Great Ocean Gems
When disembarking from a ship that's full of jostling Vikings, always watch your step. Hi, my name's Aqua, short for Aquamarine. This is the story of how I became one of the Greats! But I'm getting ahead of myself, let's start at the very beginning.
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It was a rather mild day for fall, quite comfortable, really. My family and I, along with the rest of the Lenient tribe, got off the sturdy ship that had definitely seen better days. I departed first, followed by my two older brothers, mother, father, and then the rest of the passengers. I was just stepping down onto the boards of the dock when my foot went between two boards into a knot hole. Everyone, in their hurry to leave the rocking deck, didn't look twice at me as I fell to my knees, hard. They trampled me, ignoring my cries for help, and forcing me to make a quick decision in order to avoid getting killed. I twisted hard, spraining my ankle while biting back a scream. I tucked into a ball and rolled out of the path. Unfortunately the deck was only wide enough for three people abreast, so I fell into the frigid, icy, Northern sea and was tossed about like a piece of driftwood. I spotted a rope dangling in the ocean next to me that was connected to the deckboards above my head. I waited for the thunder of feet to settle somewhat before I pulled myself up. I got my upper half onto the solid, blessed boards and noticed two feet, excuse me, foot and metal leg a foot from my nose. I followed them up and saw a rather kind looking young man with a long-sleeved, green shirt and brown, yak-hide vest. He offered a hand and gave me a friendly smile.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he took my hand and helped me up.
I took a deep breath and fought back a yelp when my self-inflicted injury shrieked in protest at having any weight put on it. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm used to that," I said nervously. "It was either dive into the water or get run over."
"My name's Hiccup, what's yours?" he inquired with a friendly tone. It was at that moment a black dragon purred slightly, drawing attention to himself. "Oh and this is my bud Toothless. He's the only Night Fury we've ever seen."
"Nice to meet you, Hiccup, I'm Aquamarine, but you can call me Aqua," I said instinctively extending a hand and we shook. "So, I presume you've heard of the School of Dragons? If so, can you tell me how to find it, when it starts, and where I sign up?"
"And this here form, if you would so kindly fill it out, will tell me whech dragon woot best be suited fer yu," Gobber said to me.
"Uh, what if I already have a dragon? Can I bring her tomorrow? Or do I still have to fill out this form?" I asked a little nervously. I didn't know how they would react when and if they found out about my dragon, so rare in fact, that she was one of the last of her species.
"O' course. Would you maind telling me what kind of dragon you have? Or will you keep her a surprise?" he asked.
"I'll fill out the form and let you guess," I said sitting down at a nearby table to fill it out. When I finished, I handed it in.
"Hmm... Adventurous, courageous, and yet kind-hearted, soft-spoken, and outgoing. Hm, sounds almost like Hiccup. You wouldn't happen to have a Deadly Nadder, would you?" he inquired.
I sighed with relief. So I wasn't so unique after all. "You'll have to find out tomorrow, I guess," I replied with a sly grin.
That night I snuck out and grabbed a small torch. I climbed to the top of a nearby mountain, waving the torch at the summit. A speck detached itself from the moonless sky. My dragon landed next to me, purring and humming between puffs. She lay down beside me, nuzzling me.
"I found something out interesting, Star," she looked at me with huge green-grey eyes. "You're not the last of your kind. Someone else has the last male. Your species might be on the verge of extinction, but you're not quite dead yet. And when we show up to class tomorrow, I'm sure Hiccup will agree."
* * *
"Alright class, quiet down, everyone! Let's take attendance, shall we?" Fishlegs said calling the class to order. "Please give Hiccup your undivided attention. Hiccup, it's your class."
The door flew open as I took my seat. In the doorway stood my beloved dragon. She padded over to me casting wary glances side to side when my fellow students shifted to get a better look at her. She sat down next to me and stared at me. Hiccup's jaw was on the floor, stunned at what he saw.
"What, you guys act like you've never seen a Night Fury before. Did you all react this way when Hiccup first showed you Toothless?" I asked looking around after giving Star a fish I'd caught that morning. I noticed Star shift her weight to one side as she lifted a leg. I recognized the stance at once. "EVERYONE CLEAR OUT! NOW!!! SHE'S GONNA BLOW!"
At my yell, the entire room cleared out of new students with their hatchlings. Hiccup was still standing stock-still gawking at my dragon. Her flatulence got him moving, however, and he staggered out the door, coughing and gagging as he caught a whiff of it. I picked my books up and gave the signal for "heel," which she did, following two feet behind me. Toothless was leaning over Hiccup as he sputtered and threw up. He looked up as Star and I exited the building. He sat down and took up a similar posture that she sometimes did when I said something she wasn't expecting.
"How long," Hiccup started after he recovered enough to speak, "have you known about this Night Fury?"
"You mean Star? I've known about her for about ten years. She's my girl, isn't that right, munchkin?" I said putting a hand on her nose and scratching her under the chin. "She's the last female Night Fury. The Lentient tribe, my people, have, for the longest time, been guardians of the dragons. We'd been trying for years to figure out what to do with the Red Death, and when we found out about her defeat, the party lasted an entire month. Most of which, I don't really remember. It was when I was five that I met my bright and shining Star. The Night Fury is so close to extinction that she and Toothless are the only ones left. My people were once a thriving community, everyone helping everyone else until one night, when my people were attacked by a fellow calling himself the god of dragons, only a small handful of us managed to survive. Those who came with my family aboard that ricketty old ship were the only ones to live. We escaped in the dead of night." Toothless and Star sniffed noses. A strange look came to their eyes, a look I knew well. "Da-dada, and thank you, dragons, for proving my theory that Fate smiles kindly on majestic creatures such as yourselves. They seem to get along quite well, don't you think?"
"Uh, yeah. I think we should go tell my Dad this, don't you?" Hiccup said to me before turning and dashing off. I glanced one last time at the two cavorting Night Furies before engaging in pursuit.