Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hiccup kept his head down, leaning against Toothless as he waited. 

His heart pounded heavily in his chest as he waited, listening out for the signal. He listened to the hunters talking, making casual conversation but Hiccup ignored them, closing his eyes and straining to hear beyond them, but the conversation the hunters were having was just too loud. 

Hiccup sighed and breathed out slowly. 

BOOM!

The hunters flinched and ducked, letting out small yells before they turned and ran down the hall towards the smoke, weapons high in the air.

Hiccup lifted his head, smirking. 

"That's our queue bud"

As quick as he could, he ran towards the cage door, bending down to take the key that was carefully hidden in his prosthetic. Undoing his manacles, he reached in-between the bars, slotting the key into the lock, his heart pounding with adrenaline "I really hope this works"

The door unlocked.

Calmly, Hiccup walked out, Toothless wordlessly following with a small warble. Turning his body, he kept walking forward but he twisted enough to take the muzzle off Toothless’ face, throwing it to the side just as the small tunnel they were walking down opened up to show two tunnels, one in front of him while the other was to his left. Hiccup looked ahead of him, looking down the first tunnel but he was only seeing darkness.

"Hey!"

Hiccup twisted to face the second tunnel, startled. 

Two hunters stood before him, crossbows armed. One of the hunters raised his bow, ready to fire but before he could, Toothless fired first, sending the two flying back with the purple burst. Using this, both dragon and boy ran past them, not looking back. He kept running, hearing yelling and the odd dragon roar but he paid no mind to it. 

When they reached the end of the tunnel, he turned to see where it led and he internally cheered, seeing the room he was looking for filled with lanterns, highlighting the table and chairs, several boxes laying around that were covered with cloth. 

"That's it. The Dragon Eye and the lenses should be there" 

He was determined and a glance at Toothless showed his worried but confident eyes. Taking a deep breath, he began forward, eyes moving around the walls which contained suspicious small holes which reminded him of the Reaper, where all his problems started. He kept moving forward, cautious, while keeping an ear out for any hunters that would try to sneak behind him.

He took a step.

His heart lurched when the stone he had stepped on started going down and he knew what was about to happen but what he wasn't expecting was for the first arrow to shoot out, level with his face. He raised his arm, ready to deflect it but Toothless had already raised his tail, knocking it away and lowering his body just as more arrows began shooting out their holes. Hiccup lowered himself on Toothless' back, praying that none of the arrows got lucky and hit Toothless. 

Toothless expertly jumped to safety and for a moment, both stood still to watch the hall, watching as the arrows slowly came to a stop and when they did, the hall remained silent, arrows lying discarded on the floor. 

Both let out harsh breaths as Hiccup looked down at Toothless, catching his eyes and needing to see that he was alright and he could see Toothless doing the same to him. As soon as they were sure that the other was fine, they silently turned the chest that was lying innocently on a pedestal. 

Hiccup walked over to it, inspecting it and running his hands over it "it doesn't look like there are any traps" he observed, hoping he was right. 

Toothless warbled in agreement. 

He took a deep breath and opened it.

"What?"

He stared eyes wide, down at the empty chest. 

His heart began pumping harshly, fear and anger making it beat fast. 

"Ahh, they knew we were coming. Viggo tipped Johann off!" Hiccup hissed, turning to Toothless who began snarling. 

He closed his eyes, slamming his hand on the stone pedestal, not protesting when his hand pulsed "how could i have been so stupid?" he chastised, disappointed in himself. 

"Apparently.." 

Hiccup turned.

"..Johann wasn't as easy to fool as i thought"

Anger pulsed through the dragon rider, his hands held tight in fists as he took a step towards Viggo, Toothless growling behind him.

"You double crossing- the antidote. Viggo, where is the antidote?"

Viggo moved forward, holding on to the wall and lowering his head as he laughed, sword dangling by his side. He looked up, smiling wide like he had just heard a funny joke "there isn't one"

Fear shot through Hiccup, making him recoil. 

Viggo continued to laugh "you really don't know your oleanders, do you Hiccup?. Red oleander is harmless to dragons. I knew there was no other way to get your help.. I would never harm such as magnificent creature"

Both dragon and rider locked eyes. 

Hiccup nearly slumped down in relief, overwhelmed with happiness that his dragon wasn’t harmed but it was his confusion that kept him alert. 

Viggo groaned, voice raspy and not minding when the Skrill came up behind him, into his personal space "when Johann and Krogan left me for dead, a Monstrous Nightmare saved me"

Viggo looked back to the Skrill and Hiccup watched as it made it’s way towards Toothless, both communicating with one another without hostility. 

"I've spent my whole life hunting dragons..killing them" Viggo took a deep breath before continuing "I've come to respect them as equals"

Hiccup looked back to Viggo as he admitted "you taught me that, Hiccup"

Viggo slowly stood and Hiccup watched, worried and confused as Viggo's legs shook as he slowly walked towards him. 

"That's the final irony, i suppose"

Viggo's legs gave out but he managed to catch himself on a box, his head hiding for a moment in his crossed arms. 

That's when Hiccup saw the man's back. 

Four arrows stuck out of the man's spine, going down his spine in a row. 

Viggo stood there, breathing harshly. 

"Viggo!" Hiccup called, horrified. 

Horror shot through him as he saw the man close his eyes, pain heavy on his face as he shook his head "this is the end for me.. the end of the game"

Hiccup shook his head in denial as he rushed to him, moving so he was under the man's arm and holding him up "Viggo" he whispered, watching as Viggo coughed, pain making him hunch slightly but Hiccup refused to let go, holding his arm and squeezing it in silent support. 

"Over here!" 

Hiccup's head shot up, eyes wide as he looked down the tunnel where the hunters shout came from. 

He tightened his hold on Viggo when the man tried to stand on his own. Viggo looked at him, raising an eyebrow as he gently pried his arm away, pulling out a gas canister and putting it in his sword. 

"Go. I'll hold them off until you're out" Viggo ordered, slowly straightening his spine.

Hiccup shook his head, allowing a small growl to pass his lips and he knew that it took Viggo by surprise as he turned back to him, eyes wide 

"No"

He locked eyes with Viggo, raising his left arm, ready to grab him and pull him back "i'm not going to leave you"

Viggo shook his head, raising his own arm and grabbing his hand, holding it tight in his  "Hiccup, you're more ruthless than you realise. I know you will defeat Krogan and Johann" his voice was rough with pain but steady, a confident smile on his face and Hiccup felt his breath stutter.

He ignored the fact that his eyes felt like they were burning.

Hiccup's heart pounded when Viggo pulled his hand back, leaving the traitor piece for him to hold.

Hiccup looked down at it, squeezing it tight.

Closing his eyes for a second, Hiccup breathed away his emotions and with a clear head, he silently began making plans in his head.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Viggo smiling at him, acceptance on his face and Hiccup couldn't help but smile back, a definitive plan of action set in his mind and by the quick glance to Toothless, the dragon seemed to understand what he was planning as he let out a soft noise. 

Viggo pointed his sword out towards the hall where they could hear the sounds of hunters running. 

