AN: Well folks, here's chapter 2! Keep up the review.
:: :: A Fool To Be a Hero :: ::
By johnnylee619
Editor: blazethundr23
Act I: Rise
:: :: Chapter 2: His True Friend, But His Only Friend :: ::
It was weird, like...really weird, Hiccup had thought. A week had past now and everything to his knowledge had been turned upside down. It flew by so fast, like Toothless.
But let's rewind a bit so everything make sense...
:: ::
Seven days earlier...
(After encountering the Night Fury)
As Hiccup finally made his way back home (the only house on the highest hill with the best view of the village), he had been thinking about his decision. Not the one about the dragon, that had already been dealt with; he'll probably come to regret it later somehow, but the decision he was thinking about was the thought of trying to never kill a dragon for the rest of his life. After what he saw...changes everything. The only thing left is to tell his father. Oh Gods! His father! The chance of him approving Hiccup's choice - or at least trying to listen to his reason - are one in a thousand.
But, he'll have to give it his best shot, like he always does.
Once inside, he saw his father tending the fire in the fire place at the living room. The thought of telling his dad just dropped out of his head in an instead. He - stealthily - paced his way to the upstairs, but that plan backfired with his father calling his name, knowing he's there, "Hiccup."
He stopped and gulped, "Dad! I, uh...I have to talk to you."
"I need to speak with you, too, son," he said, turning to face him.
With a deep breath from both sides, they spoke simultaneously;
"I decided I don't want to fight dragons." Hiccup, first.
"I think it's time you learned to fight dragons," Stoick, second.
"What?" Again, both asked simultaneously.
"You go first," Father said.
"No, no, you go first."
"Alright." Stoick, clasping his hands together nervously, "You get your wish. Dragon training. You start in the morning."
Wow, maybe he should have gone first, "Oh, man, I should've gone first. Because, I was thinking, you know, we have a surplus of dragon fighting Vikings...but do we have enough...bread making Vikings, or small-home repair Vikings, or-"
"You'll need this," Stoick interrupted Hiccup and dropped the hilt of an axe at both of his hands. The weight of the double bladed axe causes him to shift backwards a little.
"I don't want to fight dragons," Hiccup said it again.
"Hahaha! Oh, come on. Yes, you do!"
"Rephrase, Dad, I can't kill dragons!" Now it became a protested.
"But you will kill dragons!" Stoick responded.
"No, I'm really very extra sure that I won't," he said.
"It's time, Hiccup," Stoick's voice now became hard and serious.
"Can you not hear me?!"
"This is serious, son! When you carry this axe," he said, gesturing to the weapon in Hiccup's arms, "you carry all of us with you. Which means you walk like us, you talk like us, you think like us. No more of...this." He motioned his hand over the entire body of Hiccup.
"You just gestured to all of me!" Hiccup said.
"Deal?" Stoick asked.
"This conversation is feeling very one sided."
"Deal?!" Stoick asked once again, this time more of a command instead of a choice for Hiccup.
With a sigh, he said, "Deal..."
Stoick put on his helmet, "Good. Train hard. I'll be back. I'm heading off to help Bucket and Mulch. Bucket forgot to close the gate so now all the sheep are scattering, running around the island." He walked out of the hut, not long for him not to hear Hiccup's last word...
"And I'll be here...maybe."
He just wanted to scream at the old man, begged him, to just listen!
But why would they listen to you, Hiccup, what have you done to earn their ears? he thought.
So, in his earliest question, the answer was pretty obvious:
No
:: ::
The next day...
(The Dragon Arena)
"Welcome to dragon training!" Gobber said excitedly, opening the gate and introducing the new recruits like this place was new, even if they had been here before...watching other Vikings slaughtered the captive dragons.
Gobber is Hiccup's father's best friend, so he's practically an uncle. Not only that, but he's also Hiccup's mentor, as Hiccup is his apprentice in the work of Blacksmith. Hiccup loves crafting and inventing, but most people don't give a damn to this boy's special, creative talent.
Most...
Gobber, had always treated Hiccup differently than the others. In fact, he's the only one close enough to make this boy feel better about himself, but most of all, he's been more of a father to him than Stoick would ever be.
To make this side of the story short, the new recruits were - unfortunately - Hiccup's peers, who - most - were also his tormentors.
There was Snotlout Jorgenson, Hiccup's pain-in-the-ass-with-heavy-ego cousin, who had been a favorite from Hiccup's father, like a son he never had.
It wasn't that hard for Hiccup to notice his favor on Snotlout.
