I wrote this one-shot for Memorial Day, and meant to post it actually ON Memorial Day, but unfortunately, I got sick. But this is FOR Memorial Day, okay? This is for those admiringly brave soldiers who have given their lives for what they believed in. It is truly amazing what they did for us, and I'd really like to honor them.

Anyways... I hope you guys like this, and if you haven't before, REALLY recognize how much your country's military does for you. I am just in absolute AWE sometimes.

Enjoy...

Hero

"FIIIIIRRRRRREEEEEEEE!"

At once, a volley of flaming arrows were shot from the invading ships below. The Dragon Riders swooped in, blasting them as best as they could, but a few still escaped and hurtled down towards Berk. Luckily, the auxiliary Riders arrived in time, saving a couple of houses from burning up.

"Riders!" the leader of the group shouted. "If we take out these ships, then Drago will be powerless! We either win and save everyone or lose and everyone will die! Are you with me, team?"

The group of Riders hollered, "Yes!"

The leader, a young man covered in armor, lifted his fist to the sky. He was riding a black beast of a dragon- the Night Fury. "Then let's show them what it means to be Hooligans!"

Woops and cheers echoed in the sky as the group dove down to the ships. The Riders, a team of young men and women, were renowned heroes of Berk. They were made of Snotlout Jorgenson, Fishlegs Ingerman, Astrid Hofferson, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston, and the chief of Berk… Hiccup Haddock.

Drago Bludvist had made a return just a few months ago. Pride battered and seething with revenge, he went after the person who had caused him to fall from glory. Chief Hiccup. And to get at him, he had to attack the people he cared about… his village, Berk. Most nights, ships would come out of nowhere and start shooting at the island, sometimes setting houses on fire. Many had been injured from these attacks. A few had even died. These battles needed to stop, and for that to happen, Drago had to go.

"Lout, Legs," Hiccup called. "You attack with me from the east! Astrid, Nuts, you're striking from above! The auxiliary riders will come in from the west. The only way they'll have to go is towards Berk or out to sea- either one is fine!" Hooligans were ready to attack any threat that came towards them… as long as they were close enough to be shot at, of course. Or Drago's ships could go back out to sea, the popular goal of the Riders. Everyone was getting exhausted from all of these attacks.

The Riders set into action immediately, following Hiccup's orders. Soon, everyone was in place. The auxiliary riders were coming in fast, and everything seemed to be working out.

Hiccup dodged a group of arrows, one nearly nicking him. Toothless grunted in concern, but Hiccup muttered a comfort and kept going. It was a part of being leader; constantly putting himself in danger.

"Alright, Toothless, let's do- oh, Thor!" Hiccup watched as a ballista fired a humongous chunk of rock toward his team. He managed to duck Toothless down in time, and turned around to see if the others had done the same.

Fishlegs had lowered Meatlug, knowing even his dragon's mouth wouldn't fit that big of a rock. But Snotlout… Snotlout was attempting to flirt with Ruffnut, who was flying away with Astrid and Tuffnut. He didn't see the rock coming. Alarmed, Hiccup zoomed up on Toothless, shouting, "Snotlout, look out!"

However, it was too late. The rock was flying towards Snotlout, and there was no way for the boy to get away in time. And that amount of force would kill him, or at least leave him seriously injured. So, without thinking, Hiccup did the first thing his brain suggested and pulled Toothless in front of Snotlout to block his cousin from harm.

The boulder slammed into Hiccup's side so hard it sent tremors through him. Luckily, Toothless hadn't hit- the rock had been flying too high for that. But Hiccup had been rammed into by a ginormous rock flying at a high speed. And that kind of pressure really hurt.

Hiccup's hoarse scream lasted for a few seconds until he couldn't bare the pain any longer and slumped over. With Toothless's now wobbly flying, it was only a matter of time before Hiccup slipped off of his dragon.

Snotlout watched this all in slow motion. The horrified feeling he had felt when he saw the giant boulder hurtling towards him was replaced with a new kind of panic. Hiccup had just sacrificed himself for Snotlout. Without even a moment's hesitation, he had jumped in front of Snotlout to try and save him.

"HICCUP!"

Snotlout pushed Hookfang down to catch the falling chief. Toothless tried to stay upright in the air, but was soon dropping as well. Hookfang soon caught Hiccup in his talons, then tossed him up to Snotlout and tried to grab Toothless next. Snotlout clutched onto his cousin desperately. The chief's side was bleeding a lot from the hit, and he appeared to be unconscious from the pain. Guilt rose up higher than ever in Snotlout. This was his fault. He should've gotten hit by that rock. Not Hiccup. Not Hiccup. He didn't deserve this.

