Another Beta-Read by TheWangY!

- The Past, Sub - Berk

Hamish The Second, no, Hiccup The First rushed toward the village's entry with his dragon and the best catapult he ever made. He adjusted the crank, lever, and then signaled for his Thunderdrum to fire a fireball into the payload. They shot a few ships down as they had gotten horrifyingly closer to the island.

Only a few of the Enemy ships were sunk, it didn't stop many of them from getting on the island, it didn't take long for his dragon to run out of his fire. Hamish quickly hopped on his dragon and tried to defend the village with the sonic blast, but.

BOOM!

A purple plasma blast sent the man flying right to a leg of the stone arch. The Thunderdrum looked up at the Night Fury in anger, it had a young rider on it, but at the same time a weird collar with purple goo around its head.

Luna roared in anger as her family struggled to hold her back. Hiccup couldn't help, but felt sympathetic toward his ancestor and the dragon.

The Thunderdrum that cooed sadly at its breathless rider, barely even noticed the young snow-haired man approaching him from behind with a sword.

Everyone flinched in horror as they watched the man's sword grow longer, and sever the Thunderdrum's neck.

The Vikings tried sniping to defend themselves after the enemy finally got inside the village, but with dragons on the armada's side…

"Ahhhh!" Randi and her dragon turned to the final scream she heard before her comrades and their dragons melted on the ground.

Hiccup The Second threw his bow away after he used his last arrow, running towards his wife. It's only him and her now, he knew there's no chance of winning, but at least, he hoped he won't die alone.

Randi pulled out her last ace, the makeshift bomb her husband taught her how to make. The Deathly Galeslash simply nodded at her rider, accepted their fate, and then lit it up after the Deathgripper had gotten close.

Stromfly squawked in horror and desperately tried to shield her rider with her wings. Astrid held her dragon gently, letting her best friend know that they still have each other.

The blast sent everyone back with a white flash, including Hiccup. He didn't know if he gods were trying to have mercy on him or torture him as he hid in a corner after the enemy thought they had gotten rid of everyone. He couldn't feel the pain on his left foot after that blast took it, but Hiccup The Forgotten had just lost everything.

Present Einn mewled guiltily as he watched the pain he put his rider through. Viska gently rubbed her upset mate with her wing, and placed her forehead onto his. He had made a foolish decision, but that was when he was young and inexperienced, he must know that he can't judge it from his 50 moons life.

Hiccup The Forgotten crawled his way into the ruins of his house. The roof no longer exists, and the wall would probably only buy him a few minutes. The young man pulled out a paper off of his chest plate, and then started writing. He fooled the letter and tucked it under a leg of his table after he finished.

Crawling his way toward the exit, and then reaching the end of his balcony. The golden sunset caressed his face as he smiled. It should have ended there, but a dragon landed behind him.

"Well, well, where is your best friend now?" Young Grimmel mocked.

Hiccup laughed back, "Safe from you.".

"So you both have really discovered it." Grimmel smiled triumphantly, "If you tell me, I might spare your life.".

Hiccup turned around with a victory smile, "Sure, let's book the schedule for this talk."

Hiccup The Forgotten closed his eyes and threw himself off the cliff, which he had done many, many times, and Einn was always there to catch him. This time it would be only him, but since he was alone, maybe it's his destiny to die alone too…

- Sub - Berk, Present.

The barrier cleared itself and the past dusted away with the smoke after the crystals dimmed… and died. Everyone looked around, trying to understand what they just saw. Einn rushed to his old home, and lifted the table up, taking the letter into his claw. Hiccup unfolded the dirty letter, and then started reading out loud.

"I shall never know how long it had pass

But thank you for finding us

I was blessed to know a dragon's love

And that dragon has become my purpose

Our stories spread believes

And I hope we'd be the voice of peace

But as a remote island, the more we gain

The bigger target we became.

But no matter what, I want us to live on

Even our friendship has already torn

Thank you for finding us

As a Hiccup, I know you've earned a dragon's trust

I beg you, don't ever give up".

Einn closed his eyes, and finally let himself break down in tears. It's his fault, he thought there was no point to keep on fighting, and his best friend paid the price for him being a coward…

And in the end it was for nothing, his Hiccup would be alive, every life here would be if he just bought them with him, or at least tried asking for help from Hinn Faldi Heimur. But he didn't… he didn't even give it a chance.

Stormfly refused to let go of Astrid, traumatized by what she just saw. Hiccup looked down at his prosthetic leg next to Toothless's red tail fin, and then at Viska and Luna who tried desperately to console the crying dragon.