Snotlout was the average Viking you would hope to be if you wanted to survive in today's world. He was all muscle and bravery with a full hatred of dragons, but that last statement would have been true if he would - for once in his life - stop keeping, looking and admiring himself in his own reflection from water, steel, mirr- okay, anything that involves reflecting himself upon on.
Next, there was the twins, Tuffnut (the boy) and Ruffnut (the girl) Thorston. They were pretty much devious when it comes to destruction; they weren't the brightest - actually, they might be dumber than Bucket - but when it comes to chaos and mischief, they get creative.
Fourthly introduced is Fishlegs Ingerman, a non-stop-talker who keeps talking about the status of every single dragons he knows-
And only the ones he knows of...
Every single day.
He would be just like Hiccup, if he wasn't big, chubby, strong, and most of all, the ability to carry weapons and shields. Because of that, it's what made him a member of the group. With him always going along with the crowd and fear of being like Hiccup, he would keep his mouth shut most of the time so he could stay in the group. He's just that desperate, but does that made him lucky in Hiccup's view?
Maybe...
Maybe not...
Maybe both...
There were a total of five in the groups, so the fifth member would be the last, but not least...
Astrid Hofferson.
A fierce warrior she is, and a female one too! Usually, women these days would mostly be a house wife - married to Odin who knows who - bear children, and feed them. But Astrid is what they called a shield-maiden, and she intends to keep it that way; don't want to be involved with any girly things, or anything around the weak ones, which was why she ignores Hiccup constantly, believing he's "bad luck" to her training.
Unfortunately, Hiccup is full in love with this girl! So the chances of him and her being together are one in a thousand, meaning no chances at all, but that doesn't bring him down. Like trying to kill dragons, he would always try to win her heart...which also fails.
Now, all of them stood in one place, a place where their path to their future lies here. However, one will be more different than the rest.
Again, to make this short, Gobber gave a short speech about dragon- blah, blah, blah, blah. Next thing you know, he releases the Gronckle, saying that he, "...Believed in learning on the job," after Snoutlout had protested on releasing a dragon way too early on the first start of their training, but come on, this is Gobber; the most funniest and humorous man in the Hooligan Tribes. The Gronckle at first had no idea what to do, until it saw Astrid's axe in the air, a sign of attack. That's when the game was on.
First out by losing their shield, was Ruffnut and Tuffnut, for fighting over which one gets the shield with better design on them. Second was Fishlegs, for he was distracted through pride and admiration for getting the correct answer on one of Gobber's question. Third was Snoutlout, for he was distracted by trying to get Astrid to come over to his place to work out.
Puff, more like a date! Hiccup thought, overhearing Snoutlout's invite.
The last one was Hiccup (which is surprising for everyone), who stood next to Astrid nervously, not knowing what to do, "So, I guess it's just you and me, huh?"
"Nope, just you," Astrid replied. She took a barrel-roll as the fourth shot from the Gronckle hit impact on Hiccup's shield. Desperate to get it back, he chased after it with the dragon on his tail. Once he realized what's happening, he found himself cornered by the dragon, pulling it's last breath of fire; before it could do it though, Gobber had came in, in the nick of time to yanked the overgrown sausage back to it's cage.
When that was done, he gave one last advice to his students to end today's session, "Remember, dragon's don't show mercy. They kill on first sight and so must we. They would always...always, go for the killed." And with that, Hiccup gained more questions than the answers he was hoping for.
:: ::
Three days later...
This half of the week were no picnic. Hiccup's father was more disappointed in him for starting to fail dragon training, but the most that clutches through his brain was Astrid.
It was basically the day after the first day of class. The lesson: Fight and flight. The arena were rearrange into a wall of maze and the Deadly Nadder was release; the students must find its blind spot if they were to be in its present, while the rest must run and hide, preparing themselves for any possible sneak attack. After fifteen minutes of shoving and tricking Hiccup to walk right in front of the Nadder (don't ask how, it's complicated), he eventually started to hide for the rest of the session. In the end, Astrid found herself being chased by the dragon. Desperate, she quickly climbed and hopped from wall to wall as the Nadder kept following her - crashing and pushing the walls down with it. Finally, losing places to jump from, she fell and landed on Hiccup.
Oh no...why him?! she thought angrily.
She tried to get up, but her double-bladed axe had gotten lodged deep into Hiccup's shield. She pulled hard as Hiccup ridiculously talked and asked her in politeness to help her.
"Ooooh, love on the battlefield!" Tuffnut crooned teasingly.
"She could do better," Ruffnut judge.
