I'm back with another one-shot…so you can guess that I decided to post up the others that I'd come up with about Hiccup's and Astrid's day at the amusement park. Thanks for all the positive feedback about Spooked! Although, I probably would've posted the other one-shots even if you all said not to because I'm a rebel like that. Haha!

As for Hiccup's prosthetic, since it comes up a bit more in this one-shot, I envision it as very similar to the one in the moves/TV series but more modern-day (obviously). It starts at about his mid-calf (even though it is referenced here as a "prosthetic foot". There is a backstory to it, but that is actually revealed in the prologue which has not yet been written/posted.

One last thing before the one-shot begins. Since I've kinda started posting these out of order, I will be posting up the chronology (hopefully soon!) on my profile. This one-shot takes us back to the start of Hiccup's and Astrid's day! Hope you all enjoy this one as much as you liked Spooked!

Wooden Coaster

With tickets in hand and a full day ahead of them, Hiccup led the way deeper into the amusement park. He knew exactly what ride he wanted to start the day with and he knew that Astrid would approve. Though he was excited, Hiccup had to be careful walking in places where there was gravel as the loose stones would cause his prosthetic foot to slip and that was not how he wanted to start the day.

Up ahead, Hiccup could see his destination, its wooden tracks standing tall. Hiccup loved the wooden roller coaster at this amusement park. The height of the tracks had always made him feel small when he would stare up at them. When he was younger and more visitors frequented the park, little Hanson Haddock would wait in line and watch the coasters fly by. He would smell the oil on the chains pulling each train up the highest incline. Because Hanson had always been small, when he would ride the coaster, his father, Stanton Haddock, would have to hold him down as the lap restraints did little to hold the small boy in his seat as the coaster would fly along its track. Yes, this particular ride held many great memories already and Hiccup was ready to make more along with Astrid beside him.

"Well, Milady, here we are. It's a tradition to begin the day with this particular roller coaster. So…ready to get this 100% stress-free weekday of fun started?!"

Hiccup waited for his girlfriend's reply, but he did not miss the way her eyes drifted down to his prosthetic foot, the metal attached to his lower leg gleaming in the late morning sunlight. "As long as you feel up to it, Hiccup," Astrid replied.

"Of course I'm ready! I already said that I'm not going to let the old metal leg stop me from having a great time with you today! Now, come on, let's go! I want the front seat! That's a tradition too!" Hiccup raced toward the line for the coaster, but he thought about the sadness he had just heard in Astrid's voice. He did not understand why she was sad about his prosthetic. It hadn't been her fault that he had lost his left foot and lower leg. Well, he wasn't going to worry about that right now. Today was about stress-free fun.

Counting out the required number of tickets, Hiccup slid them to the ride attendant who promptly slid them back. Hiccup was confused. Why wasn't the man taking the tickets?

"We're not taking tickets at the moment. Marketing is filming a commercial right now and they want a filled coaster in the background. Until they finish the commercial, rides on this coaster are free."

Hiccup turned back to Astrid. "Hear that? Come on! Let's go!" he told her, as he pocketed his returned tickets. Gripping Astrid's hand, he pulled her up the ramp to the ride platform. Up on the platform, Hiccup led Astrid to the line for the front seat. They were content to wait, but the ride attendants asked them to board immediately in one of the empty sets of seats. The attendants, as they told Hiccup and Astrid, had been instructed to hold the coaster until it was mostly-filled. Shrugging, Hiccup obliged and him and Astrid found an open seat. "If we make it into this commercial, then it's worth breaking tradition…this time," he reasoned.

Entering the seat first, Hiccup sat on the left side of the coaster and Astrid took her seat on the right side. When they were situated, they both pulled down on the lap restraint, locking it into place. As the ride attendants were still waiting for a few more riders, Hiccup and Astrid had some time to talk and reflect on their decision to start with this ride.

