DISCLAIMER: So out of curiosity, who all out there has even been reading these things all this time, ha! Sigh…I can only just dully say one more time that I don't own the rights to HTTYD, as my 'creative disclaimer' well has finally run dry…must've been a Whispering Death. ;-)

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Boundless

PREVIOUSLY: "Yeah, yeah…you and this useless reptile, too!" he amended with a mock eye roll, and Astrid echoed his laugh with an affectionate ruffle of his auburn mop.

"You know it, babe," she grinned, and together the blonde and the brunet climbed atop their dragon companion's back, Hiccup holding tightly to Sharpshot while Astrid held tightly to him. A nod from them both was all it took before Toothless swiftly transported them back through the forest on foot, pausing only long enough for Astrid to retrieve and secure the rest of her belongings before he then rocketed into the sky, headed toward Berk and the young couple's finally fulfilled promise of a new, wonderful life together.

Epilogue

Much had changed in the several months – approaching nearly a year – since Astrid and Hiccup had freed each other from their respective forms of captivity at the hands of Viggo Grimborn…and miraculously all for the better after so much heartache.

But, like all journeys with a destination worth waiting for, none of it had exactly occurred in the blink of an eye…and neither had the young couple's journey home.

They had been only too happy, of course, to finally put Reaper Island – and all the horrors its inhabitants had wrought – behind them, and they did so as fast as Toothless's wings could carry them. After a couple of hours in the air, though, it could no longer be ignored that Hiccup was maybe not quite up for a nonstop flight. Her grip around his midsection tight, Astrid could feel every shudder of his muscles and every slight list his weakened body made…and after one too many of them, she'd firmly informed Toothless that he needed to land as soon as possible – despite Hiccup's numerous, insistent protests that he was "fine". Several more minutes had gone by before the Night Fury found an ideal spot for all of them to rest, the unoccupied dot of land in the middle of the ocean thankfully at least large enough to boast some areas of lush green, rather than just the unforgiving hard rock of most sea stacks.

It was amidst this vegetation that the dragon had landed, and it was here that Astrid had helped Hiccup better recover from his blood loss, searching out a source of fresh water – which came in the form of a small babbling brook recently refilled by clean rain – and then leading him to it so he could replenish the fluids his body needed. Toothless had participated in the recuperation efforts as well by diving underneath the ocean waves until he was able to snag a large fish by its tail, promptly returning it to the female human so that she could prepare it in a way that was more edible for her and her mate. And while the blonde did so knowing that she'd never been the best of cooks, it had been good enough to tide her over and – more importantly – to aid Hiccup further in regaining more of his strength. The day had ended with Astrid spreading out a quilt pulled from amongst her personal belongings, the soft woven material providing a pleasant cushion for her and Hiccup to lay upon as the boy's eyelids began to grow heavy. Pulling him close, she'd stroked his hair and hummed a nameless lullaby she'd heard from her mother, already feeling like she'd come home – despite the many miles between them and Berk – as her beloved fell into a gentle, healing sleep safe in her arms.

Sunrise had found them all refreshed and ready to go again, and this time they had gone until their final destination was in sight…nearly exactly a full forty-eight hours after they'd left Reaper Island. But upon arrival to Berk, the dawning of a new issue had become immediately apparent and vitally important – what to do with Toothless. Fearful that someone's eagle eye would spot a dragon on the horizon in a timely enough manner for the Hooligan Tribe to take arms against them, the cautious couple rather quickly decided not to take such an upfront approach. That determined, Astrid had directed them to Raven's Point, just beyond which lay Berk's own tranquil little cove which she knew could serve as a perfect, comfortable hiding spot for the Night Fury. Hiccup had instructed Toothless to stay put, and the faithful dragon had obeyed in knowledge that his human friends knew what was best for him – especially on an entirely human-populated island.

