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A dragon's memory is a selective one. If something isn't crucial to their survival they most likely won't remember it. They will remember where human made traps are,where to find their favorite food, the best caves to hide and sleep in but not how many eggs they've laid in their lifetime, every dragon they've fought with or how long it's been since the last storm. They will remember monumental events until they die; no matter how small and insignificant the event may seem to someone else, if it's big for the dragon in question it will remember it forever. One such monumental event for the dragons on Berk was making peace with the humans. After the defeat of the Red Death and peace began between dragons and the vikings on Berk, the dragons had better access to food and shelter than ever before. The dragons were wary at first, as were the vikings, but after some time it became easier to exist in the same space. The dragons will never forget this.
For a small group of dragons it began even before the Red Death's demise. For them, the monumental event that lead them to join the side of the humans was meeting a scrawny little viking boy in the arena where they were imprisoned. He didn't fight them with weapons like the others did. He didn't charge at them, screaming and wanting their blood, no. He threatened them with eels instead of swords and axes. He brought their charging to a halt with dragon nip instead of hard shields. He played with them using light reflections instead of chasing them back into their cages. He knew exactly where to scratch them, the places they couldn't quite reach themselves, so that they forgot about attacking the other viking children in the arena and instead relaxed on the ground. Yes, the arena dragons preferred this viking child over the others. He knew things about them that wasn't just blast limits and blind spots. And he always smelled of Night Fury. Not the blood of a Night Fury, but an alive one.
The arena dragons knew that the scrawny viking spent time with a Night Fury every day. Sometimes nights, as the smell was stronger than usual during some mornings. The arena dragons might not have remembered every dragon they had encountered in their lives so far, but they all knew about the Night Fury that served the Red Death with them. The Night Fury was stronger and faster than any of them, and if the small viking spent time with the Night Fury without either of them being dead then he could not be all that bad. The arena dragons were intrigued.
The viking child came alone to the arena a couple of times. The first time was the night of the day he had threatened the Hideous Zippleback with the eel. The Zippleback was cowering in the corner of the cage, body and both heads pressed as close to the wall as they could while trying to get as far away from the eel on the cage floor as possible. Because of this, the scrawny viking could open the cage and enter without the fear of being attacked. One of the Zippleback's heads kept staring at the eel while the other followed the human's every move. The small viking had a basket with him which he turned upside down, emptying a small amount of fish on the cage floor. Both Zippleback heads were now watching the human as he reached for the eel and put it inside the basket. Soft words were spoken, an apology, and then he left the Zippleback alone, with extra food and no eel.
The scrawny viking visited at night a few more times, usually to remove the eels he had used that day and give them some extra fish as an apology. The arena dragons found that they did not mind it so much when he used eels against them instead of weapons. Eels were nasty and would make them sick but the dragons knew how to avoid the lifeless eels on their cage floors, it was a lot easier than evading five viking children charging at them with swords and axes and spears. The scrawny viking never charged at them with anything. He kept using his tricks and knowledge and the arena dragons liked this, the things he did were things they understood and a lot less stressful than constant fighting.
The arena dragons didn't usually pay attention to many things outside of the arena when they were out of their cages, it's hard to stop and look up and around when you're constantly being attacked by a bunch of small vikings, but they did notice that as time passed more and more vikings came to watch the arena sessions. They became agitated and stressed because of the growing audience, and they weren't the only ones. The other viking children didn't seem to mind, the loud one with the curly horns seemed to enjoy it the most, but not the friendly viking. He seemed as stressed as the dragons.
The more people who came to watch, the more nervous and skittish their favorite viking got. The arena dragons did not like this. They didn't want the big audience to turn their viking into the same as his peers, they didn't want the other humans to influence him to pick up a weapon to use against them.
So the arena dragons did their best to prevent it the only way they knew how; paying extra attention to their viking, as much as they could while also keeping an eye on five other kids trying to attack them, and not attacking him unless they had already knocked the other humans down. They never attacked him for real, and they trusted him to know how to handle them. The trust part was something that had slowly and gradually built up over the weeks. It wasn't the full trust and loyalty that the arena dragons would feel for their riders in the future, but it was a solid beginning.
The arena dragons weren't happy living in cages and barely getting enough food so they wouldn't starve. They didn't like that the only times they were let out of their cages was when the viking children practiced attacking them. They were not happy and they were not comfortable. But they liked their scrawny viking, and that was better than nothing, it was good until they could get their freedom back.
One day there was a change in the air around the arena. It was the Gronckle who noticed it first. After she had been downed by the favorite viking there was more cheering than usual, followed by a booming voice that demanded silence. She didn't pay attention to what was said between the humans. She understood most human speech, she just didn't care about it. Then there was cheering again and the words “kill” and “dragon” were said in the same sentence as the name of their viking. The Gronckle twitched nervously where she was lying on the ground. Was she going to be killed? Was their viking going to kill her? The answer to both questions turned out to be no. The big viking with the metal claw pushed her back into her cage as the cheering continued. The Gronckle didn't like it. The other arena dragons didn't like it either. They paced restlessly in their cages, on edge and growling and eyes constantly watching their cage doors.
Something bad was going to happen soon. Something involving them and their favorite viking child. They didn't like it. They didn't eat that evening.