"I know how these types of rides go, Hiccup. You'd better be careful or you'll fly right out of it!" Astrid laughed, blatantly mocking Hiccup's lack of weight.

"Come on, Astrid. I'm not that small anymore!" He knew that he would come to regret telling Astrid that story from the days of his boyhood.

"Oh sure…" Astrid replied, still mocking Hiccup. "You still look like a talking fishbone to me," she laughed.

Hiccup huffed, but he knew that Astrid knew that he wasn't really upset. He could never be upset with her. "Thank you…for summing that up."

"But that's one of the reasons why I love you, Babe. You know that, right?" Still she laughed and Hiccup relished in the sound. It used to be so hard to make serious and fierce Astrid Hofferson laugh, but now it came so easily.

"You bet I do," he replied with a smile.

Before Hiccup and Astrid could continue their conversation, the ride attendant's voice played over the station intercom, warning all passengers to secure all loose items and keep hands and feet inside the coaster at all times throughout the ride.

"Is your metal leg secured, Hiccup?" Astrid teased.

"As secured as it's gonna get, Milady."

The final address from the ride attendants to the passengers onboard the coaster was to "look happy, scream, and put your hands in the air".

The coaster lurched forward as the ride began. Hiccup braced his excitement as the coaster ascended the initial incline. It was as the coaster crested at the top of the incline, though, that Hiccup missed sitting in the front seat. Even as a boy, he enjoyed looked down at the descending track and feeling the rush through his hair as the coaster would speed down the tracks.

As the front of the coaster began its descent, picking up speed, Hiccup and Astrid both threw up their hands, screaming in genuine excitement. The coaster flew along the track and as the hills increased toward the end, Hiccup found that he still would fly up out of his seat. Guess I'm still too small for these lap restraints. His thoughts were pushed from his mind quickly, though. It mattered not that the ride always brought him to a semi-standing position as long as he remained safely inside the coaster.

All too soon, the ride was ending and the coaster pulled back into the station. Once the lap restraints were released, Hiccup immediately climbed out of the coaster and raced down the exit rap. He could hear Astrid calling after him, but he had one mission. When Astrid finally did catch up to Hiccup, she asked him why he had taken off so suddenly. "I want to see if we can get one more ride on here while it's still free," he told her.

Together, they ran back to the entrance. Unfortunately, they quickly learned that the filming had finished and free rides on the coaster were no longer an option, so Hiccup and Astrid opted instead to go find another ride.

Standing in front of the roller coaster, Hiccup and Astrid looked at the park map to assess their options. While looking at the park map, Astrid laughed slightly and told Hiccup, "I was right. I noticed you flying up out of your seat. Good thing I told you to brace yourself for that," she finished, taking yet another opportunity to tease her boyfriend.

Thinking quickly, Hiccup smirked and replied, "I knew that restraint wasn't going to hold me. It couldn't handle all this…awesomeness," he told Astrid, gesturing to all of him.

Lightly punching Hiccup's shoulder, Astrid smiled slightly, trying her best to hide the expression from her boyfriend. "Oh sure…you keep telling yourself that, Babe. Now, are we just going to stand here all day or we actually going to do something?"

Folding the map up again, Hiccup shoved it back into one of the pockets of his tan-colored cargo shorts. "Excellent question, Milady! Come on, follow me. I just found something great to ride next!"

Some exclusive extra notes: This chapter combines experiences from both of the roller coasters I rode at the amusement park. It's my family's tradition to ride the front seat and on the other coaster, we got a free ride because they were filming a commercial for the park. If I make it in the commercial, I'll let you know…and I'll remember you all when I'm famous. Haha.

I'm going to leave this story listed as "complete" for now. I know that I will post all the one-shots for you all, but this "story" does not have chapters. Each "chapter" is complete, but they all relate to this single day. You get what I mean? … Me neither. Oh well…I tried. Haha.

Thanks for reading and the next one-shot will be posted soon!

Posted: August 6, 2014