"Now go" 

Nodding, Hiccup took off running, Toothless right behind him. He ran down one of the hallways, stopping once he was behind the corner and with a shake of his head, he turned and waited. 

He could hear Viggo talking to the Skrill but he couldn't make out what they were saying. 

He pressed himself back against the wall when Viggo walked out the room, sword lit on fire and standing in front of the group of hunters who had their crossbows up and ready to fire. 

Hiccup watched as Viggo grinned, making some of the hunters recoil. 

The Skrill moved behind Viggo but Hiccup needed to get his plan across to it so with a wave of his hand, he caught it's attention. He gestured to himself and Toothless and then Viggo, making a motion with his hands. He prayed his plan got across and it seemed like it had as the Skrill nodded, turning to the hunters and growling, shooting forward before Viggo could move.

The Skrill roared, it’s body flaring up with lightning.

Hiccup quickly moved, running out from his hiding place and running to Viggo, grabbing onto him just as the Skrill roared and shot lightning out towards the hunters. 

Viggo gasped and turned to him, eyes wide with confusion. 

Hiccup shoved him gently towards Toothless. The dragon grabbed both vikings in his hold and curled his wings around them just as the tunnels exploded with lightning. Hiccup held Viggo tight, pressing him close to Toothless' underbelly without pressing on his back. Toothless shook and trembled as the electricity passed over them, making Hiccup wince at the sharp crackling sound.

After a long moment of silence, Toothless opened his wings. 

Hiccup stepped back and turned the corner, seeing the hunters laying dead on the floor, all looking burnt and frazzled. The Skrill growled at them before turning to him. He smiled and walked over to it, rubbing it's nose as he whispered his thanks. 

"Hiccup" 

The rider turned to see Viggo leaning against Toothless, holding his sword arm and looking a mix of stunned and confused. 

Hiccup walked over to him and extended a hand, taking Viggo's in his. 

"You aren't allowed to die yet, not while I'm still alive" he stated confidently, not caring how it was something he shouldn't have said to his supposed enemy. 

He pulled his hand away, revealing the traitor piece laying innocently on Viggo's palm. 

Viggo looked down at the piece in bewilderment before squeezing it, doing what Hiccup had done moments earlier. 

Hiccup locked eyes with him as he nodded, looking confident "a chief protects his own"

Viggo raised an eyebrow but Hiccup only smiled, proud. 

Looking around, Hiccup moved so he was a few feet in front of the dead hunters before kneeling, taking a knife out of his boot and cutting away at his shoulder guards, ripping them off and throwing them haphazardly on the floor. He saw Viggo watching him and with a smirk, Hiccup walked over to him, motioning towards his spiked shoulder guards and belt "may i?"

Viggo nodded despite being confused and carefully, Hiccup took Viggo's spiked shoulder guards off and removed the belt, throwing them until they landed roughly near his own. 

Hiccup saw that Viggo was confused but he said nothing, seeming to have an idea of what he was doing.

Toothless shook his body, letting out a warble and Hiccup turned his attention to him, rubbing his head "feeling powered?"

The dragon let out a small roar, smiling but with his teeth. 

"How'd you know he'd survive that?" Viggo asked, looking at Toothless with wide eyes but only Hiccup smiled, grabbing Viggo arm, turning around so his back was to Hiccup. The dragon rider put his hand in one of the saddle bags and produced a cloth. With an order to Viggo to stay still, he began wrapping the cloth around the arrows, stabilising them. 

Once he was sure that the arrows wouldn’t move, he turned Viggo around and carefully helped him onto Toothless' back and once he was sure that Viggo was secure, he answered "he's the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. You didn't think we just roamed the sky and foiled plans, did you?"

Viggo smirked and held on to Hiccup's waist as they carefully flew out of the tunnel "well, my dear, you must show me sometime"

Hiccup looked over his shoulder and grinned. 

They flew out of the tunnels, out into the night sky. Hiccup made sure that they got high in the sky before turning. On the opposite side of where they came out, Johann and his hunters were waiting on the grass, a net set up above the entrance of the cave, hunters surrounding it with crossbows held up and ready. 

Stealthily, Hiccup made Toothless land behind some rocks, the Skrill silently following and watching the large group with narrowed eyes. Both Hiccup and Viggo stayed silent as Johann paced, looking more and more agitated when nothing happened. They watched as Johann sent some hunters in only for them to come out a few minutes later with the shoulder guards. 

"There. The Champion of Dragons and Viggo Grimborn, enemies that fought to the death" the lead hunter spoke, looking down at the guards with a smirk. 

Johann didn't look satisfied "that wasn't the plan.. but it's whatever. Now that they're out the way, the Berkians will be no problem at all with no leader. Useless children" Johann turned away, walking towards the edge of the island where several boats lay waiting,  ready to set sail. 

"Come on guys" Hiccup pleaded, looking up to the sky, silently begging.

"What's the plan?" Viggo whispered, looking up to the sky as well but before Hiccup could answer, the twins suddenly flew down from above, fire balls being dropped from the Zippleback's mouth. 

"Coming in hot and blowing out snot!" Hiccup heard Tuffnut cry as they flew close to the ground, making the hunters run away to avoid being burnt. 

Distantly, he could hear them talking about the record and with a sharp jolt, he realised what they intended to do, so with a whisper to Viggo to "hold tight" Hiccup urged Toothless to fly up, using the green gas as a means to escape. The Skrill silently followed, shooting up above them to hide quicker in the night sky. 

With Toothless camouflaged against the night sky, both men turned to the ground, looking down just in time to see it explode, several yells of pain reaching them. The brightness of the explosion made them turn away, Toothless flying upwards more to avoid the sudden smoke cloud. 

Hiccup coughed,  waving his hand in front of his face and he could see Viggo doing the same, pain heavy on his face as he let out raspy coughs. 

Both men looked down to see the blackened grass, smoking and shrivelled, hunters laying around not moving, little fires catching onto the trees and dry grass that wasn’t in the vicinity of the explosion.

He saw the twins back off, saying how they'd land and then find him but before Hiccup could fly over to them to show that he was alright, he saw movement. 

A cart flipped over, revealing a dusty and smoking Johann laying on the floor. 

Both Hiccup and Viggo scowled, the dragons growling. 

"How did he survive that?" Hiccup wondered, watching as the man punched the floor in agitation before moving, stumbling towards the trees for cover. 

"Let's go. We will find him later" Viggo promised and with a nod, Hiccup turned to where the twins landed. Hiccup knew that he should expose himself, show them that he was fine but something made him urge Toothless into the shadows, hidden as they watched the twins enter the cave and begin searching. 

"Hiccup?" Viggo inquired.

"What if.." 

Viggo moved so he was leaning over, trying to catch Hiccup's eye "what if...." he drawled, wanting to hear what Hiccup had to say.

"This is an opportunity.. if everyone thinks we're dead.."

Viggo slowly continued "including the riders?" 

Hiccup nodded "we could do some real damage, finish everything from the shadows"

Viggo said nothing for a long second before asking, quiet "but what will it cost?"

Hiccup couldn't answer. 

After a second, Hiccup spoke, voice low with pain "No animal could ever be as cruel as a man." 

Viggo and Hiccup locked eyes before the hunter nodded in understanding.

