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Astrid woke up by the sound of her baby dragon rolling about in the soot of the fireplace as Stormfly tried to get comfortable on the burning logs.

The dragon loved the fireplace; She'll screech loudly whenever people walk by or when more logs need to be added to its roost and not stopping until content again- like now.

Astrid stood up from her cot and moved over to the fireplace, adding more logs which made the fire grow some. "Comfortable, girl?"

The dragon made a sound similar to content purring as she fell asleep. Astrid had received Stormfly as a gift from Hiccup and his father, Chief Stoick the Vast.

Astrid sat down on her small couch in front of the fireplace; She lived by herself, other than Stormfly, in a hut in her village known as Berk.

It had been three years since she had finally escaped off of the island known as Neverland. Though, she still looks like a fifteen year old girl.

Both her land and Neverland's time works differently than other realms. You could stay fifteen for like three years before you turn sixteen on Berk. And on Neverland, time just stops and age ceases all at once.

Since Astrid had returned to Berk, she had became a trusted warrior for the Chief and one of the better fighters in the village. She had become solely focused on training and the wars, often isolating herself and ignoring the other teens.

But over time, she has also became more openly talkative and closer to her fellow friends. A strong sense of duty defines Astrid to the core; She'll always do what must be done without regard for herself. She's dutiful and immensely devoted to her cause, very patriotic of the Viking way.

Astrid knew one thing for certain: She never wanted to see Cora or Captain Hook again, especially after what they had done to her.

The six people walked on the path towards the beanstalk, it looking bigger and higher up the more close they approached it. Astrid looked up at it in thought, frowning as she remembered her first time climbing a beanstalk.

It was with Hook before Neverland had ever happened between the two.

The two of them didn't really want to go steal the treasures at the top; It was more of a challenge, a race, to see who could climb further and better.

Astrid had won and Hook had slipped and began to fall, but the teenager grabbed his wrist as he held hers and caught him, continuing to hold the grip on the man until he steadied himself. They had then climbed down and was on the ground safely.

"You remembering your first time climbing a beanstalk, lass?" Hook lightly asked the teenager beside him.

"Yeah. The time where you fell and I saved your ass." Astrid remarked, smirking at the pirate who chuckled and nodded while glancing at her.

"It's a little freakier than I remember from the story." Emma spoke up. Astrid lifted an eyebrow, already knowing the real story of the giants and Jack and that war from Hook telling her the tale-- and she knew that Hook was going to tell the tale to her sister also.

"Reminds me of death." Mulan blatantly replied.

Astrid tilted her head in the slightest and looked over at the Chinese warrior, narrowing her eyes a bit, and sarcastically remarked, "Encouraging, M."

Mulan gave the teenager a small glare just as Hook spoke up, "Well, your compass awaits. Shall we?" He stepped forwards and began to lead them even closer.

"Wait." Emma started, looking for the right wording to her question, "If these beans... create... portals, why not just pick one and go home? Why the compass?"

"Because there aren't anymore beans." Astrid simply answered, "Have you ever heard of the war with the giants?"

"There was a guy named Jack and a cow and something about an evil giant with a treasure and a golden goose." Emma began towards her sister, all of them slowing to a stop, "-Or harp."

"Sounds like a lovely tale, but the truth's a little bit more... gruesome." Astrid commented and let out a sigh.

"She's right. The giants grew the beans, but rather than use them for good, they used them to plunder all the lands." Hook said in confirmation with the teenager still by his side, "Jack was a man who fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil giants."

He paused before looking back up at the beanstalk and added, "The beans were destroyed by the giants as they died. If they couldn't have their magic, then nobody could. It's really bad form."

"Evil giants who made magic portal beans?" Emma replied, "Why doesn't anyone just go up and grow some more?"

"Because one giant survived-- the strongest and most terrible of them all." Hook answered, "And we'll have to get pass him to-"

"-The magic compass." Snow spoke up.

