Present

Hiccup's POV

I snuck out of the house as soon as I was brought into it. I was having a hard day. Not that that's unusual or anything, it's just how life is for me. Check yester night, for example.

There was a raid again for the third time this week and, as usual, I was put into sharpening the blunt swords. By some god's grace, I had completed my innovations to my latest project, a bola-launcher called "The Mangler." This was mk-III, the only version that had yet to hurt me or completely collapse after the first throw. I had been lucky enough to test it a few times in the forest. It was in optimal working condition; now I just needed a real target to take it down with. I didn't ask for it, but later that night was when I gained my opportunity.

Half an hour after I made it to the forge, I was left alone to "man the fort." Gobber, being the tough and rude Viking he is, ran, or in this case, hobbled off to help the rest of the village. I went to take another shot at being a true part of this village, making my father proud and most importantly, gaining a chance at the girl of my dreams. The main battle was near the town center and the sheep pens, where most of the dragons were centered. I took my bola thrower and went to the last remaining catapult.

If I was going to get her to notice me, then shooting down anything short of the ultimate prize would be insufficient. By the ultimate prize, I'm talking about a dragon, but not just any dragon. This dragon is known for its unparalleled speed and legendary stealth. It never steals food, shows itself, or misses a shot. This dragon is also known through the archipelago as "The Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself." I was hunting…for a Night Fury.

To my credit and extreme elation, I was successful. The plan worked. I had shot down a Night Fury! The only drawback was that I ended up letting myself get chased by a Monstrous Nightmare. I ran and hid by the brazier pole close to the village square where most of the action was. If my father hadn't intervened and fought off the Nightmare, well, the village would've thrown a party. Unfortunately, the brazier pole's foundation was completely burnt, so…yeah, that's how a good part of the village ended up getting demolished and that also explains how the dragons were able to escape with their spoils.

I got the usual disappointed scowl and scolding set from my father, hints about what a valuable member to the tribe I am from the villagers, usual side remarks from my peers. Astrid was the worst of it, I didn't look at her, but I could still feel her ice-cold stare of disgust burning in the back of my head.

I know what you're thinking: "But Hiccup, didn't you tell them about that Night Fury that you shot down?" I did, but I'll let you figure out if they believed me or not.

So, here I am, sneaking out of the house at the crack of dawn to my special place of solitude. Not really to be alone; I was almost always alone. I just wanted to be away from their hurtful words and disappointed scowls.

After a few minutes' walk on the usual path through the forest, I came to the cliff overseeing the ocean with two boulders placed to lie down. I lied down on my boulder which, after ten years of rubbing my back to it, had turned into a rather comfortable shape. I watched the sun rise from the horizon and the birds catching fish from the ocean, waiting for my burning depression and isolation to fall back into usual sadness and loneliness.

After a while, I started feeling better and stood up while dusting myself. I turned back to look at the moss covered, weather-torn boulder in which I no longer can see the runes which I know that is carved into it. That was when I realized I can no longer see mine either, it was worn off out of the rock as it adapted to the shape of my back. While walking into the forest to find the dragon I took down, I was thinking that those boulders are like the mirror of my life:

Astrid – my former best friend. I'm certain she's forgotten we used to be as close as best friends could be. As for me – I completely molded and shifted myself, just to fit in with others. I'm nothing more but a fragment of the person I once was.

Astrid POV

I was angry. Actually, you know what, maybe angry is too light a word. I wasn't just angry, I was furious, not even furious…

Livid. I was freaking livid.

I was killing trees in my usual spot to vent out the anger. I pictured every tree I kill being him; his thin bony figure, his weak, scrawny face, his awkward, misplaced freckles, and his unsightly auburn hair. Every time my axe embedded itself on a tree, I imagined it being his face and the splinters flying out to be his blood. Usually this helped but now, it's helping very little if at all. No one gets away with ruining my one chance of regaining my family's honor and glory. Tree after tree died at the edge of my axe. Around mid-day, my hand was bleeding and my shoulders were throbbing, the physical pain blunting the emotional pain I was feeling before I sheathed my axe.

