The kids turned sixteen.

Bryan was nine years old.

Astrid rejected every boy who tried to court her or their gifts.

She came downstairs for breakfast.

Brynhild nervous says "daughter, your sixteen now and should think about a getting a boyfriend."

Astrid sighs "mom, I'm waiting for Hiccup to return or I'm going to go look for him. The boys around here are only interested in sleeping with me and not treat me like a person."

Magnus comments "it's been four years, which I think is odd for him to not visit us."

Bryan comments "he's probably in recovery after fighting the queen dragon."

Astrid ask "how would you know that?"

Bryan answers "last year, he sent Gobber a letter to tell that he was going after the queen dragon to end the dragon raids."

After eating breakfast, Astrid left to go see Gobber while Bryan left to go play with the other children.

An hour later, Berk villagers gathered around the square center of the village to see a boy on a black dragon landing.

Stoick ask "can we help you with something?"

The boy answers "I just came to see if you were still getting raid by dragons."

Stoick shakes his head "no, not for a year."

The boy smiles under his mask "that's good."

Stoick ask "can you take off the mask?"

Astrid made her way to the front of the crowd to see a boy in a black mask next to a black dragon.

The boy unclip a button under his chin and slid the mask off to reveal a boy with black hair.

Stoick comments "you look familiar to someone I lost sixteen years ago."

The boy tells him "my name is Darkness."

Stoick ask "you wouldn't mind having a chaperone to shadow you, wherever you go around here? It's just that your a dragon rider and we're cautious about our safety."

Darkness sarcastic answers "not at all."

Stoick turns to the teens and ask "who should be your chaperone?"

Snotlout raised his hand up in the air.

Astrid thinks for a second 'if Snotlout volunteers to shadow Darkness, there might be fighting between them by the glare from Darkness' and says "Chief Stoick! I volunteered to shadow him!"

Darkness turns to the blonde girl who yelled.

Stoick looks between Snotlout and Astrid and tells Darkness "you can choose between the two."

Darkness says "I'll pick the blonde girl who is divine beauty."

The crowd dispersed to go do their things.

Snotlout scowls and walks upto Darkness and Astrid and says "you better not do anything to her or your going to pay dearly. She is my future wife."

Darkness turns to Astrid and ask "are you engaged to him?"

Astrid shakes her head "no. He just says that because he believes that we would get married and my parents refuse his father's marriage contracts. I'm waiting for Hiccup to return so he can court me. You know who I am?"

Darkness ask "did I call you something?"

Astrid smirks "you referred me by the meaning of my name."

Darkness raised his eyebrow in question.

Astrid sighs "my name is Astrid Giggles Hofferson and the meaning is Divine Beauty."

Darkness moves his eyes to her feet up to her face and smirks "yes I can see your beauty. Those boys that look at you must be pigs to only want to bed you."

Astrid grins "glad we can agree because you won't be one of those boys who will try or I'll just take away your baby maker. Are we clear?"

Snotlout gape at them talk like friends and says "we challenge you to a fight."

Darkness turns to boy and ask "you mean we as in who?"

Snotlout answers "we as in me, Astrid, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Fishlegs."

Darkness glance at Astrid to see her scowl at Snotlout.

He comments "you would lose horrible and respect as the heir or should I say the heir's cousin?"

Astrid ask "you know Hiccup?"

Darkness turns to Astrid and smirks "if I stick around, you'll probably figure out my true identity."

Astrid grins "then stick around."

Darkness turns to Snotlout and says "if you want to fight me, let's go to the arena."

A little boy walked upto them and ask "sister? What is going on and you better not hurt my sister!"

Darkness looks down to the little boy and ask "can I whisper something secret to you?"

The little boy says "my name is Bryan Finn Hofferson."

Darkness whispers in Bryan's ear "does Astrid still wear my sweatshirt in winter? Keep this as a secret."

Bryan's eyes widen at realizing who he is, his big step brother return after four years and hugs him "it's good that you returned."

Darkness walked over to the arena followed by Snotlout, Astrid, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Fishlegs.

Astrid comments "I think I'll wait to see what Darkness has."

Stoick announced "Snotlout has challenged the visitor Darkness to a fight and included Astrid, the twins and Fishlegs. Begin!"

Darkness stood ready.

Snotlout charge at Darkness.

They block each others strikes until Snotlout smirked "Darkness, maybe after you lose, I'll put little Bryan in his place because he interrupts my attempts at courting Astrid."

Darkness deathly says "what did you just say?"

Snotlout grins "I said after you lose this fight, I'll put little Bryan in his place to stay away from his sister that I want to marry."

Astrid drew her axe and charged at Snotlout, but Darkness grabbed her axe and swing her around to make her unbalanced and smack her butt.

Astrid rubbed her butt to get rid of the sting while blushing.

Darkness turns to Snotlout and charge with fury.

He disarmed him and begin beating the crap out of him in seconds.

The teens stood watching the scene having flashbacks.

Darkness stood over Snotlout and smirks "it was a pleasure to beat your butt again in unbound rage. Don't you ever in your damn life threatened Bryan Hofferson or I'll throw you off the cliff overlooking the dock!"

The twins bow before him "we yield!"

Fishlegs runs to the gate.

Astrid charge at Darkness "your going to pay for hitting my butt and embarrass me!"

Darkness grins "oh that was wrong of me to do that in front of a tribe, but it was to keep you from beating the heir when it suppose to be me versus you five and I kinda been thinking about what reaction I would get from you, milady."

Astrid widen her eyes in hearing the word 'milady'.