"Oh my Thor!" Snotlout heard Fishlegs react to the circumstances. "Hicc- Hicc- Hiccup- is he- oh Thor!"

Snotlout realized that his hands were shaking as he clung tightly to the injured chief. "He's still alive, Fishface! But- not for long…" He swallowed. "He needs help! Get the others! Hurry!"

With a shivering nod, Fishlegs took off, muttering a litany of prayers for his friend. Meanwhile, Hookfang had grabbed Toothless and was now holding him in his claws. But that didn't mean that they were all safe. More flaming arrows whistled by, as well as the occasional rock. Hookfang dodged them by himself, knowing his rider was too distraught to help out much.

Soon, all of the other Riders were gathered around Hookfang, horror plain in their eyes.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, seeing the growing stain of blood spread through Hiccup's shirt. "Oh, gods, why?"

"He needs help!" Fishlegs squeaked. "Get him back to Berk, Snotlout! We'll cover you until you get away!"

Snotlout gave a frightened sort of nod, then took off on Hookfang. Toothless was whining worriedly beneath the other dragon, wanting to see his rider. But Snotlout wouldn't let go of his cousin. He could barely tear his eyes away. Because all he saw was that rock heading towards him and Hookfang. Hiccup diving in front of him. The collision. The fall. Blood... so much blood...

They touched down in front of Gothi's hut. Snotlout jumped off of Hookfang, taking Hiccup with him. He kicked open the door, startling the elderly healer up from her book.

"It's Hicc- the chief," said Snotlout, eyes wide with fear. "He- he was hit... he needs help... can you..."

Gothi nodded, standing. She gestured for Snotlout to put his cousin down on her examination table so she could begin.

Snotlout watched nervously as Gothi removed Hiccup's shirt. He winced when he saw Hiccup's side, all cut up and bruised. Because he knew that he should've had that wound. Or worse. Not Hiccup. It wasn't fair...

Gothi fetched some water and bandages, then set to work on helping Hiccup. After she was done, she glanced at Snotlout, then grabbed her stick. She scribbled something on her pile of sand, then looked up expectantly.

"Um… I don't know how to read that," said Snotlout.

Gothi rolled her eyes, but tried to figure out a way to make Snotlout understand. She then motioned to Hiccup, then put a thumbs up. She had to do it a few times before Snotlout understood.

"He'll live," Snotlout whispered. "He'll live…?"

Gothi gave a half-way nod, like, Most likely. But Snotlout was too relieved that Hiccup would probably pull through to care.

A second later, the door was thrown open again, and the other Riders stormed inside.

"Hiccup!" Astrid cried, rushing over to her boyfriend's side. Gothi didn't allow her to touch Hiccup, but Astrid still came as close as she could. Snotlout had never seen her this distressed. "Hang... hang in there... please, Hiccup... hang on..."

The others encircled the bed, as well, talking all at once. They sounded so concerned and frightened that Snotlout couldn't fight back a strong wave of guilt and regret. This was all his fault... he had caused Hiccup this pain... the Riders this worry... all his fault...

"I need some air," Snotlout gasped, pushing himself away. He stumbled outside, clutching his head and fighting back a strange feeling. It was as if something was stuck in his throat. And his eyes... why did they sting so much?

He was glad to see Hookfang still waiting for him outside, but sat down on the ground, looking over the cliff at the sea. He could see the distant lights of the fight burning on the horizon. The auxiliary team was still in battle, and by the looks of it, was almost done with tonight's attack.

Hookfang seemed curious at Snotlout's suddenly defeated stance and edged over to get a closer look.

"Hey, Fangster," Snotlout breathed. He held his head in his hands, breathing heavily.

Hookfang breathed out a puff of smoke around Snotlout's ears, trying to get his rider back to the way he always was. Arrogant. Authoritative. Swaggering. This slumped and shivering boy was not the Snotlout he knew.

"Hookfang... it's all my fault. Hiccup got hurt... because of me. He might die... because of me. He could've died... because of me." He rubbed his temples. "I feel so strange... like... like... like my chest is swelling, and covered in- in this sort of heaviness. Have you ever felt that before? Like... I don't know... guilty. Ashamed. Torn. It's... it's all so wrong... this shouldn't have happened... I-"

At that moment, his brain shot up a proposition. An idea that made him freeze. Because this suggestion would take away his regret and guilt. It would make things even. But… the price was so costly...

No. You can't. That's stupid, even for you.

This plan... yes, it was horrible. Yet justifying to himself.

Should he do it?

His hands clenched.

It's the right thing to do.

And he knew that.

Yes. Yes.

He would do it.

He had to. It was his duty. To Hiccup... to everyone.

"Hookfang."

The Nightmare cocked his head at the serious tone of Snotlout. What had his rider schemed up now?