Hiccup didn't pay attention to that, for Astrid kept pushing and kicking his face to get back her axe. Astrid on the other hand, heard it. This was an instant range for her. There was no way is she going to be noticed with a weakling, and with that, it gave her enough strength to free her axe - although still lodge into Hiccup's shield - just in time before the Deadly Nadder would have crushed them.
BAM!
The sound of splinters flies everywhere and droping to the ground. The Nadder whimpered in pain from the impact and made it's way back to it's cage. No one but Hiccup noticed it. It was strange in his heart, he almost felt sorry for the poor being. But that thought quickly zoomed out of the way with Astrid's shouting, "Is this some kind of a joke to you?!" Hiccup always wanted Astrid to talk to him, but this side of her is something that he would always wanted to avoid, "Our parents' war is about to become ours," Astrid snapped, pointing the tip of her axe right at his nose, "Figure out which side you're on."
She walked away, leaving the rest to call him a "loser" or other names as they followed Astrid. Fishlegs though, kept his mouth shut. Like Astrid, he never really seems to bother or bully Hiccup; he just tags along with the others. To Hiccup, he was either sadden, jealous, or angry at the chubby boy's pathetic action to try not to help him. But that thought must be put aside for he kept thinking about Astrid's question, 'Figure out which side you're on.' It went throughout his mind for the remainder of the day.
There was only one way to answer that question.
He quickly walked out of his house and into the woods unnoticeably for his father had gone for the day on another Chieften duties. He carried a cod and a shield with him just in case...
You already figured it out, didn't you?
Well, it was a stupid thing for Hiccup to dare to do, but it was worth a shot, for he was a man who has much to lose, but not much to live for.
Hiccup had finally made it to the cove, which he had saw the Night Fury for the second time, three days ago after the Gronckle incidents from their first training session. He had no idea if it was still alive, because the second time he saw the dragon, it's left tail was missing...
It couldn't fly away.
Hiccup was more excited than scared that he soon found himself standing in front of the legendary dragon, for he had come to like him and trust him for accepting his offer (the cod) for peace. The Night Fury did the same thing...only more disgusting. He chocked out the remaing fish and - through body language - suggested Hiccup to take his offering, by doing what he did.
Yeah, pretty disgusting.
Fun fact about this Night Fury, is that it has retractable teeth!
Things went furthur as the two spent more time in the cove together throughout the rest of the afternoon till evening. The dragon seems to be mimicking the boy's every action; starting from copying the smile the boy made after he had eaten the half rotten fish, to the point where the dragon started to doddle around the dirt when the boy made a portrait of him on it.
Not the best; it was all squiggly lines, but hey, if a dragon can do something like that...
It's extraordinary.
Hiccup had tried to pet the dragon, showing any signs of peace and meaning no harm but a friend, but the Night Fury kept pushing him away. Eventually, after walking around and examining the dragon's creative art, he found himself standing in front of the reptile not long as a foot. One last time he'll try, one last time he'll prove that everything they knew were wrong; about the dragons and humans together, how they all misunderstood one another. He held up his right hand - the Night Fury drew back - he closed his eyes and lowered his head - the Night Fury seemed unsure - the boy pushed forward gently - the Night Fury leaned in close...
His hand was warm on the touch of the smooth, hard, but soft scales. For a moment it was frightening, but suddenly, a small speak of light flashes in between their minds. A warm feeling swarmed around the boy's heart, a sign of calm and grace that came before him as he looked up to see the devil they all knew...to be nothing but an innocent being, fighting for survival for not only himself, but for his own kind.
A bond was formed...
A friendship was made...
A side has been chosen...
They both drew back and stared at each other for the longest time, until the dragon decided to crawl back to his sleeping spot, leaving the astonished boy staring at him, making a slight smile on his face. Not the sarcastic-smile he usually made, nor the lying-to-yourself-that-everything-is-all-right face.
This was the smile of true happiness that he had never felt since his mother's death...
And he walked away.
:: ::
Two days later...
Since that day at the cove, Hiccup felt like he needed to do something more than just feeding the big guy.
No longer has he come to think of the Night Fury as an "it".
It was night time at the north of the village square, as the trainee settled down on the high-wooden beam far forward from the cliff for support. At first the teens were satisfied by their location, but when Hiccup showed up, the mourning began. Luckily, he was too busy thinking about Toothless (the name sort of got stuck the minute he mentioned "toothless" to the dragon about his retractable teeth), so he just sat and ate without a single word just how everybody likes it.
