A/N: I went back and changed y/n's parts from I to you and edited the first chapter. Thanks Victorian_Spider for encouraging me to stick with it! Guess you'll just have to wait a few mores chapters to see where it leads. Also go check her stories! They are awesome!

Hiccup's POV

I must have passed out without realizing it because the next thing I knew the sun was cutting through the icy ceiling, creating a prism-esque effect on the walls. Every color known to man painted the walls and the floor, mesmerizingly swirling on the rocks. For a moment, the grogginess of sleep made me forget where I was, forget all of what happened the previous day. Panic made my heart race. I sprang awkwardly to my foot.

Stupid me!

I fell over. I probably would've hit my head if Mom hadn't been there, watching me like a hawk. She was slender, built like me, but stronger than she looked. She smiled brightly, her hand cupping my cheek, as she eased me down to the floor. I pressed into her touch, closing my eyes thoughtfully. Then the moment passed.

Quickly tying my peg leg into place, I scanned the space again. Last night, it had been a little cramped with three fairly large dragons and three people all huddled around the campfire. Now Cloudjumper, Zyphur, y/n, and Toothless were all missing. The place felt almost empty, though I knew they wouldn't be far. But that didn't stop me from wondering. Where are ya, bud?

As if hearing my thoughts, Mom said, "They wanted to let you sleep in. Y/n had chores to do and Toothless needed more of a chance to explore. I told them I'd send you along later. Y/n also said something about setting up a surprise for later."

Smiling gratefully, I kissed her cheek, making her eyes widen in surprise, and raced out the tunnel, grabbing an apple on my way out. It was still sinking in that I found her. We had a lot of catching up to do, almost twenty years worth. But right now I needed to find y/n. Her words echoed in my mind as I ran.

"I tried to get them to see reason. I tried Hiccup's version of peace." It hadn't worked, but she's not me. Maybe I could still...

"I can't do this on my own." I'm here, y/n. You're not alone, not this time, never again.

"I can't- I won't let this war make him like me." What did you mean, y/n? What's going on? How did they hurt you?

I rounded a corner, following the same path I had the previous night. The nest opened up before me. I marveled at it again. The size of the space, the colors and shapes of all the different dragons, the majesty of the Bewilderbeast, everything that inhabited the island astounded me. Vanir was a paradise compared to Berk, well old Berk anyway.

"Y/n! Toothless!" I called out, searching eagerly for them.

Clad in a brown tunic and green leggings with a leather belt around her middle, y/n looked up from a patch of dragon nip. She had been wrestling with a Scuttleclaw hatchling, batting it playfully with her hands and rolling on her back so it could pounce on top of her. I heard the musical tinkling of her laugh and breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully she would be in a good mood, at least good enough to talk about what happened. I needed answers and I didn't want to drag them out of her. I could tell that she had been through a lot already.

"Down here!" She answered as she waved to me, trying to push the big-headed baby off. "Helix, buddy, stop. I can play more later."

She gently pushed the little guy off, sitting up with her hands on her legs. Groaning, moving slowly, stiffly, she forced herself to her feet with both arms. I breathed another sigh of relief, that quickly dissipated when I saw the pain in her green eyes. My pace slowed as I approached her, almost as if I was approaching a wounded animal.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the little hatchling bounce off to where Toothless and Zyphur were playing with a couple of other dragons: a big blue Dramillion, a green and brown Hobgobbler, and a Raincutter who moved slower than the other due to an injured wing that it attempted to keep away from the playful group. I smiled at them then turned to y/n.

"Y/n..." I nodded a greeting.

"Hiccup?" She mocked my formal tone.

"I've been looking for you."

"Funny! You look like you just woke up."

"We need to talk." I said in a tone that almost sounded like Dad's.

She groaned. "Yeah, I knew this was coming."

"Then why are we doing this? I thought you trusted me."

"Really? You're pulling that card. Should I start calling you Stoick Jr?"