Hook agreed simply, "Indeed. The treasure remains, and amongst it, is the compass. Now, it will guide us to your land. Cora has the means to open a portal with the wardrobe ashes, but she can't find your land without the compass. Once we get it, steal the ashes from her and we're on our way."

"Oh, is that all?" Astrid sarcastically asked the pirate who glared at the girl and commented also sarcastically, "Oh, there's the charming girl I know."

Snow hid back an amused smile towards her daughter, Astrid, and couldn't help but think how much she was like her father.

"How do we know you're not just using us to get the compass for Cora?" Mulan questioned in a demanding way.

"Really? Now you ask him where his loyalties lie?" Astrid questioned the Chinese woman, slightly exasperated.

Hook shrugged. "Because you five are far safer company. All I need is a ride back." He said truthfully, "I'll swear allegiance to whomever gets me there first... Plus, I won't fail Astrid this time."

Astrid wanted to say something to that comment but bit her tongue to refrain her from doing so. Instead, she moved one of her right fingers over the ring on her left index finger.

Hook then noticed it but cleared his mind of it and chuckled lightly, giving the five of them a small guilty smile. "Right. So... I failed to mention that the giant enchanted the beanstalk to repel intruders."

"All right, so how do we get up there?" Emma inquired a little bit impatiently.

"By Hook. Cora gave him something to make that climb. Didn't she?" Astrid innocently replied towards the pirate, a smirk present on her face.

"Aye. I've got a counter spell from Cora." Hook nodded, gesturing to his wrists, "If you'd be so kind." He was mainly looking at the teenager now.

Astrid rolled her eyes and stalked up towards him, Snow not too far from her in case he was to pull something. Astrid looked in his eyes, unsure of what he wanted from her. Was he truly looking for forgiveness and redemption from her?

Her hand swiftly withdrew one of her daggers and cut the tight ropes around his wrists, not once breaking eye contact.

Hook simply gave his rugged smile of his and bent down ever so slightly to be leveled with her. "Thank you, Kiddo." He whispered and stepped back, taking off the filthy cloak Cora had gave him and dropped it to the ground.

Hook was now just wearing his black leather outfit and held up his arm, roughly tapping on the leather cuff as it glowed briefly. "I've got one more of these. Cora was to accompany me." He pulled out another cuff and looked directly at Astrid, "What do you say, AJ? Up for climbing another beanstalk like old times?"

Astrid scowled and folded her arms across her chest, saying, "Trust me, you don't want me going with you. I just might push you off." She smiled sweetly but her tone sounded bitter.

"No, you wouldn't. You're too much of a good person. And I admire that." He remarked.

"I'm not going." Astrid stopped him.

"So... Which one of you four lovelies shall take her place? Hmm?" Hook smirked, lifting an eyebrow at them and stepped forwards. "Go on. Fight it out. Don't be afraid to, you know, really get into it." He gestured with his arms.

Astrid was practicing throwing axes at targets outside in her field while Baby Stormfly noticed a shiny pan on the table way above her as she stubbornly tried to pick herself up off the ground by running and aggressively flapping her small wings that are disproportionate to her body.

Stormfly managed to only get a few feet off the ground for a few seconds before crash landing. She kept trying to reach the shiny object on the table, too.

Astrid threw another axe as it also landed in the dead center of the target like all the others before; She picked up her bow and notched an arrow in the drawstring, pulling it back to her and then released the arrow as it soared through the air and landed on bullseye.

"Hey, Astrid! What're you up to?" Hiccup called out down the road as he walked over to the girl, followed by his own baby dragon, Toothless.

"Target practice. I need to improve my shooting." Astrid answered, facing the boy her age and smiled.

"But you're already hitting the center perfectly every single time. You don't have to improve that anymore... You're awesome." Hiccup replied and then blushed as he thought of something, "Uh, um, why don't- why don't you come hang out with the other teens and myself?"

"With you, always... I-- I mean, yeah, I don't know what I mean." Astrid laughed sheepishly, a blush also forming on her cheeks as she hid her face in her hands.

