Spoiler warning for HTTYD: The Hidden World.
Hiccup stood looking out at the vast ocean with a small smile tugging on his lips as a figure came into view. Could it be? The figure was large and scaly with four legs, wings, a tail, and a round head. He knew that shape anywhere. The way it moved, the way it looked. It was Toothless, the last Night Fury and the Alpha of all dragons.
And among Toothless was his elusive mate, the Light Fury, who he had later called Starlight. There were also three smaller dragons which seemed to be a mix of the Light Fury and the Night Fury. Aw, now he'd have to come up with a name for those dragons too. But more importantly, Toothless was a father, just like him!
Toothless saw their ship approach and he immediately flew over, landing on the figurehead and eyed them cautiously. Hiccup stared at Toothless.
"Remember me, bud?" He asked, taking a step towards the Night Fury. A few moments passed and then Toothless' eyes lit up with recognition. He smiled and jumped onto Hiccup, licking him with his big tongue.
He heard Astrid explaining to their son and daughter that he and Toothless were friends and that they had nothing to be afraid of.
His son was named Stoick, named after one of the greatest chieftains Berk had ever known. Stoick took more after his mother, who was one of the strongest people Hiccup knew. Then there was their daughter, little Eira, whose name meant "merciful." She seemed to be taking after her father.
"It's okay," Hiccup reassured. "Put your hands out like this. He'll come to you," he told them and gently grabbed their hands to hold them out towards Toothless. Reluctantly, the two children kept their hands there and looked away. Hiccup was hit with a pain of familiarity as he remembered the exact way he and Toothless first bonded with each other. The action was complete as Toothless pressed his nose into their hands, closing his eyes and then pulling away.
Stoick and Eira looked at Toothless and their expressions of fear were replaced with wonder as they gazed at the black dragon. Hiccup smiled warmly, sharing a look with Astrid.
"You know, Hiccup," Astrid began. "I think it's time they felt what it's like to fly." He nodded at her then looked at Toothless.
"You mind, bud?" He asked him. Toothless lifted his head to the sky and roared. The entrance to the Hidden World opened and a few minutes later Stormfly emerged in all of her glory. When she spotted Astrid she immediately flew over and landed, nuzzling her former rider.
Astrid smiled and wrapped her arms around the dragon. "I missed you, girl," she whispered.
Pretty soon, Hiccup was back riding on Toothless with little Stoick by his side, enjoying every minute of being in the sky. Hiccup tossed Stoick into the air, causing giggling to erupt from the boy, who begged for more. So, Hiccup threw him a few more times. And, he always caught him. Even if something happen that caused him to miss, he knew he could rely on Toothless to catch him. Even though years had passed, he knew the Night Fury still had his back.
Stormfly soon emerged from the clouds, carrying Astrid and Eira on her back. Eira seemed to be enjoying it as much as Stoick was, maybe even more than him!
Starlight and her hatchlings soon joined them, soaring through the sky as if their small wings had been carrying them from place to place instead of their paws for their whole lives. Hiccup watched the hatchlings, amazed by them. They were so unique, maybe there was hope for the Night Fury species.
They flew across the sea for what felt like hours. Eventually, they had to return to their ship because of the sun beginning to set. Toothless and Stormfly slowed down as they approached the wooden boat. Hiccup slid off of Toothless and lifted up Stoick and set him back on the ground.
"Do they have to go?" Stoick asked. He looked up at his father, frowning with disappointment. Hiccup glanced at Toothless, feeling a twinge of sadness.
"Yes, they do," he said. "I know it's hard, but we have to say goodbye."
"Will we ever see them again?" Eira wondered.
Astrid put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Maybe one day we will," she reassured. "But they'll always be watching from the shadows, protecting us."
Eira and Stoick wrapped their arms around Toothless' neck, hugging him. Then they hugged Stormfly and Starlight. They decided to just give the hatchlings pat on the head, because of their small size and protective mother.
Astrid placed a hand on the side of Stormfly's head, smiling sadly. "Looks like we have to say goodbye again, huh, Stormfly?" The Deadly Nadder squawked and once again nuzzled Astrid, telling her it would be all right. Astrid smiled, sucking in a breath before pulling away from Stormfly. The Deadly Nadder began to flap her wings and let out one last squawk before returning to the beautiful Hidden World.
She watched her dragon leave, hoping that maybe she even had a family of her own, just like Toothless.
Hiccup looked over at Toothless, who was waiting for his special goodbye moment. He walked over to his dragon, smiling. He could feel tears starting to roll down his face, but he didn't care. He placed his hands on the side of Toothless' head, pressing his face against the dragons.
"You were one of the things that made life worth living," he murmured. Toothless made a sound almost like a purr. "Thank you, Toothless. We really did go to where no one goes, huh?" He asked. Toothless nodded in agreement and Hiccup chuckled. "You're amazing, bud. You'll always be my best friend," he said and placed one of his hands on Toothless' nose. "Now go, you have a world to protect."
Starlight and the hatchlings were waiting for Toothless on the rock, looking at him expectantly.
The sky was stained orange by the sun, with pink clouds running across it. The golden yellow sun was slowly dipping below the horizon out of sight, ready to let the moon take over for the next few hours.
Toothless roared and took off into the sky, flying straight up and spinning around. He fired three plasma blasts, causing them to explode and create a blue ring that spread out across the sky. Then, he dived back down into the Hidden World, followed by his family. Hiccup watched them go, wearing a smile.
"So long, bud."
This piece of writing is my final goodbye to an amazing franchise that I will always love and cherish. I'll show it to my children, and my children's children. I will never forget How To Train Your Dragon. Maybe there's a universe where we really do ride on the backs of dragons out there. We can always hope.
Some stuff about the names: I chose Stoick for Hiccup's son because my friend suggested what if that was what they named him after the movie and I liked it. I chose Eira for the daughter because in Old Norse it means merciful. I chose Starlight for the Light Fury just because it sounds really pretty and fits the Night Fury theme.