We're finally here, at the end. Without further ado, here we go! :)

Chapter 26: Destination

The flight to Helheim's gate felt much longer than it's duration of two hours, and with nothing better to do at the moment other than wait, Hiccup's brain flashed back to a conversation he'd had that very morning.

He'd woken up abruptly after a somewhat restless sleep, and had found himself inside a small tent on a grassy slope. After living at the sanctuary for so long, the unfamiliar setting was slightly jarring at first before he remembered where they were.

A small uninhabited island a few hours away from Berk, where they'd decided to stop overnight. He sat up and sighed deeply, trying to shake away the last wisps of the dream he'd been having.

Astrid was curled up beside him, wrapped in a blanket and fast asleep. It was just before sunrise, and the soft blue light from outside lit her face up just enough for him to properly appreciate her pretty features.

He smiled lovingly at her and leaned down to kiss her forehead before carefully making his way outside as quietly as possible. No use waking her up so early, and they both needed their rest for this long day ahead.

Walking barefoot over wet grass, he made his way over to the cliff overlooking the beach below and sat down. Toothless and Stormfly were still asleep on either side of the tent, but a few of the other dragons in their little swarm were already awake and flying around, their dark silhouettes visible in the dim light.

Most were scattered around the island, where they'd wait until Toothless gave them a signal. Hiccup's breath sent curls of steam into the air, and dressed in only a simple nightshirt and pants, he crossed his arms for warmth.

The dream that was keeping him from sleep had been something he knew couldn't happen, but it troubled him nonetheless.

Hiccup standing over a dragon, a bloody knife in his hand. The dragon was gasping it's final breaths, and Hiccup dropped the knife in horror. The dragon was Toothless at first, then it morphed into Stormfly, then Cloudjumper, and finally the queen, impossibly large and red and-

It was so unlike him to worry like this. Hiccup threw his hands up in annoyance. "What am I even doing?"

"You're waking up way too early, babe" replied a drowsy voice from behind him.

Astrid walked up and sat down beside him, unwrapping the blanket around her shoulders before covering them both with it. "You'll catch a cold like this" she chided gently.

Hiccup smiled and pecked her cheek. "You slept well?"

Astrid shook her head. "Being away from Zephyr is no easier than expected… what if she needs me? or starts crying? or-"

"It'll be fine Astrid, she loves my mom. I'm sure she won't fuss too much. Besides, it'll just be a few more days"

Astrid nodded. "Mmm. What about you?"

Hiccup blinked. "What about me?"

Astrid smirked. "I've lived with you long enough to know when something is bothering you"

"It's nothing really it's… it's pretty stupid"

Astrid leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Humor me"

"What will I do when the moment comes? If our plan succeeds- If I manage to get the queen down- then what? do I ask Toothless to… to kill her?"

"That queen has enslaved and killed who knows how many dragons Hiccup… I'm sure no sane person will fault you if you get rid of her"

Hiccup closed his eyes. "I know, but still… even though I know the world would probably be better off without her, I can't help but think I'm betraying myself… betraying who I am… I'm no dragon killer"

Astrid looked down at the gentle waves rolling onto the sand below. "You once told me what happened when you first came upon Toothless in the woods, remember?"

Hiccup looked up. "Hmm?"

"You told me how you gripped that knife- how you were gonna do it- but then you didn't. Why not?"

"I couldn't. I was weak"

Astrid shook her head. "You know that's not true Hiccup… you didn't do it, not because you were weak, but because you were strong enough not to… I know you'll think I'm just saying this… but I know it's true. You're a stronger person than any of us"

Hiccup smiled goofily inspite of himself. It wasn't often that his name and "strong" were used in the same sentence.

"And what I'm trying to say is-" Astrid continued, "Stop worrying so much. I know you'll do the right thing when the time comes. Whatever that ends up being"

"Alright milady, if you say so" Hiccup grinned. Astrid rolled her eyes and pecked his cheek before getting up. "Enough brooding now Haddock, we've got a village to save"

Hiccup nodded and got to his feet, more energy and purpose now in each and every step.