The twins chose that moment to come out, looking frantic and Hiccup resisted the urge to run up to them, tell them that everything was alright but he didn't. He held the handles of the saddle, watching as Tuffnut slowly began panicking, holding onto his shoulder guards and making fantasies of what happened, trying to convince Ruffnut that Hiccup had turned invisible or that he was just playing a prank on them.

Hiccup sat there a long time, breathing through the pain. 

The twins stayed for a long time, searching the cave over and over again, looking at the sky or around the area for any sign of Hiccup. After failure after failure, the twins decided to leave the island, flying back to the Edge as fast as they could. 

Toothless silently followed, flying high above them. 

Viggo held on to his waist, squeezing it and providing silent support. 

Hiccup still didn't know what to think about Viggo. He knew that the man was no enemy but half of him was worried that Viggo would soon turn against him.

Mentally shaking his head, he decided not to think about it, instead choosing to focus on his grief and how he was going to subject his friends to this horror. 

He watched as the twins roughly landed on the deck to the Clubhouse, yelling for everyone. 

Toothless landed softly on the roof, the Skrill joining him and together, they listened to the riders talk and Hiccup's heart shattered when he heard Fishlegs sob and Astrid's yells of denial. 

Hiccup closed his eyes for a second before opening them, forcing himself to face the situation he made.

Both men watched as the riders ran out of the Clubhouse, mounting their dragons and shooting off back towards the island. 

Toothless let out a coo, eyes wide as they watched the dragons get further and further away. 

"I'm sorry" Hiccup whispered, lowering his head down to rest against Toothless', sharing their grief with one another.

Hiccup straightened up and nodded, turning his head slightly to see Viggo watching him, head tilted with an unidentifiable expression.

He cleared his throat, pushing his emotions down, his face hardening.

"Let's do this"

Toothless opened up his wings and flew towards his hut and when they landed, they dismounted and began gathering supplies, taking a satchel of books, notes and the Dragon eye 2 with all the lenses. 

Viggo commented on the new design for the Dragon Eye 2 and both shared a smile.

Looking to Viggo's back, Hiccup gathered up his medical supplies and told Viggo that he'd take the arrows out when they were away from the edge but until then, Hiccup quickly made a painkiller which he forced Viggo to drink.

Hiccup cast a look behind him, sending out a silent prayer to the riders before jumping on Toothless, Viggo joining him and together, they shot up into the sky, the Skrill flying next to them.

Turning, Toothless flew in the direction of the moon, flying away from the Edge and the riders.

Chapter Text

Snotlout was beyond terrified.

"This is all my fault" he murmured, leaning against the bars of their cage, eyes low as he studied the wooden floor.

"No, we were just caught unaware, that's all" Astrid reassured, holding on to the bars and looking down the hall, trying over and over again to force the door open but she had to stop when Snotlout shook his head, growling to himself "I rushed in. I was just so angry and i.."

"You needed something to aim that anger at" Fishlegs finished, sitting on the floor opposite him. 

Snotlout nodded, watching as everyone seemed to deflate.

The twins stayed at the back, leaning against the wood of the ship and talking quietly to one another. Snotlout watched them, feeling his heart hammer with sadness. 

They were never the same the night they lost Hiccup, trying harder to be better dragon riders and spending more time with the group, being there for them. Snotlout knew that they felt guilty that they couldn't save him. 

Sighing, he banged his head lightly against the bars, looking around them. There were six cages, three on one side of the hall and three opposite them. Snotlout looked in front of him to the empty cage, wincing when his eyes caught on to the dark red stains in the corner near the wall. He didn’t need to turn his head to see that the other cell behind him was empty. The cells opposite them had the remains of people, ranging from big bones to child-like bones but it was hard to tell as the hall they were in was shaded in darkness, only spots of light from broken panels being allowed in.

Snotlout shook his head, not wanting to think about who was held down in the cages. Instead he started thinking of their dragons “do you think our dragons are ok?"

"It's only been two days.." Ruffnut started but Tuffnut shook his head, looking anxious "yeah, two days since we've been captured and look at us, i'm thin" he lifted an arm, poking it. 

Fishlegs opened his mouth, ready to speak but before he could, Astrid shushed them, looking down the hall with narrowed eyes. 

Silence reigned over them for a long second and Snotlout was going to say something when the door at the end of the hall opened, revealing Drago.

The man let out a laugh at them, walking in front of the bars and tapping his staff against it "you have failed"

Snotlout snarled. 

"You are riders of Berk" Drago spoke, voice hard "and thanks to your failure, i now have the leverage to get what i need"

"You psycho! You control the dragons using fear and for what? To be the best there ever was? To hold power over both vikings and dragons?" Astrid growled, slamming her hands on the bars, glaring at him but Drago didn't show emotion at her. 

Instead he kept eye contact with her as he raised a hand towards the hall he came from, gesturing for something.

Snotlout moved his eyes away from Drago when the sounds of chains made it's way into the hallway. At first, he hoped that it was a dragon but his hopes were quickly dashed when Drago's men dragged in a man. 

He had broken-off chains hanging from his wrists, scraping across the floor. 

He was shirtless.

Drago's men turned the man so his bare back was to the riders and Snotlout flinched, eyes wide. The others let out several noises of fear, the twins holding one another and Fishlegs moved closer to Astrid. 

"Resist.. and this will happen" Drago smirked, waving his arm in the direction of the man as if he was presenting him off to them. Drago made a dismissive wave of his hands and the hunters wordlessly let go, carelessly dropping the man. 

He was dumped into the cell opposite them, landing on his hands and knees with harsh thuds, his bare back to them.

Snotlout couldn't move his eyes. 

The man's pale back was bruised blue and black, a mixture of old and new bruises that blended in with harsh burns that ranged from big puddle-like shadows to small, concise dots that were aimed at specific locations such as the spine and lower back. Barely visible were a series of small cuts, which Snotlout knew to be made by a dagger. The wounds seemed to circle around his back onto his torso, down his shaking arms where the burns got worse.

Snotlout felt bile rise when he saw visible teeth marks on the man's arms. 

Looking at the man made Snotlout wonder how much pain he must be in but the warrior in him was proud that the man was still holding himself up, not laying down on the floor in defeat.

His bones seemed to pop out from his skin, some of his ribs looking distorted and clearly broken, showing them just how underweight he was. 

On the man's back were long, yet deep, ragged lines, harsh and bleeding a fiery red. Snotlout didn't need to be shown what made the harsh red lines on the man's back, they all knew what it was. The blood hadn't been washed away, instead it spread along the man's back, hiding other wounds. 

Snotlout nearly threw up when he saw that chunks of flesh were missing from around the whip marks.

The whip marks on his back seemed to bleed more at the attention, beads of red sliding down his back and fading into the dark green of his trousers, staining them darker. The hall they were in was dark, only small patches of light being let in but despite it all, the man's back seemed to shine, glowing red and making his wounds seem worse.

Drago chuckled at them, ignoring the man completely and with a smirk, he walked away, the others following as they left the riders and man alone. 

The man didn't move but he did relax, arms folding and holding his chest while his head lowered to the floor. 

