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Chapter Text

The alpha was dead. They lost. 

At least that was what most of the riders and dragons thought. But not the young girl who appeared from thin air only a few meters from the edge of the sea. 

She couldn't have been more than sixteen, even though the great power that surrounded her was far more ancient. She wore strange clothings against the cruel weather – short light blue pants, made from a weird material, barely covering her legs, sandals and a dark sleeveless tunic – like she couldn't feel the cold. Her long chestnut hair was braided over her shoulder, staying perfect, even with furious winds blowing into her young, oval-shaped face. Deep brown eyes surveyed the battlefield as if she was looking at a puzzle to be solved. And she seemed to have found the missing piece when a half-smile crossed her face. She bent down to grab a small rock from the ground – not bigger than the size of her hand - and gently threw it into the chaos. 

She looked pleased as her attention turned from the rolling stone towards the black dot flying with elegance, yet rush in the sky and she stepped back into the shadows. Disappearing like she was never there. 

oOo

Hiccup landed with Toothless right in front of Drago Bludvist. 

"Stop!" he yelled as they reached the ground. 

The young man dismounted his dragon and took his helmet off. 

"What are you doing, you moron? Put that shit back on, that's a madman," his dragon scolded him, while still keeping his eyes on the man chuckling before them. 

"This is the great dragon master?" Drago asked. "The son of Stoick the Vast? What shame he must feel."

"I'll give you shame you-" the Night Fury replied, stepping forward to protect his friend, but the young man stopped him. 

"All of this loss," he breathed. "And for what? To become unstoppable? To rule the world?" Hiccup was still hopeful. Hopeful that he can change Drago's mind about those who mean the world to him, yet Drago just nodded. "Dragons. They- they're kind, amazing creatures that can bring people together." 

Drago stabbed his spear into the snow under their feet. He reached over to his left shoulder and to Hiccup's surprise he took all of his left arm off. "Or tear them apart," he said, showing the remaining flash from his arm. Hiccup was taken back by the sight. "You see, I know what it is to live in fear." Drago continued while putting the prosthetic back to its place. "To see my village burnt. My family taken." He went around him, eying him like a predator its new meal.  "But even as a boy, left with nothing, I vowed to rise above the fear of dragons, and liberate the people of this world." 

The man looked up at his Bewilderbeast, as he grabbed his spear from the ground. 

"Then why a dragon army?" Hiccup asked. 

"Because he's too big of a chicken to face us without it," Toothless cut in, ready to attack whenever his rider asked him to. 

Drago turned towards them and simply said: "Well you need dragons, to conquer other dragons." 

"My theory makes more sense." 

"Or maybe you need dragons to conquer people," Hiccup guessed. "To control those who follow you. And to get rid of those who won't."

Drago chuckled. "Clever boy." He started walking towards Hiccup, forcing him to back up a few steps. 

Hiccup backed till his dragon was at arm's reach. "The world wants peace-" he wanted to continue, but the man cut in. 

"How would you know what the world wants? You are not a leader. You're not even a warrior." Drago didn't even give him the decency to listen to what he wanted to say. The man looked over him once again and scoffed. "You're nothing but a child, thinking you can change the order of the world. And-"  this time he was the one to be cut off, just not by words, but a peg leg lending on his face. 

Hiccup looked mad. Really mad. He was done with everyone telling him what's right. He was done letting people walk all over him because they think there's nothing he would do about. And this man just couldn't shut his mouth for one second. "I know what dragons are capable of. My best friend bit my leg off!" He said pointing at Toothless, who gave an offended huff. 

"Hey! I saved your life, stop complaining."  

"And I know how does it feel to be afraid," Hiccup continued as he grabbed his spar leg from the saddlebag. "I grew up with dragons burning down my home from one night to the other. I just reunited with my mother after twenty years, because a dragon took her from me when I was a baby and I could go on all day," he laughed into the man's face. "The difference between you and I, is that I'm not a little bitch about it." 

For a second, Drago was too stunned to speak. No one ever dared to disrespect him like this fishbone of a man just did. When he snapped out of his shock, his features darkened. "You've got a nerve."

"Runs in the family," Hiccup reposted, before forcing calm on himself. "We need peace and we have the answer on Berk. Just let me show you-"

"No!" Drago barked. "Let me show you!" And to Hiccup's utter horror, he started bawling in a language that Hiccup thought he was the only living human who could speak. 

Dragonese. 

His words were unclear, barely understandable, but still, it was the tongue of dragons. 

"Listen! Down! Answer! Control!" Drago swung his spear like the madman he was, calling his alpha. For the rest of the people, it sounded like simple yells with no meaning, but for Hiccup, it meant the end. His one advantage was gone.

This time even Toothless looked worried. "How is that possible?" he asked, looking at his rider. 

oOo

Meanwhile, the little rock from earlier rolled down the battlefield through the men who were now regrouping their forces calmly, as for in their eyes the battle was over. 

The rock just rolled and rolled in the snow, down a hill between the much bigger and sharper stones, until it landed on the top of an unstable looking icicle, which was so weak it gave in, even under its light weight. 

The ice fell with the rock on top of it and the two small, insignificant looking objects continued their path on separate ways. 

One, the broken icicle, slipped down on the snow and got kicked away by a passerby soldier. It changed its direction and fell off a seven and half a man high rock, landing on another soldier's head. 

The man yelped in pain, before stepping away from the spot, looking around to see what happened and accidentally walking into a catapult piece – which was on fire – causing it to fall. 

The burning wood slammed into a net-trap, which still held an unfortunate dragon, a Snafflefang, no other. When it caught on fire, he was able to escape and fly up to the horde of circling beasts in the sky, shoving a ship mast in the process. 

The mass broke under the weight of the bulky creature and landed just in front of the Berkian Chief, forcing him to halt for one important second. That one second he needed to reach his son, who was backing away into an iceberg from his hypnotized best friend. 

