of that potion for him."

    Gobber stammered. "Uh▬" he chuckled nervously. "Well, it was▬er▬very complicated and ... I'm retired." He smiled down at the village elder. "Gothi, why don't you take this one?"

     She scowled and whacked Gobber over the head with her staff. Then, she led Agnar away▬who followed at a frantic pace, desperately clutching at his buttocks to keep his ongoing flatulence at bay. 

    The smell lingered, though, and so did Hott's dramatic noises like some dying Terrible Terror▬until Astrid kicked him. He was quiet after that. 

    Hiccup wandered up to the sales bench and leaned against it. He murmured to Gobber, "You really have no idea what was in that potion, do you?"

    "No, not a drop. But▬" Gobber passed him the Snow Wraith tooth and Hiccup stared at it in his open palm, "▬here's your key."

    The others all shuffled closer, peering over their shoulders and around each other's arms to watch as Hiccup slowly placed the three jagged bone edges into the keyhole of the Dragon Eye. It fitted perfectly.

    Valkyrie and the Dragon Riders all held their breaths in anticipation, waiting for something to happen. None of them particularly knew what they expected▬but whatever it was, whether it be the Dragon Eye sprouting wings or exploding, it was rather anticlimactic. It just sat there and did, well, nothing.

    Snotlout was crouched at eye level with the Dragon Eye, shoulder-to-shoulder with Hiccup. There was a long pause as they waited, and then, realising that nothing was going to happen, Snotlout's curious frown dropped into a furious scowl. 

    "We almost died ... for that?!"

    "What a waste," grumbled Tuffnut, crossing his arms. 

    His sister looked equally displeased. She scoffed. "Yeah▬what a way to disappoint, Hiccup."

    "Yeah, Hiccup."

    Hiccup stood and picked the Dragon Eye up from the table. He wasn't so ready to let this go. "No, no▬" he turned the mechanism around in his hands. "There's gotta be more to it than this. It just doesn't make any sense."

    Tuffnut barked a short laugh. "Ha! Welcome to my world, sister! Nothing makes sense and you got itchy teeth." He scratched at them again and Valkyrie squirmed.

    "Why does it make that sound?" she covered her ears. 

    With attention spans very similar to that of a Short Wing Deadly Nadder, the group of Dragon Riders dispersed almost immediately after▬not wanting to sit back and watch Hiccup continue attempting to make the Dragon Eye do whatever extraordinary thing he predicted. In the end, the only one to stick around was Valkyrie, who followed him into his old workshop in the forge. She leapt up onto the table and sat there with her legs swinging, watching him frown at the strange Dragon Eye for at least another hour.

    Toothless warbled from the corner, having slumped on his makeshift bed of charred wood. His tail had wrapped around, and his forelimbs covered his snout and eyes▬his way of telling them he didn't want to be disturbed. Zephyr was off somewhere▬most likely enjoying the rest of the afternoon with the other Windstrikers on Berk. He would come to Valkyrie when she called to him, and if she didn't, he wouldn't stay away for too long▬he got too upset and missed being spoiled.

    Valkyrie continued to watch Hiccup poke and prod at the Dragon Eye. He frowned at the cogs and tried to turn them▬when, just like the last few times he tried, they didn't move, he sighed and set it down on his table. He slumped back in his chair. 

    "Okay," Valkyrie took that as her cue to step in. She yawned and stretched her arms, sliding off the desk. "That's it. There's only a certain amount of times I can watch you do the same thing over and over again."

    If she didn't stop him, she was sure he'd be here until the candles had long burned out. Valkyrie placed her hands on Hiccup's shoulders. "Come on, dragon boy, it's getting late. You can look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow."

    He sighed and relaxed at her touch. Hiccup couldn't help the little smile when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind and rested her chin on his hair. "I guess you're right," he mumbled. 

    "I'm always right," smirked Valkyrie and placed a kiss on his messy auburn hair. 

    "It just doesn't make sense," continued Hiccup as she basically dragged him away from his desk. He made wild gestures as he spoke. "I▬I mean, there must be something I'm missing, right?"

    She grabbed his hands before he'd wack her in the face accidentally. "I know, babe, but it's late, okay?" Valkyrie slumped and pouted up at him, pleading. "I'm hungry, I'm tired, and I want cuddles before I go home. You can figure out what you're missing tomorrow."

    At the mention of cuddling, Hiccup melted. He smiled down at her. "Permission to call you cute once without you hitting me, Milady?"

    Valkyrie's frown melted, too, and a soft blush dusted her cheeks she'd never admit to, but Hiccup could easily see, and his smile brightened. "Once," she relented before sliding her arms around his torso for a gentle hug. She sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head on his chest. She frowned when she noticed something and glanced up at him. "Did you get even taller in the past week?"

    Hiccup flushed and checked the difference between the top of her head and his with his hand. "Uh ..." he chuckled sheepishly at her scowl. "Maybe?"

    Valkyrie rolled her eyes, but she was amused. She didn't know when Hiccup suddenly became so tall, but these last few years, he simply kept shooting up and didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. She, however, reached her height at seventeen, and now she's stuck with it.

    Her smile fell a little, however, when she began to realise that today had been the longest time she'd spent with Hiccup in a long while▬just the two of them, without any interruptions, without any wayward quest or errands to do. Just them, enjoying each other's company, with nothing much weighing on their shoulders. This Dragon Eye▬strangely enough▬had given them that. 