"C'mon y/n. You know that's not fair."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry. Together then?"

I nodded. I silently counted off. 3...2...1...

We spoke at the same time. "I want to (You can't) make peace with Drago."

We stared at each other confused. "Wait, what?"

"You go first" I offered.

"No, you go first." She insisted, so I spoke my piece.

"Ok," I took a breath to steady myself. "I want to find Drago and change his mind before he gets any stronger. I want to stop him before he gets to Berk because I don't want to risk any more dragons." I explained. It was the reason I gave Dad, but where he didn't listen, she did. She let me speak my mind freely, holding her response until she was certain I was done. I gazed into her once lively green eyes and was gobsmacked at how dead they seemed. Maybe I said the wrong thing. Should I try a something else?

"Hiccup," she breathed out in a resigned sigh. She knew she couldn't change my mind, but she tried anyway. "You don't understand. Men who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with."

"Now who's being Stoick Jr?" I joked.

She shrugged. "He's right."

"I still have to try."

"I know. I know." She held her hands up to stop me cutting her off. I could tell she was torn by the look in her eyes. "Did he tell you why? Did he explain about the fire? Because my dad told me that they were lucky to get out of there alive. They've been waiting for him to show back up for our entire lives."

Then y/n looked away, her left hand ghosting her right shoulder, picking unconsciously at the collar of her brown tunic, flicking a long, thin strand of hair. She had braided her curly auburn locks into two long ribbons that she tucked behind her ears, a few rogue hairs framing her face. I was grateful, I could see her expressive eyes better with her hair pulled back.

I nodded, keeping my eyes on her face, watching her reactions. "Yes, he told me. There aren't many stories that my father hasn't told me. And if he hasn't, Gobber has." I winced, reliving some of Gobber's less tasteful stories. She gave me a sympathetic glance. "But a lot has changed since then. Maybe together..." I reached for her hand.

"We wouldn't stand a chance. We're not strong enough." She lamented. "He has a weapon that's too powerful for all of Berk to face alone." She knows something. Why doesn't she trust me?

"But we're not alone. You're not alone." I insisted. Come on, sis. Open up!

Wait, did I just-

She nodded and took a few steps away, just out of my reach. "I know. I sent Bolt out this morning, trying to rally the troops. Mala and Dagur are the closest and they'll get the word out to the rest, but there's no guarantee that the calvary is coming."

"Y/n, we can't give up."

"Who said I was giving up?" She demanded, glaring at me.

"You did. Last night. I heard you by the fire." I confessed. "Y/n, I know they hurt you, but how?"

Relunctantly, she nodded, her fingers ghosting her shoulder again. "They... He..." She gulped, "Drago did this."

Painstakingly slowly, she slid her tunic over her right shoulder. Unwrapping a cream colored bandage that was stained with a yellowish substance, she shuttered and I gasped. I had been there when Gothi healed her shoulder after the dragon fights. I had seen the damage done the first time. This was worse, so much worse. Her once pale skin was a sickly purple and green, the same shade Astrid had turned when she was ill with Odin's Scourge. Down the middle, where her arm met her torso was a long, dark red-almost black gouge about an inch wide. It snaked from her armpit around the joint and almost up to her cheek. Thin dark blue veins etched out from the gouge like little lightning bolts surrounded by scarred tissue that brightened slightly from a ghostly white to her typical pale shade.

I turned and promptly puked over a nearby ledge. She sighed and quickly put the dressings back in their proper place before she walked over and patted my back.

"See why I wished they had just pulled it off?" She asked quietly, rubbing the small of my back as I heaved again.

"That looks worse than Yaknog tastes." I gagged at thought. "Drago did that?" I double-checked. She nodded and I winced. I was starting to understand why she didn't want me to go after him. "When?"

"A little under four months ago, a few weeks after your dad was hurt."