The little rock on the other hand, had fallen into a hole. It ran through the path made by water, which always found its way back to the sea. Landing in shallow water with a loud splash, the rock sinked to the bottom. 

But the noise made a man jerk his head towards the direction the sound came from, making him not watch his steps, so he stumbled over a broken spear. He landed hard on his face, accidentally shoting out an arrow from his crossbow. 

The arrow hit a bowing Hobblegrunt, causing her to shoot a fire ball. The fire flew across the sky, in a big burning streak of crimson and hit the ground only a bare inch away from the hypnotized Night Fury, right before he shot his own plasma blast at his best friend, making him miss. 

Hiccup managed to jump away in the last moment as the blast hit the ice just an arm length from its original target. A sickening feeling came to his stomach when he heard the wall breaking above his head. Hiccup looked up just in time to see spidery cracks forming at a rapid pace through the ice, before it gave way.

A dozen pieces of the ice wall, that had earlier blocked his way from escaping, all fell right on the young man, covering him fully. 

Drago watched the whole scene, from his place in the shadow of the alpha he controlled. 

He watched as Stoick the Vast ran to his son and aggressively shoved the heavy ice pieces off his body, pulling him into his lap, while trying to wake the unconscious boy....

....and walked away.

Chapter Text

Hiccup awakened feeling like he died. 

Like a herd of overfed yaks decided to run over him. Twice. His head was pounding with unbearable pain. He couldn't move a muscle in his body even though they all burned, so unfortunately, there was no chance for him to be actually dead. Whilst he sure wanted to be at that moment. 

Hiccup needed all his remaining strength to force himself into a somewhat sitting position, which was completely redundant as he was pushed back into the makeshift fur bed he laid on. 

"Don't move, Hiccup,” a gentle female voice whispered. "You have a serious concussion."

His mother. 

Valhallarama of the White Arms and Chunky Thighs. Valka the Dreaded Haddock. Long lost wife of Stoick the Vast. Descendant of Midgard's one of most respected and feared houses. A born warrior and adventurer. Untamable hurricane, as many referred to her. 

Now? A worried mother, treating her son's wounds. "You were lucky. A large piece missed your head by an inch. If that hits you..." 

Hiccup forgave her for her absence in most of his life already, but seeing her like this still left a sour taste in his mouth. Just how many nights he spent sick at home without his mother being there? 

Nevertheless, the idea of him finally having a mother by his side.... Hiccup loved it. 

And if anybody, he could understand her motives. Hiccup wanted to leave Berk as well, because he felt he didn't belong there and didn't want to kill a dragon, not even thinking about how his father or Gobber would feel... if it wasn't for Astrid, he would've left for good without a word. 

Not even mentioning the fact that his mother was a hero. The only one standing between Drago and the Archipelago. The last thing he wanted to imagine was what would've happened if Valka wasn't there to fight. 

Pictures of Drago and his armada filled his mind. He saw them conquering the islands one-by-one, capturing innocent humans and dragons and leaving a trail of dead and destruction wherever they went. With his Bewilderbeast killing the Alpha....

Realization hit Hiccup harder than the icebergs. He sat up so fast he almost head butted his mother. 

"Hiccup!" She protested, trying to calm him down, but panic had taken over the young man's rational thinking. 

"Where's Toothless?!" He screamed. He couldn't even bother with the pain and the black dots dancing in front of his eyes, as he rose to his feet, knees wobbling. "I need to see Toothless. Mom- Where- where is my dragon? He would never leave my side, not when I'm-"

The others rushed into the small cave, where Stoick and Valka sung happily only a few hours prior. The family reunited after so many years and now...

Astrid immediately rushed to her fiancé's aid. Forcing him to sit back down while trying hush him. "Hiccup, I'm so sorry...."

"Where's Toothless?" He demanded. 

"There was no stopping him," Stoick sighed, knowing his only son too well for him to even consider telling it in a more gentle way. He didn't need gentleness. He needed answers. "Drago had all of them under control. He took everyone." 

Hiccup buried his face in his hands, not only to try and ease the pain, but to cover the unquestionable sign of his fear that he kept hidden for over a decade. He run his fingers through his auburn hair, clutching his locks as hard as he could. 

Pain. 

The pain helped. It helped concentrate. It helped to stay in control. It helped to hide the truth. 

What it couldn't hide were the tears falling to the ground. 

His friends shared a look of worry. They had never seen him cry before. But Hiccup was too overwhelmed, too tired to oppress his emotions anymore. All those years of anger and suffering built up and he finally broke under the pressure. 

He stood with shaking knees and, without a glance at the people surrounding him, walked out of the cave. 

Hiccup went to the cove where only a few hours ago thousands of dragons flew gracefully around. What was once a safe place for every kind of dragons, the embodiment of peace, was now empty. Completely, utterly empty. 

Hiccup sat down on a rock covered with soft moss and tried to calm himself. He swore many years ago that no one would see him breakdown. No one would see him weak. Not again. Never again. And he failed. He knew the punishment for failure. It was carved into his body, making sure he would never be able to forget it. 

Hiccup had to force back a tired chuckle as he heard the familiar steps that he over the years came to recognize. 

Astrid approached him carefully, like one would approach a spooked animal. Trying to figure out how to comfort him, what to say. Figured it out or not, she sat down next to him either way, placing a hand on his cheek to force him to look at her. 

Astrid wasn't good at expressing emotions. Without violence that is. But she had known Hiccup long enough to know when he needed a hug. The young man buried his face into the nape of her neck as she wrapped her arms around his torso. 

"How's your head?" She asked worriedly. 

"Hurts," Hiccup replied with eyes pressed tightly close. "But that is on the bottom of my list of problems right now." 

Astrid let go of him to be able to look into his eyes. Hiccup expected to see pity in them, but there was none. Only guilt. "I'm so sorry Hiccup. It's all my fault." 

Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Astrid couldn't meet his eyes when she told how she kidnapped Eret to lead them to Drago, where she thought Hiccup was going, how they'd gotten captured. "I tried to talk myself out of it, but I just made him even angrier. He attacked this place because of me. We lost-" 

"No, Astrid don't blame yourself." Hiccup cupped her face with both hands to stop her. "You did, in a panic situation, what you thought was the best. To protect yourself and the others. You had taken a risk and it backfired. We both underestimated him. I wanted to go to Drago and speak with him myself and I would've made the same mistake. I have made the same mistake." He reminded her as he rose from the rock, helping her on her feet as well. "Drago would've attacked this place or Berk sooner or later. It wasn't your fault. What matters is-"

"That we are not going to make the same mistake again." Astrid straightened up as she said that. "So what's next?"

That was the question Hiccup knew would come, but wasn't ready for. "I-I don't know. Without Toothless-" he led his fingers through his hair once again, avoiding her eyes like he normally did when he felt inadequate. 

And as always, Astrid didn't have it from him. She got down on his level, bending her knees slightly, to force eye contact. "It's not the first time you have to come up with a plan without Toothless. I'm quite sure it won't be the last either. After we defeated Drago, which we will, you'll be becoming chief. And Toothless won't be able to help you all the time." She placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"You will have to learn to trust yourself Hiccup. Like I do. Like he does. Like everyone else does. We're not following Toothless. We're following the bravest, most stubborn, most determined knucklehead I know. Who listened to his heart and stood up for what he believed in even when everybody else laughed into his face. Even me." Guilt fogged her features once again. "You changed me." She then said and laid a hand on his arm. "You changed everyone." A comforting squeeze. "You achieved the impossible and brought peace to an island that was at war with dragons since the vikings first sailed there seven generations ago. It was all you." she took him to the edge of the cliff and led her eyes over the empty space. "Drago needs to be stopped. Berk needs to be saved. The dragons need to be saved. They are in danger, Hiccup." She faced him again this time an edge in her tone. Her eyes shimmering with confidence. Her faith in him unquestionable. "I asked you this once, when we thought everything was lost, now I ask again. What are you going to do about it?" 

Hiccup turned his gaze to the pool where the Bewilderbeast once stood. His heart heavy with grief. Then his eyes caught something in the distance and a memory fleshed in his mind. A mischievous smile crossed his face. A smile that Astrid fell in love with over and over again. "Probably something stupid." 

oOo

The couple marched back into the cave where their friends and Hiccup's parents waited for them. 

Stoick immediately jumped to his feet once he caught sight of them. He didn't need to hear anything to know to prepare for battle. "I told you she'll deal with him," He told his wife, who shook her head with a sad smile. 

"Took you long enough," Tuffnut remarked. 

"I never doubted you,” Snotlout said, straightening his back. From the other side of the room, Eret, who seemed to feel a bit out of place among the dragon riders, sent him a look that said otherwise. 

Gobber threw his good arm across his apprentice's shoulder. "So, what's the plan laddie?" 

"We're going back." Hiccup stated. 

"Uhm... how?" Fishlegs asked. 

"He took all of our dragons,” Ruffnut reminded him. 

The all too familiar smile crossed Hiccup's face once again. "Not all of them."

oOo

Not so much time later, Hiccup was holding on for dear life, riding bareback on a top of a baby Scuttleclaw. He glanced back over his shoulder to check on the others as they hurtled through the narrow ice channels created by massive splits in the iceberg shelves. They didn't seem to be happy about his brilliant idea. 

"Fly straight!" Ruffnut tried to order her dragon, with little to no success. Hiccup couldn't quite catch the baby's answer, because of the distance and the wind blowing into his ears as he zigzagged wildly, but he was sure the dragon actually enjoyed the speed and her protesting. Judging by his face that is. 

"I don't want to die!" Fishlegs squeezed in. 

And even Tuffnut protested. "We can't fly these things!!!"

"Yeah, no kidding!" Fishlegs screamed, barreling into a snow bank, sending several chunks right into Eret's face as the rides inverted and hollered. You know an idea was not only crazy but down right insane if the twins agreed with Fishlegs on it. 

"But won't that Bewilderbeast just take control of these guys, too?" Astrid asked worriedly. 

"They're babies. They don't listen to anyone!" Hiccup responded. 

"Yeah, just like us!" Tuffnut yelled. 

Astrid knitted her brows, probably remembering back to their final battle with the Dragon Hunters. "That explains a lot." 

Gobber followed up the rear clumsily, struggling for control. "This... is... very dangerous!" He pulled alongside Hiccup, Valka and Stoick. The Berkian Chief had a rough time staying on the top of his dragon (the largest baby they could find), but his wife seemed to handle hers quite well. She was there when they hatched after all. "Some might suggest this is poorly conceived." 

"Well, it's a good thing that I never listen." Hiccup shot back. 

"That you don't,” Stoick muttered just a pace behind his son. 

Valka chuckled to herself. "Runs in the family.” 

A sharp ridge rushed up at them. They were about to crash, but Hiccup and his parents rounded one side of it, and Gobber flew down the other. They shouted through gaps in the iceberg.

"So what IS your plan?!"

"Get Toothless back and kick Drago's-" Hiccup was interrupted by another closure in the gaps of ice. They blasted out of the other side.

"Heads up!" Gobber warned them. They split to avoid another peak and then reconvened, only to find one more icy outcropping directly in their path.

"And that thing." Hiccup uttered. 

Gobber hit it with a loud thud and a yelp.

Chapter Text

It was already close to sun raise by the time they reached Berkian waters. Dragon roars grew louder as Hiccup and companion approached through clouds, racing against time.

They collectively gasped at the sight of Drago's Bewilderbeast having now covered most of the village in explosions of ice. Berk's now commandeered dragons circled in a huddle behind him, joining Valka's flock, and corralled by Drago's armored dragons.

"No," Hiccup breathed. 

"He took all the dragons!" Fishlegs said. 