From there, it had been just a manageable walk through the forest for Hiccup and Astrid – with Sharpshot in tow – to the village she hadn't seen in far too long. The blonde found herself thanking the gods when the first people they encountered had happened to be two of her friends – the crazy yet well-meaning Thorston twins, out for a riotous round of yak-tipping. Tuffnut had practically ran circles around her, whooping and hollering that the chief's daughter had returned, while Ruffnut had stood there with her mouth gaping like a fish, stare locked on what had to be the most attractive boy she had ever seen grace their humble heap of wet rock. It was only when a flirty gleam and sly smile began to creep onto the female sibling's countenance that Astrid had decisively shooed both twins off, ordering them to find her parents and have them meet her at the village's edge.

Mere minutes later, rapid sets of footsteps preceded the harried arrivals of Argo and Enid Hofferson. The blue eyes of the Hooligan chief and his wife had been wide with shock as they met those of their daughter…their precious girl that they had never expected to see again so soon, and certainly not bearing such a happy grin.

"Hey, Dad…Mom. I'm home again," she had whispered, and that had been all it took before her parents had come rushing forward to engulf her in warm, infinitely relieved embraces. After tears of joy had been shed on both sides, questions had naturally arisen…where was Viggo, how had she gotten away from him, why were her clothes ripped and bloody, was the island in any danger…and was she home to stay. Astrid had patiently answered them all with satisfactory responses – although some of them involved necessary lies and fabrications for Toothless's sake – and they had shared more happy hugs and smiles before their daughter had broken away to coax something – or someone – from the shadows behind one of the buildings.

The older Hoffersons had stared in silent surprise and curiosity upon seeing a young man with a mop of reddish-brown hair, stunningly green eyes, and a tall, slim frame step into view with his hand clutched tightly in Astrid's, clothes just as torn and bloodstained as hers were. Hiccup had been tense with apprehension as she'd then summarily introduced him to her parents, his gaze falling nervously to the ground before he had ultimately remembered Astrid's lessons about eye contact in the days that they'd first come to know each other. He'd peeked shyly up then through his bangs, looking into the azure orbs of both the chief and his wife – so similar to Astrid's that it had put him at greater ease – and given them a small, sincere smile as his beloved started to tell their story…again omitting any parts concerning their reptilian friend, of course.

The elder couple's uncertain demeanors had steadily begun to thaw as their daughter fleshed out the details, finding it impossible to ignore all the love her expression held every time she had stolen a glance at the boy. And when she had finally finished the incredible tale, the way the brunet had bowed to them respectfully and earnestly – letting them know that it was a great honor to finally meet them – had broken any ice that remained. The young man had been a hero and blessing to their daughter just as she had been those things to him, and with that in mind – let alone those big emerald eyes gazing with such openness and kindness into theirs – Argo and Enid Hofferson had officially and warmly welcomed Hiccup to the Isle of Berk with, respectively, a solid handshake and a grateful hug.

The young couple had then been escorted back to the chief's house – fending off inquisitive onlookers and excited shouts the whole way – where they'd both had their wounds professionally checked over by the village healer Gothi…who, if she'd detected any dragon saliva during the examinations, had thankfully stayed as mute about the discovery as she stayed in day-to-day life. Much to the youths' further relief, they were allowed after that to clean themselves up and change into fresh clothes, with Hiccup having been given new ones that actually belonged to Astrid's older brother. The garments had been a bit too big for the slighter male, of course, but still better than his bloodied, torn light green tunic which Enid had immediately dropped off to one of the village's best seamstresses – her good friend Valka Haddock – to be washed and mended if salvageable. She had returned to then prepare a hearty meal for her daughter, Hiccup, and even the boy's little orange cat, which the trio had happily partaken of to the delight of their nearly empty stomachs.

