Sauron brings us to Berk, the days blending together in a blur of flight and cold wind. When we finally arrive, he doesn't head straight for the village; instead, he veers toward the snow-covered forest, leading me down into a secluded cove. The chill is sharp and biting, closing in as we land, and I instinctively huff a plume of fire over a few jagged stones, hoping for a touch of warmth.

Sauron stretches his wings, his gaze flickering toward the distant skies. "Well, you're here," he says, his voice clipped but not unkind. "I can't stay long. I need to leave before anyone catches sight of me." With a quick flick of his wing, he adds, "You're welcome."

I give him a small, tired smile, the gratitude deep in my chest. "Thank you," I say softly. He nods once and, without another word, takes off, his dark form disappearing into the cloudy sky.

Left alone, I scan the snowy cove, seeking any small pocket of warmth. The cold air settles over me, but I can't help feeling a sense of peace, even here, in this frozen place. I'm finally back.

I shift around the cove, the cold seeping into my scales until I find a patch of softer earth sheltered from the biting wind. Curling up tightly, I let out a shuddering breath, exhaustion settling over me like a heavy blanket. I close my eyes, hoping sleep will take me somewhere warmer, somewhere closer to my friends.

But doubt gnaws at me, twisting through the fragile peace I've tried to find. I wonder if things can ever be the same, if I can even see them without the shadows of everything I've been through hanging over me. The cove fades around me as sleep pulls me under, but a flicker of unease lingers, haunting the edges of my dreams.

-

"Aure!" The voice is bright and full of relief, dragging me out of the depths of sleep, and before I can even blink, a warm, familiar tongue is licking my cheek. The scent that drifts over me is one I know as well as my own—a blend of salt air, smoke, and pine. I blink my eyes open, a little groggy, and see Toothless, his green eyes impossibly bright, practically bouncing with excitement as he jumps up and down in the snow, sending flurries of it flying in every direction.

"Toothless!" I exclaim, a laugh bubbling up as I shake off the last remnants of sleep. I can't stop my tail from thumping against the ground, sending small clouds of snow up into the air. Toothless lets out a loud, happy purr, his whole body vibrating with it, and before I know it, he throws himself into my chest, his powerful claws wrapping around my shoulders like he's afraid to let me go.

As he leans against me, purring so loudly that it's practically a growl, I barely notice the sounds of more dragons approaching. Snow crunches softly, wings flap, and soon I'm surrounded by familiar faces—Stormfly with her bright blue and yellow scales glittering against the snow, Hookfang grinning with that smug, toothy look he always wears, and even Meatlug, who plods up with her easygoing warmth, her eyes round with delight. Barf and Belch hang back a little, their two heads swiveling to look at me with matching expressions of relief.

Toothless nuzzles against me, pulling back only a little, his green eyes wide and shining. "You came back!" he babbles, his voice filled with a kind of joy that makes my chest ache with how much I missed it. "I—I never thought you would!"

I look around at the dragons gathered, a smile stretching across my face as I meet each of their eyes. "You were all looking for me?" I ask, my voice soft, barely a whisper.

"Of course we did!" Stormfly exclaims, her feathers ruffling as she flaps her wings in excitement. Her eyes are sharp but gentle, filled with warmth as she looks at me. "You're our queen, and our friend," she says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "We'd never leave anyone behind in the ice, especially not you."

Hookfang nods, flicking his tail, a small flame sparking from his mouth. "Yeah, and who else would put up with us?" he jokes, but there's a glint of real relief in his eyes as he studies me, almost like he's taking in every detail to make sure I'm really here.

A warmth spreads through me, melting away the lingering shadows of Darkstalker's kingdom. I'm back, really back, surrounded by dragons who would cross even the coldest, darkest places to find me.

I couldn't help but smile, warmth flooding my heart as I unfurled my wings, wrapping them around everyone in a big, grateful hug. Their scales pressed against mine, solid and real, and I felt the strength of each of their hearts in that single moment. "Thank you, everyone," I murmured, my voice catching as I pulled back. "Really, thank you."

I glanced around, the snow still settling from all the movement, and asked, "But how did you find me? I hadn't given a signal."

Toothless tilted his head, his eyes glimmering with that playful intelligence I'd missed so much. "No, you didn't," he murmured, "but I noticed something was... different around here. Dragons were gathering in the forest, way more than usual, and it felt strange. I couldn't shake the feeling it had something to do with you. So, I got my friends, and we came to check it out."

He paused, giving a small, pleased flick of his wing toward a group standing at the edge of the clearing. "By the way, Hiccup's glad too—they all are."

Following his gesture, I saw them—Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut, all clustered together with huge grins and open, relieved expressions. My heart swelled, and I purred softly, leaning down to nudge Hiccup in the chest. He stumbled back a little, laughing, and reached up to pat my cheek, his hand warm and familiar against my scales.

"Good to have you home again, Azure," he said, his voice filled with all the steadiness and warmth I'd missed. I felt safe, anchored, like I'd finally found my way back to the place I belonged.

I purred softly, feeling a deep warmth settle in my chest as I pulled back, looking at the faces of my friends, the people and dragons of Berk. This place I'd once thought I'd never set foot in, a little forgotten island out in the wild ocean, had become home. An island that other dragons had warned me about—"the place where dragon killers live"—and here I was, surrounded by humans and dragons alike, each one caring and kind.

As I gazed around, the old tales of Berk seemed almost laughable now. The people here had changed, opening their hearts to dragons, learning to trust, and even to love. And it was all thanks to a Night Fury and his rider, who saw the world a little differently and took a chance on each other.

Nothing gets better than this, I thought, as I settled in among them, feeling more at peace than I'd ever felt before. I was home.