"Distract the alpha!" Hiccup ordered fumingly. "Try to keep his focus off of Toothless."

Tuffnut leaned forward on his dragon. "Uhm... how?" 

"Have you forgotten who you're riding with?" Eret brazenly aimed his baby dragon towards the Bewilderbeast. "There isn't a dragon alive that I can't wrangle!" His baby dragon begged to differ as he dived towards the sea instead. "Except for this one!"

"Amateur,” Snotlout remarked with a cocky smile. 

The others only shrugged it off and followed them. As they got closer the Bewilderbeast loomed bigger and bigger. 

It didn't take long for Drago to notice Hiccup. "What?" He asked in surprise. 

With an irate huff, the Bewilderbeast focused on Hiccup gaining ever closer to Toothless. Suddenly, a sheep appeared in its sight, rising and falling out of view. The Bewilderbeast blinked, confused. He looked down to see Eret catching the falling sheep and reloading it into the game launcher, as Tuffnut cocked the mechanism and Ruffnut pulled the trigger.

"Keep 'em coming!" Ruffnut yelled. And from further down the hill they were standing on, Snotlout tossed the black sheep to Tuffnut. "Black sheet baby!"

Exasperated, the alpha inhaled, about to blast, when a loud noise blared, breaking his concentration. He turned towards the sound, the horn that the vikings previously used for the Dragon Racing, finding it unmanned. The Bewilderbeast then returned his focus to the sheep launcher, until the black sheep landed on his face, bouncing down his facial spines and becoming lodged.

"TEN POINTS!" Snotlout's excited yell could be heard. The Bewilderbeast shook the black sheep off and prepared to blast again. "Uh-oh"

The horn blared again. The alpha whipped around... still no one at the horn. But finally he had enough and let loose of his blast, covering the entire horn in jagged spikes. Luckily, Fishlegs, who blew the horn to distract the dragon, was able to escape in time. "I'm okay!" 

Meanwhile, Hiccup reached Toothless, hovering directly in his sight. 

"You died!" Drago barked. 

"Once a man told me that I have a habit not to die when I'm suppose to, and yet everyone's surprised when I don't," Hiccup shot back, then ignored the man's further comments and focused on Toothless's slitted pupils. "Toothless? It's me, bud. It's me. I'm right here. Come back to me." But the dragon didn't react. He was still firmly under the control of the Bewilderbeast.

"He is not yours anymore. He belongs to the alpha!" Drago smugly sat back in the saddle, his arms open in invitation. "But, please, oh great dragon master, try to take him. He will not miss a second time."

Hiccup hold strong onto his baby dragon – who seemed to be unfazed by the huge dragon-alpha-king-thing – maintaining eye contact with Toothless. He reached out to touch him. "Please, bud. It wasn't you. You would never hurt me." 

Drago's amusement faded as Toothless stirred. His pupils dilated, then narrowed again after every word that left Hiccup's lips. Drago watched, amazed, as Toothless fought the control. "How are you doing that?"

Hiccup hold his stare as tears started forming in his eyes. He knew what he had to do to get his brother back. He reached deep down within himself, to find the voice that they shared. His eyes lit up with bright, emerald green shine and when he opened his mouth, he spoke in a language that wasn't made for human tongue to pronounce, yet he spoke it clearly with a firm, but desperate tone. "Please... you are my best friend." 

The Bewilderbeast roared a forceful command, howbeit his power over the dragon could never be as strong as the bond between two matching souls. Because a bond formed with friendship and love will always be greater, than one formed with force and fear. 

"My best friend." Hiccup's voice cracked as he repeated his words. And at last, Toothless's pupils jittered, then delated fully. 

"Hiccup..." he cooed happily. "You're alive!" 

"Atta boy! That's it! I'm here!" 

"WHAT?!" Drago bellowed angrily. "It's impossible, you can't be him!" He raised his bull-hook and smashed the dragon's nose, in a vain attempt to regain control. 

Toothless roared defiantly. He snatched the bull-hook in his jaw and pulled, yanking Drago off his back and sending him plummeting to the sea. 

"Yeah!" Hiccup cheered, but his enthusiasm didn't last long as Toothless, without a rider, dropped out of the sky as well. With no hesitation, Hiccup leaped from the baby dragon, diving after him. "Hang on!"

Drago broke his fall first, landing heavily upon his Bewilderbeast's tusk. As Hiccup tucked in his arms, trying to close the gap between him and Toothless before they both make impact with the ocean. "Almost there, buddy. Almost there!" 

"Hiccup!" Toothless growled back as he twisted in the air. 

When he finally reached his dragon he immediately threw his leg over his side and sat into the saddle. He pulled him up in the last second, barely missing the water, and flew past Drago as he hobbled to the top of the alpha's head. 

Hiccup looked back at Drago, now issuing commands from the top of the Bewilderbeast's head. "Do something!" 

Hiccup flew Toothless past a flag pole and teared a strip of the flag down. The Bewilderbeast blasted in their direction, barely missing them as they disappeared around the back of a mountain. "We gotta block him out, Toothless. Do you trust me, bud?" Toothless cooed, allowing Hiccup to blindfold him with the flag. Hiccup calmed him with a touch. "We can do this. You and me. As one."      

Hiccup splayed Toothless' mechanical tail. Toothless responded, matching the move with the natural half. "That's it. Now let's try this one more time!" 

They peeled around the other side of the mountain, heading back towards Drago and the Bewilderbeast, passing Astrid and the cheering Vikings on the ground.

"Take them down, babe!" Astrid screamed. 

Behind her Eret could be seen with a child in his arms, whom he scooped up for whatever reason he had. 

The vikings roared in support as Hiccup and Toothless raced past.

Valka and Stoick watched with pride as their son hurtled towards Drago and the alpha. "Go get 'em." Valka breathed as her husband placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't you worry Val. Our son is truly amazing. He always finds a way." The woman squeezed his hand. 

