Authors Notes

Hi! Here is the next chapter in this story. So sorry that I haven't updated it in a while but I was busy with school the last few months. Fortunately I'm on my summer holidays now so I will hopefully have more time to write. Thank you to everyone who has read, followed, favourited, or reviewed my last chapter. It means so much to me, especially since this is my first fanfic. Hope you all enjoy chapter 2!

Chapter 2. Transformation

Hiccup woke up the next morning having surprisingly not woken up once during the night, a rare occurrence these days with all the dragon raids. However, despite after having a good few hours sleep, he felt oddly drained and groggy. He couldn't even muster up enough energy to open his eyes, so instead he began exploring his other senses, which seemed strangely more sensitive than usual. He was experiencing sounds and smells on a scale he had never witnessed before, to the point it was almost overwhelming.

The first smell that got his nostrils flaring was the scent of the salty sea air. Now living in a coastal village on a small island meant that this salty fragrance was ever present, but as Hiccup had spent his whole lifetime there, he had become accustomed to the smell, and barely ever noticed it. However, at that present moment, it was so strong, it was almost intoxicating and Hiccup had to fight the urge to gag. Fortunately, Hiccup suddenly caught the whiff of a bizarrely more pleasant smell – raw fish! Something instantly clicked in Hiccup's brain – some sort of primal instinct, but he quickly ignored it as he was bombarded with even more sensory information. He smelled things that he thought his nose couldn't possibly detect from his bedroom, such as dew-covered grass, pine, and rotting wood, most likely emanating from the forest, which was some distance from his house on the outskirts of the village. He even began detecting smells unknown to him, which was saying something, considering he spent most of his time in solitude, wandering the island, and knows it from top to bottom, including all the usual aromas!

Since Hiccup had failed to recognise the strange scents, he subconsciously started tuning into one of his other senses – hearing. The first thing he heard was the waves. He had heard the waves many times before. During storms, he was terrified by the loud violent waves crashing against the rocky shore, and was sure that he had angered the gods in some way and now they would punish him by flooding the village. However, when the weather was calm, the slow rhythmic humming of the gently lapping waves often relaxed Hiccup, temporarily relieving him from the constant stress of being the village screw-up. Sometimes they even helped him to drift off to sleep and today was no exception!, although the effect was ten times stronger as the sound of the waves were much louder than usual thanks to Hiccup's oddly sensitive hearing. He was starting to slip into unconsciousness once again, but suddenly he heard an alarming sound. He could hear slow steady breathing and the odd grunt or growl coming from all directions. He immediately realized what was creating these sounds – DRAGONS! Hiccup was surrounded by hundreds of sleeping dragons!

Hiccup instantly started to panic. His heart started to race and his breathing became shallow. And for the first time since he'd woken up, he opened his eyes. However he almost instantly regretted this, as he was momentarily blinded by the unfamiliar brightness of his room. When his eyes finally adjusted, he noticed that his bedroom looked different. Everything was where it was supposed to be, but it still seemed different somehow. Then he realized it! – his usual dark, gloomy, dull room was now bright and colourful, as if someone had snuck into his room and refurbished it while he slept.

While Hiccup glanced around at his seemingly newly-transformed room, his gaze landed on something that petrified him. His blood ran cold as he stared in fear at a long black scaly thing lying across his bed – a dragon's tail! Hiccup couldn't see the rest of the dragon from his position on the bed, but the creature was obviously in his room. A thought suddenly flashed through Hiccup's mind, despite his anxious, panicked state – How could a dragon have even managed to get inside the house, let alone his room, without creating enough noise to wake his dad. He would've certainly killed it, right? Unless….the dragon had hurt his dad….or worse! Hiccup immediately forced the terrifying thought to the back of his mind. 'Hiccup, think now, act later', he mentally scolded himself. However, Hiccup couldn't act, he was frozen to the spot in pure and utter fear, despite the fact the dragon was still most likely sleeping.

