I neither own nor claim any rights to How To Train Your Dragon

Hello, Everyone...

We're going to start moving forward through the timeline quickly now, with each chapter from this point addressing key events necessary to wrap the story up. There are several events that need to be covered, so there's quite a bit more before the end. We're covering the ending of HTTYD2 in this one.

And just to be clear, Even though we've got three series of Dragons shows, I am only treating the movies as canon. I may draw on elements from the shows occasionally, if they fit with the story I am telling, but I am not going to lose any sleep over the creative license I am going to be taking with what lies ahead.

Let's get started, shall we?

A RIPPLE IN TIME
Chapter 12 - The River of Time

A few weeks after Oscar and Raenick revealed the truth to Stoick the Vast, they had set their affairs in order and left Berk and Nartara, respectively. They established a home on Lone Island, where Odin's Mirror would one day be constructed. There was a compound built into the mountain at the core of the island, containing living quarters and common areas.

"All this was here when my cousin and I were poking around?" Oscar was amazed.

"Most of it." Raenick said. "Some of it will collapse between now and then, and as you saw, the hidden door only opens by voice key. If you knew about it, you might have been able to open it, just as you managed to command the portal. But you didn't, so that's one less discovery your expedition will have made."

Oscar shook his head. "Where did all the furniture and machines come for. This is way more advanced than I've seen, even in my own time."

"The original Ark vessel that carried the dragons was dismantled. What didn't end up here was used by the Icarian survivers to establish homesteads. A few of them are left out there in remote areas of the Archipelago, waiting for the day the portal is constructed to come here and evacuate. They were instructed not to settle together, and to stay out of history's way. If anyone were to encounter any of them, they would be viewed as hermits living off the land and keeping to themselves, with nothing worth raiding them for. I know of at least ten of them, but I can't be sure of the others."

Oscar nodded. "Well, based on what I am seeing, there's more than enough room here. For them and for us... And our kids."

Raenick blushed. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves future-man. We're not even married yet. And because we've cut ties with our villages, I have no idea who would officiate our wedding."

Oscar laughed. "I have a thought about that. Gelbrun, Chief of Dragon Island."

Raenick's eyes widened. "I was living in Nartara when Gelbrun the Mad was letting the place go to Hell in a handbasket while having Majestic Flamescales tortured and killed for his amusement. But then, I was also living there before he lost his wife and son, and remember how much he loved and was loved by his people. If he has truly become the man he was before, I could accept him as officiator."

"Okay," Oscar said. "So, When do you want to get married?"

Now it was Raenicl's turn to laugh. "You're a funny little man, you know that?"

"I'm serious," Oscar said, with a non-nonsense gaze.

Raenick squinted her eyes at him. "Are you in so much of a hurry to get inside my pants, future-man?"

Oscar's mouth dropped open. "I don't... I'm not... I just..." He took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "Look. I love you. You told Gloria that you love me. It's just us here. Alone. It's just only a matter of time before... You know... And it wouldn't be right unless we were married."

Raenick busted out laughing. "It's alright, Oscar. I just wanted to see you squirm. It's kind of cute."

Oscar opened and closed his mouth, looking like a fish. Then he recovered his composure. "So, when?"

"Let's do it tomorrow. We can hop on Gloria in the morning and be on Dragon Island by early afternoon." Raenick was smiling. It was refreshing that after so many decades, she could finally just be herself with someone who himself was outside the bounds of the rules she had to follow with everyone from this time period. The River of Time was long and difficult with nobody to navigate it with. And she had been navigating it alone for far too long.

Oscar reached out and rested his hand on Raenick's cheek and smiled. "Tomorrow it is, then."

O O O

The river of time flowed forward and two years passed. Oscar and Raenick were married as they planned and wasted no time getting their life started, raising a family. Raenick conceived and gave birth to twin sons, though not identical. The first son was named Alavar, and the second was named Alarick. Their surname was slightly altered to reflect the naming conventions of the region: Rodgerson.

In Berk, due to a turn of events in which Alvin the Treacherous was presented with, and took, an opportunity to redeem himself with Stoick the Vast, a lasting peace was established between Berk and Outcast Island.

