Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD.
Summary: a bit of an alternate ending of the movie. Stoic hadn't managed that last conversation before Hiccup had taken off to defeat the Green/Red Death (it's 'Red' in the video game and the artwork book even though it's 'Green' on the soundtrack) and Hiccup had taken longer to wake up. It's winter by the time Hiccup does wake up and Toothless is in hibernation. So, Hiccup is forced to spend the winter getting used to being popular as well as dealing with a fake leg.
A/N: This was written before Gift of the Night Fury so the winter holiday is Yule rather than Snoggletog.
Waking Up
Stoic the Vast was sitting by the bed he had moved downstairs. It had been a month since the battle against Red Death and winter had set into Berk. The dragons had either migrated or went into hibernation. The Night Fury sleeping in front of the firepit being one of the latter.
And Hiccup was still out cold. The Healer had told Stoic to expect the worst. However, the look on the Elder's face had told him that there was still hope. But, she wouldn't hint.
Stoic used the wet cloth to wipe his son's sweating brow. The fever had returned. It was as if the gods were trying to take him, but something was keeping Hiccup pinned to this plane. Was it his connection with his dragon? Was it all Berk was doing to keep the boy alive? Stoic couldn't say. All he knew was that his son was fighting. The question was, which force was he fighting against as both seemed to be tugging pretty hard for the boy.
Stoic couldn't really believe that the gods were THIS cruel. He had made so many sacrifices to invoke their help to keep Hiccup alive, Gobber had actually joked that he was amazed there was enough food for the winter.
A part of him wondered if the gods were helping him, but it was really Hiccup who was fighting the healing process. After all, the last time the father and so talked was when Stoic had disowned the lad. He had taken it back when he heard Hiccup shouting orders from the back of that Nadder, but never got a chance to tell Hiccup.
Stoic held his son's limp hand as he remembered that day. After Hiccup had jumped onto the burning ship, he had used a strength nobody in Berk knew the kid had. He had even picked up an ax that had been discarded as a retreating Viking jumped ship when the boats caught fire and had chopped the chains off with a bit of help from the dragon and then flew up before Stoic could even reach the shore to help. Then Hiccup had lured the monster away from his friends up to the skies. The battle looked more like a thunderstorm until the fireball came crashing to the Earth and for those few minutes, Stoic had thought he would never even SEE his son again. After apologizing to the dragon he HAD found, it revealed Hiccup relatively safe in his wings. The only REAL damage being the left leg.
The father knew the injuries could have been greater had it not been for the dragon. That's why he had allowed Toothless to stay in his house.
The chief sighed as he listened to Hiccup's erratic breaths. Val would have known what to do.
Suddenly, the father got an idea.
He ran up the stairs and found a trunk at the foot of his bed. He opened it up and dug through it until he found a midnight blue blanket that had some green material woven into it so that it looked like the aurora lighting up the night sky.
His wife had made the blanket during her term carrying Hiccup. When the boy had been born too early, he had been wrapped up in that very blanket. That day, the Healers told him and Val to expect the worst.
It's been almost 16 years since those words were said to him and Val together.
He took the blanket downstairs a little weary about trying this. After all, even though it had been Hiccup's security blanket, the boy had thrown it towards the ocean in anger during Val's funeral. Thankfully, the boy never had much of a throwing arm and the blanket was saved, but never returned because he didn't think his son wanted the blanket back.
Stoic looked at his sick son and sighed. Now that he thought about it, he should have seen the signs. Since the funeral, his relatively good relationship with his son crumbled into something where people had been SHOCKED to learn that they were father and son. Not because Hiccup was so scrawny when Stoic was your typical Viking, but because the only time they really SPOKE was when they were yelling at each other. It was then the dry wit and the sarcasm started lacing his son's tone.
Come to think of it, Stoic hadn't heard his son truly laugh since before Val got sick that one winter 10 years ago.
Desperate, Stoic removed the bed fur and covered up Hiccup with the blanket amazed at how big the blanket was as it covered Hiccup's whole body still.