Later that evening, Argo had done his own part by calling a village meeting in the Great Hall, praising the safe return of his daughter as well as the boy who had such a crucial part in it. Hiccup had blushed bashfully as the chief's audience cheered him, the red only spreading at the interspersed wolf-whistles and catcalls from an assortment of rather bawdy ladies – Ruffnut naturally included. Furious, all-encompassing glares from both Astrid and her mother, though, had quickly put an end to such brazenness. It had easily become clear to any and all watching that the Hofferson girl had won the boy's heart, and that the feeling was entirely mutual. Even Astrid's protective older brother Erik had relaxed his guard after meeting Hiccup for himself, and his jubilant applause had joined that of the crowd – save for one malcontent that neither surprised nor concerned anyone – when Argo had offered the former slave a home and citizenship on Berk…which Hiccup had accepted with a dizzying mixture of awe, elation, and another solid shake of the Hooligan chieftain's hand.

As Astrid had expected might happen, her father's right-hand man and confidant, Stoick Haddock, had offered to temporarily accommodate the newcomer in the spare room of his home until something more permanent could be arranged…but to the young blonde's great satisfaction, that had turned out to never be necessary. The giant of a man and his caring wife had rapidly taken a shine to the orphaned boy, and within weeks, Hiccup had become to them like the son they'd never been able to have – a perfect mix of Stoick's steadfastness and Valka's kindness in the way he tackled problems and interacted with others…not to mention even remarkably similar to them in appearance with his auburn hair, green eyes, and a slender frame akin to Valka's.

By the time a month had gone by, the Haddocks had drawn up plans to extend upon the spare room and provide a more adequate living space for the young man and his feline, a project that was easily achieved in the span of the following month with the help of Stoick's lifelong pal Gobber, who was also the village blacksmith and often oversaw construction of buildings. Hiccup, however, had assisted them as well, displaying impressive intelligence along with an immense talent for drawing and inventing…all of which had soon enough landed him a steady apprenticeship and job in Gobber's forge.

It was through this procured position that Hiccup had also become more familiarized with Astrid's friends, leading to him and Fishlegs bonding over their mutually geeky sides and the twins being thrilled by all of his crazy ideas and contraptions. Beefy and prideful Snotlout had been a tougher convert, though, reluctant to accept the fact that he had lost his original dream girl – an unwanted distinction that Astrid had suffered through ever since her childhood – to the lanky new kid in town…but resentment had eventually been replaced by respect the better he got to know Hiccup, and ultimately even reverence once the younger man had introduced him to a mighty Monstrous Nightmare dragon, which Snotlout came to christen as Hookfang.

But just a little before Hookfang, there had been Barf and Belch, the twins' two-headed Hideous Zippleback.

And along with Barf and Belch had come Meatlug, the sweet-tempered Gronckle belonging to Fishlegs.

Stormfly, however, had come before all of them – a lovely, light blue Deadly Nadder that was as perfect for Astrid in personality as she was in looks. Their friendship had been cemented quickly and deeply…

But it would never compare, of course, to the unbreakable bond shared between Hiccup and Toothless…the latter being the first dragon in history to peacefully set foot in the Hooligan village, and the former being the first ever dragon rider and trainer.

The ex-slave and the chief's daughter had decided to reveal their biggest secret and the final, integral part of their story to Valka first – no more than a week into their arrival – as the unconventional woman had always been rather sympathetic toward dragons. It had turned out to be a wise choice as she not only didn't rat them out, but even ended up accompanying them when they snuck off on their daily visits to Toothless in the cove, easily establishing her own camaraderie with the Night Fury as well.

The following week, Valka had confided in her good friend Enid, and together at the end of the first month of Astrid's return, she and the two matriarchs had confronted Argo and Stoick with the truth about Toothless while Hiccup had gone to fetch his faithful dragon. The chief and his second-in-command had been unsurprisingly incredulous at first; when Astrid had said that she and Hiccup "hitched a ride" to escape Reaper Island, it was a hospitable ship that both men had pictured…certainly not a hospitable beast if there were such a thing!

