Welcome back, dear readers! I split this in two separate chapters because it was getting ridiculously long and I couldn't stand delaying the update any longer.
I may write a short epilogue too, we'll see. I just want to finish this fic already so that I may continue with the sequel and other projects. But obviously, it's me, therefore it will take a while. The sequel for this story stretches about 15 chapters, out of which 4 are done. It's going rather well I think.
As for the 'Fairy Tail/How to Train Your Dragon' crossover…I decided not to give up on that. I've tried to search for more stories like this, see how they've done it but it's either a premise that I wasn't a fan of or the writing wasn't too good. Which is why I want to make this crossover the best it could be! I want to finish the whole story, maybe have a beta reader go over it and then publish it. But this is going to take a whole lot longer.
Well, enough about that! This is what you all came here for! Enjoy!
I don't own 'How to Train Your Dragon', the movie franchise or the books. That would be Dreamworks and Cressida Cowell.
In that moment Hiccup considered himself to be very lucky. He had people who cared for him more than he could have ever believed. All his life he had his father and Gobber, neither of which did well with feelings, and especially with a child so far from the Viking norm. His father believed in 'tough love', and while it worked on him as a kid, as he liked to remind Hiccup, it definitely fell short for him in particular. Gobber was a God sent. If it wasn't for the blacksmith, he and Hiccup would have had the ugliest of falling outs years ago.
Now he had Astrid. Or that's what he liked to think. The young shield maiden proved to be a solid rock to lean on during this whole trial. As many times as his brain malfunctioned every time she closed the distance between them, having her steady presence and reassuring words helped bring a calm over him that both excited him and made him think clearly.
She became a constant and he didn't want to consider the possibility of never having her near. Their hands were still touching, and as awkward as he thought it was getting, he didn't feel like pulling away. He didn't want their connection to go away after this was over. But as always he had to prepare for everything, no matter how painful it was. And he would have if her hand didn't hold on and drew him back where it was.
EXT. BEACH OUTSIDE THE NEST/ NIGHT
The foggy sight of the tranquil water is perturbed by the slow drifting of a funerary ship. Embedded in a piece of wood are two arrows. Snotlout's hand is shown taking them out.
Astrid fought to keep her composure. It wasn't for her, she kept telling herself. It was for the hurting boy she came to unexpectedly care for in the past hour. It was so odd…She had never thought much of Hiccup yet in such a short span of time she felt like she knew him inside and out. She wasn't sure why, but for the first time in forever she finally saw the real Hiccup and she liked what she had seen. Flaws and cracks and everything.
So in this time where he was at his lowest, Astrid wanted to help him. Just like he helped her without being asked, or confided in her without a second thought. He was a good person, a worthy person to pay attention too. Her heart strummed with regret for her assumptions and behavior in the past. She wanted to make things right by him. Once and for all.
GOBBER
May the Valkyries welcome you and lead you through Odin's great battlefield.
Gobber takes an arrow and a bow and hands them over to Hiccup who is watching the ship float away.
GOBBER
May they sing your name with love and fury so that we may hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla and know that you have taken your rightful place at the table of kings.
Gobber blinked the tears away. In the almost silence of the room the smith tried to be proud, even with the muffled sniffs and sobs carried over from the back as the scene everyone expected but dreaded began. Stoick died protecting. Stoick died a hero and his soul would always exist and be celebrated as the ferocious warrior he lived as.
He turned to look at his still alive Chief. Somehow sensing it, Stoick returned the look. And smiled. Gobber wanted to punch him.
The blacksmith lets his hand fall briefly over the young man's shoulder in a show of support, then leaves him alone in front of a pit of burning splinters.
GOBBER
For a great man has fallen…a warrior…a chieftain…a father…a friend.
Hiccup glances at the bow, a tear sliding down his cheek. Behind him, Gobber is also crying as he finishes the eulogy.
Hiccup takes a deep breath and moves the arrow head closer to the hot timber where it catches fire. He draws the string back with his right hand, aims and shoots. The burning arrow hits the bottom of Stoick's resting place upon the ship.
On the shore, the rest of the young riders, Eret, Gobber and Valka also raise their own burning arrows and release them. They whiz through the air and hit the ship setting it on fire. The screen shows a white cloth covering the Chief's body and his helmet resting on top of it before the dark smoke slowly covers it.
A slow clap began. It was a humble send off for someone of Stoick's status. Even with Berk on the doorstep of destruction, everyone was happy to have seen the funeral, as small and short as it was.
Stoick almost wanted to wave at them from the front and sarcastically say 'I'm still alive, just so ye know'. He swallowed the words and just went with it. The quicker they moved over this, the sooner they'd focus back on Drago and saving Berk.