I could picture the time frame. It was around the time we, the gang and I, were off defending Berserker Island from the Hunters. There was something big inside of their island, so we fought to defend it. I looked over at the Bewilderbeast. It was the same one I had encountered during that battle. The angry creature who had frozen Johann and had almost lost its egg until Toothless and I retrieved it. For a second, I wondered where the egg was hiding. I was pulled from my thoughts as y/n continued.

"I had cornered a trapper named Eret..."

"Son of Eret?" I asked, picturing the man. I had just met him a day or two ago, he seemed like an ok guy. I was dead set on changing his view on dragons though.

"I think so. He betrayed me, led Zyphur and I into a trap that backfired on both of us. He was branded, I was almost killed in a hail of blowdarts and arrows, one got stuck in my shoulder and I broke it off, but things only got worse from there. They were about to kill Zyphur with this giant harpoon that they had coated in dragon root." I nodded, remembering her fatal flaw, her allergy.

"Anyway I jumped in the way to take the hit and one corner of the barb scrapped up a gap in my armor. I blacked out after that. Woke up, over a week later, with Zyphur, Cloudjumper, Valka, and most of the dragons here," she made a circling gesture with her finger, "vehemently peeved at me. I guess they're trying to compensate for my lack of a proper family." She explained as I wiped more bile off my face. Thank Thor I hadn't eaten that apple yet!

"Your allergy?" I asked.

"Didn't make things any easier, that's for sure." She said sarcastically.

"How can I help?" She jokingly handed me one of her hatchets. She always carried two in a sheath on her hip.

"Cut it off?" She suggested. The hard set of her eyes made me question if it was actually a joke. She sighed again. "Honestly, Hiccup, I need help finding a weapon I can use without throwing it away and a way to incorporate a shield into my armor since I can't lift one more than half the time."

She looked away as she finished, "I'm clumsy, frustrated and broken and I don't know what to do about any of it."

"I've been there, y/n. You think it's easy getting used to losing a limb? It's not. It took me three weeks just to wake up and then months to get back to some semblance of normal. You're still healing. You'll make it back to normal someday." I said encouragingly, holding myself back from wrapping her in my arms. I figured she didn't want to smell my puke breath while I tried to comfort her.

"Yeah, maybe." She took the hatchet back, swinging it absent-mindedly in her left hand. I could tell that she hadn't told me everything quite yet, so I pressed on.

"What else is bothering you, y/n? You use to be cheerful, witty, optimistic, lively. I haven't seen you smile for more than a couple minutes the whole time I've been here. You look like Tuff did that time that hunter stole Macey." Worried, I snatched the hatchet from her hand before she could use it...probably on me.

"Macey..." She repeated thoughtfully. "Good analogy! Especially since that was when we discovered just how badly I failed. That damned Shellfire..." She fell to her knees, bowing her head shamefully, screwing her eyes shut. "It broke me, broke my mind. I started seeing them, seeing that night play over and over in my head at the worst times. Mom, Dad, b/n, all of them. Even the buildings and some of the dragons. When I didn't see them, I saw you or your dad drowning, being attacked, falling, failing... You saw the way I fell yesterday. I was just... useless."

Secretly I wondered if she was watching the destruction of her home again. Pensively placing a hand on her hurt shoulder, not wanting to cause her pain but hoping that the pressure would bring her back to me, I reasoned, "Y/n, that wasn't your fault. You and Tuff got us those plans. We saved the Edge."

"No thanks to me. I was a coward. I was weak. I couldn't hurt that dragon. I wouldn't." Her body trembled fearfully.

"Sounds familiar." I quipped lightly, then let a hint of my father's sternness enter my words. "You can't have bravery without fear. You can't be fearless all the time. I should know. I'm betrothed to the Fearless Astrid Hofferson."

"And I'm the last of the Fierce Fiena, emphasis on fierce." She said desolately.