Daggur the Deranged, who fell out of favor with his own tribe after the Nartara incident was challenged and shamefully defeated by Heather, a young woman who as fate would reveal, turned out to be the firstborn of Oswald the Agreeable, and therefore Daggur's sister. And because Berk had proved to be helpful to Heather, one of the first things she had done upon assuming the role of Chief of the Berserker tribe was to re-establish a solid peace accord with Berk. Both the Outcasts and Berserkers were on their way to becoming dragon-friendly tribes.

With the largest direct threats to Berk removed due to peace being made. the island prospered. And trade with Nartara was a major contributing factor. But just when all seemed right with the world, a plot was uncovered in which a dragon conquering warlord named Drago Bludvist declared war against Berk as what he saw as the biggest threat to his plans. In an attempt to stop Drago before he could commit his forces against Berk, Stoick the Vast was killed, a victim of Drago's Bewilderbeast's mind control, in which Toothless had become an unwilling puppet intended to kill Hiccup.

After Chief Stoick's funeral, Hiccup led the Berkians back home to stop Drago from destroying it. Hiccup had managed to help Toothless overcome the bewilderbeast's mind control, and the tide of battle turned in Berk's favor. But Drago had one final play to make...

O O O

Hiccup, Toothless shouted in his mind as Drago's Bewilderbeast opened its mouth to breath its deadly, crushing blast of ice directly at his friend. His friend that he had tried to kill only to strike down his father. The fact that he had no choice in the matter didn't make the truth any easier to bear. He had become a killer of those he loved and he would never be the same again. He deserved to die. And he would. But he would protect his best friend with his last act. And with that thought firmly in mind, he leaped into the air from behind Hiccup and dove in front of him

Time seemed to slow down as he extended his wings as his feet struck the ground: they would shield the ice blast. Just as Hiccup's father, the Chief of Berk, had taken the death blow to save his son, so he, Toothless, would take one to save Hiccup. Creator of All, he though as he felt the ice strike him, Let your justice be done!

FLASH

He was a young Night Fury, flying with his mother. They had managed to escape from that aweful place where Monstrous Nightmares were tortured for seemingly no reason by a madman called Gelbrun. He would never forget the stench of evil that permeated that place, seeming to originate from the madman himself, though how that was possible, he didn't know. It was as if something dark and sinister had taken hold of the man, corrupting him from within and touching everything around him.

He shook his head. They were free. He was managing to keep up with his mother while flying at top speed. He had never done that before. He was getting faster as he grew, but the pace of his growth contradicted the new speed he was now enjoying. Then he realized that something was wrong. He wasn't faster. His mother was slower.

"Mother?" he cried. "Are you alright?"

His mother looked back at him and smiled. But her eyes held only sadness. "I'm fine my Little Shadow. Just keep flying. We'll stop to rest as soon as we find some place to land"

Little Shadow. That was his hatchling name. When he grew old enough he would take a name for himself. A name that would reflect the dragon he would grow to become. A name to strike fear into the hearts of madmen like Gelbrun and command respect from all dragon-kind. Night Furies were born leaders, possessing strength and intelligence, and something that most dragons lacked: Wisdom. But for now, he was his mother's Little Shadow, following her wherever she went. All they had was each other.

They flew for about an hour more, and there before them was an island with a few scattered trees. It was no place to live, but it would be fine for a good night's rest. There didn't seem to be any other creatures there, and the surrounding waters were teeming with fish. They would eat well and rest tonight, and continue moving tomorrow.

The sense that something was wrong with his mother intensified when she came in for her landing. Instead of gracefully touching down as she had always done, her knees buckled under her weight and she rolled limply to the side, panting. It was then that Little Shadow saw it. The stub of one of the two-legs' sticks-with-sharp-stone-tips poking out of her chest, surrounded by a small burn-patch. She had managed to keep it hidden from him, but there was no hiding it now.

"Mother," he began. "You're hurt."

She sighed, smiling weakly at him again, and again her eyes held sadness. "I'm more than hurt, my Little Shadow. The stick-with-sharp-stone-tip struck my heart. Not deep enough to kill me immediately, but deep enough to weaken me. I love you too much to lie to you. I am too weak to continue."