"Take control of it!" Drago howled furiously. 

The Bewilderbeast's hiss became a furious roar, but to no avail. Hiccup clamped his hands over Toothless's ear plates, muffling the alpha's commands. "Shut it out, Toothless!"

"STOP THEM!" Drago looked like he was about to loose his mind (which he already did in Toothless's opinion). 

The Bewilderbeast blasted at them. "NOW!" Hiccup yelled as Toothless suddenly pulled up again, arcing over Drago's head. 

Drago laughed victoriously, then paused in shock when he saw Toothless climbed inverted through the sky... with no rider. 

Drago whirled around, wide-eyed, to see Hiccup zooming towards him, his wing-suit deployed, and his sword trailing Zippleback gas. He clicked the lighter, igniting the gas as he flew past Drago, his bull-hook missing him by an inch. The explosion blasted Drago off his Bewilderbeast with a scream. 

Drago plummeted with great speed until he broke his fall against the massive dragon's spines and landing hard on the ground, his bull-hook landing just out of reach.

The Bewilderbeast whipped its tail, trying to swat down Hiccup. "Not again. TOOTHLESS! IT'S NOW OR NEVER!" Toothless popped open his dorsal blades, arced skyward, and rejoined Hiccup just before colliding with the alpha's tail. "Come on, bud!" Together again, they raced along the length of the thrashing tail...  "Hold on!" ....and shot past the tip of the tail, narrowly making it. "Yeah! We did it!" 

They arced through the sky and landed a few paces from Drago, kicking up a trail of dust. Battered and weary, Drago reached for his bull-hook, but Hiccup extended and fired up his Dragon Blade, hurling it like a javelin, and sticking it in the ground between Drago and his weapon, singeing his outstretched hand. Drago groaned in agony as the flames burned his hand.

"Hold him there Toothless!" Hiccup asked his friend, who snarled in warning, ready to blast. "It's all over now." 

Drago looked up and suddenly a knowing grin crossed his ugly feathers. "Or is it?" 

Hiccup spun around in alarm, just catching sight of the Bewilderbeast who rose behind him. A rush of water thundered up in the dragon's throat. "Oh, no!" 

Hiccup tried to jump away as the dragon blasted, not fast enough, but Toothless leaped into the way, shielding Hiccup beneath him. The freezing explosion enveloped them both.

Drago laughed to himself as Valka and Stoick both rushed to the icy explosion. Valka knelt down hammering away at it desperately, while Stoick grabbed a chunk of metal – a broken part of a catapult that was once used as a defense mechanism, now destroyed by the icy dragon's blast – and struck down on the massive wall, sending spidery cracks through it. But it had no use, the ice was too thick. 

Abruptly, a bright blue glow formed from deep within. Valka snapped her head up in amazement, then realization sunk in of what was about to happen, she backed away in rapid speed, dragging her husband along, away from the ice, barely missing the blast thundering from inside and shattering the cold prison. 

Toothless emerged from the debris, revealing Hiccup curled safely under his wings. The dragon was steaming, his split dorsal blades seared with blue glow. "How... DARE YOU?!" He roared angrily, then turned back to Hiccup, to check if he was unharmed, before giving his full attention back to the Bewilderbeast. He leaped out of the crater and landed upon an ice spire roaring ferociously.

The Bewilderbeast bellowed back at this affront. Toothless unleashed a salvo of plasma into the Bewilderbeast's face, not letting up.

"He's challenging the alpha!" Hiccup yelled in amazement. 

"To protect you." Valka laughed next to him. 

The whole island watched as the Night Fury dueled with the alpha. And in the midst of the mayhem, as result of Toothless' unrelenting attack that snapped the Bewilderbeast out of focus, the horde of commandeered dragons – both Berk's and Valka's – broke free from the control to witness Toothless's retaliation.

The black dragon landed protectively by Hiccup and his parents, commanding the dragons to shift sides. The follow amassed behind him. 

Seeing this, Drago panicked and rushed towards his dragon. "No, no, no, no! Fight back! Fight! FIGHT!" He bellowed angrily, as he clambered up the Bewilderbeast's tusk, totally unhinged. "What's the matter with you?" 

The Berkians swelled in to show their unified support. Drago fumed as Hiccup and Toothless flew up together onto an ice spire. "Now do you get it? This is what it is to earn a dragon's loyalty. Let this end now."

"Never! Come on!" he hammered the Bewilderbeast, spurring it into a charge.

But as the thousands of dragons united with Toothless against him, his alpha stood no chance when together they opened fire on them. 

Hiccup was able to see Drago forced to hide from the fiery barrage by taking cover in the tall spines of the giant's crown, bawling commands at him, before Toothless let loose a powerful shot, blasting his massive tusk clean off. 

"Let this end now!" Toothless roared. 

"The alpha protects them all," Hiccup said, calming Toothless slightly with his hand.                       

Overwhelmed and overpowered, the Bewilderbeast yielded to the new alpha and heeded Toothless's command, retreating into the sea in an explosive splash. With Drago still standing on his spine. And they disappeared, leaving no other sign behind than bubbles on the waves. 

The Berkians cheered in victory.                   

Toothless hopped down from the spire, cooling off, as people celebrate all around them. All of the dragons -- Berk's, Valka's, even Drago's -- landed around Toothless, to bow before their new king. 

Toothless looked around in surprise, before the realization hit him. "Oh, I'm king,” he murmured to himself then let out a majestic roar. The assembled dragons joined in, roaring in tribute.

Toothless turned to the approaching Hiccup. "You never cease to amaze me, bud." The young man placed his forehead against the dragon's. "Thank you." 

"Don't mention it,"  Toothless gurgled and licked Hiccup's face, who squealed in protest, trying to get away.

"Toothless! You know that doesn't wash out!" 

The crowd erupted into a fits of laughter. When he finally got away from his overly emotional dragon, Hiccup looked around to see his people reunite with their dragons. Hiccup smiled, taking in the happy picture and saving it to the back of his mind to be able to paint it one day. 