    So much so that Valkyrie didn't want to go to bed and wake up tomorrow morning because then she'd feel trapped by expectations all over again. She loved helping people, she loved putting in effort around Berk and at the Dragon Sanctuary▬of course, she loved that, but she also missed the freedom of the skies and the thrill of adventure. More importantly, she missed Hiccup.

    They were all growing up now, and going on an adventure to find the Snow Wraith had put a pause on all of that▬for a little while, Valkyrie had felt like she was fifteen again. 

    And so, instead of heading back, she tilted her head and asked. "You wanna go on a flight?"

   Hiccup blinked, surprised. But then, a slow grin grew on his face. "What happened to being all hungry and tired?"

    She shrugged. "I changed my mind."

    "Uh-huh," he teased her, and she lightly shoved him. Hiccup chuckled. 

   He then turned to his dragon curled up in the corner. "Come on, Toothless, let's go."

    The Night Fury, unhappy about being woken up, huffed a burst of embers towards Hiccup's workshop table. He groaned, quickly moving to dampen them out before Toothless would accidentally set fire to the entire forge, until he noticed something strange. "Val, come look at this!"

    She rounded his shoulders and her gasp got stuck in the back of her throat. It was the Dragon Eye. In the small glow of the embers from Toothless's fire, a low purple light began to emit from the carved dragon's maw. It shone onto the wooden wall opposite, and Valkyrie started to make out written symbols▬words, dragons, tribe crests ... 

    An entire map.

    She sighed, both in awe and exasperation. "Guess we won't be getting any sleep after all..."

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    SOMEHOW, they managed to squeeze everyone into Hiccup's small workshop in the forge. No matter how late it was, everyone was eager to return. Even though half of them wouldn't admit it, the thought of what the Dragon Eye could do, and what it would mean, was keeping them awake and staring up at the ceiling of their homes anyway. The moment the rest of the Dragon Riders saw the purple haze stretch across the wooden walls from Toothless's low flame that seemed to pierce through the Dragon Eye, they were speechless with awe. 

    It took them a while to find their words. Eventually, Fishlegs murmured, "Definitely worth getting up for."

    "Can you make any of it out?" Hiccup asked his friend, peering at the symbols and language that was similar, but very different to their own on Berk. 

    Fishlegs wandered up to the far wall, determined by this new challenge. His fingers traced over the patterns and symbols on the walls▬a firey fist, what looked to be a Scauldron, a bow and arrow, and many more. "There are parts of maps and symbols, nothing I've seen before ... And there's writing but it's in a language I've never read before."

    "But those are dragons, yeah?" murmured Val, walking up to the map herself and pointing out a familiar shape. "This ... this looks like a Skrill, and this up here▬" she moved her finger up to a shape on the far right just above her head. "That's the Snaptrapper, right? It looks like the Snaptrapper. All of these look like the dragons that used to be in the Fear Class."

    Fishlegs pursed his lips at her words▬agreeing with her but not ready to admit it. "W▬Well, Hiccup asked me, so..." Valkyrie rolled her eyes. 

    Snotlout narrowed his eyes onto the fiery fist in the centre of the markings. He pointed at it. "What's that thing?"

    Hiccup shrugged, just as curious. "Must be some kind of tribal crest or something."

    Tuffnut rubbed his hands together, pleased at these words. He grinned menacingly. "Ooh, I like that way better than our tribal crest."

    The Chief's son frowned up at him. "Tuff ... we don't have a tribal crest."

    "Why don't we?" Hott crossed his arms and Tuffnut snapped his fingers at him, as if he were a genius to ask such a question. "I feel like we should."

    "Yeah," agreed Tuffnut. "And▬" he pointed at the flaming fist, "▬it should be that."

    Hiccup sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Fishlegs was still peering very closely at the map, shrouded in the same purple light, and even some symbols appeared on his arms whenever he moved in front of the haze. "Hiccup, this map, you realise it▬"

    "Goes beyond the boundaries of the archipelago," murmured the leader of the Dragon Riders, an excited gleam in his eyes. "Oh, I know..."

    An understanding settled between the remaining Dragon Riders. They shared a mixture of glances▬excited, unsure, and if not a little scared. But deep down beneath it all, there was the lure of adventure they haven't felt in three years▬a thrill each and every one of them loved. 

    So, Valkyrie crossed her arms and tilted her head at Hiccup. "What's our next move then?"

     Hiccup matched her determined smile.

    The Dragon Riders didn't go back to bed. They hovered outside the Great Hall in the wee hours of the morning, feeling the sunrise on their backs and the early dawn chill rattle their bones. Valkyrie stayed under Zephyr's shadow for warmth, her gaze fixed on the doors of the Great Hall and waiting for Hiccup to return with an anxious twist in her heart.

    Hott stood close by her. He glanced at his sister and recognised the look on her face. "You worried about what Mum and Dad will say?"

    Valkyrie hated how he guessed the truth immediately. "No," she crossed her arms. 

    "Are you afraid they'll say that we can't go."

    "No," she lied right through her teeth. Her brother arched a brow. She suddenly wondered when he had grown to be so perceptive. Valkyrie huffed and slumped her shoulders with a heafty sigh. "It's just▬there's so much to do here. The Dragon Sanctuary, building the Hangar, helping out with the village."

    Hott frowned. "Okay, but did those things ever stop us before?"

    "Well, no, of course not but this▬this is different," murmured Valkyrie. "Things have changed since then."