Finally, Hiccup built up the courage to try to slowly creep out of his bed. But as he did so, he heard the wooden boards under the bed creak loudly. Hiccup wouldn't be heavy enough to create such a loud noise, heck, if anything he was underweight. His stomach turned to ice, as he came to the terrifying realisation that the dragon was certainly standing on the bed behind him, had seen him and would strike at any moment. Now scared out of his wits and having nowhere to run or hide, Hiccup accepted his fate. He knew this day would come, most likely sooner rather than later, but he had never imagined his life ending like this – in his bedroom, one of the few places he had always felt safe, both from the dragons and the villagers' taunts and disappointed glares. He hadn't had the best life, so maybe the Gods would take pity on him, and give him a more pleasant afterlife – maybe he'd finally be able to reunite with his mother, the only person who had ever showed him genuine love.

With that comforting thought in mind, Hiccup closed his eyes and prepared for the impact. But it never came – no agonizing pain, bright lights or visions of Valhalla! He was still ALIVE!

Still in disbelief, he began to tentatively open one eye, then the other and was greeted by the sight of a large scaly black paw on the bed right in front of him! He leapt backwards in fright, but the paw didn't move at all. Bewildered, and not sure of what else to do, Hiccup tried to move his fingers on his left hand and to his surprise the claws on the paw began to wriggle. He made several more complex hand gestures, the paw mimicking his movements with perfect precision and timing. As realisation slowly dawned on him, he hesitantly turned his head around to see two large bat-like wings tucked into the side of a long, slender, black, scaly body. He could now see that the long black, scaly tail that had terrified him only moments ago, was connected to his rear. The sight had confirmed his worst fears. His mind went into overdrive and he started to hyperventilate.

"This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this CAN'T be happening," Hiccup muttered quietly to himself. "This has to be a nightmare! It HAS to be!" An idea suddenly crossed Hiccup's mind, and without giving it a second thought, he dug a claw deep into the flesh of his right paw. Hiccup had been scratched many times throughout his life by many different dragons and every time he had experienced agonizing pain. However, he now seemed to have a higher pain tolerance, as the claw embedded in his skin caused him a duller aching pain rather than the sharp stabbing pain he was used to, but despite this, it still hurt like hell! "Ow, ow, ow, ow…Okay this is not a dream," Hiccup hissed in pain as he slowly removed his claw from the now bleeding paw. "I – I really…AM…A DRAGON!" As this statement sunk in, Hiccup felt as if his head might explode! It was too much for him to take in – He had so many questions and felt so many emotions all at once.

All these emotions started bubbling to the surface to the point where Hiccup was about to scream, but someone bet him to it. From downstairs, came a deafening roar that was so load it seemed like it had caused the entire house to shake. Despite Hiccup's bewildered state of mind, his curiosity got the better of him. He tried to creep downstairs, but he staggered and tripped multiple times, trying to adjust to walking on four legs instead of two. When he eventually made it to the bottom of the stairs, he saw what had made the terrifying roar. A thunderdrum was in the sitting room, pacing up and down and knocking some furniture over in the process. It looked very confused and angry. "D-Dad?", Hiccup quavered. He had no idea if this dragon was, in fact, his father, but considering what had happened to him, there was a high possibility it was. The dragon abruptly stopped pacing, and stared blankly at the boy-turned-dragon, as if it had only noticed his presence now. Hiccup kept eye-contact with the dragon, trying to read its expression, but it remained emotionless. He started to regret speaking in the first place – maybe he really would die this time. But after a few seconds the thunderdrum's blank expression morphed into one of obvious shock and concern "Hiccup?", it whispered. There was no mistaking Stoic's voice. Hiccup now also was in shock. Neither of them spoke or moved for a few moments, both too gobsmacked to do anything else but stare. However, loud roars and grunts coming from outside, snapped the two out of their trance.

Stoic was the first to act. As chief, it was his duty to protect his people and to see to any commotion that broke out in the village. However, as he went to exit the house, he soon discovered that in his new form, he couldn't fit through the door frame. Being a typical thunderdrum, he was wider than he was tall. Hiccup tried his best to help his father, but he couldn't stop a sarcastic thought from popping into his head. 'Wow Dad's really taking his nickname 'Stoic THE VAST' to a whole new level!' Hiccup mentally chuckled at his own joke, but didn't say a word to his already agitated father – it would just make things worse. Stoic had been intimidating enough as a human, but now that he could spew fire, Hiccup didn't want to imagine what he could do to him if he aggravated him with another one of his witty remarks.

