Fading Echoes - The Echoes, Book 2 - HTTYD Fanfiction

Prologue

   I gazed down with a soft chuckle at Aphira and Whip.  It seemed like such a far off goal; raising a family the 8 - 9 years ago we started it.  And now here we were.  Dagur, Aphira, Whip and I.

   We were on a boat to the Hidden World.  Astrid and Hiccup accidentally leaked their plan to me, so I convinced everyone to go.  We were all on harmless ships, not wanting to threaten the dragons.

   Lucky for us, when we approached the mist that shrouded the guarded entrance, a faintly familiar black head rose from the depths of it.  A white one popped up alongside it, and then three small shapes - a mixture of black and white.

   Astrid and Hiccup also had their children with them.  I backed away alongside Astrid, not wanting to interrupt the reunion that was about to take place.

   (Three sins off if Toothless burns down this boat and laughs!)

   (Lemme know if you guys get the reference.)

   Toothless leaped from his rock perch and landed on the edge of our boat, soaking in every detail with piercing pale green, thin-pupiled eyes.  The Light Fury's light blue eyes watched us carefully.  Gasps of surprise rippled through the boats behind us.

   Toothless slowly crept onto the boat as Hiccup held out his hand and looked away, his eyes closed.  The Night Fury sniffed his old's friend's hand...then tackled him to the ground, licking him all over and bouncing along the ship.  I had to steady myself and laughed as I watched the alpha reunite with his former friend.

   Astrid let out a sigh, relieved as she relaxed her death grip on her own children's hands.  "He's not going to eat your father."  She chuckled.  "There was doubt?"  I questioned.  "Uh...n - no."  Astrid stammered.

   Toothless calmed down and gazed at Astrid and her children, then at me and mine.  Dagur, unfortunately, had to go to another ship.  I got to stay with Hiccup because if anything went wrong, well...you know what I can do.

   Zephyr and Nuffing held up their hands toward Toothless, and after a moment, he pressed his nose against them.  Then he pulled back and roared to the Light Fury.  "Get the other dragons up here!  They need to see this!"

   "Can I come?"  I requested, turning into a dragon.  My children stumbled back with gasps of awe and glee; I had displayed this power to them once before but tended to keep it limited.  Toothless jerked his head toward the Light Fury, who was now waiting.  "Be right back!"  I called, turning into a human again so that the people could understand me.  

   "Would you mind introducing Toothless, Aphira, and Whip?"  I asked Astrid.  She shook her head.  I chuckled.  I wondered what Frostflake would think of the name Whip.  I took a running leap off of the boat, then promptly fell into the water.  Hiccup laughed.

   "Very dignified!"  I called to Hiccup, flashing into a dragon and spraying water everywhere as I flapped out of the water.  I snorted some water onto his hair.  "Cheif,"  I muttered, following the Light Fury to the Hidden World.

   "Want to have some fun?"  Crystal asked.  "Sure, how?"  I replied.  "Alright, Dart's pulled this prank on the dragons SO MANY TIMES you wouldn't believe it - and THEY wouldn't, either!  So, you hide, then when the dragons start to disperse, say something like 'well I guess we'll all go home' and come out of your hiding spot!"  Crystal grinned.  I nodded.  "Ok!" 

   It took Crystal a while to round everyone up to the spot in front of my hiding spot behind the strange purple-blue corals, but finally, she did it.  "So what's so important that you needed to drag us up here for?"  I almost leaped out at the faintly familiar voice of Chroma.

   "The Riders!  They're here!"  Crystal exclaimed.  Immediately I heard groans, then Crystal's claws tapping on the ground three times.  There's the signal,  I thought gleefully, walking out of hiding spot.  Everyone had turned away.  "Well, I guess we'll all be -"  I started.

   "KIARA!"  I was immediately tackled by several eager faces.  "Is Astrid with you?"  Stormfly asked.  "What about Snotlout?"  Hookfang cried.  "How have you been?"  Frostflake licked my face.  "OH MY GOSH GUYS STOP."  I laughed, shaking the several dragons off.