Dad, what would you say? How can I help her? Why couldn't she have told you or me or anybody back on Berk, so we could have your guidance? Where are you when I need you? I quickly flipped through my mental book of chiefly quotes from Dad, finding nothing useful.

Thinking back, maybe that was the reason why she never stayed longer than a few days at a time. She felt like she was protecting us by running when her fears took over. Maybe it was easier for her to stay away, to be a lone wolf.

She sighed sadly. "Let's face it, Hiccup. I'm a broken field medic with one good arm and numbered days on a battlefield because my Loki-damned allergy. I can't fight. I can't protect them. I might as well surrender."

"Good!" She glared at me. I glared back until she backed down. "One less person I have to worry about losing."

"But I'm not..." She protested. I cut her off.

"Y/n, if I know anything about you it's that you never give up. You may have the world's worst allergy, but we'll get through this. Together. We will defeat Drago together." I grabbed her hand and squeezed gently. "Because that's what we do." I helped her up.

"Promise?" She asked hesitantly.

"Promise!" I stated firmly. We hugged.

oOo

Y/n's POV

You spent the rest of the morning exploring the mountain, going down every tunnel, chasing the hatchlings across the nest, caring for the injured, your usual chores. Every time you looked up, Valka or Hiccup were smiling at you. It felt like you had a real family again.

But they aren't really your family. The little voice in the back of your mind nagged. If they were, you would share your biggest secret with him.

Alright. Fine! I will! You shouted back.

Honestly, you were amazed that Hiccup couldn't tell that you were still hiding something under your mask of cheerfulness. He used to be able to read you like an open book, not as if you ever tried to hide anything about yourself.

Certainly not. That dark voice in your head said sarcastically. It sounded like a darker version of your father's voice. Just another reminder of how much you failed. Still there was the tiniest sliver of hope tucked safely away deep in the mountain.

You had one more secret to share. One that could change the course of everything. Maybe even make Hiccup see reason and go back to Berk, taking the treasure with him for safe keeping. And if he didn't, you were already coming up with a plan.

"Come on! There's another spot I want to show you!" You called out as you climbed into Zyphur's saddle.

You shot off like a rocket down a snowy labyrinth, through a secret tunnel off the eastern side of the island. Racing against Helix and his siblings, you glided over snow banks, under an icy bridge, past a melting white glacial wall. You laughed, the feeling of the cold air making your cheeks turn a bright pink.

"Um... Y/n? Where are we going?" Hiccup asked as you weaved through another hole-strewn wall.

"You'll see! We're almost there!" You called back.

Toothless was faster, but Zyphur knew the route like she knew her tail spikes. So you streaked past them through the bright white tunnel, taunting them to go faster. Ahead, two walls came together in an inverted "V" that had a small gap over the icy point and a slightly larger hole between the walls. The path above the walls led out of the mountain, but the path below was where you kept your favorite secret. Zyphur shot between the walls as Hiccup groaned, making you laughed heartily.

"Really, y/n? You could've warned me!" He shouted as Toothless threw himself into a barrel-roll, the telltale click of the stirrup tightening his prosthetic tail echoing in the claustrophobic space.

Gradually, the gap widened back out to reveal a small enclosed cave, the far end blocked by a wall of fallen stones with a gap at the bottom just big enough for a Terrible Terror or a Hobgobbler to get through. Overhead, sunlight reflected through an icy sheet that covered an old blowhole, magnifying the glow. You pulled a rope as you flew in and a mirror on the floor tilted to reflect the light into the darkest corners. A small stream of melting snow trickled down the middle of the floor, meandering from one side to the other. Up the side of the walls, little alcoves pockmarked the rocky ledges, containing nests of all different sorts.

Zyphur flapped her wings slowly as she eased down to the floor, not wishing to disturb the little bundles tucked safely in their beds. You were grateful. She was always so careful when you came here. The same could not be said for a few of the other dragons in the nest, which is why you had relocated the rookery to this secluded spot. You didn't want these little treasures in harms way.