Hiccup watches from the beach with a heavy heart.
HICCUP
I'm sorry, dad!
Astrid also keeps her eyes on the ship but despite her straight back and confident stance she was just as affected as Hiccup. Fishlegs, the twins and Snotlout are wiping off their tears and glancing with sorrow as the fog and fire consume their late Chief.
The rest of the teens watched the procession in silence. For all the headaches and troubles the twins brought to Stoick, seeing him begin his voyage to Valhalla was slightly depressing. Sure, Hiccup was still around to mess with but he was, pretty much, they're acolyte, whether he knew it or not. While Tuffnut was trying his hand at being morally supportive for once to Snotlout, Ruffnut was again watching them.
At this point she was sure Astrid wasn't even aware of what she was doing. She seemed to be so comfortable with touching Hiccup, she didn't even realize the implications that people saw. Ruffnut may have been daft half the time but she knew what girl touching boy with hardly any thought indicated. Hiccup was smart, and he more than knew what was going on in his own head, but Astrid, bless her naïve heart, had no clue or care of what others would believe.
She was so lucky to have a friend like her. The only thing that kind of deterred her from helping out was the fact that Astrid would absolutely set Hiccup straight. Therefore, no more explosions, no more random fires and no more unconscious Vikings dropping down around the forge every now and then. Things would…ugh…be quiet and Hiccup would be boring.
She hated boring people.
HICCUP
I'm not the Chief that you wanted me to be, and I'm not the Peacekeeper that I thought I was…I…don't know…
Valka is sitting silently further off but she comes closer to her son, a look of pain and regret on her face. She hesitantly touches his hair, running her fingers through, as the ship finally erupts in flames over the water.
VALKA
You came early into this world. You were such a wee thing, so frail, so fragile. I feared you wouldn't make it. But your father, he never doubted. (She puts her hands on Hiccup's shoulders as she faces him.) He always said you would become the strongest of them all, and he was right. (She raises his head with a gentle hand and then places it over his chest.) You have the heart of a chief and the soul of a dragon. Only you can bring our worlds together. That is who you are, son.
Valka lets him break away from her and follows him with her eyes as he steps closer to the sea, the light of the fire flowing into the fog and blurring the line where water and sky separated.
HICCUP
I uh…I was so afraid of becoming my dad…mostly because I thought I never could. How-How do you become someone that great, that brave, that selfless? I guess you can only try.
Hiccup swallowed dryly. He's heard that before, Hel, even from his own uncle, Spitelout, during drinking meetings with his dad. At some point, Stoick stopped defending him and wearily listened and stayed silent as Spitelout would go on and on about the Chiefdom and Snotlout growing ever bigger and stronger, never smarter.
It was never a secret that his birth was controversial, but Stoick has always been there to buffer the worst of it. When Hiccup lost that privilege, he believed it was only a matter of time before the hammer fell. Now, however, coming from his mother's mouth, the words were just words. It was a truth and it was who Hiccup was.
The chances were against him from the beginning, but he learned to prevail, to continue despite what people said or thought of him. Hiccup couldn't say he knew who he was yet, but he was starting to see the blurry outline of an answer. His mother's words were comforting and he was pleased to hear them, but they were heavy because he realized what followed.
He turns to the others with a resolute look.
HICCUP
A chief protects his own. We're going back.
Stoick nodded. One of his greatest gripes regarding his son was how boar headed he could be. It was beyond frustrating to watch so far how hung up he got over Drago, some of the reasons, he guessed, was because Stoick said no. The boy simply enjoyed going against him most of the time.
But it was moments like this, when Hiccup was quiet and there was an unwavering spark in his eyes when Stoick remembered Valka. This was the son the made Stoick the Vast proud, no matter how many ice blocks he needed later. This was the Viking that he taught could crush mountains, level forests and tame seas.
Astrid smiles proudly.
TUFFNUT
Uhh…with what?
RUFFNUT
Uh, he took all the dragons!
HICCUP
Not all of them!
"Uh…what? Did you miss the last ten minutes? Well, I suppose you would, considering your dad just died." Tuffnut muttered.
Snotlout growled. "Dude, I'm not the best at it, but it's called not putting your foot in your mouth! Stupid!" He stressed his point with a slap over the blonde's head.
"Ow, I know it's stupid! Why would I even do that? It sounds unhygienic."
Everyone around them face-palmed.