    "Sounds like you're making excuses not to go."

    "That's not it, and you know that," she turned to her brother with a scowl and he held up his hands in surrender. "I want to go," said Valkyrie earnestly. "I want to go more than anything right now. I miss it▬the adventure, the discovery, flying endlessly on the back of a dragon ..." I miss Hiccup, she added to herself. 

    "Okay, then go," Hott shrugged, crossing his arms. "Easy as that. Mum and Dad can't stop us."

    Valkyrie scoffed softly to herself. "Yeah, easy for you to say," she grumbled. "You can't wait to escape responsibility every chance you get."

    She didn't mean to sound so sharp and mean to her brother▬that hadn't been her intention, but she knew it was too late when Hott went silent with a roll of his eyes. "Whatever," he muttered.

    Before Valkyrie got the chance to take back what she said, the large oak doors of the Great Hall were pushed open. Hiccup and Toothless rushed down the slope towards their friends, and Valkyrie could tell what the outcome of the council meeting was just by the grin on her boyfriend's face. 

    "Pack your bags, Dragon Riders!" Hiccup announced the moment he caught up with them and there were hitches of bright smiles from the group. "We're heading out into the great beyond!"

    While there were bright cheers from most of the team, Valkyrie couldn't help but share an uneasy glance with Hott. 

    They made their way back home together▬walking along the soft green grass of the plaza with their dragons wandering behind them. Valkyrie didn't say much as she disappeared into her room the moment they returned home, starting to pack her saddle bags for a long trip ahead. Zephyr crooned at her through the open window, waiting impatiently with his head poking through the open shutters. She smiled at him, and her mood lifted when she caught his tail swinging excitedly, almost swiping the helmet off a passing Viking. 

    It wasn't long before Valkyrie's door opened and her brother, Asrifth, peeked his head through. He noticed her packing. "So it's true," he said simply, stepping inside her room.

    Valkyrie made a face, buckling the straps of her bag. "Okay, how did you know?" she asked incredulously. 

    Asrifth matched her incredulous face. "The Twins won't shut up about it. They've already told the entire village."

    Val hesitated. "I should have seen that coming," she admitted. 

    "So..." her brother hesitated. "Where are you going?"

    "The great beyond," she replied dramatically.

    "You told Mum and Dad?"

    "Nope. But I'm sure they know now."

    "When are you coming back?"

    Valkryie shrugged, reaching for her warmer furs and throwing them over her shoulders. "Sometime," she decided to answer▬mostly because she didn't know. "You'll look after everyone for me, right?"

    Asrifth crossed his arms, looking a little nervous. "Is this about Hiccup?"

    "No," she said immediately and she was a little annoyed her brother immediately went there. "No, of course not. Look," Valkyrie sighed and walked up to Asrifth. "For three years, As, nothing has happened. We've stayed on Berk, we've found our footing, our next steps on the ground, and yeah, I love Berk▬and I love helping out and I love doing what I'm doing right now but ..." she slumped and gestured out the open window. "I love being out there, too. I love exploring. This Dragon Eye means that there is ... is so much more out there ... How can I just stay here?"

     As much as she tried to hide it. As much as Valkyrie was loyal to the ground, her heart truly belonged to the skies▬to the freedom on the back of a dragon. Valkyrie loved Berk, and she loved always having a place to call home and return to. But like a dragon, she hated being caged. Just like a Windstriker, she needed to go off on her own and see the world, feel the wind rush around her, but she would always return to family▬because kin meant the world to her, too. 

    "What I am nervous about is..." Valkyrie pursed her lips and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Well, you know, leaving everyone here. Leaving you to deal with Mak and Erik, Dad, the Hangar, the Sanctuary ..."

    Asrifth pursed his lips, too, and moved to sit beside her. "You know, just because you're the oldest doesn't mean you are responsible for everything and everyone. You don't have to shoulder everything."

    "Yes, I do," murmured Val, meeting his gaze. "Even if people say that, they expect it from me anyway. That's why Hott is free to go off without Mum and Dad getting too upset, but when I do it, it's a problem."

    "Hott isn't as free as you think, Val," her brother reminded her. "He needs the escape just as much as you do."

    She frowned, considering Asrifth's words and she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about them. Her gaze wandered back towards the centre of the house, and realised that this whole time, she had been criticising Hiccup from running away▬but deep down, she simply couldn't find it in herself to take a look at the mirror and ask what she was running away from, too. 

   There were temporary goodbyes▬emotional ones, too. And, of course, goodbyes consisting of Mak and Erik asking whether they could have Valkyrie's room after she dies on her exploration. (So sentimental). By now, even after three years of peace, she supposed her mother and her father were used to two of their children disappearing off into the endless skies with their dragons. They shared the same wild eyes and desperation of adventure▬for the freedom flying on the back of a dragon would give them. 

    It didn't mean that they did not miss them. It did not mean that Valkyrie wouldn't miss them, either. 

    As Valkyrie's mother handed her a satchel full of provisions, she cradled it carefully and asked the question that gnawed at her. "You're not mad at me?" she murmured, glancing between her parents. It was an old fear of hers▬one which stemmed from always desperately trying to be the Viking her parents (her father) wanted, so much so she had almost lost her mind with determination to kill Hookfang in dragon training when she had been fifteen ... which felt like decades ago now. 

    Her mother frowned. She glanced at her husband before stepping up to her only daughter. She gently cradled her head by her cheeks. "Valkyrie, dear," murmured her mother in a soft, sad tone. "Why would you think we would be mad at you?"