Finally when both father and son had managed to squeeze through the door frame, they were greeted by the sight of many dragons coming out of the Viking huts. Some looked scared, some looked angry, but most looked utterly confused. Both Hiccup and Stoic heard several grunts and roars, but now being dragons, they could also hear a myriad of voices. "What's happening?", one gronckle yelled frantically, sounding very similar to the voice of Phlegma the Fierce. "Is this some kind of joke!?", shouted a red and blue nadder angrily, its voice resembling that of Spitelout Jorgenson, Hiccup's uncle.

Hiccup and Stoic noticed that all the dragons were walking (but staggering, tripping and falling in the process) in the same direction. Hiccup and Stoic turned their heads in the direction they were going to see a large group of dragons gathered at the foot of the stairs to the Great Hall. A few steps above them stood a dragon as black as night, glancing around at the growing crowd with its large luminescent greenish-yellow eyes. Suddenly, memories of last night flooded Hiccup's mind, 'Was this the night fury he'd attempted to shoot down?'. Behind the night fury stood a large dispersed group of about a hundred dragons, all different species, some of which Hiccup had never seen before. 'About the same amount as the population of Berk', he pondered curiously. Hiccup and Stoic started walking, albeit clumsily, towards the assembled dragons and stood at the back of the crowd.

All the dragons chatted loudly to each other, as they discovered that their former Viking neighbours and friends had all suffered the same bizarre fate as them. Hiccup noticed the night fury clearing his throat, barely audible above the cacophony of draconic voices and all the dragons continued talking. It tried again, a bit louder this time, but still its attempt was in vain. Hiccup could see that the night fury was starting to become agitated. "…Ahem…", it coughed loudly, followed by a guttural growl. This finally caught the crowd's attention and the conversing almost immediately stopped and everyone stared up at the night fury expectantly, waiting for it to speak. For a split second it looked taken aback, but it quickly regained its composure, adopting a rigid stance, appearing calm and reserved.

"Now you are all most likely very confused", it began in a clear confident masculine tone, which lacked in emotion, "I know that if I woke up in a familiar body, I would be too. Some of you may also be feeling scared, anxious or angry". He paused briefly, glancing swiftly around the crowd, seeing only blank expressions on the dragons' faces – they were either in shock or still processing what he had just said. "In case some of you are still unsure, I can confirm that every human in this nest has indeed been transformed into a dragon." He paused again and inhaled deeply, as if bracing himself for what he was about to say. "You are probably also wondering who did this to you, well I can now tell you that I transformed you all into dragons". For a brief moment, there was an eerie silence, but the night fury could see that the blank faces of the crowd were quickly morphing into ones of unbridled anger. "How dare you, you evil scaly demon!", someone yelled at him, their voice filled with pure hatred. Suddenly they launched themselves towards the night fury and the other Viking-turned-dragons quickly followed. In response, the dragons, who had stood behind during the speech, now sprang into action, trying to defend their leader and calm down the former Vikings. However, despite their best efforts, this only made the situation even worse. Before he knew it, the village square had descended into a battleground. The dragons had resorted to using their fire to keep the former Vikings at bay, while the Vikings, who were unequipped with basic dragon instincts including how to breathe fire, frantically spun, hissed, growled, clawed and snapped at their opponent, like cornered wild animals. The night fury knew he had to do something and fast. So with that, he took a deep breath and unleased a terrifying deafening roar.

Everyone, both dragon and former Viking alike, instantly stopped what they were doing and stared up at the night fury, most with blank shocked expressions. The piercing glare he gave the crowd reminded Hiccup why this dragon species was known as a night FURY, as indeed his whole demeanour radiated extreme frustration and anger. The intense gaze made Hiccup feel uncomfortable, and he felt the urge to shrink into a tight ball. Involuntary shivers ran up his spine.

After a few long unnerving moments, the night fury began to address the gathering once more. "However I do have a good reason for turning you into dragons", he bellowed, anger still evident in its voice. Having seemingly realised this, he took a brief moment to take some deep breaths and calm down. He then continued with a more calm and confident voice, "And that reason is … I think I know how to stop this war between our two kinds … b-but I need your help."