Immediately, Stoic noticed his son's face develop a confused look that mingled with the pained look as he gripped the edges of the blanket in his sleep.
"Get well soon, Son." Stoic whispered.
Hiccup moaned and stirred a bit, but didn't wake up. The father gripped his son's hand.
It reminded him a bit of one time Hiccup had gotten sick when he was four.
Deciding to give it a shot, Stoic gently picked his son up and sat on the bed holding the boy a bit like a combination of when he had four weeks ago after discovering that Hiccup had survived the battle and when his son was four.
He couldn't tell if it was an act of the gods or just coincidence, but Hiccup's head limply turned to face his father at the movement.
Stoic situated himself so he was leaning against the headboard and fell asleep.
0000
The next morning,
Hiccup came back to reality with his entire body sore and a splitting headache, but feeling amazingly comfortable. He had a VERY strange dream that involved a cage, fire, flying, a monster, an angry Stoic, a barely clothed Astrid, and his mother (who had been fully clothed thank Odin).
The first thing he noticed was a pair of strong arms holding him. He couldn't for the life of him figure out who it was. But whoever it was snored louder than a Nadder's roar. And he was warm. Like he was covered up by a blanket and held by someone wearing heavy clothing.
The next thing he noticed was that he couldn't feel his left foot.
He'd figure that out once the headache was gone.
The last thing he noticed was that his nose itched as if something was tickling it.
Figuring the only way he'd get some answers: like, what happened after he and Toothless crashed into the monster's tail, was to open his eyes. Slowly, he opened them.
The first thing he saw was a shape to his left. The shape was red and flesh-colored…but mostly red. It was lit by the light of the fire.
He blinked and his eyes opened a bit wider. The shape came into focus and Hiccup instantly recognized it as his father.
That explained the tickling of the nose, with the beard ending right at his face. But considering the fact that Stoic had disowned him, it was odd. Why would Stoic care?
Hiccup then looked around as best he could without jostling his father. He was in his house. Then he chanced a look at himself and his jaw dropped
He could have sworn he had thrown away the blanket he was wrapped up in. An act he regretted since the night he did it.
Certainly explained his mother's appearance in the weird dream.
Hiccup looked up at his sleeping father and gently shifted a bit being careful not to wake up the chief. He looked around a bit more and his jaw dropped even further.
He was downstairs, but that wasn't the shocking part. The shocking part was the sound asleep Night Fury, clearly unharmed, napping next to the fire in what looked to be a hibernation. Next to the door was a saddle with a red cloth on it…obviously a new saddle/prosthetic fin.
What in Odin's name was going on!
He was scared to wake his father up and ask him though. What if Stoic was still mad at him?
But if he was, he wouldn't be holding you like he did when you were four and had that illness.
Hiccup had to agree with his thought. Just before his memory caught up with his brain, he HAD thought he was four years old again and recovering from that illness. Actually, come to think of it, he had briefly thought that all THIS had been a fever-induced dream.
But then again, Hiccup the Useless defeating the World's biggest dragon whilst riding the elusive Night Fury? Who could blame him for thinking it was a dream? But the dragon in front of the firepit proved otherwise.
Hiccup bit his lip and gently worked his arm out from out of the blanket wedged between his own body and his father's. When it came out, he gently touched his father's shoulder and shook it.
"Five more minutes Gobber. I'm not leaving my son" Stoic muttered in his sleep after snorting.
That tugged on Hiccup's heartstring. He HAD to know the truth.
"I-I thought I wasn't your son" Hiccup whispered causing him to cough from the lack of use of his voice.
Stoic's eyes shot open and saw his son coughing.
"Thank the gods" Stoic praised as he embraced Hiccup.
Hiccup just continued to cough.
"Right" Stoic realized before getting out of bed, placing his son back into the bed, and then got a pail of water with a ladle. He scooped some water into the ladle and helped his son take a drink.
"Thanks" Hiccup said clearing his throat.
"Probably from not speaking in about a month" Stoic figured
"A MONTH?" Hiccup exclaimed
"You gave us quite a scare" Stoic informed the teenager.