    She shrugged. She couldn't fully explain her guilty conscience. 

    "You are still young," her father spoke up. "There is so much for a young Viking to explore and learn about themselves▬and if you need to explore the ends of the earth to do so, then we must let you. One day, you will find your way back to your home to stay, when you're ready."

    Vaklyrie pursed her lips. "But the Hangar, and Gothi, and helping out, and everything▬"

    "We handled ourselves fine before you started to help," reassured her mother. Valkyrie softened. "We are Vikings, we're stubborn. We'll be fine. Come here," she let herself be pulled into a tight hug by her parents. Valkyrie clung on and felt emotional herself because she didn't know when she would be back. 

    Over her mother's shoulder, she caught sight of Hott watching on. Her smile faded ever-so-slightly to see something longing in his eyes looking back at her. 

   She pushed it aside as she pulled away. Valkyrie managed a smile. "See you soon," she promised her parents before gazing out into the vast ocean ahead. The Great Beyond. 

    Her smile brightened with excitement. 

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    A FEW STORMS, a wayward, angry Scauldron and a few curious Zipplebacks later, Valkyrie wanted to go back home. 

    She was tired, she was wet, her backside ached from sitting in her saddle for so long and she was so over the Twins and their annoying singing ballads! Valkyrie slumped forward and rested her head on top of Zephyr's who did not look any better. Even his scales seemed duller in the cold, stormy grey, cloudy sky. He huffed out a low, exasperated breath of steam that barely reached past a few centimetres. He watched it with hooded eyes, utterly bored out of his mind. 

    "Yay, great beyond..." Hott grumbled the phrase they had been yelling with joy for the first hour, now it was a weak attempt to push through the urge to fall fast asleep. He yawned in unison with Spikemoth. 

    "Great beyond..." Valkyrie echoed with no enthusiasm whatsoever.

    Hiccup was the only one who didn't seem ready to give up. He pulled back from the front of his formation, glancing between the very weary and annoyed riders and their dragons. "Oh, come on, you guys," he tried to cheer them up. "So, we've had a couple of ... tough hours. Nothing that's worth anything comes easy!"

    From underneath the low-hanging horns of his helmet and his long blonde hair, Tuffnut scowled. He was leaning his elbows against the horns of Belch. "Is that one of your riddes?" Even he wasn't in the mood for exuberance. "Because now is not the time, my friend. We have to keep saying 'great beyond' ... Great beyond ..."

    "Great beyond," repeated his sister feebly. 

     Astrid rolled her eyes at the both of them, but she looked no better. 

    Hiccup sighed. "Okay ..." he glanced down at his Night Fury. He smiled and placed a gentle hand on his flank. "Toothless," his dragon purred, listening, "let's see if there's anything out there."

    Toothless perked up. He reared his head back and there was a low shriek in the back of his throat before he opened his jaw. Rings of sound and purple light echoed and pulsed out into the grey clouds▬parting the dark sky and revealing ... 

    "Nothing," slumped Hiccup. 

    Thunder rumbled.

    Hott set a scowl onto Hiccup when rain suddenly plastered down onto them. As the others squealed and tried to cover themselves, he didn't flinch▬purely exasperated to the point of no return. "I hope you're happy now!" he yelled over the growing wind. 

    Valkyrie hunched up and held out an arm in front of her, trying to block the ferocious rain that pelted at them sideways. "Urgh! What did we ever do to Thor this time? It seems like the further we go in, the worse it gets!"

    "Oh, come on, Val!" Hiccup tried to push the optimism. "It's just a little rain! Nothing we can't handle!"

    Lightning splintered across the sky above them. Zephyr whined. Fishlegs squealed with terror. He clasped a hand over his metal helmet and quickly took it off▬many of the others followed, remembering too well the last time they met Thor's wrath with metal. "Hiccup!" he shouted uneasily. "I think we should turn back. We've been flying for most of the day."

    Stubborn, the Chief's son shook his head and urged onwards. "No! We just have to keep pushing forward until we're out of this!" he yelled and Hott slumped forward in his saddle, cursing Valhalla. 

    "I HATE YOU!" Snotlout shouted when lightning went crack! a little too close to comfort. 

    But then, when all of their pain and misery and this storm seemed never-ending, some light showed itself at the end of the funnel▬, literally. 

    Astrid saw it first. She frowned, brushing her wet fringe out of her eyes and narrowing her gaze into the distance. Through the dark and grey, gloomish clouds, something glowed▬sunlight! She gasped. "Hiccup, is that▬?"

    "Yeah, it is!" yelled Hiccup. "Everybody▬fly into the light!"

    A fresh wave of determination flooded through the hearts of every Dragon Rider. Together, the group of friends pushed through the heavy storm, fighting the wrath of Thor until they felt like they could no longer until▬at last▬they forced their way through the last blanket of grey clouds and into open sunlight. 

    "YES!" Hott threw his arms up in celebration as he made it through the ferocious storm, drenched from head to toe. 

    Another sight made Valkyrie sit straight up in her saddle, in awe. She gasped softly and pointed out in front of her. "Look!"

    On the horizon, surrounded by glowing sunlight, was one of the most beautiful islands Valkyrie had ever seen. Pillars of rock and stone surrounded valleys of greenery. Lush forests were interlaced and intertwined within the maze of stone towers, creating a landscape likely rich with caves, gorges and caves with beautiful rivers and lakes connecting like pathways throughout. 