Snotlout looked over the man's body one last time before turning his eyes to the others, taking in their horrified and pale faces. 

No one said a thing. 

Snotlout turned his attention back to the man when he groaned, slowly straightening up and steadying on his knees. 

Snotlout swallowed back bile when a fresh stream of blood ran down his back and over his side, dropping onto the floor, staining the wood red.

"A..are you alright?" Fishlegs called, holding on to the bars to get a closer look at the man. 

Snotlout wanted to smack Fishlegs, knowing that it was a stupid question but before he could, the man slowly began to stand, hand outstretched to the wall of the ship to help him stand, the chains clicking and making a scratching noise.

He turned.

Snotlout's eyes widened as the man stumbled towards the cage door, something metal glinting in his hand and it took Snotlout a moment to see what it was. 

A key.

Astrid saw it too as she moved closer to the doors, looking a mix of stunned and worried "you have a key? Please.. get us out."

As the man focused on the door, Snotlout looked over at him, feeling like he knew the man. His eyes moved down his body and he focused. He was dangerously underweight, covered in scars that ranged from sword attacks to what Snotlout could see as lightning scars, his father having the same after they had dealt with the Skrill all those years ago. 

His body had whip marks on his front, twisting from his back to his shoulders, some sneaking around his stomach. The bruising looked worse on his torso and Snotlout could just about make out the imprint of a boot.

Grimacing, he slid his eyes away from the man's torso and down to his legs.

In the dark, he could just about see the small glint of metal, hanging on below the man's left knee. At first, Snotlout thought that it was another chain but his heart convinced him to take another look. 

He did.

Bile rose in his mouth as he saw that the man's left leg was gone, replaced with a prosthetic.

His mind fell silent.

"Hiccup?"

His voice was quiet, rough as a lump forced its way into his throat. 

The hallway was quiet enough that everyone heard it. 

The man had paused, his body standing stiff with his head low.

Astrid looked at Snotlout with wide eyes, looking sick before she turned to the man, finally seeing his leg. The twins shot forward to the bars, forcing a frozen Fishlegs to move aside and together, they stared out at the man, eyes wide which quickly began filling with tears. 

Snotlout let out a breathy sob when the man slowly raised his head, dead green eyes locking with his. 

"You're alive" Astrid whispered, reaching a shaking hand out through the bars, wanting to touch Hiccup but he ignored her, dead eyes looking at each of the riders before he looked down, focusing back on the lock. 

"Hiccup.." Fishlegs whispered, voice shaking so bad it was hard to hear him "what happened? We thought you were dead"

Hiccup said nothing.

"We looked for you. We found your shoulder guards.. and dead hunters.. we mourned you" Ruffnut spoke quietly, holding onto the bars tightly. 

Hiccup said nothing.

Snotlout looked at the riders, worried as they watched Hiccup with mixed expressions, ranging from fear to anger. 

After a moment of silence, Astrid was the first to break it "Hiccup, would you say something?" 

She was angry but it had come out desperate and Snotlout could relate, wanting to hear Hiccup's voice just to confirm that it really was him. 

Hiccup said nothing. 

The door let out a loud CLANG as the bolt unlocked and without waiting, Hiccup opened the door and limped forward, eyes moving up and down the hallway, watching for guards. When he saw none, he moved forward to the rider's cage and entered the key.

Tuffnut reached out and touched Hiccup's thin arm, above the chain. 

Hiccup froze, eyes still on the lock. 

"Please, say something" Tuffnut whispered, pleading eyes on Hiccup. 

Hiccup's eyes slowly moved away from where Tuffnut was touching him to his face.

Snotlout held his breath and moved closer. 

Hiccup simply blinked, looking away and moving his arm away. Tuffnut's hand held open air for a long second before he lowered it, his face blank. 

The door let out a loud CLANG as it unlocked and without waiting, Hiccup turned and began walking limping away, not looking back. 

Snotlout closed his eyes before standing, following Astrid as she slowly opened the door and, after a moment of indecision, began following Hiccup. Snotlout watched as Fishlegs helped the twins up, neither saying anything. 

He hated the look on their faces. Tuffnut's face blank, eyes low while Ruffnut looked like she had been crushed and defeated. 

He exchanged a worried look with Fishlegs but said nothing, following Astrid. 

They made it out the hall and he watched as Hiccup crouched along the wall, looking at the small hallway that led to the exterior of the ship where Snotlout could hear the roars of dragons, both familiar and unfamiliar. 

He saw Hiccup move forward before freezing, his whole body stuttering. Astrid had moved forward, ready to touch him but before she could, Hiccup suddenly stood and ran, right down the hall and towards the open deck of the ship. 

"What-" Astrid startled before the riders were tossed to the left, the whole ship rocking as a loud explosion sounded.  

A roar sounded and Snotlout could have collapsed in relief. 

It was the angry roar of a Rumblehorn. 

"Come on!" Astrid cried, waving a hand for them to join her as she stood, running out to the deck of the ship and after a second, Snotlout joined her. When he got to the outside, he nearly stopped in surprise. 

The sky was filled with dragons, roaring and spewing fire at the ships, avoiding nets and arrows. 

Smiling, Snotlout quickly began looking around and his eyes widened when he saw Hookfang, covered in ropes and struggling against them. Roaring, Snotlout ran towards his dragon, tacking down a hunter and taking his sword and using it to cut the ropes, freeing his dragon. As soon as Hookfang was free, he let out a roar of anger, flaming up and spreading his wings. 

Snotlout watched for a moment, proud.

"Alright, alright. Let's do this" 

Hookfang lowered his neck, allowing him on and when he got to the sky, he was immediately joined by Astrid and Stoick. 

Taking a moment, Snotlout looked around. They were surrounded by water, having intercepted Drago on his way to Berk and most of his ships were on fire, sinking with broken sails. Only a couple of intact ships remained but most of the fighting was happening on the leading ship and that's where Snotlout guessed Drago was.

"Where is he?" Stoick growled, looking down at the burning ship, eyes wide with fury. 

"I don't see-"

"There!" Snotlout interrupted Astrid, pointing down to the front of the ship where Drago was. Stoick flew closer before making a noise of caution "who's that?"

Snotlout felt his heart pump. 

Drago was at the front of the ship, staff in hand and he was fighting someone. 

Someone with a sword made of fire.

Stoick directed them down, breathing harshly.

Snotlout kept his eyes on Hiccup, watching as he held his sword above his head just in time to block an attack. He saw how confident Hiccup was in his movements, attacking and aiming for the weak points while keeping himself defended. 

Stoick jumped off Skullcrusher just as the loud familiar roar of the Night Fury echoed out, echoing out to the sea. 

Drago looked towards it. 

Hiccup didn't.

The sword didn't stop moving until the hilt was at the skin of Drago's neck, the blade slicing through the man's neck, still on fire. 

All the dragons, wild and tamed, looked at the back of the ship where the Night Fury's roar came from before diving down to land on the limited space of the ships, landing on top of cages and sails. 

Snotlout turned to Hookfang, watching in confusion as the dragon lowered his head, wings spreading out slightly and the other dragons obediently followed.

