*Second Person POV*
The disappointment you felt vanished instantly, "Surprise?"
A whoosh of air flies past you, throwing your (H/C) flying because of it. A flash of brown scales told you that Remus just dived passed you and Skyler in the air. You look over the shoulder of your Woolly Howl to see Varor dismount the sand wraith. Varor looks up at you with a teasing smile.
"Well, are you going to stay up there or are you coming down to find out?" You lift your head and look around at the air around you, everyone has already landed but you. Heat rushes to the back of your neck in embarrassment. Skyler comes to your aid by gently gliding down to land beside Remus. She lands without a hitch.
"Now that (Y/N) and Skyler can properly fly," Hiccup says as he clasps his hands together. "We can now do the race we've all planned to do," Hiccup smiled.
"Finally!" Shouts Snotlout, exasperated. "I was beginning to think I wouldn't get to show off my amazing skills." As he said that, he winked at you, catching you off guard. You could only blink at him in response to the action.
"Well me and Ruffnut have improved our skills as well. This time we'll beat you instead!" Tuffnut challenged the cocky viking.
"Hey Astrid, do you think you'll beat Hiccup this time?" Fishlegs said. You actually forgot he was there since he just spectated with Hiccup on the ground.
Astrid shrugged, scratching Stormfly behind the quills. "I always plan to."
"What about Varor and (Y/N)?" Ruffnut added. She smirked and crossed her arms, "I bet their dragons could take you on Hiccup."
"You know," Fishlegs put a hand to his chin, eyeing Remus and Skyler. "They are of similar build to a Nightfury. They could be just as fast."
"Well," Varor patted Remus neck. "We won't know till we race."
"Yeah?! Why are we still talking when we could be kicking each other's butts?!" Ruffnut cheered, eager to race.
Hiccup's green eyes looked to you, "Are you up for a race?"
You couldn't help the smile that broke out on your face, or the spark of competitiveness ignite in your eyes. "Yes," you answered.
*Third Person's POV*
The sun shines down on the rocky cliff as the wind makes the leaves on the forest behind it sway like waves. The ocean crashes below with loud roars against the rocky cliff face. Ahead lies several large sea stacks that stick out from the ocean's waters. While behind rests a steep mountain with it's peaks sprinkled with snow. On the cliff stands seven dragons plus one large one that hovers in the air above them, each carrying a rider on it's back.
"Is everyone ready?!" Called Valka, sitting atop the Stormcutter that hovers over everyone. A chorus of 'yeahs' and 'yes's answers her. "All right then. On your marks, get ready, get set." She pauses. The dragons below her bunch up their muscles, opening their wings slightly in anticipation. "Go!"
All at once, the seven dragons leap from the cliff and snap open their wings. The two-headed Zippleback immediately veered sideways and the blonde, braided rider of the Deadly Nadder dove to avoid it.
However, the Monstrous Nightmare's rider was oblivious to the threat and was slammed by the Zippleback. The rider yelled out his angered exclamations as the twins riding the Zippleback merely laughed and pulled ahead.
Meanwhile, the braided blonde known as Astrid, quickly flew to the front of the group as she tailed the prosthetic tail of the Nightfury. His rider, Hiccup, looked back to survey everyone's current places as they headed for the maze of sea stacks. In the back is the angered rider, Snotlout, looking determined to pass the wide built viking atop the Gronckle. Ahead of them is the blonde twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut as they struggle to throw off the two dragons near them. The male, black haired rider easily doges all attempts on top of his Sand Wraith. While the (H/C), (H/L) haired female pushes her Woolly Howl to get out of the danger zone. Finally, Hiccup locks gazes with the fierce, blue eyes of Astrid not too far behind him.
Suddenly, his dragon companion Toothless lets out a roar of warning. Causing Hiccup to face forward and focus on the obstacles ahead of him. With experience of years of flying, the chieftain expertly shifts his dragons direction with a flick of his prosthetic foot. Maneuvering out of the way of the first looming sea stack, and going under the arch of another.
Behind the two in the lead, the Woolly Howl dives to the side to avoid the sea stack, using the moment from the dive to pull away from the twins.
Varor makes his Sand Wraith dive low to the water, making the Zippleback follow him. Right as he twists to avoid colliding into the rocky walls of a sea stack, Remus blasts the sea water below them, causing the water to spray the twins. The blondes cry out and fall behind a few wing beats as Varor, the Sand Wraith's rider, laughed in triumph. Varor focused his blue eyes on the back of a certain (H/C) rider.
(Y/N), the rider of Skyler the Woolly Howl, had her (E/C) eyes dead set in front of her in utmost concentration. Leaning when Skyler turned, swirled and spun to avoid crashing into the rocky walls of the sea stacks. Dragon and rider looked to be in almost perfect sync as they flew completely sideways for a moment to get through a narrow gap.
A blast hit the rock wall by her head, causing her to cry out in alarm and throw Skyler momentarily off course. A blur of brown zoomed passed them as Skyler fought to regain her lost speed. (Y/N) narrowed her eyes at Varor smirking back at her on top of Remus.