"No, mother!"

"If I had been hurt like this and could have just rested, it might have been different. But I had to make sure you got out of there. This is no place for a dragon to live, but you can eat your fill from the fish in the water and rest. And then you must go on without me."

"I won't leave you here, mother," Little Shadow said. I'll go catch us some fish. We'll both eat, and you'll get better, and..." he trailed off, knowing that no matter how positive he could try to be, the truth was that his mother was dying, and there was nothing he could do about it. He lowered his head and crooned sadly.

"My sweet boy," she said. "I am so proud of you. I know you will grow up to be a great Night Fury. I feel it in my soul that the Creator of All has a great plan for your life, and that you are destined to be a great force of change. I don't know how I know it. I just do. I won't be able to be with you here, but know that I will be watching over you."

Little Shadow shook his head. "You'll get to see me have revenge on the Two-legs. I'll kill every last one of them I see for this."

"No, my son," his mother said to him. "You must not. Justice will be done by the Creator-of-all, in His time. I have already forgiven the two-leg who did this to me. You must do the same. Otherwise it will be one terrible endless cycle of they kill us and we kill them. A Night Fury must be a forward-thinker, not locked in the past dwelling on something beyond his or her control. So think forward, Little Shadow."

This was the hardest lesson Little Shadow had ever learned, but he took his mother's words to heart. And for three days they remained together on that little island. Eating fish and remembering their life together. But it was not to last.

On the fourth day, Little Shadow woke up under his mother's wing as he had fallen asleep. But something was different. It was too quiet and too still. The only sound to be heard was from the waves washing ashore. His mother's breathing had been labored as he drifted off to sleep. Now she was not breathing at all...

"Mother?" he called.

Nothing.

He pulled himself out from under her wing and moved to look at her face. Her mouth was open, her tongue hanging limp. And her eyes were wide open, though the fire of life had gone from them. His mother was gone, and he, her Little Sadow, was alone.

FLASH

Life had been hard since his mother had died. But life went on. He had made his way from land to land helping out other dragons he came across, but he never settled down. Something kept him moving ever onward. Until he met Graycloud. He had never seen a dragon species liker her. She was sleek and graceful, with a coloring like her name suggested.

He now called himself Darkwing, and he and Graycloud went everywhere together. Two free spirits who found belonging in each other's company. At least, they were free until they came to the island with all the dragons on it. Then they both found themselves enslaved to the will of the beast. And that will had them raiding the nests of two-legs to bring it food. There was no leaving. Not by choice, Those who left were hunted down by the others and brought back only to be eaten by the beast. It was a horrible existence. But the words his mother had spoken about a great destiny for him gave him hope. Somehow he and Graycloud would free themselves of the beast's control, and things would improve. So they did as they were commanded.

He had made a promise to his mother that he would not seek vengence against the two-legs. So he avoided directly attacking them, choosing only to blast their dragon-killing machines into splinters, thus ensuring the success of the raids with as few casualties as possible, on both sides. This meant more food for the beast, so it tolerated him not bringing any food back himself. He and Graycloud both hated having to do what they were made to do, but they did it to survive and hold onto hope.

After a few years, it had all become routine. Heed the call, blast the things two-legs built, cover the escape of Graycloud and the other food-gatherers, pray that the beast was satisfied with the tribute, rest and wait to do it all over again. There was nothing to indicate that the latest raid would be different from all the others. Except that when they were retreating, Graycloud was not there.

Darkwing turned back to the two-leg village to find out what was keeping her. He found her grounded and struggling with two strong two-legs, and even as he landed next to her and roared, he watched in horror as one of them threw a stick-with-sharp-stone-tip, which embedded itself into Graycloud's chest, and even as she screamed in pain, the two legs laughed.

Something snapped within Darkwing, and he wasted no time burning the two to ashes with his whitefire. This was not vengence. This was to protect the one he loved. He turned back to her and pulled the stick-with-sharp-stone-tip out, and she began bleeding profusely.

"I'll kill them all for this," He had said to her.