Gobber kept yapping about how he had lost his left hand and right leg from the "blood-thirsty dragons", he had said, which just sickens Hiccup. The dragons were just defending themselves! Hel, Gobber probably attacked first. As he continued his story - which he sometimes exaggerated - his one last statement caught Hiccup's glimpse, "It's the wings and the tails you really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away! A downed dragon, is a dead dragon."
Toothless... The thought of Toothless being dead caught his breath, but it also hatched a brilliant idea. Gobber decided to take in for the night, leaving the trainee for their own personal conversation. Hiccup knew he didn't belong here, so why bother to tell them that he was leaving? They'll just cheer anyway.
He quickly got up from his seat and took the stairs down, making his destination to the fort. Astrid was the only one noticing him leaving; she got up and watched over him, curious on what and where was he going and doing, but until he was invisible, she stepped back.
Because of Gobber's absence, Hiccup had all the blacksmith shop to himself. His father wouldn't notice him gone. Stoick had always fallen to his bed the moment he got home; too tired from work. So, this leaves Hiccup plenty of time to work on his project.
Operation: "Test Flight", is on the go!
:: ::
A day forward...
As the outside world grew worse, Hiccup's secret life began to process in a significant way. At first, he had finally finished the prosthetic tailfin for Toothless' missing left tail from the forge. He did some calculations, and it seems that in order for the dragon to fly again, he would need some sort of control.
A leg paddle maybe? he thought.
This mean Toothless can't always fly on his own, but for Hiccup, himself, he can't stay on the back of the Night Fury forever, but it'll have to do.
It was better to have little than none at all, right?
Once that stage was down, it was time to add on a saddle to Toothless' back, but the over-grown-stubborn lizard made it a hefty challenge. In the long run (literally) he'd finally gotten the big guy to settle down and strap on the saddle, "See, it wasn't that bad, right bud?" he asked, and got a quick-happily ruff growl in return.
Sometimes, Toothless can act like a puppy dog, having his eyes in a big, round, and adorable pupils instead of a silts, snake-like eyes, in a dangerous defensive-killer mode.
From time to time, they kept practicing to get in the air again; making some few notes on the paddle position on which were the right set to adjust the prosthetic tail, while being missing from the village for the entire day, but none would care. Hiccup would have thought of that sometimes, and when it was too much from his other painful memories, he would take a break and cry by the lake in the cove. Only Toothless was there to comfort the boy, showing him love of a friendship more than anyone in Berk could ever have done; accepted him for who he is and what he is, more than anyone else would have counted for.
In a matter of days, they grew from friends to best friends...and then to brothers.
Toothless was the best thing that ever happened to Hiccup, which was why he couldn't let the village know of his actions. They'll have to stay completely incognito.
Toothless would die if his cover was blown...
Hiccup would sometime talk about his people to the reptile - his father, his peers, Gobber, and Astrid - of how they mistreated him, didn't understand him, avoided him, taunting him, hating him, blaming him, humiliating him...
The list goes on.
Toothless would growl in anger when Hiccup talks about them, wondering why in the name of all that is holy would they treat this sweet, kind, loving, innocent, and remarkable boy like this!? Either they were all just monsters, or they were all just pure evil.
But that didn't stop them from finishing what they started, so throughout the day, they practiced - they crashed a lot - but they kept practicing, until at the very end of the afternoon, at the very beginning of the evening, they did it. Not actually flying, it's more of finishing the setting of the mechanic and the design of the whole prosthetic tailfin, but they did it.
Tomorrow, is when they will start. Tomorrow, is when they will be ready.
:: ::
Present...
(Afternoon: An hour earlier)
Still stuck at dragon training, more taunting was made, but Hiccup tried to hold it all in.
Today was the day where he and Toothless will finally be in the air. He began a play back to everything that had happened; in three-hundreds years, not only was he the first Viking who wouldn't - he realized that now - kill a dragon, but also the first one to ride one. Well, not yet anyway, he's not too sure if everything would go smoothly. This is, after all, just a test flight.
Now, at the cove, stood the man and the beast, solving a situation that require more than just trust, but a bond of friendship that's as tight and hard as steel. Both cooperative and both looking out for each others backs, as two sides choose their own to cross uncharted territory, into the heart of their own enemies.
It was time to make history.
Toothless growled in readiness, to take flight along with his now-official rider. Hiccup, setting his foot onto the paddle controller, "Alright, bud, let's do this!" he shouted, and the Night Fury launched into the air in pure enjoyment, happy to be in the air once again without actually being tied to a leash, to keep him on the ground, but while also in mid-air during practice.
For two days, it seemed like a week for Hiccup. He never stopped working, he never rested; he stayed by the dragon's side all day, feeding him, and carrying him just like he did to him.