The next day brought on even more stress for the arena dragons. There was a lot of noise and a lot of vikings running around in the arena. It wasn't the usual sounds of arena preparation. It was a lot more. The dragons were worried and irritated. They wanted out of their cages, they wanted to fly away, they wanted freedom. They wanted to see their favorite viking, they wanted his dragon nip and his scratches. They could hear more and more vikings gathering around the arena. Something big was going to happen. The dragons definitely didn't like it.
The one who liked it the least was the Monstrous Nightmare. He was angry and restless, on edge and ready to attack anything and anyone that dared to show themselves to him. Then he heard it. The sound of his door opening. He knew exactly how long it took for the logs to be moved far enough so he could open his doors, and the second they had he set himself on fire and burst out of his cage in a fury of flames and screaming threats at the onlooking vikings. He climbed the walls of the arena, shooting fire at the audience, looking for a way out. He was stressed and furious and he wanted out. He climbed on the chains that made the arena ceiling and that's when he spotted him. The scrawny little viking standing in the middle of the arena, horns on his head and a knife in his hand.
The Monstrous Nightmare lowered himself to the ground right in front of the viking child. He hadn't seen him hold a weapon before. It didn't look like it belonged with the small viking. Neither did the shield on his arm nor the horned helmet on his head. The small trust that had been building up inside the Monstrous Nightmare for the arena dragons' favorite viking wavered. Was he going to attack? The Monstrous Nightmare slowly walked closer and as he did the scrawny viking dropped the weapon and the shield. That was better. Their viking held out his hands towards the Monstrous Nightmare and spoke to him with reassuring words, “It's okay, it's okay”. It was a lot better. Then the helmet was dropped as well and the Monstrous Nightmare was pleased, he recognized the viking child more now, he looked like he should. Nonthreatening.
The small viking held out his hand and though it had never happened before, the Monstrous Nightmare knew what was happening. Their viking was going to touch his snout, a way of establishing friendly contact. The Monstrous Nightmare decided that he would let him. He had accepted this human as an ally, as had the rest of the arena dragons.
Then it happened.
There was a scream and a loud bang, and the Monstrous Nightmare lost control. All he saw was red and all he wanted was to attack. He forgot who the human in front of him was. He only knew one thing; kill. He didn't hear the panicked screaming from the audience, he didn't hear the pleas from the small viking, he didn't hear anything except for his own growling. The Monstrous Nightmare was so deep into his rage that he didn't hear the Night Fury whistle, and therefore was caught by surprise when the Night Fury suddenly attacked him. They fought and the Night Fury forced the Monstrous Nightmare back to his senses. He heard the screaming vikings, he heard the Night Fury's threatening growls, he saw the scared little viking behind the Night Fury. The Monstrous Nightmare took off into the air and disappeared into the sky.
He didn't want to fight the Night Fury anymore, he didn't want to attack the small viking again, and he didn't want to go back to his cage.
The other arena dragons were attacking their cage doors. They had heard the fighting, seen some of it through cracks and openings in their cage doors, and they were not happy. Vikings flooded the arena and the dragons tried even harder to get out. They wanted to escape. They wanted to follow the Monstrous Nightmare to freedom. They wanted to help the Night Fury. They wanted to make sure their favorite viking was still alive. They wanted out. But they couldn't get out, no matter how hard they tried. Eventually the arena emptied and silence fell, except for the dragons calling out to each other. Another call soon joined them; the Monstrous Nightmare had returned. He had willingly gone back into his cage because despite everything, it was where he ate and slept. And maybe, if he stayed in the cage, he would see the favorite viking again. All of the arena dragons wanted to see their favorite viking again. They were stressed and worried and agitated and they needed the one human who didn't see them as a threat.
They weren't disappointed.
Their favorite viking returned. He had the other viking children with him but none of them carried a weapon this time. They all seemed surprised to see the Monstrous Nightmare back in his open cage, except for the scrawny viking. He looked like he knew the Monstrous Nightmare would return. Their favorite viking walked around the arena and opened all the other cages before approaching the Monstrous Nightmare. He held out his hand and spoke calm and reassuring words, and this time there were no adult vikings to ruin anything.
Their viking introduced them to the other vikings and spoke calmly to them as the vikings climbed onto their backs. It was new and unexpected and they weren't sure that they were completely okay with it, but their viking was there and he continued to stroke them and scratch them and let them know that it was all okay. The arena dragons allowed the viking children on their backs. The Deadly Nadder got to carry both the axe throwing girl and their favorite viking. She didn't mind; up in the air she was the only who flew the steadiest because their viking knew how to signal her properly from where he was seated.
The arena dragons did not like their destination.
The arena dragons did not like being made to fight the Red Death.
The arena dragons fought the Red Death anyway, for the sake of their favorite viking.
In the end it was the Night Fury and their favorite who defeated the Red Death. For a moment it seemed like their favorite viking had left them as well, but the Night Fury soon reassured them that he was still alive.
Dragons aren't known for their complicated thinking, but the arena dragons all know that if it wasn't for the scrawny viking there would've never been peace between the dragons and the vikings on Berk. Not just because he and the Night Fury defeated the Red Death, but because he took time to study all aspects of dragons, not just the dangerous things, and learned how to handle dragons without weapons. He had shown the vikings on Berk that killing dragons was not the only way. If it hadn't been for his actions, peace wouldn't have been possible. The arena dragons know this. And while they all in the future are loyal to their respective riders, they will always listen to their favorite viking first and foremost.
Because dragons remember.