You're not my son.

Those were the words that echoed in Stoick's mind as he felt the ground shake with an unearthly force, as his eyes registered the gargantuan beast emerging from the mountain.

Ever since he was a child, he'd used brute force to solve every problem he'd ever faced. And it had worked every time. He wasn't sure why Hiccup had turned out so different… perhaps it was the Valka in him. He always saw things so differently.

This mammoth dragon in front of him was something out of his control, and for the second time in his life, he felt the feeling of helplessness.

The first time had been that fateful night he'd seen his wife taken, stolen away from him, and he couldn't do a thing.

All of Valka he had left was in Hiccup, and this time, he was the one who had pushed him away. Who hadn't listened to him when he was just trying to help. Back when things could have been different.

His happy little family was truly broken now, and he had no one to blame but himself. There was nothing left for him to fight for.

The terrified sounds of his tribesmen finally registered, the confusion and panic.

A Chief protects his own.

His people weren't defeated yet. Berk wasn't defeated yet. If his life would be the price to buy the others enough time to escape, then that's a price he'd gladly pay.

His eyes met Gobber's beside him. "I'll give it something to hunt, it might buy enough time for the others to escape"

Gobber's mustache tilted into a wry smile. "I reckon I can double that time"

Despite taking the longer route, Hiccup was the first of the dragon riders to arrive at the nest, and his heart fell when he saw the chaotic scene. He still refused to give into despair however.

He was too late to stop the battle from starting, but maybe he wasn't too late to end it.

The mountain had cracked open, and the hundreds of dragons had poured out from the insides, flying out and dispersing in all directions. The Queen- much much larger now that Hiccup was finally seeing it out in the open- was very angry.

He needed to round up the dragons with Toothless' help, but he also needed someone to buy time for the Berkians to retreat. Luckily, his friends had arrived right on cue, led by his incredible wife.

Hiccup turned his head to take in the sight, marveling at the sight of his brave Valkyrie, valiantly leading their small dragon army.

He flew close with Toothless and tried his best to be heard over the queen's roars and the rushing wind.

"Distract the red death! Fishlegs- find out it's weaknesses, blind spots, anything- Snotlout and Twins- make it mad! I don't want her to notice Toothless if I can help it"

He flew closer to Astrid and said, "I'm counting on you to lead them... I love you"

Astrid nodded, her heart warm and determination in her eyes. "I love you too Hiccup. Now go end this"

The teens had gotten the hang of flying their dragons by now, and with Astrid at the helm, they dive bombed the giant beast, the first blasts eliciting an angry roar from the queen, and startled shouts of disbelief from the Vikings far below.

Hiccup didn't hang around to watch though, spurring Toothless on faster and faster as they whizzed around the island, rounding up all the confused dragons who'd escaped the nest and were unsure where to go.

Toothless grit his teeth in focus, as he focused all his energy on projecting strength and leadership, urging every dragon in range to follow him.

"It's working!" Hiccup exclaimed in a delighted cry as the number of dragons behind them kept on steadily growing.

As he came round the far side of the island, he got his first look at the tiny people on the beach, scattering and running towards the ships, many of which were caught on fire.

The queen's red eyes snapped around in his direction, roaring angrily at the miniscule looking dragon riders flying all around it.

The queen emitted an invisible command, strong and angry, and Hiccup only realised it when Toothless roared with effort, willing his loyalty to Hiccup to overpower the primal urge to follow the queen.

"Don't give in bud! Hold on a bit longer!" Hiccup encouraged.

Toothless roared loudly in response, and most of the dragons in their swarm managed to ride the wave out. Four or five of the ones towards the edges broke off however, their eyes narrow as slits, hypnotized by the queen's command.

Another roar from the queen, and much to Hiccup's horror, those dragons swooped down, headed straight for the Vikings below.

Hiccup couldn't let those people die, but he also couldn't afford to let Toothless land, and risk breaking the delicate hold he was maintaining on the swarm, which was their only hope of actually defeating the beast.

This problem had only one solution, and Hiccup gulped nervously as he prepared to use it.