Toothless glided into the cave and made a loop around the walls before settling down gently beside Zyphur. You swiftly slid out of the saddle and rushed off as Hiccup studied the space, taking in every minute detail.

"Y/n, where are we?" He asked curiously. He had only ever seen this many nests in one space once before.

"Welcome to Pandora's Box!" You said quietly, pressing a finger to your lips. "Now will ya keep it down. I don't want them hatching quite yet."

"Sorry..." He whispered, tossing his hands up apologetically.

You danced around the nests, waving at Hiccup to join you, until you came to one that contained an odd assortment. The nest was just a little bunch of woven grass and sticks that you had lined with a soft black blanket. The rest of the eggs had families in the nest above, these four had a different origin story.

He appeared at your side as you peeled the blanket off its precious bundle. The nest contained four eggs. Two were fairly common: a fiery red-orange one with blackish spines that could only belong to a Monsterous Nightmare and a sky blue one with little golden spikes that reminded you of Stormfly. The third was pale white and covered in a mass of fleshy black-tipped spikes that Hiccup recognized. He and his friends had rescued it from Berserker Island about six months earlier. But the last one...

Hiccup's POV

Cautiously, I laid a hand on the mostly smooth shell of a midnight colored egg, not daring to hope. It shifted slightly under my touch. I gasped, surprised then lifted my gaze to meet hers.

"Y/n, is this..." I asked reverently.

"A Night Fury egg? I think so." She whispered. "I've reared about a hundred hatchlings and I've never seen one like it before." We both motioned for Toothless to come over.

"How? Where?" My thoughts were racing, mentally scanning my map to find any clue of a possible location.

Toothless came over and y/n presented the egg. His bright green eyes widened. He nuzzled it gently, crooning softly. Y/n smiled as she put the egg back into the nest. Toothless's eyes followed her movements closely. He nudged the egg again as she started to explain.

"I found it in a Trapper's fort about five months ago. The same one that your mom blew apart just a few days ago. It was sitting on a table with other dragon parts, wrapped in a rag. I couldn't leave it there. I tucked it into Zyphur's saddle bag and sent her back here while I infiltrated their operation. That's how I met Eret." Y/n explained. "And what ultimately led to this." She gestured to her shoulder.

I stared at her, flabberghasted. "But... Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried. By the time I got to Dragon's Edge, you had already left. I couldn't exactly fly all the way to Berk. I haven't been able to go further than that fort without blacking out since..." She looked away.

"You could've sent a Terror Mail! This is amazing!" I exclaimed excitedly. She pressed a finger to her lips and gave me a harsh glare. "Sorry..."

"But it hasn't hatched yet, Hiccup. Dragon eggs don't usually take six months to hatch and I have no idea what happened to its family. By the time I made it back to the fort, the forest around it was ablaze and the Bewilderbeast was in the process of blowing it to Helheim." She explained as she gently tucked the blanket back into place.

"Not a lot is known about dragon eggs, y/n. At least it's safe. It'll hatch. They all will." I said, giving her a reassuring glance.

A shadow across her face told me that I had missed a crucial detail. "What did you call this place?"

"Pandora's Box..." She murmured.

I studied her thoughtfully, trying to remember what I knew about the myth. It wasn't from any of the Berkian mythologies, but the Wingmaidens had mentioned that there were other old stories out there. Maybe this was one of those?

"Why?" I inquired as we climbed back into the saddle. She paused for a moment. I could see her debating between the truth and a sarcastic retorted, then she sighed.

"Because the last thing in the box is hope and this is where I keep mine." She said simply. She gazed back at the little nest then Zyphur flew out of the hole we had entered through. Toothless and I followed them.

"Where to now?" I asked while we were flying back. My thoughts still back with the small black egg, wondering how to keep them away from Drago.

"Have you ever been wingwalking?"