(A/N) Hi everyone, just giving a heads up that I'm new to publicly doing stories, so please forgive me for grammar mistakes. Also, I have been reading fanfiction on HTTYD and love everything from the gods being real to transformations and the such. So, I decided to finally create an account and started writing my own amalgamation of a story. Please enjoy, because I'm nervous as hell at the time of writing this. Oh, yes, I won't be able to answer reviews until chapter three as this is a two-chapter release. Gobber's speech is deliberately messed up.

(disclaimer) How to train your Dragon and its characters are owned by DreamWorks animation

Chapter one: a different beginning

"speech"

thoughts

Valka is afraid, with the fire surrounding her thin frame, why wouldn't she be. Her arms holding her only, oh so precious son. "Look at you Hiccup, you're going to be okay, you're going to be strong, it's okay." She urged herself to be stronger herself as she laid the child back down in the crib. She had charged all the way to the their hall cutting a bloody swathe as she went, dragons fell as her motherly instincts formed into a thunderous storm cloud, striking down those who dared try and stop her.

'come' her heart lurches and she turns. sweat pouring down her body as a force strong and unnatural wills her to face her visitor. "oh my!" her resolve fades as she looks upon the demon in her attic, his scales giving off a black sheen. lights flicker in her eyes as she gazes down a winged back, finally resting upon slitted green eyes.

A demon, a Night Fury, the unholy offspring of lighting and death, a dragon.

She had hacked away at her front door until she was finally able to enter the house. she didn't care for the intense heat that had burned and seared her skin as she climbed through the small hole she had made in the blocked door. "Hiccup!" her lungs filled with intense heat as she continued to claw her way through, only breathing again when she fell on the other side, her heart sank as she heard only the crackling of the fire engulfing her home. Was she too late?

A wailing came from the second floor, a child's wailing.

"Hiccup!" she stumbled onto one foot then the other, pushing past the intense pain each step caused, she would not lose this one, she would not lose the only child she could bring into this hellish world!

She made it to the top, limping through the doorway. He was born too early, too small. For nights, she waited in a frightened patience listening to his weak breaths, despairing for moments at a time when he would not make a sound, any sound, for mere seconds. To hear him wailing of all things made her heart sore, he was still alive, still fighting. "I'm here, I'm here sweet child." She rushed to his crib, completely ignorant of the beast staring at her through the open hole in the roof. For all the fire, the smoke, the smell of death, he was breathing. He was breathing in strong and healthy gulps, it was as if the smoke didn't affect him at all.

That was when she heard the breathing behind her and placed Hiccup back in the crib.

Her thoughts part ways back to the present, she can't believe it, was it that time already? She hasn't even spent the better part of one year with her son. Now she would never see him again, her heart clenches at the thought. 'Come, now' the force pulls at her once more, edging her closer to what would be her fated doom. Her hand reaches forward, she owes a debt to this dragon, she owes her son to this dragon.

"Valka!" an axe passes between the base of her hand and the Night Furies nose. she reels back, falling only for a moment as intense pain takes over her right hand. Everything moves too fast before her eyes as she is suddenly pulled forward, a scream wailing from her lips as her arm is crushed in a sharp grip.

"Valka!" her eyes flutter open and land on her husband's soot covered face, her heart aching at the sight of him, she notices a new gash adorning his rugged face and embers glowing brightly in his reddish beard. 'I'm going to have to tend to that' her thoughts are with her for a moment before being clouded again. The pain from her arm takes over once more, her eyes following her husbands to look at the source. She wailed once before being dragged to the floor by the dragon, blood gushing from her hand. Her eyes being drilled into by that of the Night Furies as it chewed angrily upon her raw flesh. She understood now, she wouldn't waste anymore of its time.

She faces her husband as he tries to force his way past a fallen beam, his face filled with dread and anger as his stares the beast down, he only needs to move a little further and he would have a clear shot at the beast.

"Stoick. look after Hiccup, look after our son" he stops in his tracks, fear covering his features, oh how she wished for something else on his face as she was about to face Hel herself, anything but fear.

'I love you' she mouths as the air escapes her lungs. she blacks into unconsciousness just as her right arm is sucked fully into the beasts' mouth, with its hold secure the Night Fury glares at the child in the crib before launching into the sky, its victim in tow.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Valka! VAAALLLLLLLKKKKKAAA!" Pain, Pain and sadness fill the great chief's lungs as he shouts into the burning night sky, the fires from homes illuminating the dragons as they fly off with their kills, with his wife, his only love. He sinks to his knees, grief taking over as he says his final goodbye, tears breaking free from their tough prisons to wash away the soot from his still shocked face.