"Pass low and slow bud. Just like we practiced. Afterwards, go with your friends and give her some hel"

Toothless warbled in confirmation, and glided down close to the rocky shore.

The stray dragons were heading right for the Vikings, and one large warrior was clearly squaring off ready to face them head on- ready to defend his men- and Hiccup knew who he was even before he got close enough to see his face.

His father.

A lot of things happened very quickly in the next moment.

Hiccup cranked the lever that gave the sole control of Toothless' newly designed tail fin to him, he unlatched and ignited inferno in a fluid motion as he jumped off the saddle, landing on the ground in a roll to lessen the impact- right in front of his father- and raised the sword, shielding him from a charging Rumblehorn.

His heart thudded in his ribcage as he swirled his sword, presenting himself as enough of a threat to the surprised dragon that he chose to retreat instead of attacking.

"S-Son?" he heard from behind him, in a voice that belonged to his father, yet was laced with a softness that he'd never heard before in his life.

The flames in his sword died away as he slowly turned to face him. "...Dad"

The single word hung in the air… as Hiccup tried to figure out why his dad wasn't being angry at him like he'd expected- why he wasn't calling him a traitor- trying to capture him and-

"I was so wrong about it all- wrong about you" the unexpected words drowned out all the chaos around them, and the world fell silent momentarily. "I'm sorry… f-for everything"

Hiccup felt his heart clench and melt all at once. "M-Me too"

Another ear splitting roar from the queen shook the earth as Toothless circled round in the distance, heading back towards Hiccup. His new tail fin was singed at the edges, leaving behind a trail of smoke.

"This was my fault… this is my battle. You don't have to go up there" Stoick said.

Hiccup exhaled and gave his father a small smile. "We're Vikings dad. It's an occupational hazard"

Astrid heard that distinct woosh from behind her and approaching fast, and she shouted, "get Snotlout out of there!"

Luckily, he twins managed to stop their bickering long enough to accomplish that, and they managed to get clear of the massive dragon's head just as Hiccup swept past like a blazing shadow, Toothless firing a plasma blast, and the dragons behind them all did the same, all that fire combining into a huge ball that struck with considerable force, knocking the queen back and against the mountain.

Snarling in rage, the mammoth beast swiped its club like tail through the air, directly in Stormfly's path. Astrid swerved hard to evade, but managed to lose her grip on the saddle in the process as her dragon turned upside down in flight.

Her fingertips reached out for the handhold but only clawed at air, and as gravity took hold, she barely had time to scream before she was swiped out of the air by- Hiccup?!

He'd calculated her fall before it'd even happened, and had managed to catch her bridal style in his arms. Toothless struggled to pull up from the dive while Astrid scrabbled to sit upright in the saddle behind Hiccup. Meanwhile, Stormfly managed to level out and joined the pack behind Toothless.

"Hiccup" she said in his ear, clutching him tight and realising how close a call it had been. "You caught me"

Hiccup put his free hand over hers. "Of course I did" taking a deep breath to still his heart, he forced himself to revert his focus back on the queen.

Astrid is ok, Astrid is safe, He reassured himself. His heartbeat took a long minute to get the message.

"It's time to face her" Astrid said. "I'm right here with you"

Despite the chaos, the fighting, the danger, Hiccup smiled. "You've always been"

Setting his jaw in determination, he patted Toothless gently. "It's time bud"

Toothless kicked his wings like never before, and they rose, Astrid's stomach dropping away and left back on the ground while they climbed high up to the mountain peak, and Toothless perched at a rocky outcrop, letting out a deafening roar, one that was heard over all the commotion by every man, woman, and dragon for miles around.

ROAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Astrid covered her ears and Hiccup did the same, even they hadn't expected that volume. It seemed Hiccup was not the only one whose determination had doubled during this battle.

The Giant beast turned its large head upwards, its half dozen eyes narrowing in on the Night fury who was looking down upon it.

Spreading his large bat-like wings wide like a crown, the black dragon appeared like a magnificent yet deadly creature.

