It had been 3 weeks since everything happened with Hiccup trying to kill himself, 3 weeks since they found out he befriended a Night Fury whom he called Toothless, and 3 weeks since Hiccup moved to living in the cove with his friend. Since then, there hadn't been any raids and true to his word Hiccup came back twice a week so they could see he was still okay. The days he spent in the village, most of which were flying on Toothless or in the forge working on new things. Everyone did their best to stay out of his way and carry on as usual but the question still remained of when and if Hiccup would forgive them.
The ones who stayed mostly close to Hiccup were the teens and Stoick. Gobber too but he worked in the forge so he always had eyes on Hiccup. They mostly liked to watch him work on weapons, he was really good at it. Watching him fly on Toothless was incredible, the two moved so perfectly in the sky like it was meant to be that way. It made Stoick, Spitelout, Gobber, and the teens questions if Hiccup really was the one the prophecy talked about. It seemed that way but there were still things that didn't make sense.
The prophecy talked about a boy and dragon losing something that would make them need one another and form a bond stronger than anyone ever thought was possible, that they'd change the world forever. Hiccup had just visited 3 days ago so they knew he'd be coming around again tomorrow, the village was having a meeting tonight over dinner to discuss a party for Hiccup when he visited because it was his birthday and since they'd never celebrated one for him before the figured he might like it if he saw they had remembered.
All of them were gathered in the hall as Stoick entered and brought the room to silence. "Alright, lets get down to business. We know why we're here...because tomorrow is Hiccup's 16th birthday and I know we've never given him a party before. As you know, Vikings have birthday milestones. 13 to represent becoming a teenager. 16 to show the boy or girl is a young adult, finally 18 to show adulthood. 20 is coming of age...We never gave Hiccup his deserved birthday for 13...so we owe it to him to give him the best birthday tomorrow." Stoick announced.
"How do we even know he'll come!?" Someone asked.
"Because he comes twice a week, the 3rd day and the 6th day, tomorrow is the 6th..." Astrid rolled her eyes.
"So how are we going to do it? Get the village all decorated or just the hall?" Snotlout asked.
"The hall, that way when he flies in he doesn't suspect anything...It's a surprise party." Gobber interjected.
"What if he knows its his birthday and decides not to waste his time?" Tuffnut blinked.
"He'll come...He never breaks his word, he told us that himself..." Ruffnut retorted.
"Alright so we're gonna clean up this hall and decorate. I want a feast for my boy, and lots of fish for his dragon...let's make him feel welcome, like part of the tribe." Stoick ordered. Without another word they began to plan things out for Hiccup's party.
(The Cove)
Hiccup and Toothless had just returned from a flight to their temporary home, the cove. There wasn't much there but a basic shack for Hiccup and Toothless, it didn't have a door just two sheets to cover the entrance. It was enough to keep the rain out and block strong winds since Hiccup enforced it with sheets of metal, it wasn't a lot but then again it was only temporary until Hiccup decided if he could forgive the tribe for what they'd done. He'd thought about it everyday since Toothless came back and yet he still couldn't figure out if he could forgive them for all they put him through.
"Guess we better go there tomorrow or they'll think I died..." Hiccup chuckled softly while cooking a fish over the fire while Toothless ate his 20 raw. "I wonder if they even remember what tomorrow is..." Hiccup sighed looking down. Toothless lifted his head and rubbed against Hiccup's cheek, "Its my 16th birthday bud...16 years since I was born..." Hiccup stared in to the flames again. "I guess it doesn't matter, I have you and I know you care." Hiccup smiled now as Toothless licked his cheek.
Now sitting in the silence, Hiccup finished cooking his food and began to eat it slowly. He'd cooked 3 for himself, he never really ate a lot. "You won't leave me, right bud?" Hiccup asked as Toothless crooned sadly looking at him and nuzzled his cheek again. "I know you can't fly without me but...if you could...would you leave me?" Hiccup asked. Toothless shook his head firmly to Hiccup which made him smile, "You're the best bud and you're my best friend..." Hiccup leaned against him then started to eat again. "Hey, what's say you and me take another flight after dinner?" Hiccup asked him. Toothless warbled happily. Taking it as a yes they both finished quickly and prepared to leave.