"No," she told him. "I did this. I went after one of their young... As a distraction... A skinny thing... They came to its defense... I should have known better... Don't blame them... Forgive them... We should be sorry for what we do... Maybe... One day... They will say they are sorry... For what they do... Hope for it... For me..."

She had fought to get those words out, and then her breathing stopped, the blood stopped. Greycloud, the one he loved, was gone. But he would honor her plea. For her sake he would not take revenge. She was right. If it was not for the beast that made them do what they did, none of this would have happened. He hated what the two-legs did to his dear friend. But he hated the thing that made the dragons do all of this even more. It was what really needed killing.

FLASH

Something wasn't right. He thought he heard a distant SNAP! And he had a sense of... something... coming towards him in the sky... Coming fast! He tried to change course, but it was too late. The thing, metal balls tied together with ropes, struck him in the side and wrapped around him. He had seen things like this, thrown by the two-legs. But no two-leg was strong enough to throw one this high into the air, across that much distance at that speed. But that mystery didn't matter. He was going down, his wings unable to extend or flap. The forest was rushing up to meet him. There were few things that scared him, but this experience of total loss of control terrified him.

The Trees! They reached up like sharp claws. And they felt like them as well. His tail caught in the top of a particularly gnarled tree, and a pain like he had never felt ripped through him. He was rolled over and over before colliding with another tree, which bent under his weight, bringing him to the ground. He slid in the cold earth, cutting a deep crevice. He was slowing, but not fast enough. He hit a small rise which threw him into the air again, and he struck the ground again and was rolled over and over again, finally coming to rest on his back.

He lay there panting in shock from the ordeal, and from the pain. Every inch of his body hurt. Miraculously, he didn't think he had broken any bones. Except for the thin ones in his left tail fin, which were not just broken, but gone, like the fin itself.

"My tail!" he roared as he began to thrash about. He couldn't stay on his back. Even as strong and deadly as he was, he would have less of a chance of survival if he stayed in such a vulnerable position. It took great effort, but he managed to turn over onto his side. But the metal balls tied together with ropes had tightened their grip further, and he could no longer move.

It was no use. He could not free himself. He hurt too much. He was too tired. He knew it would only be a matter of time before one of the two-legs found him and killed him. Only a matter of time before it was over. Only a matter of time before he and Graycloud would fly together once more. With that thought, he surrendered to exhaustion and let darkness wrap him in her sweet, gentle embrace...

He opened his eyes at the sound of a sweet voice calling his name, A voice he had been longing to hear. Graycloud's voice. He opened his eyes, and there she was, standing before him, looking more vital than he had ever remembered. More beautiful than he could have imagined.

"This is not the end, my love," she said, stretching her wings out triumphantly. "This is a new beginning for you, though you face difficult times."

He became aware that he was still bound.

"Even now, in this seemingly dark deed, The Creator of All has a great plan. Even now a Chosen One draws near. You must remember my words when we were parted. Remember. Keep them in your heart, and a glorious future awaits. Hope for it... For me..."

Graycloud reached forward with her right front paw and placed it on his shoulder. He closed his eyes. When he opened them, she was gone. But he still felt something pressing against his shoulder. And he heard the unmistakable noise of two-leg speech. The words didn't make much sense on their own, but there was something basic and understandable in the tone and even the mind of the speaker. It was talking about something fixing everything. Then it was going on about bringing down a mighty beast.

He tried to stand, but his bonds were too tight, so the best he could do was shift. The two-leg leaped back holding a tiny metal tooth in his hand. But it was shaking with fear.

That's right, little one, he thought. Be very afraid!

He fixed the two-leg with a piercing stare. The truth was he was afraid, too. Earlier he was ready to give up, but his beloved Graycloud had come to him in what was clearly a dream. And she told him about a great and glorious future. Hope was rekindled, only to be facing a two-leg with a metal tooth, and unable to do anything about it. All he could do was stare into eyes filled with terror.

The two-leg stepped forward again, and raised its metal tooth above its head and spoke again. Something about killing him and taking his heart to its father. That it was a Viking. There was determination as well as fear in the two-leg's eyes. And now he, the magnificent creature the two-legs called a Night Fury succumbed to terror. Not now... Not like this. Please Please not like this.