More than a few Vikings gazed on this sight with the same thought in mind, one description from an old dragon manual that was suddenly more real than ever.

The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself.

The queen roared in return, all rage and anger, her mouth open and ready to shoot a blast of fire. The warning was clear.

Obey me or die.

Hiccup uncapped and Ignited inferno in a practiced motion, pointing it directly at the queen.

"You're not the alpha anymore." He looked down at his dragon. His wonderful, amazing dragon. His best friend. "He is"

Toothless warbled in agreement, shooting a powerful plasma blast that deliberately just missed the queen's eyes, but stung just as much. His warning was clear.

I won't miss next time.

"The Alpha protects them all. We will fight till our last breath to protect our people and our dragons from you"

Hiccup looked down and pointed his sword from the dragon to the westward sea.

"Leave"

The first crack in the queen's facade became apparent when she hesitated, just a bit, before shooting a pillar of flames, which Toothless deftly evaded as he hopped over to another ledge. As a last resort, she focused her eyes on the surrounding dragons who all lowered their heads, before raising them again on Toothless' call.

"They don't answer to you anymore. None of them"

At the Night fury's command, they flew up and rose, the giant swarm becoming level with them, near the tip of the mountain, so many dragons that they all blurred together into one gigantic creature. One even bigger than the queen, who stood her ground, her eyes darting everywhere as she presumably calculated whether or not she could take this angry buzzing cloud of dragon by herself or not.

It suddenly dawned on Hiccup. They were winning.

That thought made him feel overwhelmed by power, with purpose in that moment. He wasn't acting on his own anymore. He was acting with the wish of every single Viking and dragon here on this island who wanted the queen dead. Wanted revenge for all the past pain and suffering.

What were tiny little Hiccup's morals worth in front of such a convincing majority? Hiccup might have been wrong to take the high and mighty stance after all. This was the only way. To fight monsters, you had to become them.

His own thoughts were being overwritten by new thoughts, all colliding together in a jumble and tumbling over each other until there was only one thing left to do and of course he was gonna have to-

There was no other way.

Tightening his grip on the sword, Hiccup raised it high, preparing to bring it down, to command Toothless, to command the swarm- to breathe all their fire in a blaze of death towards the tyrant beast.

To burn it to ash, because that was gonna be the price of victory-

"Wait"

The soft touch of his wife's hand on his own stopped him.

Stopped him from committing the biggest mistake of his life.

"Astrid?" he asked softly, almost disbelievingly, as the wind fell silent, the world froze, the fog lifted and he could suddenly feel her again, feel her heart beating against his back, feel her hair tickling his neck.

"Don't do it Hiccup" she said. "Please"

A memory flashed in his mind, one from a long forgotten past, one where he'd led this girl who didn't know him all too well, who he'd taken by the hand and led to the cove, where he'd made her realise the truth.

She'd taken his ideals to heart and had made them her own, and now, after all this time, she was the one who refused to let him waver from them.

"Three hundred years and my husband is the first Viking in history who wouldn't kill a dragon"

Hiccup nodded weakly, strange emotions welling up in his chest.

"and to be honest… I'd like to keep him that way"

A relieved smile crept onto Hiccup's face. "I'd... I'd like that too"

Astrid continued, "We might be letting her live, but that doesn't mean she can stay"

"You're exactly right" Hiccup agreed, patting Toothless once more.

Toothless hummed in agreement, letting out one final triumphant roar that was echoed by the hundreds of dragons around, until it was a sound that you could feel more than hear, when it hit the queen with earth shaking force.

The command was clear. We will never submit anymore. Leave.

The threat was too great, the enemy too strong, and the queen finally buckled under the weight of the battle. Getting out of this alive was the priority now. Turning its large body to the side, it leapt into the water, leaving behind a massive wave, a splash, and then nothing- leaving, actually leaving, disappearing forever.

Hiccup didn't even realise the magnitude of what had just been accomplished, not until he heard his wife's pure and delighted laugh from behind him, before she exclaimed, "We did it!"

