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It was as every morning should start- with the sun rising.

And when the sun rose, so did I. Chores came first, such as feeding the chickens and the sheep- and my pet dragon of course. My pretty Stormfly, who had somehow come to injure her left wing, so was laid down in the stables. I made sure to give her plenty of fish (and made certain to keep the live Chickens out of sight, that crazy dragon had a tendency of eating them, feathers and all).

I dressed in my normal- yet not so normal for others- daily attire. Purple tinted leggings with a blue woven tunic that tucked into my leather plated skirt, wrist ties wrapped about my arms and biceps, and a leather headband weaved in my hair to lay on my forehead. I twisted the braid over my shoulder, tying it off with a twist of leather before picking up my axe, tossing it deftly in the air with a smile before catching it again and strapping it onto my back.

I left my hut and began trotting down the road to the village of Berk, ready to see what the day held in store. Perhaps a boar hunt- those were my favorite activities. But more likely than not, it would probably be another repair on the Hall, which a fire had damaged.

I paused mid-step, tilting my head when I heard a grunt. My hands silent took the axe from my back, holding it defensively in wonders what would show…

A low growl, and I was even more tense. I spun around and slipped slowly towards the sound, alert and ready for anything that might-

I narrowed my eyes as I heard another growl- then I paused. It didn't sound like an angry or threatening growl… it sounded more frustrated than anything.

I stepped out from behind the bushes, and couldn't help the small gasp of surprise. There on a log sat a Cyclops… a mighty Cyclops which could take men out with one hit from its mighty arm, or one bite from its strong jaws.

I was just about to swing my axe and swipe the creature's head off, when it let out a little whine and stuffed its hands against its face, back still facing me. He must not have noticed I was standing there…

I paused (dang it, Astrid, why aren't you killing it!?), and took in its appearance a bit better. He was… remarkably thin to be a Cyclops, and smaller for his species. My axe lowered to rest on my shoulder, as I quirked my head in confusion. This creature… it amazed me. I wanted to know more… all the Cyclops I had met were big, hulking, and ready to kill on sight.

Not this guy. He didn't even seem to care.

He groaned again, hands still pressed to his face, and I couldn't help but feel curious as to what could be wrong. I was just about to step closer and make my presence known, but I shook my head and restrained myself.

Astrid, Astrid… these things have killed hundreds of your kind, and you've killed thousands of theirs. You can't just… not kill it…

Then again…

"Mmph." The beast grunted with a sigh, "Blasted- I'm so stupid…"

I was surprised by his words, never knowing Cyclops could speak. None I'd acquainted ever could, all they'd been able to manage were wild grunts and shrieks.

It also surprised me how boyish his voice sounded- very nasally and with a slight stutter. It made my ever-tight resolve slip even more, and for a moment I found myself at war with myself. I wanted to just- kill that thing instantly- and then the other part of me wanted to feed my curiosity and find out what the matter was.

I finally sighed and strapped my axe back to my back, but not completely. If need be I could pull it out with a quick swipe, and use it to my defense if the need so came. That done, and hoping to make myself seem less… intimidating… (why I'm even worried I don't know) and advanced forward with a cough to alert the creature.

His head whipped around, and his bright green eye, unnaturally reddened and blood shot, stared widely at her. I found myself quickly uncomfortable, for his stare wasn't the most… human of stares. It was unnatural in my opinion.

"I heard you from the path, and…" I shrugged, not certain what to say. That I was concerned? Not entirely, because I didn't know the problem. That I was curious? Well, I doubt the thing would be very pleased if I said I was merely curious about him.

He coughed and turned away, curling a bit more into himself as though embarrassed. I found this odd, for no Cyclops had ever hid like this. Most liked to make themselves seem as big as possible. Not this guy. He seemed deft on disappearing, although of course that wasn't possible.

"Hello?" I tried again.

"I'm fine." He murmured. "Uh- wh-why didn't you… um…"

"Try to kill you?"

"Yeah, exactly that."

"You were talking to yourself…"

He went rigid, and I wondered if I'd hit a bad note, but he merely nodded and looked up shyly, "Not many do that, huh?"

"None at all." I agreed, my wonder for him growing. I was becoming more and more curious with each passing minute, questions rising and yet I was unsure about voicing them. I didn't want to offend him and… have him try and kill me. For, quite frankly, I didn't want to hurt him.