The two-leg faltered, staring into his eye. Was that pity he saw in its eyes now? Sadness mixed with fear. Dare he hope for mercy from this skinny thing?

This skinny young two-leg... Was this the young thing that Graycloud went after before her death?

The determination in the two-leg's eyes was back, and it raised its metal tooth again, ready to plunge it into his heart. No... There was no hope. He was going to die. He closed his eyes, moaned and let his head sink to the ground, surrendering to the inevitable...

"I did this..."

He heard the words from the two-leg, and understood their meaning. Graycloud had spoken them as well to convince him that he should forgive the two-legs. Then he became aware of the two-leg's metal tooth biting not into his flesh, but into the bonds that held him. He felt them loosen. Felt them fall away from his legs and wings...

The tension of the moment had him running on pure adrenaline. As soon as he was free, instinct took over and he was on top of the two-leg in the blink of an eye, penning it against a boulder with his paw on its throat, staring angrily into its eyes. Eyes that seemed to scream "Not now... Not like this..."

"Hope for it... For me"

With an act of sheer will, he resisted the desire to bite the head off of the cowering two-leg, and instead roared as loudly as he could directly into its terrified face. With that, he turned and attempted to fly away, but the missing tail fin would not allow him to gain altitude. He found himself plummeting into a cove. At the last second, he managed to stretch his wings out and glide into a lake. The water felt good on his wings and legs which had been held so tightly by the ropes for what seemed like forever. And then it sank in. The skinny two-leg cut the ropes and freed him even after all that posturing about being a Viking and taking his heart to its father. Two-legs always go for the kill. So why didn't this one?

FLASH

He was Toothless, and on his back rode Hiccup, the Two-leg who gave him a new life with a new purpose. They were racing other dragons ridden by Hiccup's friends, celebrating the victory against the beast. Little did he realize it but this day was the dawning day of a golden age in which dragons and Two-legs would live side-by-side, taking care of each other and helping each other achieve great things. This was Berk. This was home. This was destiny.

FLASH

He was nothing. The Alpha made that clear from the onset of its control. He would do its bidding and nothing more. He was merely a tool to be used as needed. And right now a human needed to be killed. It was so simple. One full-power plasma blast and the Alpha's command would be obeyed. But something else in the back of his mind told him that this was wrong. He resisted and the Alpha's will was intensified. He was not in control. All he could do was watch. He knew this human. No... He loved this human... A human who had chosen to spare his life when he could have ended it. A human who had given him a new life with a new tail fin that he had personally made for him. The new life meant that he could not fly without this human, but that didn't matter. This human treated him with kindness and dignity and together they were more than the sum of their individual parts. And now he was about to kill this human that he had come to love like a brother, and he knew that there was nothing he could do about it.

The human retreated from the threatening eye-slit gaze he knew he was staring at him with. He was trying to communicate, but the words made no sense. Well, human words never made any sense on their own. It was the truth in a human mind that conveyed meaning, but the Alpha's will was drowning out all other truths but one:

YOU ARE MINE!

HE IS LESS THAN NOTHING!

DESTRIY HIM OR I WILL BREAK YOU!

The plasma blast began to build within his throat, even as the human... his human... was backed against a wall of ice. He tried to stop it, but failed.

Brother, his soul screamed to the human. Please forgive me. I love you!

The plasma blast was launched and time seemed to slow as it came closer and closer to his human. But at the last moment, his human's father shoved him out of the way and took the full force of the blast himself.

Relief and horror flooded him at the same time. His human was safe, but the man he just killed was also dear to him, though not in the same way. He stood there panting, smoke billowing out of his mouth, his will still subdued by the Alpha.

SEE WHAT YOU DID, WORM? GO TO YOUR HUMAN... YOU WILL SEE THAT HE REALLY HATES YOU... THEN COME BACK AND GIVE YOURSELF OVER TO ME.

He was Toothless the Night Fury again. He moved to his beloved human and his fallen father. He nuzzled the dead chief's limp hand, and his human rounded on him. He ignored the spoken words because the truth in his human's mind was so sharp and clear.

Go away, despised one, and never come back!