The cheers from the Vikings far below were faint from this height, and in that moment, he felt like he was on top of the world. Which he kind of was.

"Look there" Astrid pointed, and Hiccup followed her finger to see the dragons touch down on the beach, the teens dismounting their dragons to be met with bewildered yet curious Vikings, genuinely amazed at what had taken place today.

Dragons standing right next to men, but not fighting. "This is the world you wanted, right?" Astrid asked gleefully and Hiccup nodded, still at a loss for words.

"And you made it happen" Astrid continued, leaning forward and pressing a hearty kiss to his cheek. "This is the world our daughter would grow up in"

"It was all because of you, love" Hiccup finally found his words, before turning in the saddle and kissing her lovingly right on her smiling lips. Their smooch-fest was interrupted after half a minute by an annoyed Toothless, grumbling as if saying, hey lovebirds, I helped too! Hiccup broke off the kiss laughing. "And you of course bud, you big bad alpha dragon"

Toothless hummed appreciatively in reply. "Alright Mr. Bossy, time to head to the ground. We've still got work to do"

A few minutes later, they'd touched down on the ground, Toothless having released his command on the flock. Many of them embraced their new found freedom and flew away in different directions, whereas some chose to stay right here on the island, no longer a slave to anyone.

Many of the dragons still hung close by though, and Hiccup surmised they'd probably elect to follow them back to Berk.

Astrid watched as father and son reunited, as meek apologies were exchanged and a crushing hug ensued, the Vikings still in awe of the dragons all around them, the teens being surrounded like they were famous… it was a lot.

It felt like time fell still for Astrid as the world sped by around her. They were arriving on Berk before she knew it, her having travelled by ship for the first time in years. Toothless deserved his rest after all.

She stood at the bow of the longship, staring at the island come up. She could barely make out their house, standing proudly, overlooking the sea. Her gaze then scanned along the docks, looking for two people in particular amongst the waiting crowd.

The day had been won and that had been a huge burden off her shoulders, and all that was left now was to soak in the reward, the sweet sweet feeling of coming home, but she still never expected her heart to beat this fast, her palms to sweat with nerves.

A warm hand on hers made her smile despite the fact that these final few minutes waiting for the ship to come in and dock felt like the longest of years.

As always, her husband seemed to inexplicably read her mind. Without saying a word, he took her hand and led her to climb on Toothless behind him. "Up for one more hop, bud?"

And so they launched from the deck, crossing the final hundred yards over the sea, and they'd barely even landed when Astrid was jumping off- running- straight into the waiting arms of her tearful mother and father.

The sun was slowly settling behind the treetops when Hiccup managed to finally sneak away from the celebratory crowd with Astrid in tow, and they made their way to their house atop the hill.

Hiccup opened the door and gestured, "After you, milady"

Astrid blushed and entered, and absorbed the wave of nostalgia that washed over her. Even though she'd only lived here with Hiccup for a handful of months, it felt like the most home-like place there could possibly be.

She didn't have to guess the reason for that though, because he was standing right next to her.

Wasting no time, Hiccup grabbed a paper and quill from the now dusty table, and began to pen a letter to his mother.

After that was done and a little terror was on its way with the letter, Hiccup turned to his wife.

"I'll let her know the good news, and hopefully Zephyr should be home within a couple of days"

Astrid smiled and nodded. Her arms were just itching to hold her daughter close again. "Do you think your mother will… will stay? or would she discreetly hand Zeph over and leave again?"

"That's her decision to make, but I have a feeling that when she sees this new Berk, this changed Berk, she'll have a hard time not coming home"

"I hope so too", Astrid replied. "It'll be hard for both of us to pretend like we never met her… given that she helped us so much"

Hiccup reflected on this for a moment, recalling the slow yet steady process by which he'd come to forgive his mother. Had come to think of her as his mother.

Astrid stretched her arms over her head, yawning contently. "I feel like I could sleep for ages"

"Me too, but we do have to get ready in a while. Don't want to miss the feast thrown in our own honor" he said cheekily.

