What if: Stoick followed Hiccup instead of Astrid?

Pride.

Finally, Stoick felt something other than disappointment and shame for his son. Finally, his son was doing something right. He was actually doing well in the ring, he had seen it himself! He had seen Hiccup bring down a Gronkle, and be in one piece! None of the villagers had exaggerated anything when they told of his uncanny ability to take down dragons, without so much as a weapon!

He wondered how he had learned to do such things. Stoick had never taught him, he had been too busy running the village. Gobber didn't, because none of the other trainees could come close to what Hiccup did.

So how was his son so good at fighting dragons?

Stoick chose not to mull over this, and toned his ears to the other kids, who were sitting near him in Mead Hall. He knew a few of their names: Snotlout, Fishlegs, and then the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Then there was the Hofferson girl. No matter how many times he was told, he just could not remember her name.

Oh well He thought.

"Dude, I can't believe Hiccup won!" Snotlout said excitedly. "I mean, he gets to kill the Nightmare tomorrow!" The other tens agreed. Well, all except for one.

"He didn't deserve to win" The Hofferson girl muttered, with her arms crossed over her chest. Stoick felt a pang of anger towards her. How could she say that about his son? He did deserve to win. "Come on guys, he was the worst Viking Berk has ever seen, and then just all of the sudden he can take down dragons? He's training with someone."

"Oh come on, Astrid." Snotlout said. "That's crazy! Hiccup is amazing at fighting dragons. You're just mad because someone is better than you at something."

"He's not better than me, he's just good at sneaking off and paying someone to teach him." Astrid said. "Every day, right after training, he runs off somewhere. Where do you think he goes? To look at the stars?"

"Well, okay that's weird," Ruffnut said, coming into the conversation "But-"

"But nothing! He is hiding something, and I am going to find out. I saw him run towards the blacksmith after training. I'm going to follow him." Astrid said, standing to go walk out of Mead Hall.

Stoick stood up as well, and made it over to the Hofferson girl. He was angry at her, not only for saying things about his son, but actually having a point. If anyone was going to follow Hiccup and find out where he had been going, it was Stoick.

"Stay right there, Hofferson." Stoick said, earning shocked looks from all the teenagers. "If anyone goes after Hiccup it will be me."

The girl gaped at him for awhile, before stuttering out the reply of, 'Of course, sir'. He walked past her, out the door, and towards the blacksmith. It was in good timing too, because Hiccup was just now leaving. He was carrying a woven basket, which he had slung over his shoulder, and was looking around madly, as if anyone would follow him. Stoick made sure to keep out of his sight, and follow quietly. Well, as quietly as a seven foot two Viking could.

Hiccup walked through the forest like it was his second home, Stoick noticed. He seemed to recognize every turn and every branch, even though it was Stoick who was supposed to know this forest. A small bubble of apprehension built up inside of Stoick. What if Hiccup actually paid someone else to train him? He certainly had the money, but did he have the stupidity?

Then, Hiccup came to a small hole between two rocks. He climbed through, forcing his father to squeeze through it as well. There he saw the most beautiful coves he had ever laid eyes on. Stoick didn't have time to really look at it though, for Hiccup was already climbing down to solid ground.

"Leaving!" Hiccup said. "We're leaving! Let's pack up. You and me are taking a little vacation… forever." He bent down and opened his basket, muttering an 'Aw man'.

"Hiccup?" Stoick said, now hopping to the ground. Hiccup's last sentence rang in his ears. Leaving? Why was Hiccup leaving? Everything was going right with him! And besides, who was he going with?

The aforementioned boy jumped at the noise and tripped over a nearby rock. Normally Stoick would have rolled his eyes at Hiccup for being so clumsy, but that seemed to be in the back of his mind.

"Dad?" Hiccup said nervously "Oh gods, what are you, uh- What are you doing here?"

"Leaving?" Stoick replied. "You're leaving?"

"Dad, I just- um, I was just joking!"

"Joking? You sounded pretty serious to me." Stoick said, knowing Hiccup was lying. "No more lies. I want to know what's going on. I heard the Hofferson girl talking in Mead Hall, and she said some things. And I hate to say that those things are starting to make sense."

"Uh, well what did she, uh, say?" Hiccup looked around him wildly, as if he were expecting a dragon to pop out of nowhere.

"She said you were training with someone, and that's how you got to be so good in the ring." Stoick said. "That wouldn't happen to be true, would it?"

Hiccup looked as if he were fumbling for an answer in his mind, but then Stoick's attention was called to the sound of rustling and snapping twigs behind him.

"What in Thor's name-" He began, only to be cut off by his son, who grabbed his arm.

"Dad!" Hiccup said, "Dad, uh, you're right! I have been training with someone! I'm so sorry Dad."

Stoick turned back on his son, ignoring the fact that his instincts told him not to, or the fact that Hiccup's apology seemed insincere. He had gotten an explanation from his son, one that made all of this make sense. "You mean you hired someone to train you? Someone other than Gobber?" He accused "How could you?"

"Dad, uh lets, go back to the village. I'll explain there." Hiccup said, still looking around him. "It's a simple story actually."

