I guess I was a little too vague in my last chapters end note haha. This story isn't quite done yet.

I feel like the skip from Hiccup becoming chief to the dragon race finale would be too jarring to read... So what happened between that time skip? I decided to write some of what could have happened, just like I did with the first movie.

Hope you enjoy!

Ch 24: Whatever Comes Next

It's late. The village has long gone quiet, with the lucky ones returning to their homes, and those who were less fortunate finding refuge in the Great Hall.

We, being one of the fortunate families, could have returned to the Haddock house tonight, but Hiccup insisted we stay in the Hall. He claims it's to look over his people, but I know there's more to it. I won't press him though; if he wants to talk, he will.

A lone fire crackles in the hearth, casting long shadows in the dimly lit building. A few Berkians are still up, sipping tea (or mead, who really knows with these people), but the majority of the room is asleep.

My own human is sitting at one of the tables, facing the sea of blankets and bodies, an unreadable expression on his face. He takes in a long breath, eyes scanning over the group, before he stands and leaves the building. I wait a while, thinking maybe he just went to check on his mother back at our house, but he doesn't come back. So, concerned, I push open the Hall door and step outside as well.

I see him immediately. He's sitting on the steps outside, halfway between our house and the Great Hall, arms wrapped around his legs and head turned up to the sky. Quietly, I make my way to him, so I don't startle him, and just sit by his side, not making a sound. For a minute, he doesn't either, and we're just alone in our thoughts. So, I look up at the sky too, taking in the stars and the moon. I can even faintly see the Bïfrost Bridge, as I learned the humans call it, and begin to watch the colors shift as the Valkyries march on… And wonder if Stoick has gotten his chance to cross with them yet.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hiccup's voice asks. I just croon in agreement. It returns to silence for some time before he speaks again. "What do we do now, Toothless?"

I don't know. That's the thing about life; it's often unexpected. From something as simple as a spilled drink, to something as life changing as a fateful bola shot on a dark summer night. And, as much as I'd like to say I do, I've learned that I can't have all the answers.

"It's up to me, isn't it?" I look over at Hiccup, unsure of exactly what he's talking about. I tilt my head, and even though he's not looking at me, he senses my confusion. "To fix everything. The village. The people. The… the memory of my father."

Oh. That's what this is about. I turn my gaze from Hiccup to the town. Even in the moonlight, Drago's destruction is still clear. Buildings and homes, reduced to splinters, spikes of green tinted ice littering the land… it's a mess.

"I mean, I always have at least some kind of idea on what to do. But right now, I feel… useless. What… what would my father do, Toothless?"

Knowing Stoick, he probably would jump right into rebuilding the town, and knowing Hiccup, he would do the same. He may not want to acknowledge it, but he and his father were more alike than they claimed. As for everything else… I don't know. I might be Hiccup's best friend, but I have no power over his people. Only he can lead them, and only he can ultimately decide what to do going forward. But for his father… I look around the area, my eyes coming to rest on a spot of stone beside the Great Hall. An idea coming to me, I nudge Hiccup's shoulder.

"What is it, Bud?" I motion toward the stone, getting up and walking over. Hiccup follows, and I drag my claw against the rock, making an indent in it, then motion to him. "Sorry, Toothless, but I'm afraid my nails aren't that sharp," he jokes, because clearly he doesn't understand what I'm trying to say.

Frustrated, I wrack my brain for a way to make him understand. "Wait here," I say, slipping back into the Hall. I quickly find what I'm looking for, and bring it to my human.

"Our portrait?" He asks, taking the painted shield from me. "What about it?" I point my nose at the image of Stoick and Hiccup, then claw at the wall again. "You think… you think we should carve a memorial?" I nod. Hiccup looks the stone up and down, before he turns back to me, eyes filled with emotion. "I think that's a great idea, Toothless." He wraps an arm around my neck. "Thank you." I purr in response, sitting back down. Hiccup follows suit, and we return our gaze to the stars once more.

I scan the skies, taking in every point of light, every wisp of cloud… and trying to imagine the former chief among them.

"You know I'm not mad at you, right?"

I look back at Hiccup, but his eyes are still focused on the sky. I croon quietly, waiting for more.

"I didn't mean to push you away. I was just hurt, and I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry. What happened… it wasn't your fault, Bud. I just need you to know that."

I look down, taking in the words. It's always amazed me, how Hiccup can forgive just about anything without even thinking. I don't even think that I deserve his forgiveness, at least not yet. But here is my human, still very much grieving the loss of his father, yet able to confide in the very creature who caused it all. It's just another reminder of how lucky I am to be Hiccup's friend, and I wouldn't change him for the world. So, despite the guilt and self-loathing that still lingers inside me, I know we'll be okay. Because if Hiccup can find the courage to say that it wasn't my fault, then maybe I can too, eventually. Sighing, I lay my head on his lap, feeling his hand immediately begin stroking me.

"You know, Toothless… I think I can do this. I wasn't sure at first; I always thought I just wasn't cut out to be chief. But I'm starting to wonder if I was wrong. Do you know what made me think differently?"

"What?"

"It was you. You changed my mind. When you faced down that Alpha, the same one that had used you just minutes earlier, it was like I was watching a different dragon entirely. I've never seen you so determined, so full of fight, so- so confident before. And it was all for me. You were fighting for me. It made me realize something, Toothless. You would do anything for me, and I… I will do anything for you. You made me a leader. And I know you're going to be there for me through whatever comes next."

I close my eyes; it's a lot to take in. It's true, when I was staring down the Alpha, that my motivation was Hiccup. But I didn't know that he realized that, and I definitely didn't know that realization was what gave him the confidence to accept his role as chief. And I will be there through whatever comes next.

He was wrong about one thing, though: I didn't make him a leader. Hiccup has always been one; we were just too caught up in our fears to see it. No, if anyone taught anything, it was him to me. I didn't make Hiccup who he is, I just helped him to see it for himself. And I didn't face down a dragon hundreds of times my size, winning Alphaship and saving my island because I was confident. My confidence came from the thought of losing my human, after everything we went through. No, I didn't make my human a leader.

But he definitely made me one.

Two chapters left! (Maybe 3, idk. Trying to decide on that)