    There was a chorus of wonderment from the Dragon Riders. All of them had been flying for so long that even the slightest evidence of land and life outside the Archipelago made them gasp and slump in relief. But also find themselves renewed with excitement to realise that Hiccup was right! There was more out there!

    "It's gorgeous!" exclaimed Valkyrie with a bright smile.

    "It's incredible!" agreed Hicucp, flashing her an excited smile over his shoulder. She chuckled. 

    "I know, right?!" Astrid whooped and threw her hands up in celebration. "We made it, Hiccup!" she cried out in a burst of happiness quite uncharacteristic of her usual stubborn anger. "We made it!"

    "Uh, guys▬?" Fishlegs waved his hands, interrupting their celebrations. Valkyrie crossed her arms, shooting him a scowl. "Can we slap each other on the backs later?" he gestured down at his dragon, who looked worse for wear. Valkyrie's scowl softened to see Meatlug struggling to keep aloft, her eyes drooping from exhaustion. "Meatlug's wings are about to fall off."

    Hiccup grew a little sheepish. "Oh, sorry, guys," he said gently. He gazed out at the island and pointed towards the shore. "There's a place up ahead we can set down▬"

    But as he spoke, something made all of their dragons switch. Once unbearably tired, their reptile friends perked up with fresh energy▬as bright as they were at the start of their journey. Valkyrie winced when a sound pulsed like waves over the ocean towards them▬a peculiar harmony that was almost barely audible, but it rang in Valkyrie's ears enough to make her rub at them, unable to get rid of the distant sound. It seemed to be coming from the island▬and their dragons' attention was drawn right towards it. 

    Hiccup frowned, tracing a soothing pattern on Toothless's scales. "G▬Guys, do you hear that?"

    Snotlout fixed his helmet back onto his head now that the storm had let up. Even he could not ignore the annoying sound. "What is that?"

    "Whatever it is, our dragons are definitely pulled towards it," said Hott, who was struggling to keep Spikemoth still in the air, who seemed more than eager to head down to the island. 

     Hiccup shared a glance with Valkyrie. She felt uneasy, but if their dragons were drawn to it, then she could trust them. Zephyr would never put her in danger. And so, she nodded. The Chief's son nodded in reply before glancing at the others. "Well, then I guess that's where we're going."

     The island was beautiful. Seeing it from afar did not do it justice. As the Dragon Riders explored the maze of streams, stone towers and woodland, they were left stunned and amazed. Even though the distant harmony would not leave their ears, they barely even heard it amongst their excited explorations and exclaims at all they saw. It did not strike Valkyrie as strange when they were yet to cross paths with wild dragons▬that there were no Whispering Deaths in the rocks, nor any Shovelhelm's in the caves along the cliffsides. Woodland that would usually be a thriving environment for Deadly Nadders, Hideous Zipplebacks, Changewings and other dragons who loved the cover of the tree canopies was empty and eerily silent. Not even the chirp of a Terrible Terror hovered by their shoulders. 

    None of them noticed at all. Instead, as soon as they found a gorgeous lagoon at the foot of a majestic waterfall, surrounded by rocky ledges to jump off and trees with shade to rest in, their minds were consumed with relaxation and fun. After such a long and dreadful flight, the group of friends were happy to let go and enjoy their lives▬they leapt off the ledges into the water below, splashed each other in the lagoon and lay back in the shade. Hott got pushed off the boulders and into the water by Astrid when he wouldn't stop complaining. Snotlout let his feet air out from his shoes▬which led to them all ostracising him to the other side of the lagoon to rid themselves of the horrific smell. Fishlegs took time to update his botany book on the plants he found nearby with Valkyrie, who picked at the colourful flowers to weave into a flower crown as she sat by the waterfall. The Twins were wrestling and jumping between rocks in the water. Even Hiccup looked relaxed as he joined Valkyrie by the waterfall to start updating his map. He used many different rocks and pebbles he had collected to keep the parchment down as he used Toothless's slobber to add yet another page to the growing collection before drawing a rough outline of the island he had viewed from above. 

     "Okay!" Snotlout lounged back against the sand from the opposite bank. "I am never going back to Berk."

    Tuffnut reappeared from underneath the surface of the water. He shook out his hair like a disgruntled▬and wet▬Deadly Nadder. "Berk?" He glanced at his sister, who sat on top of one of the rocks nearby. "What's that? 'Cause I forgot." He then dived back under. 

    Valkyrie chuckled softly as she listened. She glanced at Hiccup who shook his head, amused at their friends. "Well," he said as he finished up the last touches of the island▬all he had to do now was name it. "I guess we don't have to vote on where we're making camp."

    She hummed and simply took one of her flowers to weave into the small braid still in Hiccup's hair. He smiled at her, gentle as he watched. "At least try to hide some of the smugness, babe."

    "What?" he acted innocent, and she rolled her eyes with a smile. "What smugness? I am the personification of humility, I assure you, Milady." 

    She just nodded. "Uh-huh," she teased. "Sure," Valkyrie leaned in and kissed his cheek. 

    They set up camp there▬and there were no objections whatsoever. Snotlout was determined to set up the fire, and despite their definite objections to that, he ignored them anyway (as usual). With some handy Monstrous Nightmare gel, he poured out a long line at the back of the camp. With one spark from Hookfang, a wall of fire lit up▬enough to make them all back away and cough. Hiccup facepalmed. They all had a nice fish stew cooked over the fire together, and as the sun set and the moon shone over the ocean, the Dragon Riders, their stomachs now full, all lounged back with their dragons underneath woollen blankets. After such a long night, they fell asleep very quickly.