While I walked out of my training ground, I'd couldn't let go of what that runt, Hiccup did to me. He needed to pay for what he did, and he would pay only in blood. He was always messing things up and because he's the son of Stoick the Vast, he got away with only a scolding, while the rest of us have to clean his mess. He never got the punishments he deserved.

Frankly, sometimes, I felt a bit sad for him whenever the twins and Snotlout beat him up. I even interfered and put a stop to it because I pitied him that much. Now, I'm starting to think they might be right to beat him up. I never joined them before as I saw no reason to beat that fishbone, but next time they get him, I'll be right there with them, beating him into oblivion.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice that I was almost at the end of the forest. After a few minutes and a few sets of stares, I was at the mead hall. I picked a half of a chicken with some bread and mead then walked to the usual table where the teens of our age hang. I don't think I need to explain why he's not considered one of us. After spilling a bit of mead on the bruises on my hand to help the healing, I started eating without a word. When I lifted my head, Hiccup's empty table in the corner greeted my vision. How dare he? First, he ruins my chance at glory, and now he doesn't even have the backbone to apologize or at least show up! I still remember what happened as if it was happening right in front of me.

**flashback **

"This isn't working guys. We can't save this; let's move to the bakers and silent Sven's". This house is beyond saving; the support beams are almost burned through.

"On it, babe." Snotlout is flirting with me as usual. "Did I tell you that you look amazing today? Because you do." He's starting to get very annoying and this is definitely not the time, or the place.

"Shut up Snotface! You and those two mutton heads take the Sven's, we'll take the bakery!" I yelled. "Come on, Fishlegs, let's take care of the bakery before we have to eat burned bread tomorrow."

I ran towards the bakery, knowing that no matter how weird Fishlegs may be, he's not an idiot so I ran while grabbing Fishlegs' bucket in my other hand. I saw Fishlegs following me closely behind, dragging the water cart. We worked very hard to put out the fire on the bakery and we were almost complete when a Nadder decided it was a good idea to destroy the water cart. In that instant, Fishlegs ran screaming and waving his hands around like a maniac.

I was without water and a Zippleback was moving towards me, its sparking head was slain and was limply dragging along. The gas head was staring at me with white hot rage. I pulled my trusty axe from my sheath in a blink of an eye.

"Come and get me, ungodly beast. You're facing Astrid 'fearless' Hofferson! You'd be no match for me, even with both your heads!" I yelled on top of my lungs.

I was going to have the honor of killing my first dragon even before I started dragon training. I mean, even after I complete my training, I'll get to kill the nightmare anyway. This is the moment of my life; one I've been training my butt off for seven years. No turning back now. It was just me and that ugly dragon.

"Astrid, get down!"

Someone yelled and that drew away my concentration. I turned to the side of the noise and I saw a torch broken from the stand heading right at my face. I dived out of the way without thinking twice. When I got up, I saw the dead body of the Zippleback and Hoark wiping blood of his blade. He nodded at me sadly, as if it were his fault I nearly died, which I know it wasn't. Shocked, I just walked towards the gathered Vikings to hear the orders from Stoick for the patching up of the village.

"Why can't you follow the simplest orders, Hiccup? Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Winter's almost…" That was all I needed to hear.

"So Hiccup's the one who broke the stand." I thought to myself. As the reality of the situation sunk in, I furrow my brows, ground my teeth, and clenched my fists. A fire, all too familiar to me, was burning deep within me. A thirst for blood…a hunger for vengeance!

"When I get my hands on him, he'll wish he was never BORN!"

**end flashback**

After I finished my lunch, I was formulating my plan of revenge. That was when the rest of the teens showed up, panting and whining.

"Oh MAN! When I get my hands on Hiccup, I'll gut him, tie him to a tree with his insides and watch while he is eaten by terrors." Snotlout said. I have to admit, it does seem like a nice idea.

"Yeah, it took forever to get that torch out of the stink house. Now I smell like rotten fish." Tuffnut whined.