His heart shattered. He had committed an unforgivable crime and there was no making amends for it. The Alpha was right. He was now hated by one he loved. He had no purpose. So he opened his mind to the Alpha and accepted control this time.

FLASH

He was forgiven! He didn't know how his human had done it, but he had reached out with a will of his own and somehow used it to block the will of the Alpha. This was unheard of. He was free. He grabbed Drago's staff and flung the warlord off his back, and in so doing, lost control of his stationary flight. His human threw himself off the baby dragon he was riding and plummeted after him. At the last second, his human managed to lock his prosthetic into the control mechanism and together they pulled out of the freefall.

FLASH

Hiccup, Toothless shouted in his mind as Drago's Bewilderbeast opened its mouth to breath its deadly, crushing blast of ice directly at his friend. His friend that he had tried to kill only to strike down his father. The fact that he had no choice in the matter didn't make the truth any easier to bear. He had become a killer of those he loved and he would never be the same again. He deserved to die. And he would. But he would protect his best friend with his last act. And with that thought firmly in mind, leaped into the air from behind Hiccup and dove in front of him

Time seemed to slow down as he extended his wings as his feet struck the ground: they would shield the ice blast. Just as Hiccup's father, the Chief of Berk, had taken the death blow to save his son, so he, Toothless, would take one to save Hiccup. Creator of All, he though as he felt the ice strike him, Let your justice be done!

MY JUSTICE IS ALWAYS DONE!

FLASH

The Voice had come from everywhere and nowhere, and Toothless found himself in a beautiful meadow and surrounded by dragons of all kinds, many lounging peacefully. His tail fin was whole, and at his feet lay his beloved human Hiccup, whose legs were both whole.

"How is this possible?" he asked out loud.

"Here in paradise," came a voice he thought he would never hear again, "all things are possible, my beloved Darkwing!"

He turned, and there she was. "Graycloud!"

She smiled at him, after the way of dragons. "You are not home yet, my love. You are not condemned for what you were made to do. You called to the Creator of All and He has answered you."

"What of Hiccup?" Toothless looked down at the sleeping form of his friend. "Why is he not conscious?"

Graycloud regarded the human laying on the ground. "It is not his time, but both of you were in mortal danger. You and he are here in spirit only while the Creator of All sets up what is needed to ensure that both of you survive. A Bewilderbeast's ice is instantly fatal. And while what the Creator of All is doing only takes a moment in that place, your souls needed to be sheltered. So you are both here. He sleeps, because he is not to remember this. But you must remember."

Toothless shook his head. "I never want to forget."

Graycloud nodded. "There is not much time. When the Creator of All sends you back, you will find yourself with power at your disposal that you never knew you could have. The power that Drago Bloodvist exercises is not of this world. Like Gelbrun the Redeemed before him, he has been touched by the servants of the Great Liar. But unlike Gelbrun who succumbed to their will in a moment of mortal weakness, Drago gave himself willingly. He cannot be reached because he does not want to be free. The world will know warlords like him, and they will do horrible things. But he is not meant to be one of them. Supernatural evil is to be combatted with supernatural good. The gift you will be given will be the tool by which this will happen."

Toothless was in awe of what he was told. The Creator of All was going to grant him a gift of tremendous power. "I am not worthy," he said.

"None of us are," Graycloud responded. "But his grace and mercy and justice are beyond our reckoning. The called are seldom qualified, and yet He qualifies the called. When your journey is complete, you will meet many souls, both dragon and human, who can attest to this. You have been an instrument of change that has brought a golden age to your part of the world. And it is not over yet."

A thunderbolt flashed in a cloudless crystal-blue sky.

"Be prepared, my love," Graycloud said as she licked toothless on the cheek. "Balance is about to be restored."

FLASH

Cold. Darkness. These were the things he was aware of, and they were overwhelming. He became aware of the ice all around, and yet he did not freeze. It was as if there was a bubble surrounding him. Hiccup was with him. He could feel the truth of fear in the young human's mind.

TAKE UP MY SWORD AND WIELD IT IN MY JUSTICE!

The Voice was all-encompassing, and it was compelling beyond belief, but not in a way that robbed him of control. In his mind, with that same sense that allowed him and all dragons to sense the truth in the minds of others, he became aware of a bright glowing ball of blue light. He reached out to it with his mind, and it flooded into him, and HE began to glow.