    But Valkyrie and Hiccup found themselves not eager to join their friends, not just yet. With the moon so beautiful and the bars of light cascading across the ocean waves, they decided to stay up. The moment of quiet in each other's company without the others was welcomed, and Valkyrie smiled as she rested her head on Hiccup's shoulder. 

    They sat in silence, just gazing out at the view of the ocean with a warmth in their hearts, despite the coolish winds. 

    After a while, Valkyrie took a deep breath and sat up. She glanced at Hiccup's smile. "You were right," she said eventually, her voice soft in order not to wake up the others snoring behind them. Under the moonlight, his auburn hair looked dark brown with streaks of silver. "There is more out there and ..." her gaze wandered to the large moon still rising above the horizon, "... and it's beautiful."

    The waves gently crashed onto the shore, reaching their toes. Valkyrie couldn't help but smile when she felt the saltwater gush around her bare feet before drawing back. 

    "And this is only the beginning, Val," murmured Hiccup. He smirked and nudged her shoulder with his. "Who knows what we'll find out here?"

    Her smile brightened, finding Hiccup's excitement starting to fuel her own. The warmth in her chest where her heart was swelled at the bright gleam in his eyes. Even now. 

    Recognising the look in her eyes, her boyfriend's gaze softened. His hand moved to cradle her head as he leaned in to kiss her. Valkyrie's heart leapt. 

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    "VALKYRIE."

    The voice was annoying her out of her slumber. 

    Valkyrie the Vicious grumbled and turned over, not wanting to deal with the morning just yet. She felt the wool of her blanket tickling her cheek as she moved. 

    The voice didn't relent. "Valkyrie," followed by a shake of her shoulders.

    "No," her whining was muffled by her blanket as she rolled over again, tucking her head into her arms to avoid the annoying, nasally voice.

    Hiccup huffed, frustrated. Once upon a time, he may have been afraid of waking Valkyrie up so early. She wasn't called Valkyrie the Vicious purely for the aesthetic of having such a menacing title as a Viking. There had been plenty of times when Hiccup had supported a bruise for the rest of the day because he had woken his girlfriend up way too early for her liking. However, after almost four years of dating, Hiccup was no longer scared▬mostly▬and after so much training with his dragon, working in the forge and learning how to fight, Hiccup could also stop a wayward flying fist or two in the mornings. 

    And so, he shoved her roughly this time. "Valkyrie!" he snapped at her softly to wake her up.

    It was enough to make her roll right off the blanket and into the sand. That woke her up. Valkyrie coughed sand out of her mouth and pushed herself to sit up, furious. "What?" she glowered at her boyfriend. "What is wrong with you?!"

    He held up his hands. "Val▬"

    "I have sand all over me now!" she let out, glancing down at her clothes and her hair, furious. "Hiccup!"

    "Yeah, yeah, I know, just▬Val▬" he grabbed her wrists and gave her a short look, hoping to calm her down with the serious tone of his voice. She huffed, her anger turning her cheeks as flushed red as her hair. "Just▬stop, okay, and listen. Do you hear that?"

     "Hear what?" grumbled Valkyrie, pulling her hands away and rubbing at her eyes. She continued to scowl at her boyfriend. "I don't hear anything."

    "Exactly!" he said, exasperated. He grew impatient waiting for her to catch on to what he was saying. "It's gone, Val. The sound is gone."

    Her anger simmered momentarily into a frown. Only now did she finally realise how silent the island truly was without the ongoing ringing in her ear. "What?"

    Fishlegs's frantic voice made her and Hiccup glance over their shoulders, startled. "So are the dragons!" exclaimed their friend. "All of them, gone!"

    Valkyrie's breath hitched in horror. He was right. The beach was empty. Their dragons were nowhere to be found, the only evidence they had ever been there in the first place being the indentations of their large bodies in the sand. There was no sound, no warbling, no growls and no roars▬their dragons had all disappeared. 

    Her heart squeezed with terror. She was wide awake now. "Zephyr!"

     The search for their dragons took the Riders deep into the island's forest. Valkyrie cried out the name of her Windstriker through the dense woodland, hoping it would carry out past the canopies and into the sky. This was so unlike her dragon. He would never leave her willingly without letting her know. He cared too much about her and her wellbeing to simply not care and leave her stranded. Zephyr was undeniably loyal▬as all Windstrikers were to their kin. She was like his family, Zephyr wouldn't leave her like this. Something had happened▬something bad.

    Everyone was anxious about their dragons. Snotlout was beside himself with worry for Hookfang. Astrid was leading the pack, crying out for Stormfly. Hott tugged at the horns of his helmet and tried to call for Spikemoth with a pounding heart. Fishlegs was almost sobbing. The Twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, took to even looking behind the smallest of nooks their dragon would never be able to hide behind. Hiccup was tense with worry. Toothless couldn't have gone far without him▬but that was also what worried him the most. If his dragon was in danger, he needed Hiccup to get him out of there. Without his rider, Toothless was a downed dragon▬and a downed dragon is a dead dragon. 