Skyler let out a rumbling growl below her. Propelling her (F/C) flecked, tan wings to out do the Sand Wraith in front of her. They swung around rocks and skimmed the ocean, but Remus stayed firmly in their way, preventing them from pulling forward.
(Y/N)'s eyes searched the scenery flying past, they were almost out of the sea stack maze. Her eyes locked onto one of the remaining sea stacks ahead, an opening so small and close to the water a dragon flying wouldn't be able to fit.
Remus flew upward, deciding to go over the stack because he was too big. (Y/N), however, had other plans. Skyler, seeming to read her mind, dove for the hole and tucked in her wings last second as close to her body as possible. (Y/N) laid herself flat against her dragon's furry back, feeling the ceiling of the rocky hole graze her back. Varor just pulled over the top of the stack when a tan blur shot forward from seemingly beneath the rock. (Y/N) let out a whoop of joy, her (H/C) flying wildly behind her before she turned and stuck her tongue out at Varor. While Skyler gained headway, Varor looked behind him to see the twins on his tail, he groaned.
Meanwhile, Hiccup leans low on Toothless's back as they streak across the sky. Behind him, Astrid pushes Stormfly to go faster. The dark form of the Nightfury banked to follow the coastline, his rider looking for the path to the finish line. Astrid growled under breath, determination shining in her eyes. She is so close, like Stormfly could bite Toothless's tail close.
A violet blast exploded next to Toothless, the air around the explosion felt as cold as ice. Toothless let out a startled roar, almost slowing down to a stop. Stormfly's quills spiked and she shot them behind her on reflex. A yelp sounded from behind them, coming from a certain (H/C) hair rider. One of Stormfly's spines skimmed the top of her right shoulder when she ducked to dodge them, leaving a small scratch. (Y/N) ignored it and instead used this moment of distraction to pull ahead in the lead.
Astrid recovered first, scowling and diving after (Y/N) without a second thought. Hiccup followed soon after, right on their tails. (Y/N)'s (E/C) eyes spotted the gap in the forest, the pathway leading to the finish.
Skyler dove to turn into the path when Stormfly slammed into her. (Y/N) had to pull on the saddle straps to prevent Skyler from hitting a tree. Astrid's blue eyes glared at (Y/N), the fire of competition burned brightly in her gaze. (Y/N) couldn't help but glare back, feeling the desire to win herself. Both girls looked forward as trees began to pop up along the path. Left, right, over, and under branches they flew. Each trying to best the other and win. Ahead, a large shape of a four-winged dragon hovered over the set finish line. Astrid and (Y/N) simultaneously looked at each other.
Suddenly, Toothless swooped in and stole the lead. As he passed, he grinned his signature toothless smile with a tongue hanging out. Hiccup smiled to them before concentrating on maneuvering around the trees ahead. Both females narrowed their eyes, unconsciously agreeing to focus their efforts on the Chieftain of Berk.
The tall trees' branches whipped by in a blur of green and brown. Leaves are torn from the branches from the wind the three riders pick up. All riders are tense and focused as the clearing marked as the finish line comes into view. Nightfury, Woolly Howl, and Deadly Nadder pump their muscled wings for the final push. Their riders leaning down as close to the saddle they can go, holding their breath as their hearts pounded in their chests. Hiccup in the middle with (Y/N) and Astrid on either side of him. Their dragons outstretched their limbs, preparing to land. In a blur of black, teal, and tan, they slammed onto the grassy ground. While Toothless and Stormfly stuck their landing, Skyler tipped over one of her feet and was sent tumbling to the ground.
"(Y/N)!" Exclaimed Hiccup, leaping from Toothless who was panting heavily from exertion. Skyler finally came to a stop, letting out a whimper as she laid there on her side. Astrid watched as Hiccup rushed to Skyler's side as the dragon pulled herself back up. (Y/N) groans from the ground where she fell off of Skyler, looking disoriented.
Hiccup kneels by her side and looks down at her in concern. "Are you alright?!"
(Y/N) blinks and looks into his worried green eyes. "Who won?" Hiccup frowns at her.
"Hiccup did, but you came close," came a woman's voice from above. Using her staff, Valka lowered herself from Cloudjumper and onto the ground. Where Hiccup was helping (Y/N) up, she leaned onto him for support, even though she didn't entirely need it.
"Wait, who's second?" Astrid asked, still sitting on tired Stormfly.
"(Y/N)," Valka replied with a smile, "But only by a hair." Astrid looked away and glared at the ground.
Hiccup smiled at (Y/N), who was trying to find her bearings. "You and Skyler did some pretty good flying out there."
(Y/N) looked at Hiccup and gave him a smile of her own, "Thanks." Hiccup couldn't help but take in her disheveled look. Leaves are stuck in her (H/C) hair that's knotted by the wind. The cut on her shoulder appears to have stopped bleeding, and the sun shone down on her (S/C) face and reflected in her bright (E/C) eyes full of life.
"You still need to work on your landings though," Hiccup commented.
"I know..." Her head drooped.