The Return of the Dragons

Part 55 Riders Once Again - Hiccup POV

And so the battle begins. The battle for our home. The battle for our families. The battle for our lives. Everything we love is at stake here.

I need to find Astrid. I - I really need to tell her I'm sorry, but a battle is no place for that. But if something happens to either of us, I couldn't bear that I had not asked her forgiveness. I need to find her and fight with her like I should have done all along.

I turn to Zephyr who is standing by Toothless. Toothless nuzzles her and purrs. "Yeah buddy," she whispers. "I love you too." I smile. She and Toothless do getr along well.

"Zephyr, honey, come here." I say holding out my arms to her. She runs into my arms and hugs me. "I love you Daddy," she says, " I'm sorry that all this happened."

"Oh baby, it's not your fault." I say brushing her long bangs aside so I can see her eyes. I wipe the tears from her face and kiss her cheek. "Now you stay here where it's safe." I command her.

"Yes Daddy." she replies.

I look up at Toothless. The alpha night fury looks at me with his deep green eyes. His huge pupils show how he remembers me though it's been a few years. "You ready bud?" I ask stepping closer. He gurgles and lowers his back for me. remembering years of battle on the back of this dragon I mount him once more. "Alright Toothless, lets' show them what you've got!" The great night fury shoves with his powerful muscles and stretches his mighty wings as we launch into the sky and begin to fly above the battle.

I look to my right and I look to my left. There are ships everywhere and there is fire launching across the sky. My village is on fire and my people are surrounded. But the dragons are in the sky firing on the enemy and a spark of hope rises in my chest. But then, I look in from of me and I see a grouping of dragons... dragons that look like they have riders on them! I see Fishlegs on Meatlug, Ruffnut and Tuffnut on Barf and Belch, Snotlout on Hookfang, and it looks like Viggo on his skrill.

"Let's go join them bud!" I fly over to them and they all face me.

"What's the plan chief?" asks Fishlegs.

"Is your daughter safe?" asks Viggo.

"Yes she's safe." I reply. "Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff, you aid the battle front and try to get the trained New Berkians on dragons. Snotlout and Viggo, start disabling the enemy weapons. They're not dragon-proof because I don't think they expected us to come up with all the dragons in existence like this. I'll look for Astrid and try to get her in the air, then I need to find my son."

"You've got it chief!" says Snotlout. He and Viggo take off with him shouting "Snotlout, Snotlout, OI! OI! OI!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Says Fishlegs and that group takes off.

"Alright Astrid, where are you?" I say. It doesn't take me a minute to find Stormfly and she follows me and Toothless to find my wife. I quickly spot her down in the thick of the battle swinging her axe around in hand to hand combat. She screams as Toothless grabs her and is a little winded when I drop her on Stormfly. "Thought you'd fight better on the back of your own dragon M'lady." I say with a smile.

I can see some tears in her eyes. "Oh Hiccup, thank you!" She cries. "Oh Stormfly, my good girl!" Se pauses. "Hiccup," She shouts to me over the noise of the battle. "Come closer."

I hover very close to her and she does something I wasn't expecting. She leans in and kisses me. "I love you, Hiccup." she says. I lean in and kiss her again. "I'm sorry Astrid... for everything." She blinks some tears and then I say, "We had better find our son."

"Where's Zephyr? Have you seen her?"

"Yes, she's safe!"

"Well then," says Astrid with a smile on her face I haven't seen in years, "Let's go kick some Viking butt!"