Whoa, okay, so the past few days, I have been doing hardly any updates, and I apologize, but hey, here's another chapter, so that works. :) Just to let you know, there is tons more in store for this story, so don't worry. I have decided it will probably be about forty chapters, or something? I don't really know. It will be over thirty five for sure. :) Sorry about that last twist. I guess I really do too much to Hiccup and his friends, huh? But it's good. You guys know I don't really do character deaths...or...do I? Bwahahahaha. No, never mind. Enjoy chapter 34, and I want to thank all of you for all the virtual treats a lot of you have been giving me. So...HAVE SOME VIRTUAL EGG NOG (it's early, but no matter, it's a DELICIOUS drink in my opinion). I used to hate it, but now I LOOOOOVE it! :D enjoy chapter 34!

Hiccup was embarrassed.

It was enough to walk around the village with a prosthetic, limping occasionally, struggling when phantom pains hit. Whenever he walked on a hard surface, his one good foot and metal leg would make two different sounds: thump, and then clank or clunk, depending on the surface.

And now he had to use a crutch? Now it was like having three feet...or...two, since one was technically paralyzed...or did he have one, since he had a fake one and a crutch? Or was it like having two, since one was good and the other was a crutch, or did the crutch count as a leg at all, or...?

He settled for not thinking about it.

He had really hoped it would stop at the poison; not go any further. But he was wrong. Boy he was wrong. Poison was one thing, but paralysis? They were two different things; both of which he wasn't accustomed to. But if he were to choose between a curable poison and paralysis, he would have picked the poison.

Of course, the few days he was poisoned, he had felt wretched; but not being able to fly Toothless, walk without a crutch, and just walk in general without hobbling and shaking on every step was just as bad. The Valencia Poison made him feel like he was being frozen from the inside out; and being partially paralyzed really didn't make him feel much different.

It was miserable either way. A million questions raced through his mind, none of which he had the answer to: What if it was permanent? How would he fly Toothless? How could he continue leading the Berk Dragon Training Academy? How could be take role as Chief when that time came? What about when Alvin or Dagur attacked? What about when a wild dragon wrecked havoc over Berk? What about when Snotlout needed help with Hookfang (which wasn't at all seldom)? What about-

"Heeelllooo?" Astrid snapped her fingers in his face. "Hiccup. Earth to Hiccup. Come in, Hiccup."

Hiccup shook his head. "Sorry," he said. "Lost in thought."

"Uh-huh," said Astrid. "I've been trying to talk to you for five minutes. We're here."

Hiccup looked below them. Really, he wasn't too excited about hearing what Gothi had to say, but he really didn't have a choice, either. If anyone knew anything about injuries, poisons and aftereffects, it was Gothi.

Still, that didn't mean Hiccup was excited.

Stormfly landed on the platform and then allowed Astrid to dismount. Toothless roared from below them, but couldn't get up. Hiccup slid off Stormfly's back, calling to mind he couldn't use his left leg at all, and then managed to keep his balance.

Astrid went up to the door, knocked, and then waited for Gothi to answer it. Hiccup stood behind Astrid, really hoping that she would do all the talking.

Gothi opened the door and then ushered the two of them inside. Astrid let Hiccup in first, just so she could make sure he didn't lose his balance suddenly. He sat down on a bench, Astrid sitting beside him. Gothi stood in front of them, waiting for them to speak up.

"You do it," whispered Astrid.

Hiccup jumped. "Me!?" he asked. "No way."

"You're the one who has the problem!" said Astrid.

"But that's exactly why I can't do it!" said Hiccup. "It's so creepy!"

"Do it anyway," said Astrid.

"Yowza!" said Hiccup. "You're so demanding!"

"Just do it and get it over with," said Astrid.

"I can't do it!" said Hiccup. "This is ridiculous!"

Gothi stared at them, gesturing to both of them, asking them silently to figure something out. The bickering seventeen-year-olds were wasting her time.

Hiccup coughed awkwardly. "It's all yours, milady," he said.

Astrid whacked him.

"Ow!" Hiccup winced. "What is it with you and the punching!?"

"THAT'S for asking!" she whacked him again.

Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll explain it," said Hiccup.

"No, I want to now that you put up a fight about it," said Astrid.

"Fight? What fight?" said Hiccup. "I'm partially paralyzed!"

And there it was. He hadn't meant to blurt it out like that, but he had.

"After effects, I assume," said Hiccup. "Of the Valencia, anyways. Is there something you can do?"

The elder paced back and forth until finally she nodded, almost uncertainly. She wrote something out with her staff, and then stepped aside to let Astrid do her best to translate.

"She says..." said Astrid, squinting at the "words", "that there is a surgery-"

"WHAT!?" Hiccup was on his feet (or, foot, more like).

"Let me finish," said Astrid. "She says it could or could not work. She won't know until she tries it. She says if she doesn't do it soon, your paralysis will be permanent."

"But...HOW!?" Hiccup nearly shouted.

"Don't freak out," said Astrid.

"Freak out!?" Hiccup said. He ran his free hand through his hair. "I'm not freaking out are YOU freaking out? No I'm just very very intrigued at how the thought that maybe possibly my paralysis is permanent and I just don't understand the entire concept of the entire thing and I don't see how possibly Gothi could fix it because Valencia poison is deadly and poisonous and I just don't understand the concept of the entire mechanism and I just-"

"Hiccup, you're rambling," said Astrid.

"I ramble when I'm scared!" said Hiccup. "Does my Dad even know about the whole thing? How am I going to explain!?"

"Hiccup, you're freaking out," said Astrid.

"FINE you win I'm freaking out!" said Hiccup. "Are you happy now?"

"Hiccup, I will tell your father," said Astrid.

"It's not just that!" said Hiccup. "The whole thing is crazy!"

Gothi wrote more out with her staff and stepped aside to let Astrid translate.

"Hiccup, she says that in a few days, it will be too late," said Astrid. "We have to tell your Dad now, and then come back as soon as that's over with. Don't worry."

"Worried?" Hiccup asked. "Worried, I'm not worried, are you worried?"

"Yes," said Astrid. "I'm just as worried as you are. Come on, we have to talk to your Dad. We'll be back in a little while, Gothi," Astrid called as she and Hiccup left the building. "Just a little while!"

She and Hiccup mounted Stormfly, and then headed off to find Stoick. Hiccup didn't know how he was supposed to tell his Dad...