Eret approached him. "That was some pretty fine dragon wrangling back there. You'd make a good trapper." 

"Thanks, but I'm happy with what I have." Hiccup laughed in response. "You know... Berk will need all the helping hands to rebuild... I was wondering if you would want to stay." 

The man's smug expression turned into shock. "Me?" 

Hiccup nodded reassuringly. "I'm sure we would be able to find you a fitting dragon." 

Eret paused to consider the offer. Then he looked around the cheering crowd. Full of love and happiness and came to a decision. "I'd be honoured."     

Valka walked up to her son with Stoick in her heels, both parents bursting with pride. There were some shocked faces, whispers behind her as she strode past the people. The older villagers recognizing her, the younger ones wondering who's that woman to whom their chief showed so much affection and whom the heir of the tribe let pull him into a tight hug and kiss his forehead.... Most of them put the puzzle pieces together quite fast. The rest... let's not mention the rest. 

"I'm so proud of you, son." Valka said with teary eyes. "You did it... you brought peace to us. Now I see.  This..." she brushed his hair out of his eyes. "This is who you are. You were meant to bring us together. You son, have the heart of a chief and a soul of a dragon." 

"Thank you. I'm really glad you're here, Mom." Hiccup gave her a warm smile. 

Stoick put his arms around the two of them. "We both are." 

"And here I'll stay." The woman assured them. 

Toothless, finally being able to get away from his new subjects, arrived, purring at Valka's touch. "Hey! Don't leave me out of the group hug."  

Hiccup chuckled to himself, as Astrid strode towards her fiancé, beaming proudly. The young man stepped aside from his parents to welcome her. Valka watched their interaction curiously. 

"See? I told you it was in here." She placed her hand upon his chest, then quickly poked the dorsal fin button, popping it open and sending her into a fits of giggle. 

"Ha, ha. Still doing that one? That's hilarious." Hiccup muttered, his voice full of sarcasm. "Come here you." He scooped her close and pulled her into a kiss. 

From the sideline, Gobber covered a gawking boy's eyes. "Oh."

Ending the kiss, Hiccup looked into his fiancée's eyes before turning back to his mother. "I believe you two deserve a proper introduction." He said exchanging glances between the two woman. Astrid stepped a bit away from him in order to not hang on his neck. "Astrid, this is my mother, Valka Haddock. Mom, meet Miss Fearless Astrid Hofferson, my second in command on the battlefield, General of the Berkian Guards, the most promising Shield Maiden this island has ever seen-"

"Hiccup!" Astrid interrupted him as all the blood had flown into her face. 

"And my fiancée." 

"Please to meet you Mrs. Haddock." Astrid nodded in acknowledgment. 

"Oh, call me Valka, my dear. We're going to be family after all." The older woman said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Behind her Stoick nodded in agreement. 

"Of course." Astrid uttered. 

Hiccup leaned closer and whispered to her ear. "What happend to the fearless Valkyr I had come to know?" he expected the blow to his arm but that didn't make it any less painful. "There she is."

"Adorable,” said a strange voice behind them, that no one could recognize.

Chapter Text

"Adorable." 

They turned around as one to find a young girl standing behind them. Her unusual clothes made most men look away, but there was something about her... the way she smiled, her eyes and her... aura... 

Lovely. 

That was the first thing Hiccup could think of. 

She was lovely. 

But not in a romantic way. Her whole nature was just that... lovely. 

"Hi!" she greeted them. "I'm Aurora, you can call me Ro." 

"Uhm... hi..." Hiccup waved at her awkwardly, but felt even more uncomfortable when the girl run up to him and put her arms around his torso. "I can't believe we finally met!" She shrieked in a tone that made Hiccup's ears hurt. 

He looked around his people, searching for help, but they were as stunned as him. Even Astrid, who in a normal situation would've been angry at the strange girl hugging her fiancé, only stared at them. There was something about the girl – Aurora – that made them freeze. 

Maybe it was the incredible power radiating from her, or the way she talked, but it's silenced them, making them wait for her to speak first. 

She wasn't scary. Not at all. Her presence rather calmed them down. Even the dragons moved closer to them curiously, instead of backing away from the stranger in caution. 

It could've been Hiccup's imagination, but he felt the weather warm up around her. The sun shined brighter and the ice started melting under their feet. 

She finally let go of him and when their eyes met, all the stress and fear he had ever felt in his entire life disappeared like it was never there. 

He was about to say something, when Ro caught sight of Toothless behind him. The dragon wasn't expecting the girl jumping on him with an ear piercing shriek. "Look at you, aren't you adorable?"

"What in the name of-" he started protesting, but changed his mind mid sentence, the moment she started scratching him under his jaw, just in the right spot. "Oooh, I like her." 

Aurora only giggled. "I like you too, Toothless. Aren't you beautiful?" 

"Lower, lower," the dragon pleaded as she kept scratching him. 

"Here?" She asked. 

"Yes, right there." 

Hiccup trembled back on his feet. "You can talk to him," he stated more than asked. 

Aurora glanced at him under her eyelashes and gave him a friendly smile. "Is that so hard for you to imagine, Hiccup Haddock?" The young man paled, but she just winked at him, like it was some kind of inside joke. The rest of the villagers couldn't even process what was happening. 

"How do you know his name?" Astrid finally asked, snapping awake from her shock. 

She shrugged. "I'm a huge fan of his."

Snotlout, who was too stunned to speak up before, which was a miracle on its own, shook his head. "His- what?" 

"He's my favorite viking hero of all time." She turned back to Hiccup. "I grew up with your legends."

"My what?" 

"And I watched it over and over again," she continued, ignoring the glares she received. "Your childhood, your fight against the Strangulator..."