It felt so long...because he never wanted it to end.
Flying high in the sky, the two duo slowed their speed to test the prosthetic tail, "Okay, bud, let's see what you've got," Hiccup said. Looking over the cheat-sheet he'd made for himself to know the best position that comes with the type of flying, he read and pulled his paddle into position four; smooth gliding.
In the start, it was frightening, fustrating, and heart-stopping. In fact, things got worse when Hiccup accidentally crashed Toothless on the lower left pillar; Toothless used his large ear to smack Hiccup in the face for being careless, but they were lucky to still be alive, right?
"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it!" said Hiccup apologetically in annoyance. Changing his position to number three to gain high altitude, the Night Fury flew up higher than the mountain. Hiccup couldn't feel his face in the cold air, the breeze flowing through his body, his mind cleared of trouble.
The feeling was indescribable; it was more than just the rush of the wind. It-It was...
True freedom...
"Yeah! Go baby! Oh, this is amazing!-" he shouted in the pure enjoyment of sunshine. Never had he been so free from his own prison, to be up in the sky to do the impossible. It was the greatest event that would be remembered from days to come. For a moment, Hiccup felt like he can touch the kingdom of Valhalla through the atmosphere.
That is, until...
Click
Hiccup's heart skipped a beat.
The cheat-sheet - being his main source on how to control the tail - detach from the clip he had attached on the front of the saddle, which resulted in a loud cry from him, "The cheat sheet!- STOOPPP!" He tried to grab it, but somehow, Toothless slowing down from raising his altitude, he found himself also detach from the saddle.
His heart skipped another beat.
Toothless saw him floating in front of him; eyes widen in fear, the two began to scream as they were plummeting down to Earth.
"Oh, gosh, oh, gods no!" Unknowingly to Hiccup, that's the exact same line Toothless was using too, but in dragon-tongue.
As the two began falling, Hiccup's life flashes before his eyes. But they weren't his life...they were his nightmares. The pain and suffering throughout his life he went through, the support that no one thinks he deserves. If he can look at himself in a reflection, he'll know of how little there is between him and Toothless; the only good memory he has.
Uh-ah...not now, not today! he thought.
In a flash of lightning, Hiccup quickly grabed the harness in between him and the saddle, set back onto his seat, connected his belt, and pulled.
Toothless opened his wings and positioned himself as they fell and glided downward on a perfect curve by the mountain line treetops. While gliding down, they were getting closer to numerous labyrinth of rock arches sticking up under multiple pillars. There was no time to fly up, and there was no time to look over the cheat-sheet - even if he could, it would be too blurry due to their intense speed. So, as a leap of faith, he threw the sheet away, adjusted the paddle...
And began flying.
No sheet, no help...just him and Toothless.
The sensation was weird; somehow he was following not only his own instinct, but Toothless' as well. Almost as if they were reading each other's thoughts, trusting each other's minds. A bond so strong, it morphed them into one. Synchronizing each other. As the two dodged the upcoming arches, Hiccup felt no fear.
And when the moment was over, they made it out into the clear vast ocean. Breathing in and out fast, Hiccup realized what he'd just did- what the both of them did! Couldn't hold it in any longer, Hiccup let out the biggest cheer that roar as loud as thunder, "YEAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
This. Was. Him.
Sharing the same joy Hiccup has, Toothless shot out a plasma bolt in victory as well, only there was one thing he had forgotten...
Humans aren't fireproof.
"Aw, come on..." Hiccup wined, as the plasma bolt reaches its limited distance and began to explode in a fire of vortex; they flew right through it, and he'd almost lost his eyebrows...
But you know what, he had a blast!
:: ::
Present...
(Now)
The duo decided to set up a small camp fire for evening's meal on a small, uncharted island. The sun was close to setting, which was why they can tell it was the beginning of evening. It was a clear orange sky that felt like the season could be summer here, unfortunately, it's still freezing enough to lose a finger!
Hiccup began to replay the events that led up to this point; it was amazing. As they kept eating, he finally spoke, "Hey...uh, Toothless?" The Night Fury poked his head up, "I didn't say it before, but..." He took a deep breath and began, "Thank you...f-for everything, I didn't know where I would be if it weren't for you. You are just the greatest thing that has ever happened to me! You've showed me love more than my own father, Gobber, or anyone else can ever give. You...you saved me...and you gave me hope. Thank you," Hiccup finished by hugging the reptile by the warm neck, earning a croon in return.
Tears began to fall from Hiccup's face, for this was the feeling he had long missed since the death of his mother, Valka.
Toothless was his true friend, but his only friend.