"Sorry" Hiccup apologized.
"No" Stoic said. "I'm sorry. For everything."
"I am too" Hiccup insisted. "I-I should have told you about Toothless sooner. I just didn't expect that Nightmare to get spooked and…I probably should have not used what I was learning with Toothless in class"
"Well, I should have listened to you better." Stoic said. "You tried to warn me about that creature and, by ignoring you, I placed the village in danger…and then you. When I saw your dragon, but not you, after that explosion…I was more scared then than when I saw you drop your weapon in front of that Nightmare and got within snapping distance."
Father and son embraced. It was a bit awkward, but both felt it was a step in the right direction.
"D-Do you think we can just…go back to the way we were before Mom died?" Hiccup asked. "We had such a great relationship back then"
"It won't be JUST like it, but it'll be close if I have anything to say about it" Stoic promised. "I nearly lost you this time Hiccup. I'm not losing you again. And…just so you know…what you did back on Dragon Island…do you remember how proud I was of you making top in your class?"
"Yeah." Hiccup confirmed.
"That paled in comparison to how proud I am of you for what you did. I heard you shouting orders to your classmates. A true chief if I've ever seen on"
A smile formed on Hiccup's face. Stoic instantly realized that this smile was real. No fakeness. No sarcasm. A real, genuine smile that he hadn't seen since before Val got sick.
"Thanks Dad" Hiccup said before wiping his eyes with a laugh. "Stupid dim light."
"Come here" Stoic said embracing his son again realizing that his son was just being a bit emotional.
They released again and Hiccup turned a concerned look towards the dragon.
"Is Toothless okay?"
"Yeah. He's just in hibernation" Stoic assured his son. "Just so you know, as soon as he wakes up, he's going to want to go flying. He refused to fly with anyone else"
"Probably because I'm the only one who knows how to steer the tail fin" Hiccup mused.
"Well, it gives you plenty of time to get used to things on the ground" Stoic said
"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked
Stoic bit his lower lip with realization that Hiccup didn't know the extent of his injuries.
"And by the way, where did you find Mom's blanket?" Hiccup asked gripping the material wrapped around his legs.
"You never had much of a throwing arm, Son" Stoic chuckled. "When you threw it ten years ago…barely hit the water"
Hiccup slapped his forehead.
"As for your first question…" Stoic said with a sigh. "Well…you didn't get out of that battle unscarred. You see…between how Toothless caught you, not that I blame him, but between that, the flames that you were exposed to since he needed one wing opened so that you two didn't plummet to your deaths, and the landing…we were lucky, and it's thanks to Toothless, that it wasn't worse…but…"
Not liking how his father was hesitating, Hiccup removed the blanket and gapped at his 'scar'
His entire left leg from the knee down was GONE.
"There was no way your leg was going to heal" Stoic explained. "It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do"
Hiccup took a deep breath and turned to his dragon. More specifically, Toothless' tail.
"You said that it was Toothless that caused the injury?" Hiccup asked
"Either that or have you die and your body completely destroyed." Stoic answered. "And, he even assisted Gobber in making this"
Stoic reached under the bed and pulled out a prosthetic leg that looked more like a leg than Gobber's peg.
Hiccup took it and laughed.
"It comes full circle" Hiccup chuckled.
"Meaning?" Stoic asked confused.
"I was the reason Toothless is missing his left tail fin in the first place!" Hiccup explained. "I then made him a fake fin to help him fly. Now, he tears off half my leg to save my life, which I am grateful for, and he assists in making something to help me walk. Justice has been served and I can stop feeling guilty about it"
Stoic relaxed glad that THAT was out in the open.
"It was the one time he left your side. And Astrid had to bribe him with cod"
"Just keep him away from eel and you're good" Hiccup said
They were silent for a few minutes.
"How's the rest of the village?" Hiccup asked
"Other than worried about you? Fine. Winter's set in so it's been quiet. And everyone knows that you come first in this house with your illness…that you've apparently recovered from" Stoic answered while putting a hand on Hiccup's forehead.