But upon meeting Toothless – who obligingly retracted his teeth to initially better live up to his name – with Hiccup safely on his back, the fact that good dragons did indeed exist had ultimately become impossible to deny. Another town meeting had been called in which he and Astrid were first granted permission to shelter Toothless in the cove without fear of molestation…an allowance that, with more conferences, gradually extended into allowing him into the village within another month and finally even into Stoick and Valka's house – much to the joy of Hiccup. It was soon after he had become such a fixture in the village that the Night Fury set out on an unknown journey, and his best human friend along with Astrid had just started to worry that they'd never see him again when he had finally returned, several days later…but with a fellow, scaly companion in tow.

That companion had been Stormfly, drawn out of the mass hiding that all of dragonkind had imposed upon themselves for their own good – save for Toothless and a few others here and there – by the promise of something better. And Berk had indeed proven to be better – for both humans and the dragons that chose to emerge alike – as two species that had once hated and warred against one another eventually learned to live in a sizeable measure of harmony and affability…all thanks to Hiccup and Astrid.

It was also because of the tireless efforts of the young couple that there were no more slaves on Reaper Island…a long process that had – with the political and more professional help of Argo and Stoick – finally come to full fruition. Berkian delegates that were hand-selected by the chief had seen to it that they were all settled in new locations, with the ex-slaves themselves making the final decisions on where they wanted to go. A few had chosen Berk and were welcomed there, others had chosen the Peaceable Isles where they were also welcomed, and some had even chosen to make new lives on the mainland. Hiccup, in particular, had been exceptionally instrumental in his advocacy to free the less fortunate, and the Hooligan chieftain and his wife couldn't have been more impressed by the huge heart their daughter's beloved had – completely sure of the likelihood and content with the knowledge that this would be the boy she would one day marry, especially rather than Viggo.

And as for the horrid man's tribe itself…things hadn't fared so well. Astrid had wasted no time in informing her father of Viggo's sixteen-year charade in passing off Hiccup as his younger brother, and while the Berkian leader in no way blamed the boy, he had been absolutely livid with outrage at the deceit wrought by his late fellow chief. So had other tribal rulers once word had gotten out further – particularly Dagur the Deranged when he'd learned his name had been forged in a fake summons – and between numerous threats of war and the state of flux and anarchy Viggo's death had left them in, the once powerhouse warmongering Reaper Tribe ended up as a shell of itself, giving leeway for the newly more influential Hooligan Tribe to do said work in liberating the slaves. Inevitably and especially after losing their subjugated workforce, the increasingly floundering group didn't last much longer before it dissolved into ultimate nonexistence…with Scythe and his flunky Mort having been the last to leave the island's shores.

By the time Astrid and Hiccup had visited mere weeks ago on the backs of Stormfly and Toothless, Viggo Grimborn's once proud village lay in ruins. His fortress had been razed to the ground as a final purging of evil from the island, the rest of the buildings abandoned to nature and its elements which had already started to take over. It had been nearly a year of hard work, but it was at last ensured that the Reaper name would only go down as a blight in history, with all that remained of Hiccup and Astrid's captors reduced to a painful – but essentially triumphant – memory…

For it was in the midst of that pain and suffering that they had found each other.

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeah, baby!"

And it was alongside each other that they now soared through the clouds, on one of Berk's warmest and sunniest days.

"Haha!" Astrid chortled genuinely, shaking her head in fond amusement at Hiccup's antics as he and Toothless rocketed past her and Stormfly. Blessed with such unusually beautiful weather, she had shed the shoulder and arm guards from her customary attire in order to better enjoy the warm rays against her skin. She was also able to better enjoy riding her dragon, she mused, ever since the addition of the custom-made saddles that Hiccup had crafted for all of the riders.

Stormfly caught up to the boys soon enough as Toothless had stopped to hover just front of them, and Astrid took advantage of the calm moment to drink in the sight of her beloved. He wore a new light green tunic and dark green leggings, an improved version of his old outfit that had been created by Valka's magical seamstress touch. Swirling golden embroidery edged his sleeve openings and neckline instead of frayed fabric, with a belt and lacings made of fine tan leather rather than scratchy burlap and twine – making him look more like the appreciated Berkian citizen he now was rather than the abused slave he had once been. The handsome new duds hadn't come with a new 'do, though…his hair was still the same wavy, wild auburn mop that Astrid loved, her two little braids ever present behind his right ear just the way she'd always ensure they'd be.

