"Valka! Valka!"

Astrid ran through the Berk at lightning speed, nearly going straight through Valka's door as she skidded to a halt.

"Astrid?" Valka opened the door, peering out with a rather puzzled expression.

"Itsiccup!" Astrid was completely incoherent due to her excitement and shock.

"What?"

Astrid grabbed Valka by the hand and pulled her back to the Dragon Training Academy where the others were waiting for her.

Hiccup lifted his head from his front paws, yawned sleepily, and hobbled his way over to Valka and Astrid. He lifted his wing to reveal the undersides.

Valka peered at him closely, then shook her head sadly.

"Astrid, I'm sure there are other Night Furies with lightning-" She said in a condescending tone.

"No! It's Hiccup! Go on, Hiccup! Do your thing!" Astrid pointed to the ground just in front of Hiccup's left front paw.

Hiccup didn't respond. He just stared at Valka.

"Go on, Hiccup! What are you waiting for?" Astrid tapped on the top of his head irritably.

Nobody present ever forgot that moment.

Hiccup reared up on his back legs violently, roaring and screeching angrily. But his broken leg refused to hold his weight, and he flopped to the ground. Smoke curled like young fern leaves from his nose and his eyes shone red with a vicious anger.

The Vikings reeled back in shock at his violent outburst.

"But... Hiccup!" Astrid pleaded. "You... You..."

The Night Fury growled, lowering his head to the ground and charging a plasma blast.

"Hiccup! No! Don't!" Astrid backed away until her back was to the wall.

The Night Fury advanced, the plasma blast grew... Grew... He drew his head back to fire...

...

...

...

...

And then he dropped his head to the ground, swallowing the plasma blast rather painfully.

"Hiccup?" Astrid tentatively reached a hand out towards him. The Night Fury lifted his head up and placed his nose in her hand with a purr.

"What was that?" Ruffnut spoke up for the first time.

"I..." Astrid swallowed shakily. "I don't know."

Hiccup's head perked up, and he scribbled on the ground with one talon.

Hiccup

It was rather shaky, but it sufficed. Valka gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

Hiccup stopped, staring at Valka again. The riders shrank back, nervous. But the Plasma Blast didn't come.

Hiccup remembered.

He remembered everything.

"Hiccup?" (Yeah, a lot of saying that going on...) Valka asked. Hiccup nodded violently, then sprang on her, flooring her, and licked her all over.

"Ha... Stop... Haha... That... Haha... Hiccup!" She laughed. His rough tongue was very ticklish indeed.

Eventually he stopped and allowed a dripping wet and very happy Valka to get up.

"It's so good to have you back!"

"Where were you?"

"How are you alive?"

"What happened?"

A clamour of voices swamped the happy trio and the other riders descended en masse.

Hiccup shrank back, looking unhappy at all these people swamping them.

"Keep back! You're crowding him!" Astrid pushed the riders back and punched Snotlout in the jaw for good measure. Hiccup made a noise similar to a human sigh and tried to facepalm.

Unfortunately for him he had paws, so he simply succeeded in banging himself on the nose.

Valka chuckled, and sat down next to him.

"What happened, Son? How did you survive?"

Hiccup began to scratch his long narrative.

Okay, the first thing I shall say is: don't expect this be up to my usual standard. Flu does nothing for one's writing ability. Sorry. Updates every Friday!

Aquila out.

🦅—Aquila