     They made it to a clearing of rocks. Hoping the small mountain of boulders would give him a better view, Snotlout climbed to the very top▬one of the very few smart ideas he had. Hott followed him, clambering up to the other end and shouting out into the distance, "SPIKEY!" Valkyrie's younger brother peered out into the bright sun. When he saw nothing, he stamped his foot and said, "Come on, girl! This isn't funny anymore! Spikemoth!"

     "Zephyr!" Valkyrie called out desperately, but to no avail. She slumped, upset when she was met with silence once again. 

    Hiccup noticed and made his way over to squeeze her shoulder. "I'm sure they're okay, Val. Perhaps something spooked them, but they couldn't have gone far."

     "I don't know, Hiccup," she murmured, miserable. "Something's not right. I can feel it. I know Zephyr. He would never leave me like this, even if he was spooked. He always comes back."

     The sound of Tuffnut's strangled yell made everyone turn around. Exasperated frowns crossed all of their faces as they watched their friend fall off the boulder he and his sister had been looking behind▬again.

     Astrid propped her hands on her hips. "Seriously?" she scoffed, not impressed. "How many times are you guys gonna check behind that rock?" she gestured angrily at them. "Barf and Belch cannot hide behind it!"

    Ruffnut narrowed her eyes at the Hofferson. She marched up to her, matching her frustrated stance. "Clearly, you are not aware of the stealthiness of one Barf and Belch." She hesitated. As her brother came to stand beside her, she glanced at him, unsure. "Or ... is that two Barf and Belch?"

     Her brother hummed, thoughtful. "Hmm, excellent question!" he mused and the others all groaned. Valkyrie face-palmed. "Two heads ..."

    "One dragon▬"

    "▬Two brains▬"

    "▬One body!"

    Snotlout jumped down from the bottom boulders of the mountain. "Two bodies, half a brain!" He cackled at his stupid joke, and the Twins scowled. 

    Hott leapt down as well, his boots planting themselves with a thud onto the ground. He sighed, slumping in dismay and worry. "I don't get it," he said. "Where would our dragons go?"

     Fishlegs whimpered. His knees quivered. "Oh, my Meatlug!" he cried with misery. "She wouldn't do this! She wouldn't leave me. She would never do this on her own."

    All of the Riders mumbled in agreement, feeling a similar sentiment with their own dragons▬all except Snotlout, who was ditched by his stubborn, fire-breathing oven of a dragon on the regular. He simply shrugged. 

    "We just have to keep looking," said Hiccup. "They can't have gone too far..." his voice trailed off when the underbrush started to shake behind them. All of the Dragon Riders spun around with hitched gasps tucked away in the back of their throats, their hearts skipping a beat with anticipation as they heard the lush green leaves of the bush start to rustle.

    Suddenly, something large with midnight black scales leapt out into the daylight. They all screamed at the creature's snarls as it knocked Hiccup to the ground▬until they recognised he gummy grin on the dragon's face. 

    Toothless nudged and nuzzled Hiccup with joy. His rider laughed, gleeful and happy to see his dragon safe and sound. "Toothless!" he cried out, wrapping his arms around the Night Fury's neck. "I was so worried, bud! Where did you go▬Agh!" he let out a strangled sound when his dragon licked him across the face, coating him in slobber. "Hey! You know that doesn't wash out!"

    "Where are the other dragons, bud?" Valkyrie spoke up, reaching out for Toothless as well. As if he heard and understood her question, the Night Fury perked up. He leapt off Hiccup and made a guttural, distressed cry. 

    Hiccup sat up, confused. "Hey, what▬what is it, bud? What's wrong?"

    Toothless bounded away, gesturing with his head back towards the woods. The Dragon Riders all shared estranged looks as they watched the Night Fury circle them, throwing his head with whining growls. 

    Snotlout hunched up, dubious. "O▬Okay," he started slowly. "I think your dragon ate something weird in the forest because he's out of his mind."

    Fishlegs shook his head. "No, no, no," he watched Toothless with growing curiosity. He shoved past Snotlout, who yelped as he stumbled, so he could see better. "I think he's trying to tell us something."

    Hiccup reached out his hands and Toothless rushed back towards him. His rider gently cupped his snout. "What is it, bud?" he murmured, worried. Toothless warbled. "Is it the other dragons?"

    The Night Fury huffed, annoyed. Then, with a snarl, his teeth extended out of their gums and he snatched Hiccup by the hinge of his metal leg. Everyone gasped. Hiccup exclaimed in surprise. He hit the ground. 

    Valkyrie and the others all stood there, watching with startled winces and gaping mouths▬not sure what to do or what to say as they watched Toothless bound away back into the shrub. 

    Hott hesitated. He glanced at his friends before raising a careful hand into the sky. "Uh ... How far do you think he's gonna go before he realises?"

    At their feet, Hiccup grunted as he sat back up, dusting off the dirt from his tunic. He tilted his head, admittedly amused as he stared off in the direction his dragon went. "Hard to say," murmured the Chief's son with a little chuckle. "He seemed pretty committed."

    He glanced down at his feet, where his metal one had been completely yanked off its strap. 

    It took Toothless a few moments. The Dragon Riders all waited patiently until they heard a defeated warble through the underbrush. Seconds later, Toothless returned, leaping over the leaves and slowly approaching Hiccup▬sheepish and apologetic. He dropped the metal leg from his maw and back down onto the ground in front of his Rider.

    Hiccup chuckled. "That's okay, bud," he leaned it and cupped his muzzle again. Toothless's eyes lit up at the affection. Hiccup scrunched up his nose and nuzzled it against his dragon's kindly. "I like the enthusiasm."