Feeling suddenly mischievous, the blonde looped around on Stormfly until she hung upside down, close enough to Hiccup to reach her hand down and give one of the tiny plaits an impish, attention-grabbing tug. He looked up with an adorable gap-toothed grin in response, and Astrid couldn't have fought the next urge that came over her if she'd tried.

But there was no reason, of course, for any such effort… she was entirely, hopelessly, irrefutably, and one-hundred percent shamelessly soft and sweet on that boy. She wouldn't have it any other way.

And so it was with zero resistance that – with her upper body still dangling from Stormfly – she stretched her neck down just as he tilted his face up, allowing their lips to meet in a deep, mid-flight kiss that left them both nearly breathless with profound affection and contentment.

Her need sated, Astrid then righted herself and her dragon before giving Hiccup a playful smirk. "Race ya home, babe!" she challenged with a wink, the Deadly Nadder she rode obediently jetting forward with the Night Fury following closely behind.

"You're on, milady!" the brunet boy called back in acceptance, and another fun competition was subsequently begun between the two youths whose hearts would only ever belong to each other, no longer prisoners to darkness thanks to the brilliant light of the boundless love that they shared.

-o-o-o-o-o-END-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Wow. YOU GUYS…just, ah, give me a moment…it's always a little surreal when something you've worked on for months upon months is finally done and dusted!

But done it is.

To be honest, I typed the last sentence in this story sometime 'round about December of last year, then I added the disclaimers and author's notes, THEN I proofread it – oh, I dunno…at least once a week every week up until the last week of THIS APRIL, and then sat on it for another couple of weeks before taking the plunge and posting. *sheepish grin* Insane? Possibly (but only the fun kind). Insanely perfectionist when it comes to making art of any sort? DEFINITELY.

But, there you have it, my fellow Dragonites! I really hope you enjoyed my first foray into this fandom's fanfic (whoa, too alliterative?), because I most certainly enjoyed the journey and I absolutely don't plan for it to be my last. Actually, well um…don't look now, but…I kinda get the impression a lot of you may be thrilled to know that this story just might, one day…*dramatic drum roll*…have a sequel. *cymbals crash*

Aha, YES INDEED, you read that right…in fact, I even have a rough outline for it already jotted down –just please keep in mind, though, that it will of course take some time to complete. I am far from the fastest of writers – it's one reason why I wait till my fics are entirely written before I start posting them! – and there are still a lot of blanks to fill in. BUT, I do have the main idea as well as how it will begin pretty firmly in mind – there was a quick hint dropped in this epilogue for any who want to go back and play detective! – and while I certainly can't guarantee a release date right now…I can definitely assure you that I'll try to work on it as much as possible in the near future.

In the meantime, I also have a couple of ideas for shorter episode tags/what-ifs that are set in the RTTE universe…particularly Season 4 which was AMAZING! So I hope y'all will come back for those as they come.

For now, though, my sincerest thanks to all of you who read, favorited, followed and reviewed! I really had no idea I would get such enthusiastic feedback, that so many of you would love the story to the degree that you do, and that makes it so bittersweet to finally wrap it all up…the teary-eyed sniffles are no lie! But it sure has been a real blast – one that any dragon would be proud of – for me to bring this not-so-little fantasy AU of mine to life, and even more fun to share it with readers who share in the HTTYD-love.

And just to give a heads-up, I'll be leaving for a camping vacation this weekend, and even right now I'm fighting to post this amidst packing madness, LOL – so if I take a while to respond to your final reviews, that's why! No internet where we're going, haha. But I'll be back and catch up with y'all then…and I'll be back as a writer, as well!

So stay awesome, friends…till we meet again next fic! :-D

-PsychicWonderKitty