Stoick took a moment to nod. He went to turn around and lead Hiccup back to the village, when a black blob caught his eye. Then, It was running towards him. And as it got close, Stoick could see it was a dragon, but none like he had ever seen before. It was black as night. Could this be the dreaded Night Fury?

"Hiccup!" Stoick called, hoping his son would not be in the way of the sure fight to come. "Get out of here! I'll take care of-"

But Stoick was cut off by Hiccup rushing in front of him and the dragon. Stoick knew it was suicide, and balled his fists. No dragon was going to mess with his son, Night Fury or not.

Then, Hiccup put his hands up in a surrender-like fashion.

"Toothless!" Hiccup said. "Toothless, no! It's okay! He's nice, he's…. he's my dad."

The dragon was on its hind legs, prepared to strike, but at the sound of Hiccup's voice, he froze, then came down on all four legs. He was glaring at Stoick, but had no problem letting Hiccup go behind him and put his hand behind his head. Stoick wanted to attack but he knew he couldn't with Hiccup standing near the dragon.

"Hiccup, get away from the dragon." Stoick coaxed. "Let me handle this."

"No Dad." Hiccup said, determination etched on his face. "Dad, I need you to listen to me. I want you to meet someone."

"I will, as soon as you get away-"

"No Dad!" Hiccup said, cutting the man off. "I want you to meet Toothless. He uh, well he's my dragon."

It took the man a moment to digest this.

"Your dragon?" Stoick said. "What do you mean your dragon? Hiccup, just get away from it!"

"Dad, no! Toothless won't hurt me!" There was a pause. "And I won't let you hurt him."

The dragon hissed Stoick's way, making the man unsure if he could even hurt the thing without any weapon. How could he have left his axe at the house!

"What are you saying?"

"I tried to explain it to you, Dad." Hiccup said. "How I couldn't kill dragons, and that was true! But you never listen…"

"Just say it Hiccup!" Stoick snapped.

His son paused a moment, before taking a deep breath. "This dragon… is my best friend."

"Wha-" Stoick began, but did not finish. He looked closely at Hiccup, and saw that he was not standing behind the dragon, just to stand there, but he was leaning on it. It was like a crutch for him, and emotional crutch.

Something snapped inside Stoick, making him tighten his balled fists, and begin to walk towards the dragon and Hiccup. He knew what he was going to do. He was going to kill the dragon for brainwashing his son, for making him betray his tribe! He was in a rage, one that only one thing could stop.

Hiccup's voice.

"Dad! Don't do this, please. Just let me explain!" Hiccup yelled.

Stoick stopped his movement, his anger now directed towards his son. He knew he could never hit Hiccup, for he was too much like his mother for Stoick to ever lay a hand on. But, he could yell, and that was what he planned to do.

"Explain what? How you're a traitor!" Stoick yelled. "Making a dragon your pet… I should have known. I should have seen the signs!"

"Dad, I'm sorry. I should have told you, I just-"

"You just what? Enjoyed lying to us? For once in my life, Hiccup, … I was proud of you! "

"Now, I'm traitor." Hiccup said. "I know, I know. But I am not giving up Toothless. He was there for me when you weren't! And I am glad I am his friend. And you can go back and tell the village that."

"You're damn right I will." Stoick said, "But they also need to know why. Why would you ever do… this. Three hundred years and you are-"

"The first Viking to let a dragon go." Hiccup said. "I know that too. Yes, I caught this dragon, I took down this Night Fury… But I let him go."

"You took him down?" Stoick said, genuinely shocked. The he remembered the night a few weeks ago when Hiccup claimed he had shot down a Night Fury. Had he been telling the truth?

"Yes. And then I let him go."

"…Why? You could have had everything!"

"But I couldn't Dad! I was the first Viking who couldn't- wouldn't even kill a dragon. I didn't kill him, because when I looked into his eyes I saw myself!"

In his own shock, Stoick noticed that the dragon blinked, as if he, too, were shocked. He looked at Hiccup with round eyes, like they were grateful to him.

Stoick was taken aback.

"And you know what? I'm glad I did, because for the first time, I have someone who actually cares for me, not just for what I do."

Stoick did not know how to reply, but his son did. Without warning Hiccup jumped on the Night Fury, and rode off into the now setting sun, leaving the chief alone.

Oh how he wanted to feel angry at Hiccup. He wanted to go back to the tribe and tell them he didn't even have a son, but he knew he couldn't do that. Hiccup had done something that no Viking had ever done before. He tamed a dragon. He went against every custom Vikings had set down.

But he was also the first Viking to ever ride a dragon, and Stoick had just seen it.

And as the chief thought of the amazing thing is son had done, he felt a newly familiar feeling for his son.

Pride.

Okay, Okay. DO NOT FLAME ME! This is just something I thought would be nice to write. This may not be what you were expecting, but I thought that maybe Stoick would have a different view since he saw firsthand what Hiccup had done. He was angry, but then he thought about it. If people like it, I would make it more than a oneshot, and then continue. But only if people ask for it.

Thanks for reading!