Hiccup took her hands into his, making her look at him. "Astrid, you have me, no matter what. Whatever that means, whatever you want it to mean. I am with you. Always."

Astrid smiled at him and glanced down, her bangs slightly falling into her eyes. She looked back at him and assured him, "I'm always with you, too."

Hiccup smiled a little and commented, "It's what makes us, well, us. Deal?" He stuck out his hand as she held it with one of her hands.

She looked him in his forest green eyes, laying her other hand on top of their interlocked hands, and pulled him close to her, their lips close as she murmured, "Deal." Astrid kissed him first and parted just a tad bit.

Hiccup then deepened their first kiss, both of their eyes closed and hands still holding as he moved his other hand on her hip and pulled her even closer to him.

Over at the table, the two baby dragons had done a bit of teamwork and managed to get the shiny pan off of the table and was now on the ground, infatuated with the pan itself.

While Aurora, Emma, Mulan, and Snow argued out who goes up there with Hook, Astrid leaned against the beanstalk and played with one of her daggers and then looked up at the women still arguing and rolled her eyes.

"All due respect, I'm the best equipped to go." Mulan started, turning to Snow, "How many wars have you been through?"

"My share." Snow shot back as Aurora then spoke up, "It should be me."

"You? You haven't fought in a battle." Mulan pointed out. Astrid straightened up from her spot at the beanstalk and tune their bickering out just as Hook moved over to her.

"So, how come you don't want to go up with me?" Hook inquired, "If you do, then that'll be more time for me to prove to you that I'm on your side."

Astrid tucked her dagger back in her boot and folded her arms lightly across her chest, continuing to watch the other women argue. "I don't think I'd ever 'throw myself out there' as selfish as it may sound."

Hook grinned. "I'm starting to think I rubbed off on you."

Astrid scoffed but humorously chuckled, facing him with a sarcastic smile. "You wish."

His grin only grew as their attention was brought back to the argument as Emma spoke up in determination, "It's me. I'm going and I'm not gonna fail."

"You're new here-" Snow started as Astrid stepped forward, believing in her twin, "She can do it. Let her do this, Mom."

Snow glanced at Astrid and smiled a little at her calling her 'Mom' for the second time and then faced Emma again. Emma inquired, "You're not gonna argue with me?"

"Would it do any good?" Snow asked as Emma breathed out truthfully, "No." Emma faced her sister and referred to the satchel in Astrid's hand, "Anything in that bag that's gonna help me with a giant?"

"Or Hook?" Astrid remarked as Hook let out, holding his arms out in front of himself as if asking what he had done to deserve such treatment, "Hey!"

"I'm sure Mulan does, Em." Astrid commented as Mulan nodded and told Emma, "Come with me." The two of them then walked out of earshot and conversed, Mulan handing over an object to Emma.

Hook looked from the teenager beside him and at the other women while speaking up, "Ladies, in this world, we are slaves to time. And ours is running out, so in other words-" Astrid finished with a smirk, "Tick tock." He grinned at her and glanced back at the women.

Emma placed the bag of poppy dust inside of her satchel and moved over to Hook, holding her arm out. Hook smirked and commented, "I was hoping it'd be you."

Emma rolled her eyes and replied, "Just get on with it."

The pirate moved her hand over his right shoulder and said, "Put your hand right here. That's a good girl." Emma glanced over at the teenager beside them who only shrugged as Hook continued, "This will allow you to climb. There are other dangers. Thankfully, you've got me to protect you."

"Yeah, because that's all she needs right now." Astrid scoffed as they ignored her comment and then he faced the teenager expectantly, lifting his wrist to show the missing spot where his hook is supposed to be.

Astrid smirked in mischief and tightened her hold on the satchel and then grinned a 'yeah right' as he sighed and replied, "I can't climb one handed, can I?"

"I'm debating on letting you climb one handed." Astrid shrugged.

"Astrid." Hook started in his scolding tone like a parent. The teenager flexed her jaw and grabbed the silver hook out of the satchel and handed it to the man. "Thank you, lass."