INT. ICE TUNNEL IN THE NEST/ NIGHT
Between two glaciers, small chirping forms move in the background. The view turns frontal and we are faced with a cluster of baby Scuttleclaws while Tuffnut and the others yell due to their erratic flight. The little ones go around the narrow ice walls until the bunch is seen from behind and then above.
Hiccup smiled tiredly. Behind him, Astrid huffed half a laugh.
"No way…babies?"
"That's a unique way to make an entrance…." He said, thinking of Drago's baffled face as he would see them coming.
"Well, I think we all need a bit of comedy."
He glanced at her, feeling the edges of his mouth turn down. It didn't last, as every time he looked at her his heart soared with all those good feelings. It was still quit lessened when that fleeting though of Drago reminded him of Toothless. Yeah, that was also an issue.
RUFFNUT
FLY STRAIGHT, WILL YA!
FISHLEGS
I don't wanna die!
Tuffnut shakily pushes his helmet up as his red hatchling wobbles in air.
TUFFNUT
We can't fly these things!
FISHLEGS
Yeah, no kidding!
Fishlegs and his blue one crash in a snow drift and go straight through it. The flying snow hits Eret who ends up dangling upside down from the dragon's slender neck. Hiccup and Astrid lead in the front, their flight slightly more stable than the rest.
"The fact that you're willing to fly over the open ocean on that really proves how much you've gone over the deep end in the next few years, Hiccup!" Fishlegs commented. Just watching the chaos made him queasy.
"Oh? And jumping midair off a Night Fury that can't fly on his own doesn't?" Astrid said.
"I'll give you that! But, Toothless is one adult dragon. These are babies! They can barely flap their wings in a straight line."
Hiccup let their argument wash over him. He closed his eyes and tried not to look at the other side of the room. He wasn't going to find Toothless there, he was certain of that. There might not have been a strong bond between them, but the way the dragon reacted throughout the whole experience made him realize that the way he was feeling things was much more intense than humans. Toothless must have been devastated. And as irrational as it was, Hiccup felt guilty about it.
ASTRID
But won't that Bewilderbeast just take control of these guys too?
HICCUP
They're babies! They don't listen to anyone!
TUFFNUT
Yeah! Just like us.
"Hah, you just called yourself a baby!" Snotlout smirked.
"Yeah! A baby dragon! Which is more than the baby chick you are!" Sneered back Ruffnut. The twins cackled, banging helmets.
"Oh yeah, easy prey baby chicks. So dumb!"
Snotlout gritted his teeth.
"Really cute though…"
GOBBER
This is – oh! (Both him and the baby bounce off the wall) – very dangerous! – woah! (The next hit sends them spinning back and down.) Aaaahh!
"Ah lost an arm and a leg. Why do ye keep torturing me?" The blacksmith heaved a sigh.
Hiccup deadpanned not a beat later. "If you would stop assaulting my ears every once in a while, I'll think about it."
"I thought ye liked my singin'!"
"I do wanna finish early sometimes too."
They split up around an ice bridge blocking the way and regroup quickly, Gobber flying unsteadily beside Hiccup.
GOBBER
Some might suggest, this is poorly conceived!
HICCUP
Well, it's a good thing that I never listen.
Stoick was worried what that line could mean for their future.
Gobber yells as pillar suddenly splits the tunnel, forcing the group to divide on either side.
GOBBER
So! (He starts talking during the holes in the wall that's separating them.) What is your – plan?
HICCUP
Get Toothless back and kick Drago's – (A wall conveniently cuts him off.)
"Now that's more in line with the Viking way." Astrid nodded, at which Hiccup mumbled.
"That's not even a plan."
Gobber looks ahead, tilting his dragon up.
GOBBER
Head up!
As they regroup, once again there is a bridge of ice.
HICCUP
Aaand that thing…
Hiccup and Astrid easily go around it but Gobber and his dragon bump into it, denting the ice.
GOBBER
Aaw!
A resounding groan filled the room.
"That's what ye get for charging me extra." A random voice came from the back. Gobber was none too pleased.
EXT. OVER THE OCEAN, BERK/NIGHT
The view moves at a steady pace towards a sleeping Berk.
While the sniggers and chuckles of the Vikings died down, on the other side of the room, the dragons were in turmoil. Stormfly was attempting to pacify everyone but her voice was ignored. Hookfang was huffing and puffing with anger, however, his swinging tail and the licks of flames sparking over his skin showed his apprehension at the situation.
Meatlug did not do well with stress. If it was possible, she was sure she could have devoured a mountain in her current state. Barf and Belch were far from smart, but they still had some innate survival alarms which were going crazy so far. But it wasn't like they could anything about it so they let others worry instead, and just sat there waiting.