"You usually smell like a rotting yak, so it's actually a marked improvement." Ruffnut rolled her eyes, which earned a punch on the face from her brother. Soon they were on the floor throwing punches at each other. After a while, they picked their meals and came to the table, talking about how and when we should corner Hiccup. After a while of listening to the dimwits, I figured that at this rate we'll be fifty when we finally corner him so I piped in.

"You know it's not that hard, after a raid like this, Stoick will go to find the nest and we'll have Hiccup all to our self for about a month." All of them stopped their gibbering and stared at me with wide eyes and jaws hitting the floor. "What? It's true, isn't it, Fish?" I asked innocently. He started to babble like a fish out of water. When I deepened my glare a notch, he swallowed hard and sprouted statistics as he usually does.

"There's a ninety-nine point eight chance that the expedition will start within the next three days."

"See, I told you. He'll be wasting a lot of time wandering around the woods. It's not like he'll ever get into dragon training like us." Tuffnut said, winking at Ruffnut.

Ruffnut looked puzzled. She stared at me, not buying what I was saying. Not that I blamed her. "Let me get this straight. You're going to help us put Hiccup in his place, not sell us out like the last few times?"

"Why would I sell you out? That prick needs to learn his place anyway" I said angrily.

"Then if he's such a prick, why on Midgard were you yanking my braids, telling me to go easy on him, missy?"Snotlout who was unusually quiet until now started speaking.

"Didn't you hear that the fish-bone made Astrid miss her chance to kill a Zippleback? I overheard my dad talking with the chief, and apparently, all the Hoffersons, especially her mother, are angry about it." He boasted while winking and started again. "You see, Astrid, if you think he'll be a true Viking someday, you're dreaming. Unrealistically, I might add."

That just about did it. I leaped out of my seat, grabbed his collar with one hand and raised my unsheathed axe in the other. "Care to repeat what you just said, Snotface? I didn't quite catch it the first time."

He swallowed audibly and started shaking his head like a maniac. "That's what I thought. I would warn you to use your brain, but seeing that you don't have much of one, there's no use in wasting my breath."

I climbed off the table and walked out without even saying another word to the gang, my axe still in my hand.

Somewhere in the middle of the forest near ravenpoint.

Hiccup POV

"Oh, the gods hate me. Some people lose their knife, mug, or axe, but no, not me. I manage to lose an entire dragon!"

It was around mid-day and I had been searching for that dragon since morning. I am sure that it fell near raven point, and on top of that, I'm starting to feel really hungry too. Out of frustration, I punched a branch that was in my way and received the full recoil to my face, knocking me off the path. I stood up and glared at the branch and I saw that while the branch was intact, there was a considerably large splinter from a tree that was split in two.

"What the..."

Soon, I learned why as I saw more trees broken or bent with a huge force. A path of gouged-up terrain was laid out right in front of me. I followed the path until it disappeared behind a rock-slab. When I carefully peeked over the slab, I saw the most beautiful thing I have saw in my entire life.

It was a Night Fury, the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. It appeared to be dead. This is a good thing. I started walking around the rock-slab and got close to the night fury that was tangled in the ropes.

"Oh wow. Oh my gods, this changes everything! I have brought down this mighty beast!"

I was overjoyed, I mean I was hoping for this moment for a long time but deep down I knew that the chances of achieving my goal were very, very slim. What I would gain from this hit me in full force; now I finally have a chance. No more disappointed scowls, no more scolding, maybe the bullying would stop as well. Most of all, Astrid might like me again. But my bubble blew when the Night Fury moved. I took a battle stance though a feeble one unsheathing my sword. Except it wasn't as much a sword as it was a coral stick sharpening dagger.

"I'm gonna cut your heart out and give it to my father."

This was it. It was all going to return. The smiles, the greeting, Dad's pride in me, Astrid's friendship with me, everything from when I was five was going to come back to me. But…it opened its eyes and stared at me with its green, soul piercing slits. I am a lot of things; slim and scrawny the most noticeable among them, but I'm not stupid or heartless. I think it was my lack of heartlessness that made me notice something I have only seen once in my life before this day. Its eyes were not ones of a mindless killing machine, but ones of an intelligent creature. Its eyes didn't show bloodthirst or rage, but understanding, fear, and acceptance. This is the same eyes I see every time I look at my reflection on water or the mirror.