"So, I just have to get used to this thing" Hiccup said looking at the fake leg before going to put it on.
"Hold on Son. Don't go so fast. You JUST woke up. We'll take it a bit at a time. I don't want you relapsing." Stoic said taking the prosthetic away and putting it up.
"Yes Sir" Hiccup sighed.
"Besides, you have all winter" Stoic said
KNOCK KNOCK
"Who on earth could that be in this weather?" Stoic muttered as he got up and went to the door
Hiccup resituated himself against the headboard as he sat his pillow upright as his father answered the door. Things were looking up.
"Yeah. He's up" Stoic said moving aside holding a pot of something and the Elder entered the house.
"Good morning Hiccup" the elderly lady greeted as Stoic placed the pot over the firepit.
"Good morning Ma'am" Hiccup said.
"And how are you feeling today?" she asked
"A bit sore." Hiccup said before smiling at his father. "but glad to be alive."
"I bet you've been wondering why I chose you for the final" the elder pointed out after shooing Stoic away
"Yeah, that DID cross my mind a few times" Hiccup admitted. "I mean, surly SOMEONE noticed that I took down that Nadder by scratching under it's chin?"
"THAT was why" she said. "you see Hiccup, there was this prophesy made by the elder of the village 7 generations ago stating that a Dragon Rider born Viking would connect with a dragon unlike any other and end the war between Vikings and Dragons bringing peace to Berk, but both having sacrificed something. And you, born a Viking with the full Viking stubbornness and desire to prove oneself, but not the figure and brain of one…when you became an outcast, I kept a close eye on you. After your declaration of shooting down the rare and elusive night fury, I kept a closer watch on you during your training. When you started doing well, I watched your methods. I saw you throw that eel in the Zippleback's cage. And I got to thinking. How could he have known that dragons hate eels?"
"Is that why you have eels all over your place?" Hiccup asked her.
She nodded.
"But how did you know?"
"You don't think you're the FIRST dragon trainer in Berk do you?" she asked with a wink. "Dragon Rider, yes. But not trainer. When I was your age, there was a Viking here. Not of your figure nor brain power, but he managed to make friends with a Terror behind everyone's back. He taught me all he knew, but kept his knowledge a secret from everyone else. Neither his wife nor his son knew about Little Loki.
"Anyways, I watched you closely during your training and I recognized the methods of those of my dear departed friend. I noticed after a while that the way you started carrying yourself that there was a chance you had a connection greater than my friend and his Terror. I figured at that moment when you threw that mace aside and accidentally knocked out that Gronkle that YOU were the chosen one."
"Did you know that Dad would react that way?" Hiccup asked
"I didn't think he'd act so severely as to disown you temporarily, but when I saw that Night Fury that day and I saw that prosthetic, I knew that without a doubt, you were the one the prophesy mentioned. I wasn't sure what the sacrifice mentioned entailed until your father returned home with you in his arms ordering for the other healers other than Magna Hofferson and myself to go tend to the wounded in the Mead Hall and the two of us meet him here. I just knew that by getting you into a position where you could speak out, then my part was done. The rest was up to you"
"Out of curiosity…who was that friend? That first trainer?"
She smiled.
"His name…was Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I." she said with a smile
Hiccup's jaw dropped as two thoughts crossed his mind: 1.) His own ancestor was a dragon trainer? 2.) Just how old WAS this woman?
"Thanks for explaining." Hiccup told her. "Does Dad know?"
"Why do you think I shooed him out?" she asked. "Let's just keep this between us."
"Yes Ma'am" Hiccup said.
After all, the prophesy was fulfilled. No reason to dwell.
"Safe to come in?" Stoic asked with his arms full of firewood.
"Yes. And the stew should be ready. I'll be getting my pot back in the spring" she said.
"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Stoic asked
"I just ate" she said before leaving.
"Did you know that she knew my first namesake?" Hiccup asked his father.
"No. Just that she's an old family friend" Stoic stated. "Guess old is right."
The two laughed as Stoic got stew off the fire so his son could eat.