"I am going to go out and… do something. And I probably won't come back from it." Snotlout swallowed. "Hookfang... Hiccup is injured because of me. He sacrificed himself just for me. He's a hero. Me... I'm... I can sometimes be a little… ignorant. But now... the answer is so clear. I know what to do… what I should do."

Hookfang snorted, wondering where Snotlout was going with this.

"Hookfang..." Snotlout took in a deep breath. "Tonight, I am going back out to the battle. I am going to be dressed as Hiccup, and fly in on a black dragon. Drago won't stop until he knows that my cousin is dead. Everyone knows that. So... someone has to die. And it isn't Hiccup. It's... it's going to be me. I'm going to be the one flying to his death tonight. I'm going to be the one shot down. And Hiccup is going to be the one that lives."

Hookfang stared in shock. Never in a hundred years would he have guessed that Snotlout would say this. Where had that boy who would do anything to save himself gone? Where had the selfish and prideful Rider disappeared to?

The dragon shook his head, still stunned. And that same person was going to go out and... oh, no... but he couldn't-

Hookfang moved his head in front of Snotlout's, shaking it in disapproval. You can't do this. You can't.

Snotlout was too surprised at his friend's behavior. Usually, Hookfang didn't really care what happened to Snotlout until it was almost too late. And it was almost too late.

"I'm going," said Snotlout, his mind made up. "Hookfang... think about it. Hiccup is the chief of Berk. If he was killed, we'd all crumble. Drago would overtake us. Astrid is tough and useful in battle- losing her would be a huge hit to Berk. Fishlegs is very smart. His knowledge can save lives, no matter how weird it can be. The twins... though they seem like a burden at times, their schemes can really help. Tuff's bought valuable time for us all before. Ruff… she's amazing. She can't die. And me… well... I don't contribute anything. I... I'm the useless one." He was panting now. It had taken a lot to admit that, though he knew it was true. "I'm… expendable. The Riders… they'll find someone better after I'm gone. Don't you see, Hookfang? I've finally found my chance to make one final stand that will help all. When Dragon thinks Hiccup's dead, he'll let himself be a little more vulnerable. Hiccup can strike then, and… and the war will end. I want to be a part of that. I want to start that chain of events… I want to be a hero. Do you understand?"

Though he was sorrowful, Hookfang inclined his head.

"So...," said Snotlout slowly. "I'm going to go to Hiccup's house and get his helmet. Some armor, as well. And then I'll just need to find a black dragon that looks like Toothless… and then I'll go."

Hookfang huffed in disagreement. He did not want to let his rider go without him. No matter how much they fought, they were a team. He wanted to be Snotlout's 'Night Fury'.

For once, Snotlout understood his dragon. "You want to be him... But, Hookfang... I... you'll probably be ki..." He didn't even want to finish that sentence.

Hookfang straightened his long neck and rumbled. He knew the consequences, and yet he still wanted to do it.

Snotlout's eyes widened in wonder. "I... well, thanks, Fangster. That means a lot. Having my dragon with me at my last moments... what more could a Dragon Rider hope for?"

Hookfang gave him a pointed look, like, Living, and Snotlout chuckled. "I know... but I'll never live until I do something important. Not just help out. Start it. Make a mark in the world. I'm going to fight for what I believe in... I'm going to die for my village, Berk. I'm going to pass on as a hero. And that's worth dying for..."

All too soon, the pair was ready to go. Hookfang was covered head to talon with black cloth, and Snotlout dressed in Hiccup's spare suit of armor. He was bigger than his cousin, and had to leave off a few pieces, like the stomach piece and Hiccup's mask. He just wore the chief's helmet on his head. He also took Inferno, Hiccup's flaming sword.

Quietly, Hookfang and Snotlout slipped into the darkness. The flashing fire of the battle was blinking out. Snotlout urged Hookfang faster. They needed to get there before the fight was over.

Minutes later, they arrived at the scene. It was less tense than earlier, but arrows still flew concerningly close, as well as bolas and the occasional rock. Drago's men were distracted with the auxiliary riders. Snotlout had to get their attention away from them and on him. And he thought he knew how to do that.

Snotlout drew Inferno, making sure to let it flame up. He shouted, with his loudest voice possible, "UP WITH YOUR SWORD AND STRIKE AT GALE!"

Through the entire area, everyone heard it. A sudden silence swept through them. A few people froze- even some of the enemy stopped firing and turned to look for the source of the cry..

Snotlout continued. "RIDE THE ROUGH SEAS FOR THOSE WAVES ARE YOUR HOME! WINTERS MAY FREEZE BUT OUR HEARTS DO NOT FAIL-"

He reared up on Hookfang, practically screaming the next line.