Toothless was so far gone in his mind, he might as well have disappeared back to their world. There were no words or sounds or gestures that could describe the amount of shame that slammed on his wings not even ten minutes ago. If the Moon would strike him down, he would be eternally grateful, never mind the cowardliness such thinking entailed.
The young Dark-Scale refused to come out of his hiding. His fellow dragons crooned and nudged at him in support, and they were kind enough to allow him to settle under their wings and tails in the back of the crowd, but the only thing that Toothless felt was ire at their sympathy. He did not want to be comforted. He wanted to be alone, to feel the embrace of the sharpest gale and the spitting cold of the waves as he would dive in the ocean to numb his hurt. Not even from the Nest had Toothless wanted to flee so badly. And here he was, running away from a human who said mean words to him. Guilt and resentment fought viciously in his heart.
Yes, he was to blame for being weak!
No, nobody could go against an Alpha's will!
His human was upset, he did not mean what he said!
Why would a dragon of his standing care about a human anyway?
Why was Hiccup so important to him?
They never talked, they never touched, they never interacted except fleeting glances and a similar sense of thrill and adventure. He has been a loner his whole life, a pillar of strength and subdued rebellion in the Queen's ranks. As a Dark-Scale he didn't need anyone. Others needed him! The only reason why Hiccup caught his eye was his ingenuity. He proved himself a dragon in human skin and that was unique.
But his independency wouldn't last. He saw with his own eyes the missing fin. He saw Hiccup's willingness to help in the form of a complex system that allowed Toothless the chance to return to where he belonged. If it meant flying, he didn't mind the thought of a rider. As demeaning as some made it look, Toothless was beyond their insignificant opinions. The only thing he cared about was the sky. It wasn't much for some, but for Toothless it was the Moon itself.
Yes, he and Hiccup had no bond to speak of. But as fate showed, it was only a matter of time. Hiccup was a dragon waiting to be freed. Toothless was the one meant to introduce him to the world and the freedom it held. As little as they've done together, Hiccup was important. He saw the potential in his own eyes and in the future.
There was no reason to blame Hiccup for his behavior. All dragons knew humans were emotional creatures. Toothless had to be the mature one and take responsibility for his action. Even if it wasn't his own action.
He would still wait a bit more.
The two Viking totems rise above the waves when a low rumble starts and the stone structure on the right crumbles to dust.
In her house, Gothi sleeps under a mountain of Terrors. As one, the small dragons awake, and they all suddenly flee, leaving the old woman to look after them confused. She follows them outside and recoils when something catches her eye.
Somewhere else, a man is happily rubbing his Gronkle's belly.
STARKARD
Ah, that's a good boy.
The gronkle stands up, pupils shrinking as he flies away, bumping his head on the door.
STARKARD
Watch the furniture. Where are you going?
A wave of shivers ran through the mass of dragons. The hypnotic hum of the Alpha was getting louder, announcing his approach of the island.
The man follows the dragon outside and gasps. All over the village, people are going out. Spitelout is standing in front of the Great Hall and watching as every dragon takes to the air and gathers around the dark, spiny creature that towers above their heads.
The massive dragon roars and Drago appears, victorious.
Toothless snarled softly. Enslavement wasn't enough for the man, he had to add further humiliation as well. Being the stead for such a loathsome person made his blood boil and his fire burn hotter with temptation.
DRAGO
Your chief is dead!
HILDE
Stoick?
MAGNUS
S'not possible.
Watching the gathering crowd from on top of Toothless, Drago speaks.
DRAGO
No one can protect you now!
Drago swings his staff and the Bewilderbeast rears his head back. His breath unleashes cold, icy air over the village until the whole screen turns blue-white.
A wave of gasps followed that action. The Viking population was crumbling under stress and fury, while the dragons wisely decided to hold back their reactions. It wasn't like they had much hope left. Toothless was at a loss for a solution. The only challenger for Drago's Alpha was gone. There was no salvation, none of the remaining dragons were powerful enough to stand up to a Behemoth.
He could admire Hiccup for trying. From the bits and pieces he caught, his stupid, brave rider was on the way to stop them. But his heart faltered with doubt and fear. As much as he proved himself to them, there was no way for him or his flock to hold their ground, never mind succeed. As much as he tried, Hiccup was still a human. And there was only so far Toothless could expect him to go.
So he made himself comfortable. The shame was gnawing at him less now, but not enough to show himself just yet. The tragedy that would befall the Vikings was close but blind hope and desperation made them continue. It was beautiful to witness, yet baffling. However, they never gave up the battle with them in so many cycles, so it was foolish to believe they would now. Such was the tenacity of humans.