All it took was a slight mishap, a different course of action taken during a crucial moment, and his current view of the world around him would come crashing down upon himself. He looked back on when he first met Toothless. He had thought, just like everyone else, that it was a terrible demon in front of him that had to be killed to help the village and his self-esteem. What are the chances that he could have helped the terrifying beast instead, cutting the dragon free and putting himself in danger. He knew it was a one in a million shot at living, but he did it anyway because he couldn't kill what he saw in himself. He wondered what might have happened if he killed his best friend at that moment. He would have brought the heart back to his father, finally gaining the respect of the village, but would it be enough for him? He would become braver, building more sophisticated inventions and now with the entire village at his back, he might finally succeed at becoming an asset to the village. But now, as he thought about the different outcome, did he realize it would have led to a much different fate. The Queen Dragon would not have been discovered, and when an expedition finally made it to the nest, it would be an all out massacre. It was only with the help of the dragons did the villagers of Berk succeed at destroying the evil that manifested the area.

He thought about when Astrid had discovered the truth between him and Toothless. What would have happened if he had not been able to catch up with her? Would she have actually told his father about it and have him banish his own son from the village? Would his father just brush it off as the jealousy of being beaten by a weakling of a Viking?

Every single moment in his life had led him to this point. Every action he had taken, every order given, led him to where he was today. He wondered if he had made the right choices to bring himself here. He had done regretful tasks in the past, and not a day went by did he not think about it.

Digging through fate always boils down to a simple answer. Choice. Every choice is a big decider of what is to happen next in one's life. Hiccup knew this more than anyone. If he had done one thing different in the turning point in his own life, he might be dead, an outcast, or a great leader. He recalled his favorite moments, like his first real flight with his best friend, or when he was married to the girl of his dreams. These choices are the ones that he never regretted making. By restoring Toothless' flight, it gave him a great friend and protector, and being with Astrid gave him the happiness he needed.

One choice. One simple mistake or wrong move would have brought him somewhere else. The outcome is never known. A good choice can lead to not so good outcomes, and bad choices can end up good. Fate is a fog so dense that no one can see through it. It has endless pathways, all ending up at different locations.

Hiccup watched the boat sail away from the shores of Berk, mesmerized by the flames that lit up the starless night. He recalled the moments in life he made bad choices. He saw his father walking away from him, shutting a door and sending him into darkness. His own father had claimed that he had no son. He knew that it was his own fault for getting himself in this mess. He should have at least told his father before they had captured his only friend. He had sent himself into that predicament, but it had eventually led to good. He smiled, remembering the feeling of seeing all the dragons flying around Berk, now accepted into everyday life.

Now, with tears in his eyes, he watched the boat sail farther away into the darkness, burning lower and lower. He had seen his own friends die. The first was his father, dying out at open sea during a ferocious storm while on his way to negotiate with another tribe. Hiccup then, as tradition, took up his father's position as chief of the tribe. After many years, which he had Odin to thank for, did his next friend die. Snotlout, then his second in command, had been killed by disease.

Hiccup's smile disappeared as the boat started to break apart from the fire that plagued its hull. The rest of his friends were still living, working and fighting just as hard as they had done when they were younger. The next and most heart-wrenching was Astrid. She had died gloriously in battle when enemies plagued the island yet again. She had been old, yes, but she still fought with the strength well beyond her years.

He still thought about how this had all come to be. A choice here and a choice there led to whatever happened. He knew that if he had acted differently, his father might have lived much longer, as well as Snotlout. He wondered if he could have saved Astrid with a different choice.

Now, his life was completely empty. His closest and most dearest friend was sailing away from him, slowly disappearing beneath the waves. He remembered sitting next to Toothless during the night, at ease with his friend protecting him. He remembered the gloriousness of flight. He remembered the battles they shared together. Most of all, he remembered the choices he made that made it so. If he had really killed him when he found him, what would the outcome have been?

Hiccup watched as the remnants of the flames died in the water. His friend was now put to rest, peaceful and content with the full life he lived. Toothless was the only dragon Hiccup knew that had died from age instead of battle or disease. Hiccup smiled again, tears running freely down his face. He was old now, well beyond in years. He had passed the leadership from himself to his only son. In all these years, Hiccup had never thought about how he had gotten to this point in life. He now knew that his life was all because of one word. Choice. He hoped that he and his friends had made the right ones.

A/N- Well, this is something I had stored in my head for quite some time. I hope it was good, and please, I would like your thoughts and comments on if you liked it or not. One more thing, I would actually like to write more one-shots. It would make me happy if you gave me an idea, big or small.

Peace out,

Lark.