Gem of a Different Color

Gem of a Different Color is the 18th episode of DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk. It is set to air on Cartoon Network on March 6, 2013 (at 8:00pm on Cartoon Network). A new dragon will be featured in this episode: the Changewing.

Overview
While skipping lessons at the academy, Fishlegs and Meatlug  discovered a strange, color-changing gem. Several more gems are soon discovered. When Hiccup learns that the gems are in fact the eggs of the acid-spewing Changewing  dragon, the kids must scramble to retrieve the eggs from throughout the village before the Changewings destroy Berk.

Plot
In the beginning of the episode, Ruffnut and Tuffnut are seen battling each other in the Berk Dragon Training Arena with shields, with Gobber teaching the Viking teens (After Ruffnut defeats Tuffnut) that a shield can be the most valuable weapon. He then pairs Hiccup with Astrid for the next fight, but Hiccup tries to avoid this. After the lesson, the group realizes that Fishlegs is missing. The scene then changes to show Fishlegs and Meatlug, who are both on the sandy shores of a small rocky island. Fishlegs is singing a song about his dragon, and tries to get her to hug him, but Meatlug suddenly walks away and begins to dig in the sand, seemingly determined to find something. Eventually, she digs up a strange, gem-like stone, which glows and slowly changes color.

The scene then changes back to Berk, where the Viking teens have begun to worry, as Fishlegs had not been seen all day. Just as they were discussing going out and searching for him, Fishlegs returns to the island on Meatlug, carring the strange stone in his satchel. Later, Fishlegs is seen in the Great Hall, standing next to Stoick, as Gobber announces that Fishlegs has found a 'Stone of Good Fortune', which can bring good luck to anyone who possesses it. Upon hearing this, the Villagers of Berk become extremely interested in the stone, and begin to make offers in order to trade for it. Snotlout, in particular, also appears to want to obtain the stone. Fishlegs, however, quickly becomes frightened by the large crowd, and is quickly ushered out of the hall by his friends. On the way out, the group discusses the stone, and comes to the realization that the stone is not a "Stone of Good Fortune," but a dragon egg.

The next day, Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs fly to the island on their dragons, intending to return the egg to its mother. As they arrive, they discover more of the eggs, sitting in small nests that were made in the trees. After Fishlegs places the egg he found in an empty nest, the group is suddenly attacked by a seemingly invisible dragon, which uproots trees in their path, and spits acid at them. The three manage to escape from the dragon, but are unaware that they had been followed at a distance by Snotlout on Hookfang, who had been waiting for them to leave. Snotlout then approaches the island himself, stating that if he wants something, then he will take it.

After returning the egg, Astrid, Hiccup, and Fishlegs are in the Great Hall, searching in the Book of Dragons for a dragon that fit the description of the one that attacked him. Eventually, they conclude that the dragon that laid the eggs was a Changewing. After a while, Tuffnut enters the hall, holding a Changewing egg, which he still believes is a 'Stone of Good Fortune.' Astrid tries to take the egg from him, but Tuffnut does not allow this, and tells the group that he got it from Snotlout. The three decide to investigate, and discover that Snotlout had gone to the island and stolen multiple Changewing eggs. With a crowd gathered around him, Snotlout auctions off each egg, appearing to sell the last one to Bucket. The group tries to reason with Snotlout, but he remains vain and selfish, and states that he does not care, as he is now rich. He then leaves, unconcerned that the 'Stones of Good Fortune' were actually Changewing eggs.

The scene then changes to Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who are standing on a ledge, with Tuffnut holding his Changewing egg, and preparing to jump into a pit of Fireworms, believing that the "Stone of Good Fortune" will prevent the Fireworms from burning him. Just as he jumps into the pit, Stormfly catches him and saves him from the Fireworms. Returning to the ledge, Hiccup tells the twins that the stone is a Changewing egg, and Tuffnut then describes a Changewing dragon, before pointing out one that is camouflaged behind them. The dragon attacks, and is then joined by two others. After hitting Tuffnut into a tree, the Changewings manage to snatch the egg and fly away as a group. Hiccup and Fishlegs observe that the Changewings that attacked them were the mothers of the eggs. And that since they had worked together to take Tuffnut's, so they were likely leaving to go find more and would not leave until all of them were safe.

In the evening, the teens warn Stoick that the Changewings will lay seige to the village until they find their eggs. Gobber then enters the room, telling them that the 'Stones of Good Fortune' were actually Changewing eggs, and that he always got the two mixed up (Implying that he may have seen a Changewing egg before). A Changewing dragon is then seen exiting a house, chasing a villager. More dragons appear and begin to attack the village in search of their eggs, and Hiccup tells his father to evacuate the inhabitants of Berk, while he and his friends help the Changewings find their eggs. After they think all the eggs have been found, Hiccup arrives and tells Stoick that the evacuation isn't needed anymore. However, they then spot the Changewings, accompanied by a fourth, creeping down the dock towards the ship. Fishlegs then realizes that a fourth egg is hidden on the ship, and instantly suspects Snotlout. Furious, he tells the others to go hold off the Changewings, while he goes and gets the egg.

Fishlegs then boards the ship, and confronts Snotlout. Although at first he is perfectly calm, mocking Fishlegs as usual. But Snotlout quickly becomes frightened as Fishlegs explodes with rage, tears and digs through Snotlout's things and corners him against the railing of the ship. Fishlegs darkly tells Snotlout that he can make fun of him, and mock his knowledge of dragons, but that he will never permit him to separate a baby dragon from its mother. Bucket and Mulch, who are observing this, advise Snotlout to give Fishlegs the egg. Meatlug finds the egg hidden under a basket. Fishlegs grabs it, and angrily tells Snotlout that he is going to take the egg. Terrified, Snotlout does not protest. He then leaves to return the egg.

Walking into the deserted village, Fishlegs finds himself surrounded by four Changewings at the front door of a house, however, they do not harm him, as he is holding the egg. Fishlegs talks to the dragons, and tells them that he is going to return it, and that if they spare him, he will make sure that nobody ever steals their eggs again. One dragon then takes the egg from him, and the others rears up and seemingly lunge at Fishlegs. However, when Fishlegs closes his eyes and shields himself, the Changewings mysteriously disappear.

The next day, Hiccup is seen drawing the Changewing in the Book of Dragons, with Fishlegs correcting him on various mistakes, and advising him to draw their teeth, as well as the dripping acid, seemingly taking pride that he had seen the dragons up close. Fishlegs then talks about studying the Changewing so that they can learn more about it, and Hiccup adds on that they should train one. Gobber then calls Fishlegs, and pairs him for a training session with Snotlout. The episode closes with the two confronting one another with shields as Hiccup does the closing narration.

"Having courage isn't the same as having no fear. It's abut being afraid and pushing forward anyway, whether that means saving a baby dragon, protecting those you love, or giving a special someone the butt-kicking they so richly deserve."

Trivia

 * This episode features the Changewing.
 * In the movie, there was an image of a Changewing in the Dragon Manual, but in the episode, the book does not have a sketch, as no Viking had ever successfully examined it.
 * The Changewing dragon may be featured further throughout the series, as Hiccup becomes interested in finding and training a Changewing near the end of the episode to further learn more about it.
 * It is said by Stoick that for the first time, the inhabitants of Berk have never retreated the island to anything.
 * Ruffnut references the events in Portrait of Hiccup as a Buff Young Man by saying "You(Tuffnut) remember what just one of those things(Fireworms) did to you?"
 * This is the first time in the series that Fishlegs shows Berserk qualities, like his book counterpart.

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