"What?" Snotlout breathed, the other riders joining at his side and together, the group looked around in stunned confusion, not understanding what was happening to their dragons. 

A loud thump made him turn back to the front of the ship. 

Drago was laying on his side, bright red blood pouring out of the hole in his neck, staining his dull skin red.

Hiccup stood before the dead man, looking down at him with empty eyes. 

Snotlout's eyes moved up to Stoick. The chief stood still, eyes wide and filled with tears.

"Hiccup?" Stoick whispered, breath stuttering and Snotlout's heart started beating fast in anticipation. 

Stoick barely took a step forward before a black blur shot over their heads, landing in front of Hiccup with a growl. The dragons seemed to lower themselves more, eyes lowering to the floor. 

Snotlout could have cried. 

There was a man on Toothless' back but as soon as the dragon landed, he jumped off and stood next to Hiccup, looking down at Drago with a raised eyebrow before asking casually "dead then?"

Hiccup nodded, silent.

No one said anything before the man turned to Hiccup "what's next Chief?" and as he said it, he extended a hand which held a crumpled, ripped red shirt.

Hiccup said nothing but he did make a motion to Toothless before picking up the shirt and putting it on with a wince. The Night Fury let out a roar and Snotlout watched as the dragons all around them copied and began flying towards the sun, away from them to a destination only they knew.

The man next to Hiccup nodded "yeah, I thought so. All the dragons held in cages were set free and we double checked the cells, no human or dragon left.'' The only dragons remaining belonged to the riders, as well as a few wild strays who paid them no mind, and Snotlout knew that Hiccup saw this as he and the man turned to them, observing the riders and Snotlout fought not to squirm when he caught Hiccup's eyes.

Toothless curled around the man and Hiccup, eyes on them.

Stoick took an unsteady step forward, hands reaching out but lowering when Hiccup leaned back, away from them. 

"Hiccup?" he whispered, voice shaking in a way Snotlout had only heard once before and that was at Hiccup's funeral.

Snotlout watched as Hiccup looked over at them, catching their eyes before looking away and Snotlout wished he knew what was going through his cousin's head to make him look away from them, like they were going to hurt him. 

Instead, he looked towards the man who stepped forward in front of Hiccup, protective "my name is Eret and i'm sure that you have questions. Hiccup will answer them in due time"

"What?" Astrid asked, annoyed and she tried to get close to Hiccup only for Eret to stand in her way "Hiccup, talk to us, what's happening?"

"Where have you been?" Stoick asked when Hiccup remained silent. 

Hiccup moved backwards only for his legs to collapse. Eret twisted his body just in time to catch him, holding his arms but still threatening the riders when they came forward. 

Snotlout watched as Hiccup steadied himself, wincing slightly but he still said nothing, instead he turned to Toothless and got on his back, clicking his prosthetic into place and tapping Eret three times on the shoulder.

Eret nodded as Toothless roared, the other dragons easing up from their positions. 

"Hiccup will willingly fly back to Berk with you but he asks that you give him space until he's ready" Eret spoke and to Snotlout, it sounded rehearsed. 

No one said anything for a long moment and just as Snotlout saw Stoick open his mouth, a roar interrupted them and they watched as a Skrill flew down, landing by Erets' side. 

The Skrill had a saddle. 

"What?" Fishlegs whispered, eyes wide with shock.

The Skrill recognised the riders as it stopped growling and instead chose to watch them, without hostility. Eret wordlessly got on the dragon, looking slightly uneasy. 

As soon as Eret was on the dragon, Toothless suddenly jumped and flew up into the sky, the Skrill following with a roar. 

Stoick rushed to Skullcrusher, wanting to get up into the sky as fast as possible and the riders shared this as they rushed to their dragons. Snotlout urged Hookfang up, subconsciously scratching his chin when the dragon looked back at him. 

As soon as they were in the air, Stoick urged Skullcrusher so he was next to Toothless, Stormfly on the other side next to the Skrill.

Snotlout watched from behind them as Stoick looked over his son, worry and anger on his face, observing him. 

The back of Hiccup's shirt was a deep red in places, the blood making the red shirt seem darker and some part of him wondered how Hiccup was riding with a straight back when he was bleeding out. He watched as Hiccup put his hand in one of Toothless' saddle bags only to pull out a small thin piece of metal.

At first, Snotlout was confused on what the metal was for but understanding, quickly followed by guilt, flooded his system when the chains around Hiccup's wrists began falling down into the ocean. 

Snotlout silently chastised himself for not helping him get the chains off sooner and he could see the other riders doing the same. 

Berk was a few hours away, only being guarded by the Auxiliary riders and when they came close, Spitelout and Gustav were the first to come up to them. Spitelout had opened his mouth, ready to greet them when he spotted Hiccup. 

He straightened up, a gasp falling from his mouth. Snotlout knew that his father and Hiccup didn't really have a good relationship but he also knew that they trusted one another and they genuinely liked to be together, as uncle and nephew. 

"Hiccup!" Gustav yelled, eyes wide with surprise. 

Hiccup barely glanced over. 

"What happened?" Gustav asked, looking over them for a response and after a long moment, Astrid provided one, voice hoarse.

"We were sent out to find information on Drago, find out what weapons he has and if we could find something that we could use against him but we got stupid and were spotted. We attacked him but he got us... Hiccup got us out... Drago is dead"

Spitelout looked between Stoick and Astrid "who..?"

His eyes soon turned to Hiccup when Astrid gestured to him. 

Snotlout saw a rush of emotions flash through his fathers face, moving from amazement to fear and sadness.

Hiccup said nothing. 

Berk got closer. 

Hiccup was the first to land. He had manoeuvred Toothless to land between the forest and the village, not caring when the other riders followed his example. 

"Stoick!" 

Snotlout turned to see Gobber hobbling up to them, pliers as his left hand. 

"How did it.." 

Gobber trailed off as he saw Hiccup, face freezing before horror filled it 

Hiccup dismounted, turning to Toothless.

Snotlout was not prepared for what happened next. 

Toothless took a deep breath and with a shake of his head, he roared. 

Snotlout had to slam his hands over his ears, wincing at how loud it was and he saw the others but Hiccup doing the same. After a second, Toothless stopped and instead sat up straight, looking proud. 

"What..?" Fishlegs gasped, turning to the village, promoting the others to do the same. 

All the dragons in the village had landed and lowered their heads, bowing to Toothless. 

"Why are they bowing to Toothless?" Ruffnut asked, looking at Toothless with narrowed eyes. 

"He's the new Alpha" Eret explained, looking at the Berkian dragons with a proud look. 

"What do you mean?" Fishlegs asked, looking excited but the boy deflated when Eret shook his head "we'll explain it soon, first can we go to the Great Hall?" 

They all looked to Stoick.

He nodded before asking quietly, eyes on his son "do you need Gothi?"

Hiccup shook his head as he began limping past them, towards the Hall with Eret at his side. 

Snotout's worry grew slightly but some part of him was relieved when Hiccup rejected help. 

"He's still in there" Snotlout muttered to the riders who walked together, behind Gobber and Stoick. 