Emma looked back at the pirate and warned, "Don't think I'm taking my eyes off you for a second." That only gave him a boost to his ego.

Hook smirked and replied, clicking his hook into place, "I would despair if you did."

Astrid then handed the satchel over to him as Emma simply commented, "Let's go." Hook had shifted the satchel around himself to keep it from going anywhere and followed Emma.

Emma glanced over at Snow who gave a little smile as she smiled a little back. The two of them then began to climb up the beanstalk while Astrid and the other three women watched from the ground.

They watched the two people shrink in size as they went further up the beanstalk until they were no longer in sight.

Before any more time had passed, Mulan grabbed a thin branch from the ground and began to draw into the dirt; Astrid watched Mulan draw something in the dirt and stick the stick in one of the marks she had made.

Aurora and Snow also walked over and stopped beside the teenager. "What is this?" Aurora inquired curiously.

"Keeps the time." Mulan answered as Snow asked her in slight suspicion yet curiously, "You have somewhere to be?"

"We can mark watches, take turns sleeping." Mulan explained, "We'll most likely have to walk through the night again, so we should rest while we can."

Snow nodded. "I'll take first shift."

Aurora quickly added in agreement, facing the woman, "I'll stay up with you."

"Okay." Mulan also nodded before turning to leave so that she could get some rest.

Astrid moved over to a log and sat on the ground in front of it, laying down with her head on the log, dozing off some.

Astrid heard rustling in some bushes beside her home as Stormfly also heard it and moved over to her owner and jumped into her arms.

A black haired, blue eyed boy around her age jumped out of the bushes, attempting to startle Astrid who simply gave him a scowl while Stormfly slightly growled at the boy.

He was wearing a tunic that's tucked in his pants with open-stitching and a black vest over it, dark gray bracers on his arms with matching fur boots; He also was wearing a helmet with spiral sheep horns like he always wear.

"Snotlout, what do you want?" Astrid inquired, "You scared Stormfly." She started scratching her dragon behind the ear as Stormfly began to do the similar sound of purring again.

"Heh, sorry, Astrid. Just came to tell you Stoick wants you for something." Snotlout replied.

"Alright, I'm going." Astrid commented as she continued to carry her dragon and walked down the cobblestone street towards the Haddock house. She knocked on the door and was greeted by the Chief of Berk.

"Astrid, you're being betrothed to the only son in the House Macintosh. This will strengthen Berk's alliance with them." Chief Stoick immediately began.

Astrid felt her mouth drop open a little, unable to say anything. She knew this alliance with Clan Macintosh in the DunBroch Kingdom was needed to keep their support in wars and as allies.

But Astrid didn't want to be wed to Young Macintosh. She already loved someone else in a different realm-- and was starting to like another someone in this land. But she couldn't argue with the Chief of Berk, so she just uttered out with as much enthusiasm she could muster up, "Okay."

Stormfly suddenly was cold because it is winter and crawled up into her caretaker's clothing and curled up as tight as possible. The dragon began to purr in content as she fell asleep.

Hiccup stepped out from behind the wall and immediately spoke up towards his father, "Dad, she- she can't... What if we fight for her hand in betrothal?"

"Alright. We can do that." Stoick agreed.

Astrid shared a look with Hiccup and sighed.

Astrid stirred in her sleep and sucked in a breath quickly, snapping her head up and then looked around, fully awake now. The sudden movement made Snow look over at her daughter and approached her. "Hey." She gently said and knelt beside the teenager.

Astrid furrowed her eyebrows but raised them slightly instead as Snow smiled a little at her. "You alright? You was only asleep for a few minutes. Having trouble sleeping?" The woman asked softly in concern.

"I'm okay. My dreams... They tend to remind me of my past and what I left behind and... it's not a good feeling." Astrid admitted truthfully.

Snow sat down beside her now and laid her hand over her daughter's, starting, "Want to talk about it?"

"Maybe another time." Astrid murmured, not really being the type of person to fully open up about her past.