"Val.. Valka, my LOVE! Come.. comebac.." his voice cracks and his shoulders slump. he couldn't help but feel tired suddenly, letting his weight take him, he fell back, his fur's catching aflame at the edges, his one true love was gone, taken by a demon, taken by a beast he will never forget… not until the day he brings it head back on a pike!

His eyes look up to see the crib where his son lays silent, he had not made a peep since he had entered the room, surely, he lay dead from the smoke. Oh, who is he kidding, the gods feel fit to torment him, he knows in his heart he will never catch the beast. How can you catch something said to be a demon feared by even Loki himself, he is the first Viking in history to lay eyes upon a Night Fury and live? He refuses to move, let Hel claim him in flames, he doesn't care anymore.

The flames begin to flicker against his skin as the pain demands to be acknowledged, it's ironic. He would get no send off, no glory in Valhalla for all he has done for his tribe, for his friends and for the gods themselves. He will die a sorrow filled death in his own home.

"Valka, Valka my dear. I will be with you and our sons and daughters, shortly." He breaths in one final breath before he waits for the flames to take him, he is silent for all but a moment.

Until the high-pitched wailing of a night fury strike stirs him from what would be his resting place.

"the beast is back already!?" he surged to his feet, and the flames flickered away. a thirst for vengeance was filling his blood. He rolls to the side as the impact of the strike explodes the roof outwards, he grabs the axe he had thrown earlier. gripping tightly, he whirls, weapon at the ready. surely the demon must be back for him as well, to finish him off, the last of the Haddocks, the sick fiend!

He breaths heavily, the heat doing nothing to burn away his rage. He looks up expecting to see the beasts head at any moment, only to find more of the roof is now missing and another high pitched wailing has started. Only this time it isn't a dragon, it was a child wailing, his child's wailing. The axe falls from his hands clacking to floor as he steps towards the crib, his heart only stopping for a moment as he peers into the bright green eyes of his son, his big beautiful green eyes.

"By Thor. My boy, MY BOY HICCUP!" with one hand he reaches into the crib, cradling the child, listening to him belt his lungs out. such powerful wails, his son was alive! With his free hand, he picks up the weapon from the floor and hacks away at the fallen beam near the door. His heart beating furiously, how could he do such a cowardly thing, how could die in such a pitiful way? he was ashamed of himself. Berk needs him, His son needs him…

He can feel the floor beneath his feet creak, the house can't stand the flames any longer. Busting through the remains of the doorway he lurches for the stairs, his eyes darting to the bottom of the destroyed pathway. He needs to get his son to safety and a fiery Hel is not that place. As he bridges a large gap in the floor, flames below licking his already burned boots, his shoulder brushes a wall and he could feel it give. Looking back, he eyes the hole he made, its charred surface giving way to the sunrise outside, his eyes widen. adjusting Hiccup in his hands he pushes through what's left of the wall and into the open air, his jump from the second floor was short, for he lands on a neighbouring hall spared by the flames of dragon attack.

"Stoick! Ye' crazy bastard!" He can hear Gobber's voice call from below, he uses the axe as a hook and slides off the roof, the weapon stopping him short from the ground.

"Ye' could've at least looked before ye' jumped, gave me a damn near heart stopper." Gobber stumbles his words around making sure his iron tooth tries not to fall out of his mouth, his eyes fall upon the bundle in Stoick arms. "An you, how many times have aye told you, not. To. Play. With. Fire?" he makes a face at Hiccup eliciting a small giggle from the child.

Stoick watches past Gobber, surveying the surrounding damage, it didn't look as bad as he first thought. Only a few homes were burning, compared to the last raid that's an accomplishment, albeit a small one. His gaze follows down the hill. Those affected by the raid are downtrodden and sullen, he hears crying in the distance, more likely for the loss of loved ones rather than a sheep or a home. homes can be rebuilt. lives, lives cannot…

"-oick, Stoick?" Gobbers voice pierces his thoughts, splashing the cold hard reality back into his face.