They mirrored each other's bonds in many ways, and even though Einn and his rider might have come close, Hiccup knew they'd never have what he and Toothless had.

Hiccup remembered the last thing his father said the day he found Hamish the Second's treasures. Toothless got down from the stairs and nudged him after his father told him the story of Hiccup The Forgotten.

Stoick put all the stuff back, "You know? I thought this story of them would die when I'm gone, because no one really needs it," He chuckled, "But… maybe you'll need it.".

Hiccup smiled and rubbed Toothless's head, the dragon leaned into his touch… confirming to each other that they still have each other. 'Thank you, dad. I do need it.' Hiccup looked at the distraught Light Fury, and then slowly approached him.

"I'm sorry about your friend, I know you didn't want it to end like this," Hiccup knelt before the crying dragon, "I replaced his tail, but I can't replace him. I did all this for Toothless."

The Night Fury tilted his head, what does his tail have to do with Einn's? Is it another proving myself or another metaphorical project? Toothless thought as he slowly followed behind his friend, but still kept distance from Einn.

"I used to think of sending him away, sending all dragons away." He corrected himself, "Seeing how much it hurts you, how much it would hurt everyone, this is my way of atonement. I never met him, but I can tell how much he meant to you." He wiped away Einn's tears, "I am not him, but as a person with a best friend I know he'd ask the same question I will ask my best friend: Do you regret our friendship? Are you glad that we're friends?"

Toothless's face grew soft as a smile curled up on his face, not his signature gummy, but a gentle curve of his mouth. *I regret nothing* He knows Hiccup knows, and he'd gladly do everything over again if these 6 amazing years are just another epic dream…

The tiny knife sawing through the bola ropes, the pinning pounce on the scared human's fledgling. The blood rushing to his face as the ground was coming close, then a hand yanging his tail open, sending them both up in the air.

Hiccup chasing him around with the new prosthetic held up above his head. Many failed zooming above the water, and then under chin scratches that sent him to valhalla. Turning around to see Hiccup's reaction when Astrid held him, and burying her chin into his shoulder as they flew. The sheen of dew in his best friend's eyes as Astrid failed to hold him back when the Vikings separated them. Taking the first steps together toward the door after their reflecting lost.

Nuzzling Valka's years later after the Ice Battle and losses. Watching his best friend pulling Astrid into a kiss for the million times. Gothi tracing a symbol onto Hiccup's forehead, and then the blast of celebrations in the sky.

And lastly, not very emotional, but important, the black auto-tail that got them both this far… He loves their friendship, and forever will.

"You don't have to answer me," Hiccup said to Einn, "This is the last thing I have left of your best friend," Hiccup pulled out the ripped drawing, "Hiccup Haddock the Second, my granduncle.".

Einn smiled at the drawing, and rushed back to his best friend's old bed, pulling out an unburnt wooden chest. Hiccup opened the lid, it was filled with many things, but he knew what he needed to pick. Reaching his hand towards another torn piece, and then placing it with the piece he had… reuniting the young man and his dragon.

Hiccup and Toothless smiled as they flew above the sea with Astrid and Stormfly next to them, and the Royal Family behind them. Toothless chirped at him to look at Einn who was flying with his family. The male Light Fury reached one of his wings toward his mate's. Hiccup smiled and rubbed his best friend's head.

A lot happened today, Einn's first flight outside The Hidden World, finally seeing the ruins of Sub-Berk that his father told him about, and realizing the true purpose and meaning of that story. Astrid looked at him, and he smiled back with a nod. These people crawled, so we could fly, they deserve honor, and a proper funeral. I will make sure that it's not in vain, Hiccup thought as he looked at Einn.

Then with a flap of the male Light Fury's wings, Toothless's and his eyes went wide at the sight of a young man on Einn's back. A gentle smile grew on his face before he disappeared with another wing's flap. Hiccup and Toothless quickly look at Astrid and Stormfly as The Royal Family clearly didn't see what they just saw. Astrid and Stormfly nodded back at them with a confident smile.

And with that, everyone had their eyes ahead and smiled as New Berk finally came into view.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope "the past & present" of Sub-Berk parts weren't too confusing.

It was very, very hard writing the part after Einn left, and the consequences that came after that because I don't want to villainize him. He might seem like a jerk, but he's just an impulsive young dragon who didn't know better. I'm pretty sure every living creature has that phase in life when they felt rebel-ey insecure and scared of missing chances of big things.