well, this is it. I can't believe after almost a year and a half, this story has finally reached its end. It's been my longest and most ambitious fic yet, and I'm so happy I got to share it with all of you! Thank you so much to everyone who faved, reviewed, and just read! And I hope you will all stick around for the future 3

This entry follows the first episode of Riders of Berk. I have had the idea of ending the story here since I started it, and its crazy to see it come to fruition. With that, enjoy Hiccup's final journal entry...

Entry 122

Something amazing happened today. Right here, on the isle of Berk, a place once famous for killing dragons, now has an academy for training them.

It all started because Mildew was being Mildew, and stirred up some doubt about the dragons' importance. Since I've been having such a hard time keeping up with everyone's requests, the villagers really started to believe his claims. So, I decided to try and set up a place to train them right in the old Kill Ring… without my dad's permission.

Anyway, the dragons got into a lot of trouble, and we ended up losing all our provisions for winter. With the people so riled up, my dad ordered the dragons be locked up then sent off the island.

Obviously, I couldn't let that happen. And it was something that Mildew said that actually made me figure out how to fix it.

"A dragon's gonna do what a dragon's gonna do."

It's not the first time I've had this idea. About using the dragons' unique abilities to HELP the village. They're excellent fishers, they can clear things with fire, they can lift tons of weight… So, I put them to work… without my dad's knowledge… again.

Luckily, he didn't seem to mind. And now… the Kill Ring has officially become the Berk Dragon Academy.

Remember that carving symbol my dad made me for my birthday? I asked if he could make it into a sign for the academy, and now it really is the symbol of a dragon rider. Going out and seeing that up there makes me more happy than I could ever have imagined.

...I've actually been doing a lot of thinking today, after we put the sign up. It's been happening a lot lately, when I open up this book to write a new entry.

I started this book as a way to escape the everyday struggles of my life, to put them into words in an effort to understand and cope. But now… I don't need that anymore.

My relationship with my dad is always improving, the village no longer sees me as a mistake, the others in my generation are my friends, and I even have a best friend.

Toothless changed my life in so many ways. He let me see the good in the world again, when I had all but given up. He made me stronger, braver, and led me to change my entire island's way of life. We're mirror images, and I know our friendship is more important to us than anything we lost in the process. We rely on each other, both physically and mentally, and I'm so grateful for everything that brought us together.

Frankly, I don't need this outlet anymore. Not when I have people in my life I can go to when I need it. Isn't that just crazy? Looking back at the person I was in the first entry of this book is like looking at a different lifetime. Honestly, it kind of was.

This book has helped me survive the last five years, and I'm grateful for it. But now, I think I'm ready to let go, and just live my life. And I owe it all to a fateful bola shot and a black silhouette.

Signing off for the final time…

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

And it's complete! Once again, I'd like to thank every one of you who've stuck around through the past year and a half.

Onward to the next stories!