My Brother

Pairing; Hiccup X Astrid

Setting; Normal HTTYD

Rating; M for Mature

Disclaimer; I do not own the HTTYD movies, Riders of Berk, Defenders of Berk, and Gift of the Night Fury, or the Netflix series Race to the Edge.

We're Going Back

=Hiccup's POV=

I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact I had an older brother! I was overjoyed, and at the same, I was ticked that my parents would tell me about it. Einar wasn't just some kid who got exiled from the Archipelago for treason; he was the first-born son to Stoick and Valka Haddock, and Einar was technically an Heir to the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. However, since he got cast out, I was next in line to assume the throne of Berk. Well, we'd see how long that lasted when everyone found out that I had harbored a Night Fury on the island; that I befriended, trained, and ride it too. Oh, yes, I'm sure that would go down real swell. At that point, they might consider me more a traitor than they do Einar because he only refused to kill Shadowflame. I did a lot worse than that, and in truth, I could be put to death for such a crime. However, I wasn't afraid to die for this cause. Killing dragons was wrong, and even if it cost me my life, I was going to show them all the truth about dragons.

I have been with Einar now for two months; my arm was healed, and so was Toothless's tail fin. During all this time, I've gotten to have with my elder brother; we've been talking about our pasts and learning about one another. My brother was still over the moon that I was engaged to be married and said countless times that he wished he could be there to see it happen. Also, Einar one or twice mentioned wanting to see Mom and Dad again. It wasn't hard for me to figure out that he missed being home and prayed for some miracle that he could come back. Of course, it wasn't so simple and added to the fact that Einar had a justified anger towards the Tribe and other Viking inhabited islands. Einar told me about it; that they never gave him a chance to explain why he didn't want to kill Shadowflame. I understood too. Explaining to a very stubborn group who have been at war for Thor only knew how many years with the dragons was no easy task to complete.

I kept running over in my head what went wrong with Einar and how he got exiled from the Archipelago. From the story I understood, Einar recognized that Shadowflame was injured and weak during Einar's final exam for dragon training. Einar simply refused to kill Shadowflame because it was wrong to take another life as he was not Odin, the all father. The only reason Einar got cast out was that he let Shadowflame go. I couldn't grasp that reasoning to be marked a traitor and banished from the Archipelago with the warning of immediate death if Einar ever returned. All Einar did was have a mutual understanding for one another, and that ultimately saved Einar's life. Einar released Shadowflame because the Vikings would kill him in Einar's failure to do so and then Shadowflame came back and protected Einar from certain death. Now, the two were the best of friends as Toothless and I were. I had to think of something; there had to be a way for me to make the Vikings understand that dragons weren't dangerous.

Honestly, I felt like my only chance was to return to Berk and show them with Toothless. However, if it failed, I would be in the same situation as Einar; cast from my home and the Archipelago. I would probably never see Astrid again or have to sneak into the village, and that would be stupid to try because Thor knows that they'd be watching closely for any Night Furies with a rider. In another sense, it would work out because Astrid knows the truth about dragons too and she would side with me regarding the matter. At the same time, I feel they would cast both of us out. Would that be so bad? Not really as we're already engaged to be married when I return. I knew that I would, there was no questioning that. I promised Astrid that answers or not; I would come back to her. The question remaining was if I'd be allowed to stay after I revealed everything about having a Night Fury that I ride and that I found Einar Haddock, discovering that he's my older brother.

"Hiccup? Where are you?" I heard Einar call.

"My room, Einar," I replied to him. Yes, I had a room in the spot Einar was staying. I guess that we're in a large cave and Einar used the last twenty years to make it a suitable, and safe living space. Outside of the Archipelago, most people didn't mind dragons which made it easier for Einar to have Shadowflame pull the small boat into port so he could get supplies and as I also have come to learn, there is a trader ship sailing around who comes to Einar with things he could need. I believe his name is Trader Askel, or at least that's what I call him.

"Hey, how are you and Toothless feeling today?" Einar asked as he knocked on the wooden frame of the room where I was staying, then he moved the blanket, which acted as a door.