Astrid smiled coyly. "I'm up for a short nap though" Curling up for a while in her husbands arms felt like an irresistible temptation right now.

Hiccup seemed to agree as well. "Alright sweetie, lead the way"

Valka stood at the edge of the cliff, staring down at the village she'd been taken from. It looked so different than it had been all those years back, and at the same time it felt like nothing had changed at all.

One thing was starkly different though, and even though Hiccup had mentioned it in the letter, she'd still have found it hard to believe if she wasn't seeing it with her own eyes.

The occasional dragon flying here and there wasn't being chased by angry Vikings wielding weapons. There was no screaming, no shouting, no fires.

It was incredible.

Her moment of awe was finally broken by the welcome sight of her son, the son she didn't think she deserved but had received anyway. He'd grown up to be everything she could have ever wanted, and now, in this moment, she thought it had been almost foolish to have stayed away for so long, stubbornly believing change was impossible.

"Mom" Hiccup breathed, jogging up to her.

"Hiccup" Valka smiled. She turned to retrieve the baby strapped to her back, and the movement awakened the sleeping infant.

Hiccup received her gratefully into his arms and hugged her close. "I hope she didn't give you too much trouble"

Valka waved her hand dismissively. "Little Zephyr is a total sweetheart. I think she takes after her mother" she finished teasingly.

"Hey!" Hiccup protested, a grin on his face. "So…" he began, a bit more seriously. "Did you decide if you're gonna-"

"I'm staying" his mother interrupted, conviction in her voice. "I mean I'll have to go back every once in a while to check up on my dragons but…" she looked towards the Chief's house. "Berk never stopped being my home, even after all these years. I just hope your father will… he'll…"

"He will" Hiccup said, not needing words to understand her meaning. "He really has changed mom… they all have"

Valka smiled, ruffling her son's hair affectionately. "Aye, I can see that even all the way from here"

It seemed like Berk was in a perpetual state of celebration over the course of that whole month. The victory over the red death, Hiccup and Astrid's triumphant return, followed by the announcement of a new heir, Zephyr Haddock- who became an instant celebrity on the island.

And if that wasn't enough, the return of the Chief's long lost wife, who'd been long feared dead, was the final miracle that Berk was blessed with that month.

Astrid still remembered the tearful reunion between her mother and Valka, old friends reunited after nearly two decades.

Walking through the village now with a bag of groceries under her arm, she relished the sights all around her, humans and dragons co-existing as one. It had been Hiccup's dream ever since he'd first befriended Toothless, and together they'd made it real.

Pushing open the door with her hip, she stopped in her tracks at the amusing scene in front of her, a pouty baby in front of an equally pouty Hiccup. It wasn't hard to see the family resemblance.

"Zephyr here clearly doesn't like the taste of Yak's milk" Hiccup grumbled. The bottle he'd been trying to feed her with had been knocked onto the floor by his rebellious daughter.

Astrid shook her head while laughing, scooping the girl up in her arms. "Oh Hiccup, you tried at least. I guess I'll just have to take care of it the old fashioned way"

After she was fed, Astrid took Zeph to her parents' house, who were more than happy to watch over her for a couple of hours. Both pairs of grandparents adored the little girl dearly.

Afterwards, Astrid met her husband outside where their dragons were already waiting, itching for their daily evening flight. A blink of an eye later, she was soaring, braid flying in the wind.

Without warning, Hiccup sped by her in a blur, pushing Toothless to the limits, higher and faster, till he was literally touching the clouds.

Astrid was feeling way too content that evening for any crazy acrobatics, preferring to let her Nadder glide along at a leisurely pace, slowly circling the island.

Her brain couldn't help but remember her favorite memory associated with each landmark she saw, and it wasn't surprising that a particular boy was somehow present in each and every one of them.

Gathering seashells on the shore with him when they were four, the very earliest memory she had of Hiccup. His messy hair and lopsided smile.

The forge where he'd nervously handed her an axe, the first present he'd ever given her.

The woods where she'd spent all that time with him, inadvertently helping him train for the trial that he ended up beating her in.

