Chapter Three, Conversations in Meta.

AN:

Something I just came up with to pass the time and ease the strain of working on serious stuff like Stranded, Trust is Earned and Greenhorn. It is also inspired by my good friend Literally, who brought up the topic and got it stuck in my head.

Like any good plot bunny, I can't unstick it, and so this story is, or was, born, from a temporary excess of free time and my own curiosity.

"Do you ever wonder," Hiccup began one afternoon as he was sitting with Astrid and Toothless on the rocks of Raven's Point, legs kicking in the breeze over a drop hundreds of feet down, "if the world is real?"

"Real?" asked Astrid.

"Do you have dreams?"

"Well, of course."

"And there are people in the dreams. But do the people in the dreams ever realize that they are in a dream?"

"Of course not," said Astrid. "They're not real people."

"Then I'm wondering if we're real people," said Hiccup, and at Astrid's raised eyebrow, said: "If, and only, if, we happen to be the real deal and not someone's imagination, how do we know we're the real deal?"

"Well… It should be easy, right? The sea beneath our feet is real. The ocean breeze is real. Toothless is real."

"Your punches feel real," said Hiccup. "But they might not be. Another thing. Your feelings feel real to you, but nobody else can see them. At least, I'm assuming that, like me, you have feelings and you act on those feelings and you're not.. how do I put this?"

"An animal?"

"I'm assuming that other people think, mostly like I do. But I don't know other people think, even though people tell me they think, that could just be them reacting to my question and saying they think but not really thinking about my question, just saying what comes to them like animals, not people."

"But the same goes for me talking to you," said Astrid. "I think I get it now. I know, or I think, or I feel, that I am real and that I think, but I can't be sure that you are real and think and feel because I'm not you."

"Crazy, right?"

"I.. never thought of that. Somehow I don't want to think about that, because it's just too big of a concept."

"Ahhh. What if the world is only someone's imagination, or dream, and that's the someone imagining you imagining that you don't want to think about that?"

"It can't be. Then you wouldn't want to be thinking about it either, and you're the one who brought it up."

"Good point, but you wouldn't know," said Hiccup, hand poised under his chin in thought.

"But if the world is someone's imagination, how does the person imagining the world know that he's not someone else's imagination, and that that someone else is imagining him imagining us?"

"It's like the tunnel of a Whispering Death. A maze. The farther down you go the more lost you get."

"If the world was someone's imagination," said Astrid, "I'd axe whoever was imagining the world."

"Am I giving you a headache?" asked Hiccup, familiar with Astrid's moods.

"Depends on your definition of headache. Who knows? Maybe my headache is metaphorical."

"I hope not."

"But we can't be sure."

"Well, if we're talking about it we're aware of ourselves. Maybe we aren't someone's imagination after all."

"You know what would be really interesting?"

"What?"

"Imagining people who are talking about whether or not they are someone else's imagination, dreaming about people who wonder if they're in a dream."

"Whoa. So now if we're really being imagined, then at least we can say that we're imagining somebody else."

"Just one more tunnel in a world of tunnels."

"Well, if the world is a bunch of metaphorical tunnels – call them nesting dolls. If each little world is a world nested in another world, in another world's imagination, then we're not at the top. If we aren't imagining people having this conversation right now, and in a world of many imaginary worlds that would definitely be happening, that means there aren't enough worlds below us for that to happen, so we're probably nearer the bottom. Does that make sense?"

"Barely," said Astrid. "You're talking faster than Toothless in a dive."

"But think! Anything is possible. Other worlds that exist, other places, things we've never heard or dreamed of!"

"Or," mused Astrid, "We could be real people talking about silly stuff like this and never know it."

"Yeah," said Hiccup, and there was a pause. "Well, there's nothing to clear up our minds like a flight on dragon-back. That's what I came up here for anyway – look, Toothless is getting antsy."

"Please don't tell me you're going to leap off his back on purpose again like a mad lad."

"Hey! It's fun."

"Your enthusiasm is definitely real."

"It wouldn't be good enthusiasm if it wasn't. You coming?"

"Just to make sure you don't get into trouble and kill yourself," said Astrid, mock-grumbling, but there was a sparkle in her eyes that had nothing to do with the bright sunlight.

"Relax, I'll be fine. It's a good day. What's the worst that could happen?"

Oh Hiccup.

Not more than ten minutes later...

"NOT FUN! NOT FUN AT ALL!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!"

"Fine! You almost died!"

"Almost, but I didn't," said Hiccup, pulling himself into the harness, a happy grin on his face. "Someday I'll probably regret this -"

"When you've broken all the bones in your back," muttered Astrid under her breath.

"But right now it's awesome. Hey Toothless, would you mind if I give it another go?"

"Never do that again! Never do that again!"

"Right now I'm thinking about a flight suit that'll let me glide while I fall."

"Never again!"

"Does your fear feel real?" asked Hiccup, shouting over the wind. "Ow!"

For Astrid had slapped him.

I hope you liked the story.

I also hope you guys don't mind leaving a review.

Cheers! - From B. Avar, and until next time.