"We're feeling great. Toothless's tail fin is healed, and I think my arm is too, doesn't hurt at all," I told him.

"That's great to hear," Einar smiled. "I guess you'll be going back to Berk soon, huh?" he looked away a bit.

"I'll have to at some point, I promised Astrid one year," I reminded. Einar sighed some. "Hey, I'll find ways to keep in contact and visit you, brother. There's no way I can just…put this behind me. A-and don't forget that I promised to teach you how to fly Shadowflame, so I'm not leaving right away," I added quickly.

"Eh, you don't gotta worry about me, little brother. Shadowflame and I don't need to fly," Einar chuckled a bit.

"Well, even so, you should at least learn, Einar. I never thought I'd ride dragon back, but it's amazing," I informed with a smile. "Let me teach you, think of it as more…brotherly bonding. Besides, once you're up there, you'll never want to stop. It's…exhilirating,"

"More time with my little brother? Well, I suppose I can't say no to that. Alright, Hiccup, teach me how to fly," Einar nodded.

"We'll start first thing in the morning," I stated. This was going to be fun, and it gave me more time to think of a solution to the current problem; how to get everyone to see the truth about dragons. The chance was slim, but if I got them to see things as they really were, maybe the Chieftains would re-vote to let Einar back in the Archipelago, and we'd all be a family again. I need to think of something; I wasn't going to lose my brother, and when I got back to Berk, my parents were getting an earful about not telling me who Einar is to me.

{A Month Later}

I knew that I could have taught Einar how to fly Shadowflame in less time, but I honestly wanted as much time with my elder brother as I could get before my remaining one-year was up. As it stood now, I have been gone from Berk for nine months, with three left before my promised return to my beloved Astrid. In truth, I was only returning for her. I was still upset even three months later after meeting Einar, that my Tribe and family knew who he was to me and never said a word. And when I confronted them about the piece of paper I found about Einar, they still refused to speak and tried to act like it didn't matter. I felt…betrayed by them in a way and have been lately second guessing myself about being their next Chief. How could I lead so many people who did what they did to me. Hell, even other Chieftains refused to tell me and honestly, what Einar did, wasn't that bad. If anyone did something worthy of being cast out, it was me.

Einar Haddock, my older brother got exiled from the Archipelago by vote of the Chieftains for simply refusing to kill a wounded dragon and letting it go because the fight was not fair and Einar felt it wasn't his place to take the life of a creature he did not create because he was not Odin. Me, though, I shot down a Night Fury, wounded it, and had a chance to kill it, but I refused. Instead, I befriended Toothless, and helped nurse him back to health. Moreover, I learned how to fly him, and so much many more tricks that helped me in dragon training. I basically cheated training because I knew their likes, dislikes, fears, how to play with them, and I used all that to avoid hurting dragons. I wasn't a dragon killer and upon returning to Berk, I refused to kill the Nightmare in the ring. I would not do it and somehow, I had a feeling that neither would Astrid. My point is that I did much worse than Einar, the only difference is that I never got caught.

"Hiccup? Oh, Hiccup? HEY! Snap out of it, bro!" Einar's voice brought me out of my thoughts as I looked from my dinner to Einar sitting across from me. "There ya are," he chuckled a bit. "Are you okay? You just faded out for a while on me when we were talking about how you saved Astrid and started your relationship with her,"

"I'm sorry, Einar. I guess I got lost in thought about returning to Berk," I admitted.

"You probably shouldn't put it off anymore, little brother. Your betrothed is waiting for you, so is your future," Einar smiled.

I sighed. "It won't feel right, Einar. Gods, it doesn't feel right to know that all you did was refuse to kill a dragon and let it go because the fight wasn't fair and I have done so much worse with Toothless. I actually harbored a Night Fury on the island, befriended and have ridden on his back during flights. If anyone deserves to be cast out, it's me. And…how can I go back? It's not fair to Toothless that he has to stay hidden a-and when I become Chief of the Hooligans-," I began to ramble about not having time to just sneak off into the forest for a late night or first morning flight with my friend.

"Hiccup, Hiccup, calm down. You're a smart guy, you'll think of something. Try not to panic so much about it," Einar reminded.