Astrid looked over to him before nodding, looking confident "yeah, this is Hiccup... he always does everything for a specific reason"

As she said it, Snotlout cast a glance behind him to the twins and his heart jumped a little at their sad faces "yeah, let's hope so"

Astrid nodded. 

As they walked through the village, multiple people began whispering, pointing to Hiccup. Most were stunned that he was alive while others were whispering that Hiccup was a spirit or a ghost, chained to the Earth. Stoick had to order them to go about their day when they tried to follow and they only followed his orders if he promised to tell them what happened.

"Hiccup, lad.. please" Gobber spoke, voice shaking so hard that he barely got the words out. 

Hiccup seemed to freeze on the stairs, just before the doors. 

He slowly turned to Gobber, dead eyes looking at him but Gobber didn't move except to raise his right hand, palm up towards the sky. 

Snotlout held his breath and he could see the others doing the same.

Slowly, Hiccup moved his left hand so it was just above Gobbers', palm facing down. 

Their hands barely touched. 

Wordlessly, Hiccup pulled his hand away and turned, opening the doors and walking away into the darkness, Eret, Toothless and the Skrill at his side. 

Gobber looked ready to cry but despite it all, there was a smile on his face.

Snotlout felt ready to join him. He knew what that move meant to both Hiccup and Gobber and flashbacks of when they were children flashed in his mind. 

Snotlout laughed as he shoved the boy, watching as he stumbled and fell into the muddy puddle. 

"You're so useless! Stuttering and stumbling over your own two feet'' Snotlout laughed, watching as Hiccup lowered his eyes in shame.

Shaking his head, he kicked the boy in the chest, making him flop down onto his back, drenching him in more water. 

Laughing, he began walking away only to stop when he remembered that he still held the journal in his hands. Smirking, he turned around and began walking back to the puddle, aiming to throw the book in the water with Hiccup but when he got there, he discovered the puddle to be empty. 

Scowling, Snotlout looked around him, trying to spot the boy and soon enough, he did. 

He ran after him.

Watching, Snotlout followed Hiccup to the forge, watching through the window as the boy wandered in and tried to sneak past Gobber to go to the backroom but was stopped at the call of his name.

Snotlout snickered at Hiccup getting caught but the laughter fell away when the boy turned, showing off his muddy face.

There were tears falling down the boy's face, making lines through the mud.

Snotlout stopped smiling.

Gobber wordlessly put away what he was working on and knelt in front of the boy, asking what was wrong but Hiccup didn't reply. 

"Hiccup, lad.." Gobber sighed, smiling softly. 

Snotlout watched fascinated as Gobber extended his hand, palm facing up.

Hiccup moved his own hand so it was hovering just above Gobbers, their hands grazing one another's.

Snotlout blinked. Hiccup's breaths slowed and his panic seemed to flow out of him. 

Gobber smiled and pulled his hand away, smiling down at the boy and laughing when Hiccup gave him a toothy grin. Snotlout breathed out an uncertain breath, laying the book down on the forge window and leaving silently, his mind spinning.

"He's still with us" Gobber confirmed, unknowingly repeating the conversation Snotlout had with Astrid earlier. 

The group walked into the hall, seeing Hiccup standing before the fire, watching it flicker, Toothless by his side while Eret sat at the table in front of the fire, waiting for them. 

Stoick was the first to sit down, opposite Eret. 

The others followed. 

Gobber on the end of the table, on Stoick's left while Sipteout sat on Stoick's right then it was Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs and then Ruffnut and Tuffnut. 

No one said anything.

Stoick sighed and leaned forward, looking Eret in the eye "so, who are you?"

Eret looked slightly uncomfortable under Stoick's gaze "my name's Eret, son of Eret and.. formally a dragon hunter"

Beside him, Astrid tensed "formally?"

Eret nodded and took a deep breath "yes.. Hiccup.. he showed me what dragons mean and how if you earn their loyalty.. anything is possible" his voice was admiration and wonder, looking back at Hiccup with a smile before facing the group again.

"How did you two meet?" Gobber asked, a hardness in his voice.

Eret winced "i.. ah.." he swallowed and rubbed his face "i.. had captured him when he first snuck onto Drago's ship" 

"First?" Astrid asked but her eyes were on Hiccup. 

Eret cocked his head to the side, looking at them "do you know what kind of dragon a Bewilderbeast is?" 

Stoick tensed as Fishlegs nodded, looking worried "yeah, we nearly found one on Berserker Island.. it was supposedly the king of dragons."

Eret nodded "he was"

Spitelout asked "what does this have to do with anything?"

"Drago had one"

Stoick nearly jumped out of his seat but was held back by Gobber.

Astrid leaned forward, tense "had?"

Eret tilted his head to Toothless who lifted his head, proud "Toothless challenged it and won."

"That explains why the dragons started bowing to Toothless, he's the new Alpha'' Fishlegs realised, eyes widening in amazement. Stoick looked over at Toothless before shaking his head, angry and worry heavy in his tone "you said when he first snuck onto Drago's ship.." he trailed off, wanting information.

Eret looked uncertain "Hiccup?" he looked over to the boy and tilted his head to the Skrill "should i..?"

Hiccup nodded to the unasked question. 

Eret took a deep breath before nodding "well, when Hiccup first encountered Drago.. he was held captive for a long while before he escaped, angering Drago when he free'd most of his dragons. The next few times he encountered Drago, he came with the Skrill who had a rider and-"

"There's other dragon riders?" Snotlout interrupted, stunned but his hopes were dashed when Eret shook his head  "no, this rider was someone you knew.. he was the same as me"

"Who?" Spitelout asked but before Eret could answer, Hiccup reached down to Toothless' saddle and retrieved something wrapped in cloth which he silently handed off to Eret. Eret looked at the riders before laying it down onto the table, removing the cloth.

Silence fell over them as they stared at the object. 

"Viggo," Tuffnut whispered. 

Snotlout looked down at the item, feeling a loss of breath. It was the handle of a sword. The sword handle was gold, at the end was a sculpture of a dragon's head, it's eyes were shown with a red gem while the other end of the handle was a round circle, covered in red gems. Snotlout remembered picking up the sword when he and Hiccup, as well as Amos were trapped in the cave with the Sandbuster. 

Stoick looked up to Hiccup "Viggo was with you? We were told that you both died" his voice was hard, grief sneaking in his voice. 

Eret cleared his throat "we should have started with that... Hiccup and Viggo.. back in the cave, they were surrounded by hunters and Hiccup decided that they had an opportunity to get Johann and Krogan from the shadows.. but first they had to appear to have been killed"

At this Hiccup turned around, facing them. 

His eyes were still empty. 

"Why couldn't you let us know you were alive? WE MOURNED YOU!" Astrid shouted, standing up and pointing at Hiccup but the boy didn't move. 

When he said nothing, Astrid let out a yell of fury, slamming her hands down on the table and ignoring the calls of her name "WHY?! ANSWER ME!" 

Snotlout winced at how loud she was but Hiccup didn't show any emotion. He opened his mouth only to sigh, his hand going to his throat and he held it there. 

A cold feeling went down Snotlout's spine and it seemed Fishlegs knew as well as he asked quietly "Hiccup, can you speak?"

Hiccup said nothing.

He turned his back to them, looking back at the fire. 