The arena where she'd dueled with him hand to hand, where she'd first realised that Hiccup was truly more than met her eye.

The dining hall where she'd avoided him for the whole period of their betrothal, too mad at him for reasons she couldn't care to remember anymore.

The great hall where they'd said their vows to each other, and had their first kiss. The place where she had become a wife.

The market road where she'd beaten up those bullies who had dared to lay a finger on the boy who she herself was angry at, yet couldn't bear to see hurt. The boy who had been coming home with a bracelet he'd made for her, an endearingly simple attempt to express his love for her.

The riverside where her friend Ruffnut had first suggested, much to her mortification, that she might actually be developing feelings for her husband.

She saw their house, the wood and stone building that had slowly stopped being a house and started being her home. The place where she'd spent all those nights holding hands with Hiccup until she fell asleep, wondering why she couldn't make herself let go no matter how much she tried.

Their fireplace where they had first cuddled together, where she'd come to appreciate the sweet sweet warmth of her husband's embrace. The little kitchen where he'd lovingly taught her how to cook, never once losing his patience.

The infirmary where he'd (accidentally) confessed his love for her for the very first time, right after she had dissuaded all his doubts about not being a good enough husband for her.

The beach where he'd first taught her how to ride a dragon, after introducing her to Stormfly.

And finally, there was the vast ocean which they'd crossed together, and had made a daughter together at the sanctuary, the sweetest little thing she'd ever laid eyes on.

Smiling at the abundant memories, she racked her brain one more time, trying to pinpoint which location was the one where she'd finally fallen in love with him.

Even after another circle of the island, the answer eluded her grasp.

Hiccup's joyful cry above her as he did a loop on Toothless made her glance up towards the clouds. It reminded her of the first flight he'd taken her on, the one where he'd truly and completely expanded her little world- and made her understand how beautiful it truly was.

And then suddenly, she knew her answer.

She'd fallen in love with Hiccup at every single place, each moment, each word exchanged and each smile shared, each one had just been another step on the long path that had taken her, taken them, to this perfect day.

There had been plenty of twists and turns and bumps along the way, but she'd faced them all thanks to the boy beside her, the boy who'd grown up into a young man who she loved to the ends of the earth, to the moon, to the stars and back and then some.

Spurring Stormfly upwards, she flew higher and faster, determined to catch up to Hiccup and tell him how much she loved him, simply because she could.

"You're never gonna catch me that easy!" hollered Hiccup as he whizzed past her in a dive.

Astrid laughed and shouted, "I'll make you regret saying that!"

Even though the road to love had been long, even though it had been winding, neither of them would've had it any other way-

Because the view from their destination had been truly worth it.

And that's the end! I'm so happy and satisfied to be bringing this story to a close after 10 months and 100k + words!

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this finale chapter! There were similarities from the movie of course but I hoped my version had enough changes and intrigue to keep things interesting! Like the red death leaving the same way as the alpha at the end of httyd 2, and Hiccup's dilemma. This has been Astrid's story as much as Hiccup's, and I wanted to have her play a major part in the way this battle ended. I'm quite satisfied with the way it all went down.

When I posted that first chapter, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I'd get such an amazing response! Each one of you readers who follow, favorite, and leave reviews on this story are what motivated me to follow through on my idea and write to my best potential.

I've been awestruck by all the long fics I've read in the past, and I never imagined being able to write one myself. Massive thank you to all who've read the whole thing! If you've read this far and haven't left a review yet, I'd love it if you'd do so now! Each one of them never fails to put a huge smile on my face! :)

I tried to add everything I love about Hiccstrid into this story, and I'm so glad that so many other people share my taste in writing! It's truly been an amazing ride.

This fic might be over but a brand new chapter in our fav couple's lives has just begun ;)

I also have an idea for a short epilogue set in the near future, do let me know if you guys are interested in that, and I'll add another chapter for it.

I have many more story ideas, and will try to post them as I get time to put them to words. I know I'm not one of the most prolific writers, but you guys have still given so much love to my handful of stories!

Thank you all a million times!

- GravityBeam