Hiccup stared at her like the girl just slapped him. "How do you-" 

"....How you met Toothless, got together with Astrid, which took you two embarrassingly long by the way..." and like she finally caught sight of the staring vikings, she started laughing before slapping her forehead. "Right, silly me. You guys are probably wondering who in Helheim is this girl dressed like a-" she looked down on herself. "Well I see now, that I should've changed before coming here, but I was too excited. Never mind, it got this." She raised her right hand in the air, then snapped her fingers. 

The air shimmered around her and suddenly her strange clothes turned into a floor-length blue dress that any viking woman could've wore to a special occasion. Her hair re-braided itself in front of their eyes, it became more... traditional, with small braids on the side of her head connecting at the back into one big braid.

Collective gasps run through the crowd. Many stumbled back in shock. Women hid their children behind their skirts, dragons jumped to protect the humans as the warriors drew their weapons, only to drop it immediately, when their chief breathed: "You are a goddess." 

For one long second the people of Berk darted their eyes between Stoick the Vast and the young, harmless looking girl. The vikings, overcoming their fear and shock, were about to bow down, but the goddess only laughed at them. "Oh, don't bother. I always hated bowing." 

Even with the careless tone, no one dared to oppose her. They had no idea what to do or say in fear of the consequences. 

All except one person...

"So who are you again?" Tuffnut asked bluntly. "Never heard of you." 

"Tuffnut!" Fishlegs yelled at him in fear for insulting a powerful deity. 

Aurora just waved him off. "It's okay, Fishlegs, I only became goddess like...." She looked at her wrist for a reason the vikings couldn't understand. "...one thousand years from now." 

Hiccup frowned. "I don't think I understand."

Those around looked at him in surprise. 

"That's a first," Ruffnut muttered under her breath. Next to her, Eret just kept staring at the people. "Is this a normal situation for you?" he whispered to Snotlout, who seemed to have forgotten the ex-hunter was there. 

"Nah, we just like to act like we have everything under control," he replied while not taking his eyes from the scene before them. "We're vikings, we don't get confused or scared." 

"Unless there are ghosts," Fishlegs added. 

The goddess propped her jaw on her hand. "How to explain this, without freaking you guys out?" She thought out loud. It was now obvious that she should've taken more preparation before going there, but now there was no turning back. And it seemed like she couldn't find a good way to say it, so she just bluntly stated: "I'm from the future." 

The silence that had fallen upon the island, which only a few minutes ago was a battlefield, made the goddess rock back and forth on her sole. Ro bit her lower lip waiting for the audience to process what she said. 

"The future?" Valka Haddock asked incredulously, giving side glances to her husband and son who both stood there open mouthed. 

"Yep." Aurora saw someone pinch themselves to make sure they weren't dreaming, so she decided to explain it further. "About a thousand years from now." She gestured awkwardly with her hands – which reminded Astrid of the conversation she had with her fiancé the previous morning – feeling uncomfortable by the unsubtle glares they sent her. She couldn't stand it for another minute. "I'm a goddess for Thor's sake, I can do way more crazier things than time travel! Stop staring at me already!" 

Many flinched at her outburst and averted their eyes, causing the deity to comport herself. Back was the carefree posture and friendly smile. 

"How did you become a goddess?" Ruffnut, who as always had her priorities straight, inquired. She was also grinning in a way that made the rest of the villagers uncomfortable.... And worried. Mostly worried. 

But for their relief, the goddess only said: "I would love to tell you that, but my origin story has nothing to do with the plot, so I won't bother."

"What?"

"Nothing." She waved her hand. "I'm the goddess of self-sacrificing death and endless love." 

Those two didn't come hand-in-hand in Hiccup's opinion. But the endless love part explained his earlier thoughts. 

Aurora bowed down to pet Toothless once again before continuing."Yes, it's a weird combination. Don't need to tell me."

"Makes sense to me," Stoick said under his breath, not finding it important enough to voice his thoughts louder. Then he cleared his throat, choosing his words wisely. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence Goddess Aurora?"

She shook her head, like snapping back to reality. "Oh, right. Explanations." Ro stood up (much to Toothless's dismay), fixing her skirt. "You see, like I said earlier Hiccup here is my favorite viking hero. I was born mortal. In my time you are a well known hero, Hiccup and I loved to read about your adventures. I wanted to meet you in person for ages, so when I became a goddess I thought... why not?" 

"So...." Hiccup started, very much confused. "You came here just to.... Meet with... me?" 

"Yep." 

It was so simple, yet it made no sense in the eyes of the mortals. Why would a god care about one human? 

It was Hiccup, who voiced their thoughts. "But- but you are a god!" He gestured in her general direction. "You are immortal and wield powers we can not even imagine, I- I should be the one to go even to the end of the world for you to honour me with your presence! I should be crawling on the ground before you and please your every need and-" a bark of laughter cut him off. Hiccup looked at the young girl, bending in half from laughing. Tears were running down on her reddened cheeks. 

"I'm s- I- I'm sorry." She was practically choking on air. Toothless worriedly nuzzled to her side, checking if she was alright. "I'm fine! I'm fine. It's just..." she let out a puff of air to calm herself, taking deep breaths, with more or less success to snap out of her fit. "I'm sorry, but... You don't need to do... all that. Even gods have dreams and people they look up to. I have always admired your braveness, your loyalty to your friends, your desire to bring justice to all, to protect the innocent. Growing up with your legends... formed my personality. I learned so much from you. Just because I am a god doesn't mean I am above or better than... any of you." 

Her speech left the audience... well speechless. They all were thinking about what she said, the meaning behind it, the deepness in the words, the-

"That makes no sense," Snotlout deadpanned. The villagers nodded and murmured in agreement, making the goddess sigh. 

"I did what I wanted, because I can." 

That fitted more into their world view. Aurora shook her head disappointedly, although she wasn't surprised. 

"Wait, does that mean you could make a cake the size of Berk then get the dragons to-"

"Tuffnut!" Fishlegs shrieked, before the boy could finish his idea. "You can't ask her to use her powers to your gain and entertainment." 