Snotlout's eyes moved to Hiccup's back. The shirt he wore was no longer red but black. The blood had seeped through and had started to drip onto the floor. Snotlout knew that he wasn't he only one concerned if Stoick's sharp inhale was to go by but before he could say anything, Eret was speaking.

Eret closed his eyes and lowered his head before facing them, continuing where he left off, voice emotionless "Hiccup and Viggo managed to find the King of Dragons under Berserker Island. There was an egg and together, they saved it and relocated it somewhere else, somewhere safer." 

Gobber nodded "and what of Johann and Krogan? All we know of is that they suddenly disappeared." 

Eret nodded slowly "Krogan brought Johann to Drago, using him as the excuse of why he couldn't get the King of Dragons but Drago didn't care, he killed them both"

Snotlout flinched. He remembers them finding their way to Berserker Island, fighting their way through hunters with their allies' help but all they found underneath the island was ice, no dragon to be found. He had never felt more like a failure, thinking he was too late and that by being too late, they had done Hiccup an injustice. 

Eret continued in the silence "Hiccup and Viggo kept finding Drago, freeing dragons. One day, they came but Drago was expecting them and ordered Hiccup to bow down to him.. Hiccup didn’t and Viggo paid for it"

Snotlout's eyes moved to Hiccup just in time to see him twitch slightly, a pained look coming over him before it slowly faded away.  

"He was held there and punished.. then you came along" 

Stoick lowered his head. Silence flowed over them and Snotlout watched as Hiccup moved, lowering himself to kneel and Toothless moved forward to place his head against Hiccup's, both animal and man closing their eyes. 

"But why couldn't you tell us you were still alive?" Spitelout asked, sounding vulnerable and Snotlout looked back to Hiccup to see him stand, and it hurt him to see his cousin struggle to keep his legs steady. No one said anything as the man walked over to them, moving around the table until he was in front of the twins. He visibly hesitated for a moment before extending his scar'd hands, one to Ruffnut and the other to Tuffnut. 

He held them out until they moved their own hands into his. Hiccup squeezed their hands before leaning forward. 

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, voice hoarse and broken. Hiccup winced and tilted his head slightly but kept moving his eyes to look at the twins. 

Tuffnut leaned forward, a tear falling from his eye “we mourned you.. I thought.. we weren't fast enough to save you" 

Hiccup said nothing but he did squeeze their hands, shaking his head slightly. Toothless moved forward as well, moving so he was between Ruffnut and Tuffnut, letting out a sad warble. At this, Hiccup let go and moved to sit next to Eret, looking at the rest of the riders. 

"Hiccup" Stoick started but trailed off, not knowing what to say. 

Hiccup licked his lips, looking down at the sword handle before facing Stoick, eyes still empty "I did what.. i had to do..despite.. the consequences" his voice kept breaking up and Snotlout winced, wondering how hard it was to get the words out. 

Astrid slammed her hand down on the table, not looking forgiving "we mourned you. You could have returned after saving the King of Dragons, why didn't you?"

"What would you do to protect your family? How far would you go?" Eret asked, moving closer to Hiccup and making sure that their attention was on him. Stoick's attention moved from Hiccup to him. 

Stoick took a deep breath but didn't answer.

"What would you do? But more importantly, how far have you gone?"

Snotlout looked up to his father. He knew that Spitelout wasn't a very good father but when he needed him, he was there. He knew that his father had gone to lengths to protect him and despite him being  emotionally manipulative or verbally abusive, it made Snotlout into a better person, seeing the world in a new light and adapting to it.

"I'm sorry for the grief i have caused" Hiccup whispered, eyes moving between them before settling on Stoick "but i hope that i have.. your approval to return to Berk" 

Stoick closed his eyes as Gobber clicked his tongue "don't be stupid lad, of course you're always welcome"

Hiccup let out a nod before slowly standing only to falter, catching himself on the table. 

Snotlout let out a small cry, half standing. The others had the same idea as they all jumped up, hands extended to catch Hiccup but the man pulled himself backwards, away from their hands.

In his attempt to avoid their hands, his legs gave out, making him fall backwards but he was stopped when Eret captured his hands, carefully pulling him up so he stood on his own two feet and not letting go until Hiccup nodded, Toothless coming around so his side was on Hiccup's back, helping to stabilise him. 

"You need to see-" Stoick ordered but Hiccup shook his head, already limping away towards the doors.

"No, not yet. We have things to do" he rasped out. 

Snotlout shook his head with a huff before running so he was behind Hiccup, the others quickly following. 

"What?" Astrid asked but it was Eret who answered, standing next to Hiccup and keeping his arms up in case he fell forward "Toothless is the Alpha and he needs to establish himself as the new Alpha of this island before another dragon tries to do so and no one is in the mood for a dragon fight right now"

Eret pushed open the doors.

Snotlout watched as Hiccup winced, narrowing his eyes at the sun before walking down the stairs, Toothless at his side.

As soon as they were in the plaza, Toothless looked over to Hiccup and waited. 

Snotlout's eyes widened when a growling noise came out of his cousin's mouth. 

"What was that?" Gobber asked, having taken a step back in surprise.

Eret smiled as Hiccup and Toothless began letting out warbles and little growls. Snotlout couldn't believe what he was seeing and neither could anyone else as the plaza, now with the villagers coming over. The plaza was silent, everyone staring at the pair with surprised expressions.

Other dragons seemed to come over and began bowing, not only to toothless but to Hiccup as well, letting out small noises to which Hiccup responded. 

"You can talk to dragons?!" Fishlegs squealed, excited and after a moment, the surprise passed and Snotlout began to feel amazed and exasperated.

"He's the Dragon Master, of course he can speak to dragons" Snotlout deadpanned, smirking at the riders when Tuffnut nodded in agreement. 

"How can you speak to them?" Astrid asked, amazed and Fishlegs asked his own question but fell silent when Hiccups' face showed how uncomfortable he was, Toothless letting out a noise of warning.

Snotlout watched as the Berkian dragons seemed to bow to Hiccup and Toothless one last time before they moved away, doing what they would usually do. As soon as the dragons were out the way, the villagers began talking, going up to Hiccup but stopping when Toothless growled at them for getting too close so instead they began cheering the return of the Heir of Berk, spreading out and formulating plans for a celebration. 

Hiccup rolled his eyes before facing the riders and Snotlout stepped forward, wanting to bring Hiccup in for a hug but he forced his arms still "you disappear again and i'll blow up all your stuff" he threatened.

He watched as Hiccup let out a silent laugh, expression twisting in pain but he tried to hide it. 

Hiccup looked over the riders and his father before giving them a slow smile, his green eyes looking slightly brighter "i'm sorry for leaving and causing you grief" he apologised again but before Stoick could open his mouth, Hiccup finished speaking, his voice growing raspy "i'll explain everything.. later"

Astrid smiled at him, the other rides coming up beside her "Hiccup, trust me, you're never leaving our side ever again"

Snotlout smiled when Hiccup's shoulders lowered. 

Eret carefully moved his hands, making sure they were in Hiccup's view the whole time, and he took his hands and, after a look around, began dragging him towards Gothi's hut where she stood waiting. 