Hiccup put out the fire leaving it smoking as he got on Toothless's back and they sped off out of the cove heading West. "I'll never get tired of this that's for sure bud..." Hiccup smiled as Toothless crooned in response. "I wish we could talk, Toothless...You do understand me, right?" Hiccup asked, he nodded. "Maybe I can teach you...how to write, you can use your claw to make the words...if I teach them to you, you wanna give it a try?" Hiccup questioned rubbing his head. Toothless nodded his head happily again. "Alright, we'll start tomorrow then...Hey...what's that up ahead?..." Hiccup asked looking forward now to see a bunch of what looked like dots headed right at them.
"Dragons..." Hiccup whispered realizing what they were, Toothless began to growl as he and Hiccup began dodging them. "They're headed right for Berk...Come on bud, we gotta get back...those guys are totally unprepared..." Hiccup said quickly. Toothless roared as he whipped around and they headed straight to Berk as fast as Toothless's wings would take them.
(Berk)
As everyone had finished planning they began making their way outside to see dragons coming in fast. "RAID!" The first person out shouted. Everyone jumped in to action with their weapons to defend the village from the dragons, they knew Hiccup didn't want them to be killed but he wasn't here to help and even so there was no guarantee they'd listen to him again. "Prepare catapults!" Stoick ordered.
Hiccup saw it from where he was, "Toothless warning shot." Hiccup told him, Toothless fired a blast at one of the Monstrous Nightmares who was preparing to attack his dad. The nightmare flew off quickly as Toothless landed and Hiccup jumped off.
"Oh thank Thor you're alright son...We haven't had a raid in weeks, why now?..." Stoick asked him.
"I don't know, I saw them coming here when I was flying West...so I shot back to help because I knew everyone would be in the middle of eating right now and you'd be unprepared..." Hiccup stated.
"Hiccup you never got trained to fight dragons, I can't let you fight..." Stoick said firmly.
"Did you really just go there?..." Hiccup asked narrowing his eyes, "Hello! I trained a Night Fury! I fly him...I think by now you realize I'll never fight dragons..." Hiccup mumbled.
"I don't want you getting hurt!" Stoick ordered.
"I'll be fine! Just give me a chance..." Hiccup tried again.
"My word is final son, get inside and out of the way before you or someone else gets hurt!" Stoick bellowed out angrily, Hiccup's eyes widened at what he said, even a few others stopped and looked over. Had Stoick really just said that to Hiccup, to get inside and get out of the way.
"Yo–you still...don't trust me...you st–still think I'll cause damage and be in the way...After everything...you still think I'm useless..." Hiccup stammered a little as Toothless crooned rubbing against his hand. It was that moment that Stoick realized what he said, and his eyes softened.
"Hiccup...I didn't...mean it like that..." Stoick began but Hiccup only moved beside Toothless, shaking his head trying to fight back tears forming slowly.
"I–I knew it...I fucking knew nothing would change!" Hiccup growled, Toothless snarled at Stoick now.
"No...no we have changed Hiccup...we have please...we know you're not useless, you've proven it so many times..." Astrid tried to step in now.
"Oh so I had to prove I wasn't!? Well fine then...I guess I'll have to prove it again...Toothless, get ready..." Hiccup got on his back as he nodded to what he was told, then Hiccup cupped his hand over his mouth and took in a deep breath, as did Toothless and then together they both let out a massive, ear splitting roar that made the tribe cover their ears. The dragons swarming over head seemed to stop then fly off back West. The tribe looked at Hiccup now who panted heavily, then glared at them.
"Wh–what did you do...?" Fishlegs asked.
