ii – five years later

HICCUP

Do you feel it, Toothless? I yelled as the breeze whipped my clothes and tangled my hair. I was freefalling, my arms spread like two wings and my body whirled by the wind. My heart was pounding like crazy and tears were forming in my eyes - gods the gusts were powerful! This urge of liberty!

Are you really asking that to a dragon? laughed Toothless as he joined me in my freefalling. We both smiled and faced each other, letting our bond satisfy this thirst for freedom and joy that it never gets tired of. Finally, when we crossed the cloud stage and the ocean appeared below us, I grabbed the handle on Toothless' saddle and climbed up on his back. My best friend spread his wings and I yelled in happiness as we started to ascent in the skies, projecting us above the layer of clouds.

I removed my mask and let the sun warm up my face, a broad smile on my lips. I felt so peaceful and free that I just wanted to stay like that forever and never leave this beautiful azure heaven. Finally, we reached Dragon Edge and the beautiful of the island almost took by breath away. With the sunset, the water so clear and blue and all the dragons flying around, it was so... indescribable.

I asked Toothless to descend towards the platform above my hut and when we landed, I got off the saddle and sat at the edge of the stage. It was once built for Toothless so he could safely land, but now it was used as a watchtower to observe the horizon. I happily breathed when the wind brushed my hair.That is what I call a life. With you, Dragon Edge and the dragons-

Remember your promise, Toothless interrupted me, throwing me a serious look. I rolled my eyes and looked away, burdened.

Aaaaaand my mood's gone. Way to go, bud.

Hiccup! said the Night Fury, obviously shocked and indignant at my unusual behavior. You promised her to come back, don't-

I sighed and ignored the rest of his sentence. I knew I shouldn't be that way - that I shouldn't refuse to fulfill my agreement with Astrid. I wasn't a promise breaker. I always respected my words. It was just that - what if she forgot it? I couldn't just show up to my old island and ask if I could see Astrid two minutes.

First, they wouldn't even recognize me because I changed a lot, mostly physically. I was now wearing an armor also serving as a flight uniform and I let my hair grow a little. They now touched my shoulders. I didn't know what to do with them so I was just tying them in a small and low ponytail. A scar disfigured my left cheek and was running along the top of my forehead.

It came from a failed expedition on a wild island - that we eventually barred from the map because of the dragons back there, they were way too unstable. I was only exploring the beach where Toothless had landed and there were these three Changewings that decided to ruin my day and attack me. I escaped the acid part, but not the claws'. My Night Fury managed to scare off the dragons and he drove me back at Dragon Edge in order to have my bloody face treated there.

Hiccup! Are you ignoring me? exclaimed Toothless, startling me.

I couldn't help myself but smile playfully. I wouldn't do such a thing!

Stop teasing me!

Am not!

Stop that! whined my best friend. I nudged him on the head, but he suddenly regained his serious expression and I groaned inside. I was serious, Hiccup. This girl might have been waiting for you all those years and you're there smiling and saying that this is a life.

I didn't forget her! How can you tell all those things when you know nothing, I said looking straight at the sun, eyes closed. My fists were clenched and I felt the urge to punch something. I didn't like when we were talking about Astrid and our promise. It would always end up in disagreement and outcry. I absolutely hated that when Toothless and I were having arguments.

Then tell me, pleaded the Night Fury.

What if she forgot me? Maybe she's now going out with Snotlout and enjoy killing dragons. Toothless growled but stayed silent. I'm sorry, I didn't- Urg. What I meant to say is that- that maybe she got over me and all this... situation. I don't even know, I sighed and I hid my face in my hands.

You won't know until you have gone to see her.

Maybe you're right, but I still have doubts. Five years, bud. So much may have happened.

ON BERK

"Hey babe, you look truly beautiful today," said Snotlout with this stupid flirty voice.

Astrid groaned as Fish rolled his eyes, Tuff sighed and Ruff gagged. They were sat at the back of the Great Hall, eating the inedible meal. Snotlout was always the one who broke the silence, every time. There had been a lot of silence since- since. The gang had finished their training last year and were now doing the job they had chosen.

Astrid was working at the forge with Gobber because she promised herself to never hurt a dragon again. Five years ago when- something happened, the poor old blacksmith had been left alone so the woman decided to help him a little.

Fish had decided to become Trader Johann's associate when said merchant would come to Berk. The chubby man would then organize a reunion at the Great Hall and lead an auction to sell objects in a more orderly and civilized manner. He was really good at it.

Ruff and Tuff were still destroying things but it was way calmer since- he left. So now the twins would just walk around the village and suddenly start to run, yelling they just had an awesome idea. Other than that... they were still doing nothing of their future.

On his case, Snot joined the fighting Vikings even though the raids stopped years ago. Now, the weapons were mostly used to repel enemy attacks from Outcasts. The dark-haired man was still as dumb, stupid and idiot as when he was younger. All that had changed about him was that he now had a small beard and sideburns.