He was powerful. The world seemed insignificant. He could rule it all and shape things according to his own will. It was so tempting. But then he remembered the words of a Viking his human called a friend, who had gone to live with another tribe a few years back. Jarin was his name, and he had once said that he sought purpose, not power. That had somehow stuck with him over the years, and now it crashed home all around him. Purpose.

This ice needs to go, he thought. And with the thought, the light within him swelled outward, causing the ice to emit an ever-going high-pitched scream. A moment later, it exploded outward in cold dust.

His back spines, forehead and inside his mouth were glowing blue. The power was still within him. It needed purpose. The Alpha needed to go. He leaped onto a massive ice spike and began roaring defiance at the Alpha who once again tried to exert its will upon him. But with the Power in him, his mind was shielded.

He began to cut loose with plasma blast after plasma blast in rapid succession, striking the Alpha in the head and face. He should not have been able to shoot so many blasts, but he was empowered beyond belief, just as Graycloud said. The blasts caused the Alpha's will over all the other dragons to falter, and they quickly flew over to hover behind him.

Hiccup was on his back again, and he was glad. They were both strong together. And with this new power he had, together they could accomplish wonders.

His human shouted out to Drago, the truth of his thoughts clear to Toothless. He was offering Drago a chance to end the conflict and to understand what it truly means to earn a dragon's trust. But Drago would have none of it. His mind radiated defiance. And his Alpha made ready to strike with a full-force ice blast.

"Not again!" Toothless shouted, and he cut loose with another plasma blast. With that, all of the dragons formerly under the Alpha's control also began to cut loose with their fires. The Alpha, in spite of tremendous pain and growing fear, stood its ground.

This must end, Toothless thought, and he reached deep into himself and brought forth a plasma blast more powerful than any he had ever fired. It exploded with such force on the Alpha's face that its left tusk was broken off.

"LEAVE!" he called out. And amazingly enough, the Alpha obeyed. It dove into the water and vanished.

The power was still within him. He and his human could do wonders. The world would tremble at them. Nothing would stop them. But then he thought of Drago and his alpha. The world would have trembled at what they would have done together, and nothing would have stopped them. But he had stopped them with power on loan from the Creator of All. Power. On loan. "This is not my true desire, and the power is not mine. Creator of All, I release this back to you with boundless gratitude."

And with that, the glow was gone, and he was as he had been before. It did not matter to all the other dragons around him, who bowed low before him. They began to chant, "Alpha! Alpha! Alpha!"

And why not? It made sense. He had overcome an Alpha's power over him, and had driven that alpha away. That made him an alpha. His human would now become chief of the Vikings of berk, and he had earned his right as chief of the dragons of Berk. Both he and Hiccup were two new Alphas, each with the purpose of taking care of their own. Whatever destiny lay ahead, they would all face it, dragon and human, together.

O O O

In the aftermath of the battle, riders from the Berserkers, Outcasts and Nartara arrived, in response to scouts of the respective islands reporting Berk under siege. As quickly as they had mobilized, the were not fast enough to join the battle, which was won by Hiccup and the Riders of Berk. Rather than leaving immediately, they stayed on to celebrate the victory, and the life and memory of Stoick the Vast, a man whose willingness to break with traditions and embrace an age where Vikings and Dragons coexisted together paved the way for prosperity for those who were willing to follow his example. Hiccup's ascension to chiefdom was also celebrated.

Berk would be rebuilt, and made even greater. Hiccup vowed to see to that.

O O O

As the celebration continued into the night, Oscar and Raenick looked at each other solemnly. "Destiny has been fulfilled," Oscar said.

"Indeed," replied Raenick. "We need to pull Chief Hiccup aside and make sure he knows about what lies ahead. We cannot know for certain that Stoick had time to pass the knowledge along."

"Let him enjoy the victory he and Tootless won here." Oscar sounded indignant. "He deserves a break before we dump knowledge of a coming crisis onto him."

Raenick sighed. "Very well, husband."

Oscar smiled. "Thank you, wife."