"I've made it. The turning point of my life. If I kill it, I get everything I ever wanted, but I would lose myself. If I don't kill it, I'll lose everything, I'll even lose my life for that matter but I won't lose myself to this. I've got to. I'm a Viking. I'm a Viking! I'M A VIKING!" I struggle with myself, and even close my eyes to blot out the image. Its moan of acceptance did nothing to assuage the emerging virus of guilt in my heart. With a yell of abandon, I plunge down my knife.

"I'M…!"

.

.

.

"I'm…."

.

.

.

"I…."

.

.

.

Only to stop inches short of hitting its eye. It seems that for everything I could've gained if I had just followed through the first time, I couldn't do it. I couldn't simply run my permanently sharpened blade through the Night Fury's eye and consecrate myself as a dragon slayer. I lower my knife, shame…and relief fighting in a titanic battle for the proper emotion in my heart.

"I did this." I thought out loud to myself. Then I thought about what I could do, or rather, what I would do. I could leave him here then he'll die of hunger. It's same as killing him. If I cut him out, I'll die, but looking at my view, I don't have much to lose. Such a strong dragon would kill me in a heartbeat. When he closed his eyes and laid his head back, his neck was exposed. I could kill him in an instance. But I won't. I will not kill him. Besides, the worst that could happen is, after I die, I'll finally be able to see my mother. My heart was inundated with joy at that thought. Then with my best wishes to Valhalla, I started to cut loose the ropes restraining him from killing me.

One by one, I was getting closer to death as I cut the ropes. Once the last rope was cut, it only took a second for him to charge onto me pinning me on to a rock and he stared right at me, his face inches away from mine. After a second, I realized that he was studying me. I have to admit, I had never been this frightened in my entire life. I actually nearly wet myself. I felt him inhaling hard. I closed my eyes.

"At least it'll be quick."

I expected to feel a white-hot pain and then…nothing. What I didn't expect was for one of my eardrums to record an enormously loud Night Fury roar, or to hear it turn away from me and fly off somewhere else. I stood back up, not knowing how I fell in the first place. I picked up my knife.

"Well, that went well. Someone met a Night Fury and may very well live to tell the tale after all."

That was my last thought before I welcomed the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.

After the meeting for the hunt…

Stoick POV

"Well I'll pack my undies, if that's alright by you, Stoick." Gobber asked while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"No Gobber. You stay and train the young recruits." Stoick said while putting a hand on Gobber's shoulder.

"Well, I guess Hiccup can look after the forge. Nothing could possibly go wrong with him having access to hot metals, pointy objects, and lots of time to himself." Gobber said with his usual mocking speech.

"You know how it is Gobber, he'll get himself killed before you even let the first dragon out." I started pacing; this was a very hard subject for me. "Y'know, by the time he could crawl I could tell he was different; I take him out to go fishing then he goes hunting for trolls-!"

"Ey, trolls exist! They steal your socks but only the left ones, I wonder why." Frankly, I blame Gobber for Hiccup's obsession for trolls.

"When I was a boy, my father said to bang my head on a rock. I thought he was crazy, but I did it anyway. You know what happened?"

"You got a headache."

"No! Well, not just that, but that rock split in two as well. Even as a boy I knew who I was, and who I had to become. Hiccup is not that same boy." I shook my head in frustration. It was a pain in my back to think about this. Gobber gave me an understanding look.

"I know it's hopeless but the truth is you can't always protect him. He'll have to go out someday, and he's probably out there now. The most you can do is prepare him." I sighed. As much as I hated the idea of Hiccup in danger, I knew when argument is won or lost. Unfortunately for me, this argument was lost.

"Ok Gobber, he'll join dragon training. But I want him back with all limbs intact."

"I make no promises, and I give no apologies." With that, he left me to my thoughts. I'll have to finish preparations and tell Hiccup about it. I can't tell him in the morning, because some things are better dealt with sooner than later. With a heavy sigh, I begin the trek back to my house.