"I think I'm going to vomit," said Ruff as the man raised a seductive eyebrow in her direction. Yeah, that was new. Snot got over Astrid after she clearly told him that she'll never love him back - involving an axe and a lot of punches. So now, he was trying to get Ruff's heart. Poor her.

"Please, I'm eating. Can we not talk about that v-word?" complained Fish and Astrid agreed with him, giving the blond-haired twin a warning look. Said girl rolled her eyes and she put her cheek in the hollow of her elbow, leaning over the table.

"We can't even joke since Hiccu-" she was immediately interrupted by Fish who put his palm on her mouth.

"You know you can't say you-know-who's name when Stoick is here," the chubby man reminded her, slowly lowering his hand while peeking at said chief sat not very far from them.

Astrid looked down at the chicken leg she was pecking for about twenty minutes, the sadness slowly beginning to gnaw her heart alive. Since Hiccup's departure, she didn't stop thinking about him. Nothing was the same after he left Berk. If was like something vital had disappeared with the boy.

She suddenly got on her feet and left the Great Hall as Fish started to argue with Ruff. "Look what you've done!"

"You said Stoick, not Astrid!"

"Isn't she like your best friend? You should know by now th-"

The blond-haired woman slammed the doors on his back and enjoyed the silence of the night. She leaned her weight against the doors and breathed deeply. At the edge of the woods, she looked up at the moon and closed her eyes. She just wanted to relax and not to think - even though she knew that her thoughts won't leave her alone tonight again.

Sighing, she entered the forest and walked straight to the place she discovered three truths. First, that Hiccup wasn't winning the training because he had suddenly skills. He was training with a Night Fury; Toothless, she remembered - what an odd name for the most feared dragon of the archipelago. He was applying his own techniques to take down dragons in a safer and a 'without using weapons' way. Hiccup's way.

Then he explained to her that the dragons weren't what she had always been convinced they were. They weren't vicious beasts but intelligent and gentle creatures that could bring people together. When Hiccup tamed the Nightmare, that was when Astrid finally realized how significant was this revelation, how he could actually change the world! But then, everyone went wrong and he was banned for trying to stop a war - their dumb war!

Thirdly, Toothless showed them the truth behind the raids on Berk. The Dragon Island, the dragons abandoning their food - Berk's food, in fact - in a big hole, the Gronkle being eaten by this enormous dragon and then their escape. She had named it the Queen Bee because it was totally making sense. The workers were those who brought back the food and the Queen was controlling them to do so.

And then, the raids stopped. Did Hiccup manage to shot it down? Was he alright? Was Toothless still by his side? Did he get sick? Did he forget her? Was he still alive? If he was, then why didn't he already come back for her?

Finally, Astrid reached the Cove when she had met Toothless for the first time. He nearly had attacked her and he would've if Hiccup didn't stop him - she laughed. After all those years of persecution and bullying, when she should've stretched out her hand and helped Hiccup to get up after all the punches he had taken, she had just ignored him let Snot beat the shit out of him.

Life was unfair for Hiccup on Berk. She was unfair towards him. The tribe had all been wrong to hurt such a- an intelligent and different boy. The poor only wanted to be accepted and his own people has just banned him like he had never been part of the village. Cruel and barbaric.

She rested her back against a little rock where she assumed Hiccup sat. There was a drawing of Toothless on the ground and several lines were also forming trails around the rock. Maybe Toothless had imitated his rider and began to trace in the dirt?

The woman closed her eyes and slowly sighed. She wished Hiccup was still there, his lips curled into this goofy smile she learned to like through the years after his departure. She wished she had touched his hair that was looking so soft. She wished she had done so much more - like kissing him on the lips instead of on his cheek.

She was certain that the gods up there were laughing at her misery. After all, she deserved it.

But like she mentioned it earlier, she wasn't the only one affected by Hiccup's banishment. The twins were bored, mostly because they would always pay a visit to the former apprentice-smith after they had a great idea that would do a lot of destruction. The boy was an inventor - Ruff and Tuff knew and were exploiting that. When Hiccup left, they now had no one to show off their destructive devices.

Gobber stopped smiling. Everyone had seen the relation he had with Hiccup - they were like son and father. After all, they had been together since Stoick had out his son in the smithy like he was a nuisance - Astrid won't lie, she once had thought that he was too. Presently, the blacksmith was grumpy and in his eyes- there wasn't a light anymore. He had lost his sense of humor and was now talking less and less each year.

Stoick was probably the one that changed the less from everybody. He didn't seem too troubled by the banishment of his own son and the almost attempted murder on said heir by Mildew. He was still doing his great speeches and his 'cheifing'. The village wasn't really shocked by his attitude - after all, they were those who had tried to kill Hiccup by pushing him into the Nightmare claws.

Astrid stared at the starry sky and felt something humid and hot run down her cheek. She touched it and realized she was sobbing - and it had been a while because her chin and neck was all wet and her throat was tightened painfully.

She managed to wipe away her tears but on the inside, she was still crying.

Is the story okay for now? Review and vote! If there's a problem, please send me a message. :)

See ya!

(I hope my writing isn't making your eyes bleed!)