Still Beta-Read by TheWangY
- Blacksmith Shop, New Berk
The sun has set by the time they landed, the Royal Family looked around in awe, except Luna who already had her regular visit.
"Welcome back, guys!" Eret greeted the riders and their dragons, "And good news, Astrid, we've finished the arena, wanna go take a look?".
"Yes!" Astrid replied immediately, "Wanna tag along?" She turned to Hiccup.
"There's some stuff I have to get done, but I'll catch up later." Astrid nodded at Hiccup's reply, "Gobber! Grump! Can you show the King and Queen around?" Hiccup turned to the man and the dragon.
"*Sure*!" The two answered excitedly.
"This way, your majesties." Gobber eagerly led them inside the plaza, "You've not visited Berk yet if you haven't tried Dragon's mead.".
Hiccup and Astrid took off their dragon's saddles. Toothless licked Hiccup's face after the prosthetic was off, and then rushed toward the plaza with Luna. Hiccup picked up the saddles and Toothless's prosthetic, then gave Astrid a kiss before he left.
Stormfly nudged her rider toward Eret, they won't fly, but a walk together to the new arena would be nice.
- New Berk Dragon Academy
Eret pushed a massive iron gate up at the entrance of the stone arena. Astrid and Stormfly walked past the gate, and stepped onto the arena floor. The Colosseum aesthetics were still there, but less tense and way less intimidating.
Astrid looked around contently, she did, she did it! Stormfly nuzzled her in congratulations. She wished everyone is-
"Hey! Do you mind if we decorate?" Astrid turned around at the sound behind her.
Ruffnut and Fishlegs already stood at the entrance, holding a fancy portable feeding station. Tuffnut and Snoutlout displayed their new collection of shooting dummies proudly, and the dragons were here too! Except Barf and Belch, apparently.
"Sure! Get in, guys!"
The Riders cheered as they moved their stuff inside, and the dragons explored around curiously. Then Toothless and Luna entered the arena with Barf and Belch.
"Barf!" Ruffnut rushed to hug her dragon's head.
"How are you guys doing, Belch?" Tuffnut smiled at his dragon.
The twin dragon nuzzled their riders. Then Hiccup entered the arena with rolls of papers in his arms.
"Glad everybody's here, we have a new project." Hiccup unrolled the scroll, and everyone looked confused except the ones who went to that island with him today.
"Why build a memorial on a new island?" Ruffnut asked.
"And why name it Sub - Berk?" Tuffnut joined her.
Hiccup rolled his eyes as he rolled the paper back, yes! He had a pity name, he named a Night Fury 'Toothless', and the Bewilderbeast 'Snowy' after Alvin handled Drago, but that doesn't mean he's that hopeless!
"I didn't name it, that island is a few minutes west flight." He explained.
*Wait, are we talking about that Island?* Barf asked Toothless.
The Night Fury nodded, *They're Berkians, the first Berkians that rode dragons.*.
"They deserve a proper send off." Hiccup finished.
The Riders and The Royal Family left New Berk by dawn, and hovered to get an entire view of Sub - Berk.
"What's your plan?" Fishlegs looked at the fallen land with sympathy.
"Snotlout, Astrid, clear off the ashes, take out the trash, and salvage the ruins." Both Astrid and Snotlout nodded at the command, and flew down, "Ruff, Tuff, you guys will come with me, and Fishlegs," Hiccup turned to the nervous man, "You'll be in charge of this place's history, interview Einn, study the ruins, and record everything.".
Sunlight caressed the remains of the fallen village after Stormfly and Hookfang flapped their wings. Astrid and Snotlout went inside the ruins and started collecting stuff into 2 separate piles. There are only 10 buildings, a barn, an armory, 7 houses, and what might be a canteen… or a gathering place.
Hiccup and the twins sorted the skeletons of the fallen riders and extinguished dragons, and started planning the designs of the tombstone as Hookfang and Stormfly melted the junk clean.
Fishlegs carefully took note of everything Einn said as Barf and Belch hung out with Aurora and her foreign rider.
*You'll like Wisła, The Vistula, that river connects the sky to the land every evening!* Aurora said excitedly.
"Możesz do nas dołączyć, jeśli chcesz zobaczyć więcej, często podróżujemy." Linda offered, Barf and Belch nodded.
The riders tilted their head curiously at the mysterious language as Toothless shook his head and chuckled.
*Thank Njǫrd telepathy works in all languages.* Toothless commented.
"So you guys can understand her, and she understands you both?" Hiccup asked curiously as he and the twin were carving the tombstone.
*Yes, she's hearing us speaking Pólskt at this moment as you both are in Norse.* Luna explained.
"Yeah, I guess that explains why Skullcrusher seems to understand Eret when speaks another language.".
Luna turned to look at her parents as Fishlegs were taking notes of what they said, then turned back to Toothless and Hiccup.