    The Chief's son tied his leg back around the stump underneath his woollen pants before taking Valkyrie's hand to help him stand back up. He smiled at her with a silent thanks before squeezing her hand and letting go. He then walked up to his dragon and mounted his saddle. Hiccup glanced back at his friends. "You guys stay here in case they come back," he told them. "Toothless and I are gonna look for them from above."

    There was a gust of wind as they took off. Valkyrie watched them go for a brief moment before spinning back to her fellow Dragon Riders. "Okay, guys, I think we should try our dragon calls."

    Hott slumped, groaning in annoyance. "Ugh!" he let out and Valkyrie immediately crossed her arms with an exasperated scowl. "But we've already been trying that all morning."

    Frustrated with her brother, she stamped her foot and ordered, "Then keep doing it!"

    The next groan he let out was far more dramatic. "Ugh▬FINE!" he relented (but not without mimicking her before squealing in pain when Valkyrie punched his shoulder). 

    Hott grumbled but did as he asked her to do. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he made a squabble of squawks and low bellows that made the rest of them cringe. 

    Astrid crossed her arms. "Seriously?" she said once they were blessed with his silence. "You call that a Nadder call? That was more like a Thunderdrum."

    Hott turned to her and flushed a bright red, embarrassed. "I▬uh▬nuh-uh," he decided with and Valkyrie sighed. 

    Through the trees, they heard a distant dragon's raw. Hott blinked and glanced over at the sound. Then, he smirked and jabbed his thumb at it. He turned to Astrid. "See?"

    But Valkyrie's frowned, confused. "Wait, that's not a...?"

    Too late. 

    From the underbrush, leapt forth a dragon. But not one of their dragons.

    Valkyrie and her friends all gasped when a wild, purple-scaled Thunderdrum landed a few feet in front of them. 

    Hott's shoulders slumped, exasperated. "Oh, great," he grumbled. "The one time my Thunderdrum call works, it's by accident▬"

     "COVER YOUR EARS!" Astrid yelled at him and shoved him behind the nearby boulders. Everyone else screamed and followed, planting their hands against their ears or hiding their heads in their arms as the wild Thunderdrum let loose a ferocious roar that rattled the leaves right off the tree branches. Dirt swirled around them. Trees bent. Rocks rolled across the ground. 

     There was a bright explosion of fire from above. Toothless and Hiccup came to the rescue. They quickly drove the Thunderdrum away and it retreated towards the midday sun. 

     Once everything settled, Valkyrie's ears were left aching and ringing. 

    She heard the muffled sound of Toothless landing and carefully peered over the top of the rocks. Realising the Thunderdrum was gone, she sighed in relief and rejoined Hiccup out into the open. Their friends followed her not long after. 

    Snotlout angrily rubbed at his ear. He scowled at Hott. "Any other dragon you want to call towards us?" he yelled. "Changewing? Ooh, a Screaming Death, maybe?! I'M SURE THERE ARE ONE OF THOSE AROUND HERE!"

    Hott just shoved him. 

     Hiccup winced at the sound yelling. He was scratching Toothless behind the ears. "Snotlout, you're yelling very loudly!"

      Snotlout stopped arguing with Hott to spin his anger onto Hiccup. "OH, REALLY? I CAN BARELY HEAR MYSELF! BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET ATTACKED BY A WILD THUNDERDRUM!"

     Hiccup sighed and shook his head. He gave Toothless one last scratch before approaching his friends. Valkyrie crossed her arms. She saw his mouth move▬but no sound came out. She frowned, titling her head.

     Realising, he slumped. Huffing in frustration, he flung out angry gestures▬almost whacking Toothless in the face▬and shouted, "I SAID I'M GOING BACK OUT THERE!"

     Valkyrie's eyes widened. "WHAT?" she shouted. "NO!"

     The other riders all yelled in agreement. "NO! NO, YOU'RE NOT▬!", "▬GET BACK HERE▬!", "▬YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE US▬!", "▬ARE YOU SERIOUS▬?", "▬WAIT, HICCUP▬", "▬I WILL TAKE YOUR OTHER LEG!"

     "No way, Hiccup!" said Astrid very loudly, but also somehow still keeping a stern air of composure about her. "You are not leaving us alone."

     Fishlegs stepped forward. "She's right! We're dragon-less and defenceless!"

     "AND," added Ruffnut, "WE CAN ONLY COMMUNICATE BY YELLING!"

     "WHICH▬" continued her brother and Valkryie considered throwing rocks at them, "▬WHILE, ALTHOUGH QUITE ENJOYABLE, IS NOT VERY STEALTHY! ARE YOU HEARING ANY OF THIS?"

     Hiccup mumbled something else.

    Valkyrie made an incredulous face. He grumbled. Then, he stamped his foot. "I SAID WE'D ALL GO TOGETHER!"

     She jumped, startled. Her friends all grumbled, annoyed at Hiccup's loud tone. "Seriously?" she muttered and her boyfriend sighed, exasperated with the lot of them. "You didn't have to shout."

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    a/n: okay, majority of episodes will be one chapter per each lol but this one was getting crazyyyyy long so maybe we'll just go with the flow haha. i'm sorry i'm so bad at updating. uni is just hell but we're almost at break so yay! 

    and break means httyd live action! i am so excited guys like on jokes it looks SO GOOD. 

    (limited editing)

    (i missed the gang sm)