Within an instant the loud cacophony of the crowd returned. Despite this, Hiccup could hear individual mutterings, and most seemed to be either in disbelief or were suspicious. Hiccup lacked any blood thirst, and had often dreamt of peace, but even he had to admit he was wary of this night fury and his…proposals. Why now? This war had been going on for 300 years and yet this was the first time any dragon had confronted the Vikings with its … thoughts. Even more mind-boggling was the fact that a … dragon was … negotiating with them, an act that only intelligent creatures such as humans should be able to achieve. Dragons were ruthless mindless beasts that always went for the kill! Right?

Hiccup's thoughts were interrupted by loud shouting. "And why would we help you?!", one Viking-turned-dragon bellowed. "Yeah, what have ever done for us other than burn our homes, taken our livestock and slaughtered our people?!", another added, his anger rising with every word. His statement prompted a loud and defiant cheer from virtually all the former Vikings gathered.

Hundreds of beady eyes turned to glare at the night fury, although the dragon did not seem at all phased by this. He turned his eyes up to the heavens and seemed to be thinking, but with mock consideration. "Hmmmm…", he began, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm sure you have all become accustomed to your new bodies. I'm sure you can all walk, run, and…fly, as they are essential skills you'll need to hunt". The former Vikings glanced at each other nervously, cringing at the memory of all of them making their way over to the gathering – they could barely walk a few steps without tripping, let alone run, and they hadn't even begun to explore the alien muscles, ligaments, and bones needed to work the appendages protruding from their backs. "Speaking of hunting, I'm sure you all know the various food dragons eat. And you do know many animals and plants are toxic to dragons, but are edible for humans, right?". Again, everyone exchanged nervous glances, knowing full well that none of them had a clue about the extent of dragons' dietary needs, and worrying that their favourite dish could now poison them and make them sick. A smirk crept across the night fury's face, as he gazed upon the obviously anxious Vikings-turned-dragons. This type of approach was working in his favour. He spoke again, only this time in a much more serious tone. "You will agree to help us, or else we'll refuse to give you any help for survival, and you will all stay as dragons forever!" Many gasped, and loud mumbling spread throughout the crowd. They had little choice if they wanted to live, and so, after a few moments, all the former-Vikings began nodding their heads, albeit reluctantly, as well as mumbling varieties of the answer yes.

"Good" the night fury purred in approval at the crowd. However, suddenly, Stoic spoke up "May I ask what does this so-called 'help' entail?" His booming voice clearly voiced his suspicion and agitation. Hiccup saw panic flash in the night fury's eyes for a split second, before it disappeared as if it was never there, replaced by the calm and confidence of before. "We have a…ruler…and she is a horrible, selfish leader. We need your help to stop her cursed reign. You will fight alongside us in your dragon forms. When she is defeated, the war will end and you will be returned to your human forms. I hope that answers your question." Stoic simply nodded, but Hiccup could clearly see the suspicion still etched across his face.

The night fury began speaking once again to the crowd "Now, I'm sure that your kind, like us, has a leader too." As he said this he glanced briefly at Stoic, suspecting that he was the Vikings' leader. "But since you are all dragons now, and I know the most about surviving as a dragon, I will be your leader for the foreseeable future. Do I make myself clear?" Everyone merely nodded or murmured variants of the answer yes, as they either agreed with the dragon's logic or they didn't want to object the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Hiccup glanced at his father, who was staring straight ahead and looking very…well stoic.

"Good," the night fury began again in a more light-hearted tone, "Now that you understand what is happening and we have established some basic ground rules, I'd like to introduce you to some of my friends." He gestured with his head to the large group of dragons behind him. "You will be paired up with a dragon of your species, and they will teach you how to be dragons." And with that, the night fury nodded to the dragons behind him, who began to calmly walk towards the Vikings and disperse amongst them in search for one similar to themselves.

The night fury allowed a small smile to creep onto his face as he watched the dragons mingle with the former Vikings. His plan had been a success. He scanned the crowd passively, beaming with pride and content. But suddenly, something caught his eye. He did a double-take, and instantly his smile vanished, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. 'I-I can't believe it…..'