"It's the roar of a Night Fury...combined Toothless and I make it 10 times louder, makes the other dragons afraid because nothing holds a candle to a Night Fury so they won't challenge it..." Hiccup said coldly, his eyes falling on his father now. "Come on Toothless...we're going home..." Hiccup said quieter as he opened Toothless's tail closing his eyes.
"Son please...I–I didn't mean what I said...I'm just...worried for you because you didn't train with the others..." Stoick began.
"Does it matter!" Hiccup yelled making Stoick flinch a little, "I don't need to be trained like them, I won't kill dragons! I WILL NOT KILL AN INNOCENT CREATURE JUST BECAUSE ITS MISUNDERSTOOD! Why can't you grasp that? I don't need to fight them, or kill them! You've all seen first hand how I handle it...I don't have to do what you do to achieve the same end. I can make them leave...without violence or death on either side of the field...but to you...I'm still a useless, weak kid who will cause some kind of destruction and get hurt, or hurt someone else...well look around. I don't see anyone hurt, do you?!" Hiccup motioned to the crowd.
"No...no one got hurt..." Stoick looked down.
"You still think I'll always be in the way and causing trouble...that I'm not capable of handling myself in any situation." Hiccup held the saddle as Toothless prepared to fly off.
"Hiccup don't go...please!" Astrid tried to get his hand. "Please come back to the village...we have changed...I swear we have, just give us a chance..." She pleaded him.
"This was your chance...and its clear to some that I'm still no good to have around..." Hiccup said emotionlessly.
"Well not all of us feel that way! You can't take it out on all of us..." Snotlout argued.
"This is a tribe, is it not?" Hiccup asked, a few nodded. "Then as it should be, if one person in the tribe messes up...the whole tribe suffers. And since all of you had a hand in hurting me over the years...I will continue to hate you all. None of you showed me you're sorry for what happened. None of you have tried to talk to me when I come here twice a week. None of you even acknowledge me...nothing has changed! Except the fact I'm not being beat up on when I walk through..." Hiccup informed them.
"Y–you told us to leave you alone..." Fishlegs chimed in.
"Yeah that means don't pester me about if I've forgiven you or not, or decided if I even can. That doesn't mean to act like I'm not around. For Thor's sake that's why I don't feel like part of this tribe...Because just like before...I'm fucking invisible to everyone. You know I'm here, you can clearly see me...but not a single one of you makes an effort to talk to me, to ask how I've been, how my day is going, how am I feeling...Nothing. The only people who have remotely gotten close to getting my forgiveness is Gobber, Astrid, Fishlegs, The twins, and Snotlout..." Hiccup mumbled.
"W–we thought...you wanted us to back off..." Stoick said now.
"Weren't you listening to me. Of course not, you never have. You always just overlook what I say and do your own thing. I said not to pester me about forgiving anyone...And not to come to the cove, to let me think. I never said ignore my damn existence! Which is what started all this bullshit, ignoring me and making me feel like no one wants me around! Treating me like a damn outcast...If you don't want me here...just say so and I'll go because I won't stay where I'm not wanted." Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest.
"W–we do want you around, Hiccup...we're sorry...we misunderstood what...y–you meant...please...just tell us what you want us to do...and we'll do it...whatever you want, we'll do." Astrid cried.
"The only thing I want...is the same thing I've always wanted..." Hiccup turned his head to hide his tears now, "To be part of the tribe. To be wanted. To be understood. To be heard and seen...To be...accepted for who I am. To not be invisible and...just once...feel like...I belong." With that he gave Toothless a pat on the neck and his dragon understood, he spread his wings, "Since you know I'm alive...I won't bother coming tomorrow. Goodnight..." Hiccup added and then Toothless darted off in to the night sky.
"And...somethin is tellin me we are back to square one..." Gobber sighed as he and the teens looked down sadly.
"And now he won't come here tomorrow for the party we planned..." Fishlegs mumbled.