They trade strikes for an hour until Magnus interrupts their match and says "I'm calling this a draw!"

Darkness smiles "good, I was starting to get hungry. Care to join me tomorrow on a date, milady?"

Astrid gape in shock to be ask out on a date.

Bryan runs in and says "of course she would go on a date with you tomorrow, big step brother."

Darkness walks upto her and kisses her cheek "I hope I didn't leave a mark on your butt cheek."

He leaves the arena to go get Toothless and go catch lunch.

Snotlout coughs "who is that boy that we fought and lost?"

Ruffnut smirks "whoever that boy is, he snapped when you said you was going to harm Astrid's baby brother. He even had the guts to smack Astrid's butt with his sword."

Magnus and Brynhild walk down to the arena with Bryan.

Brynhild ask "are you alright, daughter?"

Astrid shakes her head "that boy knows who I am."

Bryan grins "of course he knows who you are! He knows who I am and beat Snotlout after he threatened to harm me again!"

Astrid widen her eyes and flashback to the first time Hiccup beat the crap out of Snotlout after he threatened to harm her brother if he didn't stay away from her.

She begins smiling at realizing that he returned.

Magnus comments "I'm going to have a talk with that boy about his stunt in the match."

Astrid tells him "no, I'll have a talk with him about that. I think I found my future husband."

They leave to go eat lunch.

Astrid ask "dad? Why did you end the match?"

Magnus answers "you two turn the match into a Maiden Dance and last an hour."

Astrid ask "what is a Maiden Dance?"

Brynhild answers "it's a match where the girl fights to prove that she doesn't need a husband and the boy that she is engaged too fights to keep his respect in front of the village.

If the girl won, she won her freedom. If the boy won, the girl is forced to continue with the marriage ceremony."

While everyone ate lunch, Fishlegs comments "shouldn't you be shadowing Darkness?"

Astrid grins "he left to go feed his dragon."

Ruffnut ask "you know who he is?!"

Astrid smiles "I know he is caring about my brother and I know his real identity."

Snotlout grumbles "who is he?"

Astrid sternly tells him "I'm not revealing his identity because he doesn't want you all to know who he is, but he knows who we are."

Tuffnut comments "he's bold to smack your butt and not get beat up for it."

Darkness walked inside the Meade hall carrying a present and walks over to where Astrid and her friends are sitting and says "Astrid Hofferson? I have a present for you."

Astrid turns around to see Darkness holding a present and opens it to reveal a bigger double bladed axe, but lighter.

She turns to Darkness and ask "this wouldn't be your first courting gift to get me to fall for you?"

Darkness answers "no, this is one of them. One is in the arena wanting to fly and the other, I would have to make for it to be a comfortable flight."

Astrid curious ask "when do you plan on revealing your true identity?"

Darkness answers "I don't think the boys that tried to court you and you rejected them would get jealous of me."

Astrid blushes "they weren't you. And the next time you spank my butt in front of the villagers, I'm going to send you to Gothi's hut."

Darkness grins "I thought your blush said you liked it or the grin on your face."

Astrid blushes darker.

Ruffnut laughs "dang girl, whoever Darkness is, he has you respond to his flirting quotes."

Snotlout walks inside the Meade hall and over to the teens and sees Astrid standing close to Darkness and ask "babe? What are you doing close by this boy?"

Astrid grins "oh, this boy presented me with a new double bladed axe as his courting gift and I accept it by doing this" grabbing Darkness by his collar and kisses his lips.

After the kiss, Darkness grins "I could get used to it."

The villagers started whistling at them.

Snotlout ask "Astrid? Who is Darkness?"

Darkness answers "you don't need to know my name. Just know that I won her heart."

Magnus comments "well I need to know who you are in order to let you court my daughter."

Darkness grins "of course, Magnus. Can I come over tonight for dinner?"

Brynhild smiles "of course, Darkness."

Bryan hugs Darkness "it's great to have you back."

Darkness hugs little Bryan.

Bryan sighs "I missed you, brother. Snotlout been tormenting me because I was interrupting his moment with trying to court my sister."

Darkness turns to Snotlout and ask "is that true, Snotlout?"

Snotlout answers "yes. Astrid wasn't officially engaged to Hiccup because there was no marriage contract signed."

Darkness says "I'm going for a flight. Come Astrid, I got another gift for you."

Astrid grins "oh, another gift."

Bryan ask "are you staying for good?"

Darkness answers "yes, for awhile. Dagur got himself a Skrill and is continuing Hiccup's mission to protect dragons. Alvin still wants a dragon to destroy Berk. I came here to take a break from my mission."

Bryan grins "great."

Darkness leaves the Meade hall with Astrid.

They walk over to the arena.

Astrid comments "so, I'm sixteen now and been waiting four years for Hiccup to return."

Darkness ask "why have you been waiting for Hiccup to return?"

Astrid answers "to stop the boys from coming after me."

Ten minutes later, they arrive at the dragon arena.

Astrid ask "did you really decide to get me a dragon?"

Darkness answers "yes, and I want to give you this" reaching into his vest pocket and pulled out a necklace and stares at it for a second before saying "my mom gave me this to give to you if you were still single waiting for me."

Astrid looks at the pedant to see it has the Haddock crest on it and looks upto Darkness and ask "Hiccup?"

Hiccup whispers "call me that when we're in a secluded area alone together."

Astrid begins teary-eyed and hugs him.

Hiccup comments "I guess you missed me like crazy?"

Astrid breathes "just put the betrothal necklace on me" while blushing.

Hiccup grins and puts the betrothal necklace around her neck.

Astrid smiles "we're officially engaged to each other."