"So. Let me get this straight. You were washed up on Deathsong Island, you picked up some dragons, you had a bunch of adventures and then we found you?" Heather asked.

Hiccup did a dragon-y sigh and nodded.

"But why did you try and kill us earlier?" Snotlout asked.

Hiccup reeled back on to his hind legs, eyes suddenly wide and afraid.

I couldn't control it He scratched frantically. (Let's just assume all the wobbling-ness from now on, because it's quite time consuming and this has to be done before 12:00)

"What's ' it'?" Brigitta murmured.

The inner dragon

"Inner dragon..." Astrid muttered. "We should go and see the King at once!"

"I agree." Brigitta said.

"As long as there's something to blow up!" Ruff and Tuff chorused.

"Fine. I'll come. GUSTAV!!!" Snotlout hollered.

Gustav?

"Snotlout's cronie." Astrid sighed. "Snotlout, do we have to bring him along?"

"Yes." Snotlout said with an air of firmness and finality.

After a short wait, young lad of about 20 strutted into the arena, followed closely by a purple and yellow Monstrous Nightmare.

"A-Gustav!" He exclaimed, exuding an aura of blown-up ego.

"Gustav, if you are coming along, you have to be quiet." Astrid warned.

"You must not disturb my meditations!" Brigitta gave him a look out of the corner of her eye.

"Don't set anything on fire! Including your dragon! That's for us to do!" Tuffnut exclaimed.

"Yeah, no setting stuff on fire!" Ruffnut agreed.

"Don't disturb Cloudjumper!" Valk warned.

"Be careful of Meatlug, you know she doesn't get on with your dragon!" Fishlegs warned.

Can we go now, please?

"Oh, yes. Sorry, Hiccup!" Astrid leapt nimbly over to Stormfly's pen and opened it. The rest followed suit while Gustav tried and failed to mount his dragon.

"Hey, What's with the new dragon? Can I ride him?" He pointed at Hiccup, who promptly extended his teeth with a growl. Gustav's dragon swept him off his feet with his tail and did a dragon smirk.

"Ow! Fanghook!"

But by then the other riders were ready.

"Ready, Hiccup?" Asked Fishlegs. Hiccup nodded.

"Off we go!" Astrid yelled, and the dragons sprang into the air. Well, Fanghook grabbed Gustav by the scruff of his neck, flipped him onto his back, then took off.

~<>~<>~🦅~<>~<>~

It was a long trip.

By the time the Nest was in sight, all the dragons and riders were tired, and the dragons out of breath.

"Look! The Nest! We're nearly there!" Valka pointed to the icy palace in the distance.

A cheer rose from the riders, and a roar from the dragons, and they sped onwards with fresh heart.

~<>~<>~🦅~<>~<>~

Hiccup's POV

I could feel it inside me.

The inner dragon, fighting and clawing to escape.

Well, it wasn't going to.

I squeezed my eyes shut as it fought to escape harder than ever.

I must NOT let it take over me. I must NOT let it take over me. I must NOT LET IT TAKE OVER ME!

I repeated those eight words like a key that would lock the wild beast inside me in to the inner catacombs of my soul.

My dragon's soul.

Hookfang, who was once again carrying me, began to twist and turn sharply, we were entering the Nest.

It was at times like these I wished I could fly.

Left,      Right,            Left,                       Left,        Left,        Left, Right...

It went on. 

I could never have memorised these passages if I tried.

The small Hobblegrump we were following eventually landed in the antechamber I remembered so well. The day I met my mother...

I looked at her, up on Cloudjumper. She looked different, but not too different. Her hair was longer (My hair used to be the length of hers... My poor hair... I miss it!) and greyer, and she carried herself with more pride than before, if that was possible.

I was snapped from my reverie by being dropped on the cold floor.

We had arrived.

I was going to be human again.

Whew! I have 18 minutes left before my deadline.

My phone's infinite data vanishes at 12:00, you see, and I have to be done by then...

Done now! Enjoy!

🦅—Aquila!