"And you said you were stupid…" I quipped lightly, stepping closer until I was standing before him. "There a reason?"

He huffed and curled a bit more, arms wrapped around his torso and head ducked. Was that a blush I saw creeping up to his ears?

"Walked into a tree branch." He snorted, "Hit the only eyeball I have- ain't that my luck?"

I couldn't help but give a cough of laughter, failing at trying to hide my mirth. My, what a predicament.

"And..?"

"And I must have something in it, because I can hardly see and blinking feels like charcoal across stone." He scrubbed his face again, sighing in defeat. "I've been trying to rescue myself for nearly an hour."

I laughed again and shook my head, but another look told me he was serious. He was slumped over and held a defeated look… head looking away and gaze downcast.

I ceased my laughing, realizing too late that I was hurting his feelings. I swallowed and moved a bit closer, tapping my hand against his hard shoulder.

"I'm sorry." I apologized quickly, not in the habit of doing so first. "I didn't realize it was a touchy subject."

"It… it probably wouldn't be…" He muttered under his breath, and I puckered my brow in confusion. "It's just… it's just a hard subject for me, no big deal."

"Here, how about I help you in return for my thoughtlessness." I offered.

He looked up, blinking in surprise. "Like… like what?"

"I'll get that twig out of your eye." I motioned towards the only one he had. "But… if you don't mind me asking, you don't eat humans, do you?"

His eye widened even more and his mouth gaped. "Whah..? N-no! I… I don't even eat meat! Well- not raw anyways like the others- I just… I usually eat fish." He finished lamely, looking down and fiddling with his fingers. "Sorry, I tend to ramble."

I smiled and patted his head in mock reassurance. He ducked away with a little snort.

"Okay, look at me now and I'll just pluck it out, okay?"

Using only the tips of my fingers and my fingernails, I slowly reached for the twig visible on the beast's retina. He huffed as my fingers grabbed hold of the twig, before letting out a squeak of alarm as I jerked it away.

"There." I flicked the disdained piece of shrubbery away, patting my hands together in accomplishment. "That done."

The Cyclops rubbed at his face furiously, looking up only when he deemed his eye itch gone. He shook his head- much like a dog would do- and let out a grunt of satisfaction.

"You good?"

"Yes, thank you."

Silence fell, and we stared awkwardly at one another. I coughed nervously, before jerking my hand out.

"I'm Astrid Hofferson."

The Cyclops stared in shock at my hand, glanced up to my face, then back to my hand. For one fleeting second I thought that perhaps he didn't know how to shake hands- or perhaps he was going to just bite it off. But before I could react, he grabbed it in his large hands and gave it a firm shake.

"Hiccup."

I looked up hastily, that name sending a flashing memory through my mind. It sounded… faintly familiar. I puckered my brow in thought, trying to recall where I'd heard it before.

"Do Cyclops not have last names?" I asked curiously.

He shuffled nervously again, fingers clicking together awkwardly. "Uh… most don't…"

"But you do?"

"…in a way- er, once-upon-a-time I did but-"

I tapped my foot impatiently, not in the mood for his fumbling over words. "Well, what is it then?"

"Nothing important…" He mumbled, getting to his feet. I stumbled backwards, surprised by his height and bulk. Although he was still quite small and thin for a Cyclops, compared to me, a human, he was quite large. "It's silly anyways…"

"Even sillier then 'Hiccup'?" I teased. "Come on! It can't be so horrible-"

"It'sHaddock." He rambled quickly, spinning around to look away.

I froze, and it was then that I knew why the name was so recognizable. Stoick Haddock- chief of Berk- had once had a babe named Hiccup. He'd disappeared one night about fifteen years ago- he couldn't've been more than three years old at the time. I had a hard time placing him, for I would've been even younger at the time and not given to a good memory.

"Oh…. OH GODS." I whispered. "Hiccup Haddock?"

"Er… yeah?"

I blinked, then grabbed his arm and forced him to sit back down on the log- I liked to look down on someone when I was talking to them about something so important. "You mean- you're Hiccup Haddock, son of Stoick the vast Haddock, son of Valka Jorgenson?"

He also blinked, looking a bit fearful. "Yes..?" He whispered.