"Oh, no, I would love to do that." Ro laughed excitedly. "But there are some rules even I have to follow. I can't interfere directly with your lives, because for me all of this had already happened hundreds of years ago. I can only do so much, that do not directly affect the course of events. I have to be very careful with my actions. Time is a fragile force of nature that you have to protect or fear the consequences." 

"So you know what is going to happen to us?" Astrid inquired, stepping next to her fiancé. 

"More or less. I may have interfered earlier with something... that might will cause a tiny little bit of change in your lives, but that shouldn't make that big of a difference." She covered her lie with a laugh. "But I am more than aware of everything that's about to happen.... There will only be a few number of surprises." She was acting very suspiciously in the eyes of the vikings. 

"What-"

"Don't ask Hiccup. You don't want to know what I prevented from happening. Trust me in this one, it was for the best." Aurora sounded deadly serious. Calm, but stern. Hiccup decided it was best not to question her. She may behaved friendly, but she was still a god. Better not test the waters. 

Aurora knitted her brows, like she was trying to recall something from the back of her mind. "There was something important... yes! Hiccup can I talk to you for a second? Privately?" 

The young man looked around his people for help, finding none. Astrid gave him a comforting squeeze on his hand then stepped away. Left with no other choice he strode towards the goddess. 

Aurora waited for him to catch up to her before leading him behind a still standing hut. 

Hiccup couldn't help but notice their hight differences as she turned to him. He was more than a head taller than her. He waited for her to talk, but she just kept staring at him expectingly. 

"What do you wish to speak about with me, My Lady?" He finally decided to ask carefully. 

Aurora sent him a grimace. "You don't call me that. It sounds weird from your mouth. Save it to Astrid, that's hella cute." After a small chuckle left her mouth her eyes softened, her tone sad and careful. "I didn't want to talk about anything with you, but I figured you would." 

Hiccup's eyebrows arched in question, thinking just what the goddess could possibly expect him to ask. True, there was many things he didn't understand about her, her motives and what she meant about changing something in their lives, but he doubted she would have brought him away from the others for him to ask about that. She claimed to know him, so she must've figured he would tell his friends whatever she said if he thought it... if he thought they had the right to know. And there was only one thing he was too scared to admit to them. Something he's been hiding from them for more than a decade.

He looked her straight in the eyes, not knowing how to ask about the one thing he never even dared to say out loud. "You know," He finally uttered, hoping she would be so kind to save him from being forced to find the words on his own. And she was. 

"That I do." 

Hiccup shifted on his legs uncomfortably. "But do you know... everything?" 

"I know how much you suffered." She gave him a reassuring smile. One that filled him with courage. "Do you have something to ask from me, Hiccup Haddock?" 

"You said... you are a goddess of death..."

"I am." 

"I assume you know much about ghosts..." 

Ro stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "He got what he deserved and he can't escape. He can't haunt you anymore." 

Hiccup felt like the ground was swiped from under his feet and he was falling to the darkness he believed he had escaped from many years ago. He didn't recognize his own voice when he said: "Yes, he can." 

"A scar simply shows you are stronger than what hurt you, Hiccup. Don't be afraid of them and never be ashamed of them." Hiccup could've sworn she was staring right into his soul when she spoke. Her words confident, as if she believed in every word that left her mouth. "Wear them with the pride that you survived, because they can't use your own damons against you, if you control them." 

Hiccup took a shuddering breath, a sob forming in his chest, as he struggled with forming the words for the question he asked every night when he looked into the mirror. "I'm not a monster, am I?"

The goddess rose her head high. "What monster has a soul as beautiful as yours?"

Hiccup couldn't stop himself. He stepped forward and embraced her in a tight hug. She didn't hesitate to hug him back. 

oOo

They walked back to the others not much after that. Hiccup's friends were sending worrying glances at them, but it was Astrid who spoke first. 

"What happened?" Astrid saw the the tears in his eyes – even though he wiped them beforehand – and his troubled expression. Her brows creased together in a frown. She looked ready to strangle the goddess with her bare hands if she dared to upset her Hiccup. And Ro found that absolutely adorable. 

Hiccup laughed. Wet and a little rough, but a laugh nonetheless.  "Nothing. It's alright." He cupped her face, bringing her into a soft kiss. "Honestly." 

Aurora watched the encounter with a dreamy face and sighed. "So cute." She cleared her throat, and straightened her spine before announcing; "It is time for me to bid goodbye and return to my own world." 

Hiccup sent her a grateful smile. "Will we meet again, M- Ro?" He corrected himself instantly, remembering her words from earlier. 

She winked at him before answering. "Naturally. Although I'm not sure when. Time passes differently in my world. Five minutes for me could be days for you."

Her eyes roamed over the crowd one last time. The chief and his wife, reunited after twenty years, their son standing between his true love and best friend, both of them ready to go to the end of the world for him. Fishlegs cuddling with Meatlug, Snotlout doing the same with Hookfang, while trying to hide his happiness with a smug smile. The twins already thinking about some mischief and finally the newest dragon rider... 

Aurora looked at the muscled panda, than frowned and glared at the sky. Failing to notice the people around her following her action in confusion.

'Muscled what?' She asked mentally, but didn't receive an answer from whomever she asked. 

She shook her head and was about to leave but before that she stepped closer to hug the extremely underrated character. 

"What? I won't hug him!" She said, unfortunately, loudly. 

"Uhm... pardon?" Eret asked with a raised brow, like the gentleman he was. 

Aurora felt a sudden urge to slap her forehead. She pushed the urge to the back of her mind, before answering through gritted teeth: "Nothing, really." 

And she went as she came, disappearing into thin air. 

For long seconds the only thing you could hear on the Island of Berk was the wind blowing through the tree's branches and people and dragons pacing uncomfortably on their feet. 

"That was.... Weird," Snotlout remarked.