"All I can do is…tell them the truth, or try to show them. I mean, come on. They saw mutual respect between a human and a dragon with you and Shadowflame; and they saw you save him, then him save you. I'm sure they were shocked and surprised to see a dragon protect you because the Tribes believe that is not in a dragon's nature so they have to know to a degree that dragon's aren't as bad as they thought," Hiccup informed.

"That may be true, Hiccup, but the fact is that not all dragons are this easy to control. In both cases for us, our draconic friends were wounded and needed help that we were able to provide because we understood what it's like to be defenseless," Einar stated.

"I was able to do it in training, Einar. Things I learned with Toothless helped me in dragon training. Like, knowing they are afraid of eels, I managed to push a Zippleback into it's cage because I kept an eel under my vest. Terrible Terrors are easily distracted with shiny things, uh, dragons have a pressure point that I used to subdue a Nadder, and there's this special kind of grass that relaxes them, I used that on a Gronckle. People saw me doing that in the wrong, it's how I was named training champion who won the honor of killing the Nightmare in the ring, even though that hasn't happened. The saw that there are other ways than attacking with weapons to handle a dragon and if I could just…show them everything, I think they'd come around," I said quickly.

"And I believe that perhaps, you can be the one to change things, Hiccup. I just want you to be careful not to get banished too because you've got a future there as Berk's next Chief, okay? You've got what sounds like a beautiful young woman waiting for you, someone you can settle down and have kids with to carry on the tradition of a Haddock ruling the Tribe. If you get cast out, you'll end up in the same position as me; alone. My choices cost me everything, Hiccup. When I was living on Berk, I had the love of our parents, of the Tribe because I was the Heir. Hell, there was even a girl I was madly in love with and hoped that when I started my training for Chieftain of the Tribe, she would be the girl I took as my wife. Now look at me, sitting a two-day flight, according to you, from Berk outside of the Archipelago with nothing more than the dragon I befriended, and if I step one foot back in, any of the islands can put me to death. You got lucky, nobody but Astrid knows of Toothless and you can still have a normal life there, a future there. I don't want to see you end up like me," Einar said.

I understood what he was saying, he didn't want me to lose everything over my choices. All of this only made me want to show the Tribes the truth more, because if I got them to see everything, then maybe they could turn over their decision about Einar. My brother would…get to come home and live the rest of his days with everything he thought he lost. No, this had to end. It wasn't just a coincidence that Einar befriended a dragon, and then I did the same thing twenty years later; there was a reason all of this happened and it was so my brother and I could change things.

"No, Einar. It's not coicidental that two brother, meaning me and you, have the same connection with dragons. It happened almost the same way that you and I met a dragon we understood, befriended, everything. Tell me the truth, you can't imagine your life now without Shadowflame," I asked him.

"Well, no, I couldn't. Shadowflame is the best friend I ever had," Einar admitted.

"And Toothless is that to me. Two people, same bloodline, same situation regarding dragons; we both have seen the truth, my girlfriend gave me a chance and she sees it too. Einar, this has to stop now. Don't you understand? You and I could change everybody's outlook on dragons, we can end the war. You and I can do it together, you could get to come home, brother. You have to come back with me," I said quickly.

Einar's eyes widened. "Hiccup. No, I can't. They will kill me on sight, and you t-," Einar began.

"No, they won't, Einar. I swear they won't. This…war with the dragons, we can stop it together. I can get through to everyone, but I can't do it alone. I need your help, please? We can stop this, we can show them the truth and bring peace to the Archipelago. We can do it together," I told him with my hand out. Einar stared at me a few seconds before he smiled and connected his hand to mine.

"Yes, we can. You're right, this has to end," Einar nodded in agreement, then we hugged. "So, what's the plan?" he asked afterward. I only smiled and told him to give me a couple days, he agreed and then we continued to eat our dinner.

'We're going back,' I thought happily. I couldn't wait to see Astrid again, and I had no idea how I was going to do this yet, but I would figure it out. One thing was for sure, my brother and I were going back to Berk together to end this war and bring peace between the dragons and humans.