"And you look like…" I gestured over him vaguely, "…this?"

"You just… you just gestured to all of me." He quipped.

"Do you know what this means!?"

"Yes." He struggled to his feet again, stumbling over to a tree in his haste. "That you're imagining things and you didn't just see a human-turned-Cyclops."

"Hiccup-" I tried, not entirely sure what to do. Tell him to go home to his father? Tell him that Stoick was waiting for him? That much was true… but how the heck did he get turned into a Cyclops!?

"What the heck happened?"

He shivered noticeably, "A dragon. Cursed me or something… I don't even know. I was only like- four or something."

"But still… this… this doesn't just happen on its own." I pointed out. "Also, I think you should come to Berk with me-"

He jerked his head up in alarm and panic, eye frantically snapping its gaze to her in shock. "I'd be killed in two seconds flat!"

I scratched my head in thought, before grabbing his large hand and trying to lead him back towards the path, "If you're with me they'll know not to kill you, alright? They might think we'll use you in the games or something-"

"Lovely." He muttered sarcastically. "Please, can you just-"

"Shut up." I snapped, turning back to look at him. I gasped in surprise, only realizing at this moment how different his hand felt in mine. I stared and my feet stilled, not quite believing what I was seeing.

Hiccup was no longer the Cyclops he was three seconds ago. Now he was a young man, with a mop of messy auburn hair and a sharply shaped jaw, as well as a splatter of freckles splashed across his nose and cheeks. He blinked, looking just as puzzled as I.

"I'm confused. Did you get taller?" He asked with a wrinkle of his nose. "Because I could've sworn-"

"Hiccup." I squeaked.

"Or- woah, hold on." He closed his eyes and shook his head, sending that shaggy hair everywhere and making it become even messier then before.

"I'm seeing- double… mphf…" He let go of her hand and rubbed the balls of his hands against his… his eyes. He froze, and pulled his hands away, staring in shock.

"Hiccup." I whispered. "Something just happened."

He blinked.

"Like, something big- ah… do you… feel differently..?" my voice shook, and it was unnaturally high-pitched. Not even noon today and very strange things were happening.

He double blinked, before flipping over his hands and frantically looking about, doing a spin in attempts to see his back. "What happened!?" He exclaimed with a whoop.

"You appear to be human." I pointed out, temporarily questioning his sanity.

"But how!?" he spun around and grabbed my shoulders, giving me a small shake. "I'm… wait just I-" he let go of her and attempted to walk, but ended up tripping over his own feet and collapsing on the ground. I snorted and bent down to help him stand, the poor boy's flushed cheeks evidence he was embarrassed.

"I… sorry I'm not used to feet." He apologized with a stutter. He stumbled again, to which I rolled my eyes and slung his arm over my shoulders, helping to keep him steady.

"I'm so confused, shocked, overjoyed…" Hiccup rambled. "I never thought I'd be human again-"

"Well, before anything, we have to figure out what happened." I reminded, equally dumped with mixed emotions.

He paused, "…we..?"

"Yes, 'we'. I somehow have a feeling I had something to do with this."

Hiccup hummed. "And I suppose you'll… you'll tell my father, huh?"

I grinned and nodded, "Most likely. In fact- I think we should head there first."

Hiccup sighed heavily, but nodded weakly in reply. "I"d rather not, but if we must…"

"It'll be for the better." I assured him. We made it to the worn road, and I began leading him through the trees towards the village already visible in the distance. "I'm sure he'll be overjoyed that you're alive."

Hiccup quirked his head, opening his mouth to say more but ended up catching his foot on a stone, nearly sending him tumbling. I picked him up again, noticing how his cloths were now oversized and baggy- he was practically swimming in them. He was even thinner in person, thinner then I, but looked lean and like he had muscle… maybe, somewhere in the sea of fabric. The boots were also too big for him, which made walking even more difficult for the poor boy.

"You think so?" Hiccup finally got out, eyes wide and curious. "Dad never was very proud… of me- I was always small and gangly. Still am." He added with sarcasm.

"He's missed you- I don't think he's ever forgiven himself." I reassured him.

"Forgiven himself? For what? I was the one who wandered off into the woods."

"He blames himself for not caring more. For not looking after you."