As they walked, they surrounded Hiccup and caught him up on the happenings of Berk and their personal lives and if Hiccup said nothing, no one minded. 

Snotlout smiled as the door closed on them, only Eret, Hiccup, Toothless and Gothi inside. 

"My son has come home," Stoick smiled, standing taller.

The riders shared wide smiles and Astrid nodded, looking at the twins who hadn't stopped smiling since Hiccup first spoke to them "we have to fix the broken bonds in our team but we'll be alright" 

Snotlout nodded "yeah, we'll be alright"

He smiled at the healer's door and moved to sit against Hookfang, relaxing and feeling peace for the first time in two years. 

He closed his eyes and smiled to himself.

"Yeah, we'll be alright" 

But what Snotlout wasn't expecting was for Gothi to open the door, a panicked look on her face as she stumbled towards them. 

"Gothi?" Stoick whispered, eyes wide with surprise, fear covered his face, making him speed walk towards her hut and slamming the door open.

The hut was empty. 

"Where did he go?" Stoick turned back to Gothi, allowing the riders inside to find Hiccup but Gothi only shook her head, pointing up towards the sky. Stoick closed his eyes as the riders came out, shaking their heads. 

"Why would he do this?" Gobber asked and Snotlout's heart pounded at the heartbroken look on his face. 

"Find him" Stoick ordered the riders and Snotlout watched as Astrid moved towards Stormfly, asking the dragon if she had Hiccup's scent. 

Stormfly lowered herself, ready to fly.

At Stoick's nod, the riders took off, discussing why Hiccup would suddenly leave when everything was going good. The twins said nothing, only observing and Snotlout felt angry on their behalf. 

He began wondering why Hiccup would pull the same stunt twice, especially when he saw the effects it had on the twins. The bad feeling he had refused to go away, no matter how he phrased the situation in his head. 

Stormfly led them over the forest, towards Ravens point.

Snotlout swallowed as the Cove came into view. 

"NO!" 

Snotlout flinched back from Tuffnut's shout.

He stumbled off Hookfang, watching in slow motion as Tuffnut and Ruffnut ran towards the black, motionless dragon curled around an equally motionless viking. Snotlout took a step forward, unable to move his eyes away from the large red patch that spread down Hiccup's chest and onto the once green grass. 

"Is he-" Astrid broke off, a loud sob interrupting her and Snotlout felt his own sobs begin to burst out of his chest. He watched as Fishlegs moved closer to Hiccup, lowering his head to Hiccup's chest.

Fishlegs' face collapsed. 

Snotlout's heart collapsed as Tuffnut screamed, holding Hiccup's head up towards his chest protectively, Ruffnut doing the same with his stomach. 

Briefly, he saw Fishlegs check out Toothless but he knew that the answer would be the same, as not even Gothi could fix the large gash that covered the underside of Toothless' stomach.

Snotlout looked down at the grass, eyes closing when he saw the weapon used. Hiccup's signature sword, Inferno, lay hidden in the grass, covered in red. 

For a second, Snotlout felt vomit crawl up his throat as he remembered the conversation that had happened when Hiccup had introduced Inferno to them at the Edge. Hiccup had looked proud of his creation and Snotlout blurted out "you're going to like stab yourself accidentally carrying that thing along"

Hiccup had laughed it off, saying how it was made of Gronckle iron so it was light. 

Snotlout shivered as he took a step back, Astrid on his left and Fishlegs slightly in front of her, swaying uneasily.

"How did we miss this?" Fishlegs whispered, face paler than Snotlout had ever seen it.

Astrid breathed in shakily, arms wrapped around herself "his mind was corrupted.. too broken.. this was always a possibility" 

Snotlout wanted to shout at her, wanting her to stay quiet and take back what she had just said but he knew that it needed to be said. He knew that it was the truth and he knew that there was a chance of Hiccup deteriorating but he never thought that it would be so soon.

He said this out loud and Fishlegs nodded "i thought we had more time"

Snotlout couldn't respond. Instead, he knelt down on the grass, bowing his head. 

He closed his eyes, breathing through the need to cry. 

Slowly he stood up, taking in his friends as he admitted "we wouldn't of seen it anyway.. he's been missing for years.. we wouldn't have recognised the signs.."

Astrid was holding herself, forcing herself to keep her eyes on Hiccup and Snotlout knew that this was some self-punishment.

"We would have known the signs if he had stayed.." she muttered.

Fishlegs was a little in front of her on his knees, tears streaming down his face as he lowered his head, silently screaming. 

The twins were the hardest to watch, surrounding Hiccup, not caring that their knees were red with blood, holding him to their chests and crying, sputtering out apologies and telling Hiccup that they got the joke, how he should stop playing about and wake up. 

Letting out a soft sob, Snotlout shook his head, forcing his voice to remain steady as he spoke "come on, we need to get them back"

Astrid nodded, wiping her face "they need a proper funeral"

Snotlout locked eyes with Astrid and they nodded, walking towards Hiccup and Toothless.

"Let's do this" Snotlout encouraged himself, ignoring his shaking hands. 

Together, the riders managed to pull themselves together as best as they could as they managed to get the dragon and rider back to the village. Snotlout watched, fresh tears falling down his face as Stoick broke down, holding Hiccup close to his chest like he did five years ago when he thought that his actions of fighting the Red Death had gotten his son killed. Gobber held Hiccup's face, asking "why?" over and over again, face breaking when he never got an answer. 

The dragons were affected as well, grief showing on their faces and they sniffed Toothless, confirming to themselves and everyone else that the pair really were gone. 

Stoick wanted a funeral as soon as possible, as viking traditions required the dead to have a funeral as soon as possible otherwise their spirit would be stuck on Earth and they would be denied entry to Valhalla.

Snotlout held the bow in his hand, watching the arrow burn. 

Tears streamed down his face as he held it tight in his hand, watching with a numbness as Stoick fired the first arrow. The arrow hit the boat that held both Hiccup and Toothless, no one having found it right to have the pair separated.

The flames were starting to grow as Snotlout, followed by the riders, shot off their own arrows.

Snotlout felt no satisfaction watching the boat burn. 

He knew that he would have to watch the boat burn one day but he always thought that he would watch it burn further in the future, when they had grey hairs and children. 

"Love you, Hiccup" Snotlout whispered, hoping his cousin was looking down at them, Toothless at his side.

He prayed that they were happy. 

He closed his eyes, letting one last pray before opening his eyes, watching the burning boat get further and further away. 

Fear slowly grew in his stomach, knowing he was going to have the face the future without his cousin and he knew that it was a terrifying thought. 

Snotlout was beyond terrified but he pushed it down, closing his eyes. 

Opening them, Snotlout turned and began walking away, walking towards his family's hut. When he opened the door, he silently walked towards his room before he slid down the wall, holding his knees to his chest as he watched the sun set. 

With a sob, he closed his eyes, not wanting tomorrow to arrive. 

With an unsteady breath, he whispered one last thing before his breaths, although shaky, evened out. 

"Goodnight Hiccup"

He didn't hear the whisper that responded to him or see the viking with auburn hair and a peg leg standing by the door. 

"Goodnight Snotlout"