"HOOLIGAN... HEARTS... FOREVER!"

Yes. It was the proud Berkian National Anthem that Snotlout was hollering. It was to convince his foes that he was Hiccup Haddock. That it was Hiccup who was flying in. Not one of those bothersome Riders... but the chief himself.

"'Ey!" a man shouted from one of the ships. "That's the Dragon Conqueror! The chief of Berk! The one Drago wants! Get 'im!"

And all at once, all of the archers turned to Snotlout, arrows ready to be fired.

Snotlout started his song again as he and Hookfang roared and dove into battle.

It was a horrible fight.

Hookfang barely managed to avoid the showers of arrows that chased after him. Snotlout tried to help by cutting some of them down with Inferno, but it was difficult. Snotlout continued with the anthem.

"UP WITH YOUR SWORD AND STRIKE AT GALE! RIDE THE ROUGH SEAS FOR THOSE WAVES ARE YOUR HOME! WINTERS MAY FREEZE BUT OUR HEARTS DO NOT FAIL! HOOLIGAN... HEARTS... FOREVER!"

Hookfang used his fire to take down a ship. Snotlout cheered, almost crying, "Snotlout, Snotlout, oi oi oi!" but stopped himself in time. However, only a moment later, Hookfang was pierced by a wayward arrow and let out a strangled grunt.

His rider gaped in shock and terror. "HOOK-" Snotlout caught his mistake. "TOOTHLESS! NO!"

But, yes. Hookfang had been shot. Blood trickled out fast, worrying Snotlout. The Rider was okay if he died.. but not Hookfang. He couldn't bare to watch his best friend fade away right before his eyes… that was one of the things he dreaded the most.

Snotlout wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead, his face grim.

"Hold on, Hookfang," he whispered to his wounded dragon. The Nightmare was doing his best to keep them upright, but he couldn't keep them up too much longer. The plan was failing. And the arrows were getting dangerously close to Snotlout's unshielded spots. It was only a matter of time before one of them found its mark.

Snotlout tried desperately again to convince Drago's men nothing was wrong. "UP WITH YOUR SWORD AND STRIKE AT GALE..." But his previous euphoria was almost gone now. "RIDE THE ROUGH SEAS FOR THOSE WAVES… THOSE WAVES ARE YOUR..."

Oh, come on, Snotlout! he yelled at himself. You can do better than that!

So he gave a final attempt at his vehemence...

"UP WITH YOUR SWORD AND STRIKE AT GALE!" Snotlout screamed into the wind, his rage and fear flooding out into his voice. Arrows were fired all around him, one nearly piercing his stomach. Gods darn it. The enemy had figured out where he was vulnerable. Snotlout pressed on, patting a wounded Hookfang's side for comfort. Shivers ran through him as he realized the truth: This was the end.

"RIDE THE ROUGH SEAS FOR THOSE WAVES ARE YOUR HOME!"

Hookfang moaned, wanting to stop, but continued for his rider.

"WINTERS MAY FREEZE BUT OUR HEARTS DO NOT FAIL. HOOLIGAN… HEA-"

A single arrow flew up, heading straight for Snotlout's vulnerable stomach. Snotlout tried to steer around it, but Hookfang had lost too much blood to help out. It was too late. The arrow met its mark. Snotlout felt it rip through his skin like he was being stabbed by a dagger. Sticky blood ran everywhere.

Oh gods.

It hurt so bad... but he didn't scream. He was too shocked.

He had been shot.

He had been shot.

Sure he had thought about death before... but feeling it creeping up behind him was a completely different thing… a horrible, terrible, frightening thing... but he didn't regret a thing he had done. Not one little bit. Because this was for the greater good... and that was all he wanted... that, and to finally be a hero...

He leaned forward on Hookfang's neck, the life seeping out of him. He knew he had to get the last word… he always did… he had to stay brave and true to what he believed in… So Snotlout whispered, in a soft and croaking voice…

"Hooligan… hearts…"

His hand stroked Hookfang one last time. See you in Valhalla, Fangster... I'm glad it was you I leave this world with… thanks, buddy...

"...forever…"

All I Wanted

I leave this world in bitter parting

At least to you, doesn't it seem?

But you have to know the truth

I don't regret a thing

...

This is all I wanted

To protect what I have and love

Thanks for everything, guys

I'll be watching from above

...

I hope I helped,

And I'll always remember you all.

...

Thank you.

I have several different endings for this story, but I decided to let you guys choose what happened at the end. Whether Snotlout survived the attack or not, it is up to you guys to decide. :-)

Thanks for reading, and I hope you guys liked it. Please R&R- they mean so much to me.

Until next time, and happy late Memorial Day!