   "Everybody's here,"  I said.  "Come on!"  I lead the way back up to the Viking ships.  When the children saw the dragons, they started squealing and cheering.  "Hookfang, my buddy!"  I heard Snotlout yell.

   "Stormfly!"  Astrid's chocked voice came out as she hovered beside the ship, nuzzling her former rider.  "Chroma!"  Viggo greeted the Death Song as she landed in front of him on the ship.  "Aw, Skullcrusher, you big ugly beast."  Eret chuckled, giving his former dragon a huge hug.  "Grump!"  Gobber cried, reaching out for a hug.  The Hotburble replied by simply landing flat on him like he did after the Bewilderbeast was defeated by the one and only Toothless.  "Oh, Meatlug, I missed you!"  Fishlegs hugged Meatlug, and Fishmeat was ALL.  OVER.  HIM.  "Barf!"  Ruffnut cried, hugging her head.  "Belch!"  Tuffnut said directly after, doing the same, but for Barf.  

   I grinned down at everyone.  "Come on, let me introduce you to Aphira and Whip,"  I called to Frostflake.  "Aphira and who?"  Frostflake tilted her head as she flew after me.

   Aphira had long, dark brown hair, with small strands of blond and dark red mixed in.  She had spiky shoulderblades and a red shirt similar to Zephyr's.  She had a small blue skirt and slightly pale skin, despite being outside a LOT more than her brother.  Glimmering emerald eyes faced Frostflake as she landed on the boat.

   Whip had short chocolate brown hair and grey eyes.  He had orange-dyed leather clothing with an interesting fade to darker orange, then to black and to a rugged edge of air to give it the effect of being burnt.  The same effect was on the short dark red shorts.  His skin was slightly on the darker side, despite being inside much more than his sister, reading the Book of Dragons.

   Frostflake burbled gleefully.  "They're adorable.  Kagur.  Or Diara."

   "What?"  I turned back to a human.

   "I ship it."

   "Oh."  I laughed lightly.  

   Snotlout and Ruffnut's only child (thank Thor) came hopping onto our boat.  "Loutnut, Loutnut, oi oi oi!"  He cried, then promptly face-planted.  Aphira and Whip sighed.  Frostflake's soft chuckle caught their attention again.

   "Hey!  Don't you laugh at me!  I am the slayer of beasts!"  Loutnut cried, swinging around his wooden red sword.  He had dark red cloth clothing and orange shorts with Snotlout's skin tone.  His light blue eyes met Frostflake's, and she faked being afraid.  "Haha!  That's right!  I killed a bear when I was only nine months old!"  He continued.  Frostflake gasped in exaggeration.  Aphira and Whip giggled.

   Chroma snatched him up suddenly and dropped him into Snotlout's arms.  "I'm surprised he made it to nine months."  The Death Song laughed.  Viggo was on her back.  "Want to go on a joy ride?"  He offered.  I grinned, mounting Frostflake.  "You know it!"    Flying was one thing;  flying on a dragon's back was a whole other.  It just wasn't the same on your own.

   The Riders and their dragons all swooped into the air, leaving the boats behind and roaring with happiness.  "Hey, so, how did Fishlegs and Heather turn out?"  Frostflake called.  "Oh!"  I laughed.  "Glad you asked."

   I nodded at Heather, who was riding Windshear with a 3-year-old in her arms.  "Awwww."  This prompted a reaction similar from several dragons.

   Her child already had short black hair and emerald green eyes, but already seemed a little plump.  She giggled and clapped her hands together.  "Name?"  Chroma called.  "Acelulous,"  I called back.  "Ooh, pretty!"  Ruby praised.  "Ruby!"  I laughed.  

   Amber and Amythest twisted around us, and we all flew into the sunset.  It was too soon when we had to leave and weren't able to return.

   Until one day, when everything changed.