"Stoick, where's the missus?" He locks eyes with his old friend. There was no need for words as his eyes portrayed the grief and sadness in them, she was gone, Valka was gone. Gobber sighs as the chief of Berk sinks to his knees once more, tears threatening to break through their barriers again that night, he feels the eyes of many on him, he must stay strong he must.

"chief?"

"Brother?"

"Stoick" the pity in Gobber's voice sends him over edge and the crowd that had gathered all hold back their own tears as they watch their chief, break into pieces before them. His brother Spitelout stands next to him his hand on his shoulder, but his mouth dry of words.

He is strong, but without his heart, his wife, he suddenly doesn't feel so invincible. The child in his arms feels like an unliftable weight. He flinches when a pair of hands touch his arm, his gaze focusing through to tears to see Kela Hofferson a warrior of Berk. Her sympathetic blue eyes pierce his before looking at the baby in his hands.

"you need to heal chief, I can take him for the time being" his heart lightens a little as the bundle is lifted from his arms. "what about your child and husband?" he asks, there is no fight in his voice only a sadness that echoes his soul.

"that drunken fool can fall in a boat for all I care. Besides I think Astrid would love a play mate for a little while" He looks pass the smile and notices her eyes darting towards Gobbers, she gives a nod before heading off with Hiccup in her arms. Gobber places an arm under his friend.

"Stoick, we need you. Aye, we feel your pain, some more than others at this exact moment, but ye' need to point us in the right direction, we need our leader." Stoick heaved a heavy breath at the blacksmiths words, his eyes raise from the ground once more to peer around the burning buildings and the faces of those who look to him for a way, everyone was either scared, sad or…. Determined, to get on with their lives. He stands straight, he will have to mourn later, right now he needs to rebuild.

"Gobber, check the stores, see how much we lost."

"aye on it" the blacksmith scratches his beard with his pronged hand before hobbling off.

"Spitelout grab men strong enough and begin taking down and clearing out destroyed buildings." His brother beats a hand to his chest before he wades into the crowd calling names as he goes.

"Buneld?" a burly woman steps up, one of the Ingerman clan, she has a healer's band around her arm, she's the best of Gothi's apprentices.

"Can you take the injured to the hall and do a head count, I want to know how many we lost this night" She nods, walking through what's left of the crowd and finding her husband along the way.

"everyone else who isn't required please return to your homes, I will make sure the cooks have food prepared for tomorrow." He looks around at some of the faces noticing them grimace, he lets his voice boom once more. "those without homes are as always welcome to the Great Hall until we can rebuild them." They finally disperse, giving Stoick some time to breath. His eyes catch the rays of the sunrise and for the moment he peers into it, his thought drifting towards his beloved once more.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kela steps into her home, thankfully un-harmed by dragon fire, the attack had come so fast she didn't even have time to don her armour. stepping around the fire in the centre of the hall she makes her way to the crib in the far corner, it's decorated in small toy swords and shields, perfect for a baby Viking to look up and day dream about.

She would have to thank her husband's family for giving them a home all the way at the back of Berk's village, it's the least targeted part on this damn island. Maybe she would give them a sheep or yak as thanks. It's the least she could do, without this marriage her family would have fallen apart, even if her husband Gord was a constant drunk.

"Astrid meet Hiccup, you two are going to have to share for a while okay?" She lays Hiccup gently into the crib, next to a baby girl a tuft of blonde hair and bright blue eyes, her giggles fill Kela's ears as the child reacts to the slight movements next to her, Hiccup seems to react to her as well making baby noises back. Her heart fills with joy.

"see I can tell you two are going to be good friends" She smiles at the two. "and maybe even one d-" the door slams open interrupting her. She flinches away from the crib and walks towards the front of the house, she doesn't want his nonsense near the two of them, not after Hiccup has lost so much.

The baby noises continue between the two, completely ignorant to their surroundings, Astrid grabs Hiccups hair and he giggles back a very warm breath against her cheek, a future as friends couldn't be so different for the two.

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A/N so I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter, I thought at the end I should clear some things up. Yes, Valka and Stoick tried to have multiple children in this story but Hiccups the only one the lived. So yeah tragic I know. Magic and the gods do exist in this world but I don't know how well I am going to be a showing it, don't want it to be too overpowering or to easily dismissed either.

So yeah Chapter one a different beginning. Hope you enjoyed chapter two show already be out. So yeah scoot on over and enjoy. Reviews are appreciated. (but optional of course)