"Maybe he still will...I–I'll go talk to him in the morning...I'll try and convince him to come through..." Astrid offered.
"He told us to stay away from the cove..." Snotlout reminded her.
"So what...it's worth a shot...he already hates us, nothing let to lose..." Ruffnut added.
"Well we'll deal with it in the morning...he probably doesn't want us near him right now..." Gobber looked down. "I miss having the lad in the forge with me, my work never fell behind..." Gobber then added moping a bit.
"Maybe...that's how we get him to come back...we tell him you're falling behind and we don't have enough weapons to defend ourselves if we get attacked. How can he know if we're changing if he can't see us, and it'll give us a chance to be a tribe to him again...we know what he wants, to feel like he's part of the tribe so we have to show him that he is..." Fishlegs offered.
"We can't do that...he'll catch on if we just out right tell him we need help and start being all over him...no we have to do it...delicately." Astrid said. "I'll go to the cove in the morning and talk to him...for now lets just...act like nothing is up...And Chief..." Astrid saw him look at her sadly, "You gotta get it together...what you said could of completely relapsed him in to depression and if Toothless wasn't here...I don't think I need to tell you what he would of done...Stop being his chief...and be his father." Astrid pointed at him harshly.
Stoick knew she was right. He was acting like Hiccup's chief instead of being what Hiccup really needed and that was his father. If he didn't stop, Hiccup would never forgive him. "That I will..." Stoick nodded.
"We all...have to remember that Hiccup tried to kill himself even though he knew Toothless was still out there...and if he is pushed to far...regardless of Toothless being here...He could try again, and if he were to die because he felt we gave him no other choice out of the pain...Toothless would destroy this village in revenge...These are dangerous waters to tread through, so we all have to be careful, while still acting normal." Fishlegs reminded, everyone nodded as they began to clean up and then get to their homes.
(Cove)
As soon as they landed Hiccup silently walked in to the shack which was built off the entrance of the cave there, he leaned against the cave wall with his knees pulled up to his chest, arms locked around his legs, face buried in his knees crying. "Why bud...why can't they trust me...and treat me like one of them...why is it all just an act...a lie..." Hiccup whimpered out. Toothless crooned softly and tried to comfort him the best he could but didn't know what to do to help his friend. Toothless nuzzled his cheek and put his wing around Hiccup gently.
"I–I'm sorry bud...just...lets go to sleep okay...get this day over with." Hiccup tried to smile to him, Toothless licked his cheek and laid down to close his eyes and go to sleep. Hiccup sat awake for a while staring out in to the darkness of the cove, the only light was from the moon above. Hiccup got up quietly so not to disturb Toothless and wandering out of the shack, he stared up at the starry sky. He wandered out of the cove and stood on the point for a while, just sitting there silently.
'Why can't they just accept me for who I am...for being different...' Hiccup thought as he absentmindedly dragged his blade across his wrist, the searing pain of a fresh cut brought him from his thoughts about everything and he looked down at his wrist which was now beginning to bleed and drip in to his lap. He hadn't made a large or deep cut, but it was enough to draw blood still.'Why...did I cut myself...I–I have Toothless...I don't need them to care so...why did I hurt myself...why am I cutting again...' Hiccup asked himself as he watched the warm crimson liquid coat his wrist.
Why was he doing this? He said all he needed was Toothless then why was he cutting again? Was it because he knew the village was only acting? That they didn't care, that they still thought he was useless and couldn't do anything right? Is that why he felt upset again, because it was all lies so they could hurt him again? Hiccup looked at his dagger and put it to his wrist and dragged it across again. Each cut he made he thought of something the village had said to him before, calling him names. Tears fell from his eyes as the cuts came faster and on both arms until he finally yelled out as loud as he could in anger.
Below as people were walking to their homes, they stopped hearing the yell and looked towards Raven's point.
"What...was that?" Gobber asked.
"I–I think it was Hiccup..." Fishlegs said now.