He fell silent, and I let him stay that way. He was starting to catch on better to the whole walking thing, and before long he didn't need my help at all. We walked side by side, until Hiccup sighed and peered over at her from behind his bangs.

"So… how-how are the raids..?"

"The raids? Not nearly has horrible, I don't know why… but they have died down. I suppose it does help that…" I bit my lip to keep from saying more, for I was the only one who had a dragon, and of course it was top secret. The last thing I needed was for poor Stormfly to get injured, and for myself to get shunned- or executed. Either way, I wanted to avoid it at all costs.

"Do you… hate the dragons?" He asked hesitantly, and I couldn't help but look at him in confusion. What did he mean?

"I… I don't mind them… they're… they're not as horrible as I thought."

He looked up in surprise, feet faltering as he stumbled again. I reached to help him, to which he grunted and merely kicked his left boot off. I stared in shock at the sight of a metal prosthetic, and a brief wonder as to why he hid it flashed through my brain, but I didn't voice it.

"Sorry… it's just easier to walk without something dragging behind…" He said apologetically, bending down to try and pick up the boot. "I'll put it back on if-"

"No, it's fine. It just… surprised me." I swallowed and helped him stand, making sure to back off if it seemed he could do fine on his own- which it did. The metal clicked with ever step, and at first it was almost nerve racking, but after several moments of silent it became a walking rhythm, one that was almost soothing.

There was a shuffling in the bushes, and Hiccup gave a yelp as a large black dragon bounced out into the path, pupils slitted and mouth gaping. A shriek pierced the air, forcing me to fall back and cover my ears. My hands scrambled for my axe, but before I could reach it Hiccup rushed to the dragon, whispering soothingly to it and rubbing its head.

The noise died down, and the once furious looking dragon of just seconds earlier turned into a friendly dog-like creature, licking Hiccup's face joyfully and leaping about in excitement.

"I-I'm so sorry…" Hiccup stuttered, waving his arms wildly in attempts to calm the dragon's happy antics. "He's just… happy to see me… especially like this."

I swallowed hard, trying to get my breathing under control and tame my racing heartbeat. Finally, after nearly two minutes of just lying on the ground, I pushed myself to my feet, gasping when the black dragon stepped closer.

"Toothless, hold up…" Hiccup ordered, and the dragon obediently sat on its haunches, quirking its head curiously in Astrid's direction, its pupils now large and making it look even friendlier.

"Astrid… this is Toothless." Hiccup introduced, gesturing to his large reptilian friend. "Toothless, Astrid. She helped me, okay? And somehow during our meeting, I switched from Cyclops to boy."

Toothless snorted and swiveled his head about, licking Hiccup's face happily.

"Yeah, I'm glad it happened too, bud." Hiccup laughed, wiping sticky saliva off his face. He then looked to me fearfully, eyes wide and movements stilling. "You won't tell anyone… will you?"

I nodded shakily, "I…I won't tell. I have a similar secret."

His eyes widened even more, to the point where I feared they might very well escape his head. Toothless huffed in amusement, swatting Hiccup's head with his tail- huh, that's odd. One of Toothless's tailfins was a prosthetic, his left one.

Wonder how that happened?

"You have a dragon..?" Hiccup whispered in shock.

I smiled, "Yes… a Nadder I named Stormfly."

He flashed a toothy grin, giving a little laugh of relief, "That's… that's amazing, Astrid!"

I laughed, allowing Toothless to prod his nose under my hands for a head rub. His scales were thick and his hide bumpy, but it was somehow inviting. He crooned in pleasure as I scratched his chin, the dragon's hind dropping to the ground as he groaned.

"Useless reptile." Hiccup teased.

Toothless jumped up and trotted over to Hiccup, dancing about him happily before ear flaps going alert, and he jumped into the bushes, most likely after a rabbit or other rodent.

"Should… um, to Berk?" I murmured, looking back towards the village.

Hiccup sighed and nodded, giving a little roll of his shoulders, "I suppose there's no avoiding it. Lead on, m'lady!"

I know this was odd and very unusual, but like, I was randomly in this goofy mood and I wanted to write... this. *gestures to what you just read*

(btw peeps, I have a canon-verse multi-chapter story coming soon, so stay tuned. ;D)

Sorry for the weirdness, but I had fun lol. Toodles!

-Kat (FanWriter02)