*May I talk to him?* Luna gestured Toothless as she asked Hiccup, *Alone.*.
Hiccup nodded calmly before Toothless and Luna flew off.
- Forest, Sub - Berk.
Toothless and Luna landed on the grassy field not far from the construction, but far enough for a private talk. Her blue eyes avoid his green, sending butterflies into the Night Fury's stomach.
*So…, um, is everything alright?* Toothless asked nervously, sensing that what's on her mind was beyond serious to her.
*Thank you for being honest to me on that day.* Luna finally looked at him, *My father always puts others before himself, and even I just learned everything that happened yesterday…*.
What she saw horrified her, but it's nothing compared to seeing her father cry in his sleep as her mother nuzzled him. The worst part was the fact that all she could do that night was hide in the corner, knowing that her father would prefer no one seeing him like that.
*I know it shall forever haunt him for the rest of his life, and I don't want to see you like that.* She meant it, back then she wouldn't mind parting Hiccup and Toothless at all, but now, *I know it will be a wild flight, but… if you're in, I'm in.*.
Hope glossed over The Night Fury's eyes as he trembled emotionally. He wiped his tears with his front paw as he sniffed.
*You meant it, right?* Toothless asked timidly, *You really meant it, right.?.
*You had your life among the Berkians, and I am the Gamma of The Hidden World, my mother's duty will be mine after she retires.* She reminded him of their individual lives as she stepped closer, *We will have to separate our work and personal life, there will be plenty of back and forth flying, but we will make it work, if you want to.*.
Toothless nodded, finally let himself cry. What a sensitive mind, almost like a hatchling that overstayed in its egg… But I guess that's why it's him though, Luna thought as she let her future-mate process everything.
*Thank you for understanding me,* Toothless's eyes met hers, *Thank you for accepting what I love.* He sniffed, *Thank you for taking me in as I am.*
Luna closed the gap between them, and licked Toothless's face, grooming the tears away from his eyes.
*Thank you for giving me time too,* Luna placed her forehead onto his, *Nothing was easy after Snow-Haired, but you're right. You can take the dragon out of the human, but you can't take the human out of the dragon.*
- The First Riders Memorial, Sub - Berk.
A green Scauldron washed everything clean with its water after all the trash was cleared. Ruffnut rubbed it's head gently.
"Thanks, Scauldy." The green dragon nuzzled back before it flew away.
Then Toothless returned with Luna, joining the dragons in digging a large funeral pit as the riders were building the boat using the remnant of the salvages. Einn wished he could find his old friend's body, so he could at least have a proper send off.
Hiccup and Toothless gently placed Hamish the Second and his dragon bones at the front of the boat to lead the sail as the others arranged the spaces for other skeletons of the fallen riders and their extinguished dragons to travel across another world together.
Snotlout placed a wooden chest at the end of the boat, and Fishlegs gently placed the items and weapons inside. Some antiques they could take back to New Berk for study, and to place in a museum for display, but for personal objects like journals, or anything that could only belong to them, it should be buried with them.
Everyone smiled proudly at the carved tombstone after the soils had sent off the fallen. The Berk Crest stood proudly on the stone with Valknut and…
'Hinir Fundnu Reiðmenn'
Einn soared through the golden clouds with his family and the riders with the antiques. He'd made mistakes that cost much of his youth and loved ones, but he's also happy with what he's made. The love of his life and their 2 precious daughters, the youngest one even found the love of her life who also shares the spirit that his riders once had.
He smiles ruefully at the clouds, their story has long ended, but through the cloud he saw a young man flying to him from the opposite side on the back of a young Light Fury. Einn remembered that young man's smile, the sheens of dew glossed his eyes as they're finally next to him, but their heads were heading the opposite side, it's his last chance for that long awaited farewell.
Hiccup the Second smiled at his best friend through the tears, no words exchanged, but their hearts were. Our memories have become old and worn out, but we flew together under the orange sun, and we'll always be together in that memory, Einn nodded back at his best friend's farewell before Hiccup and his past self finally disappeared into the orange sunset behind him.
"Is everything alright?" Hiccup the Third's question brought him back to the present.
Everyone looked at him in worry, noticing that he had been flying ahead, but looked back with tears in his eyes. Einn sniffed and nodded back, looking at the riders. Relief knowing that the Human and Dragon bonds didn't end in the ashes with his mistake, his Hiccup's dream wasn't dead yet... he knew everything will be alright. So as New Berk finally came into his view, he bid his farewell.
*Rest well, my best friend. I'll visit you in this memory until Valhalla.*.
Yup, that's it, no more emotional torment after this!
By the way, do you guys remember the injured Scauldron from "Free Scauldy" in Defenders of Berk?.
Valknut, originates from the words valr (slain warrior) and knut (knot). Viking tombs contained Odin-related figurines with the Valknut symbol. This is how Valknut came to be known as Odin's symbol.