"You don't think he..." Snotlout trailed off looking to the other teens now. Fear rose in their eyes as they rushed as fast as they could in the dark forest to get to the point. It was going to take them a while but they had to try. While they were rushing there, Toothless had woken up and noticed Hiccup was gone from the cove but his nose knew better. Toothless roared out loudly to get his attention.
"I–I'm sorry...T–Tooth...less...I'm not...strong enough. I'm just...a weak, useless, little...hiccup..." Hiccup cried lightly as the blade dropped from his hands weakly and he laid back staring at the sky.
While the group ran they heard Toothless's roar and froze almost, "Was that...Toothless?" Astrid asked.
"No other dragon stays on Berk...sometin is wrong...If 'Iccup left the cove, Toothless can't get out on 'is own and if 'Iccup hurt 'imself then Toothless can't save 'im..." Gobber said quickly, they only forced themselves to move faster through the forest to get there only praying they made it in time. Meanwhile Toothless was screeching and roaring trying to get just enough air to get back the rocks of the cove.
As Hiccup stared up at the sky with void eyes he felt things getting fuzzy, everything around him was spinning slowly and getting darker with each passing moment that he laid there motionless. There were cuts on his wrists and running along the length of both arms, his tunic sleeves were drenched in blood but he refused to pick himself up and stop it. He wanted to die, he wanted it to be over. No more lies, acting, or pain. It would all end soon.
Toothless growled lowly as he smelled the teens, Gobber, and Stoick nearing the cove. Toothless reared back as far as he could go then took a running jump beating his wings hard as he got to the first rock leading out, he used his claws to grip the rock and kick off the rock to left up, still flapping his wings until he finally got out and panted a few times. "Toothless!...You got out on your own..." Snotlout exclaimed.
"Where's Hiccup! Where's my son, dragon!" Stoick yelled.
"Stoick stop!" Astrid hissed her chief, "Toothless please...I know we don't deserve to be here but help us find him...if he hurt himself again...we don't know where he is and he could die if we don't hurry...please help us..." Astrid pleaded the dragon. Toothless scoffed at them turning his head, he didn't want his friend to die and if Hiccup was hurt or had hurt himself Toothless couldn't do anything to help whether he liked it or not he needed their help right now. Toothless motioned for them to follow him and with that he darted off in a run to get around the cove heading to the point with the 7 tribe members following him.
Toothless sniffed the ground to keep the trail, they finally reached the point to see Hiccup laying there staring blankly at the sky. The color was drained from his face, his breathing was shallow and labored, his eyes were void of anything but silent tears falling down from the corners of his eyes. "Oh gods..." Astrid cried as she rushed to Hiccup's side and lifted his head in her lap. Toothless kicked the dagger of the edge and whined helplessly to his rider and friend, nudging his face. "He's freezing!" Astrid warned.
"Wa–wait fo–for...me m-ma..ma..." Hiccup whispered weakly as his eyes started closing.
"No...Hiccup no...come on...stay with me please...don't close your eyes...stay awake!" Astrid begged shaking him a little as Snotlout and Tuffnut lifted Hiccup's sleeve to see the amount of cuts he'd made, as soon as the sleeves were gone Toothless licked them a few times to stop the bleeding and close them.
"Hiccup...its not your time to go...you've got...your whole life ahead of you yet...please...please don't go..."Stoick said as Astrid now bent forward pressing her forehead to Hiccup's crying hard, her tears falling on his face.
"Stay with me...please stay, Hiccup...I can't lose you...I can't...I care about you to much to lose you..." Astrid sobbed hard but Toothless didn't like it, he used his paw to push Astrid back carefully while he wrapped himself around Hiccup's form and closed his eyes.
"Ha–hap..py bir–birth..day t–to m–me..." Hiccup closed his eyes snuggling in to Toothless's chest.
"Wh–what's...he doing?..." Stoick asked.
"He's using his body heat to warm Hiccup so he doesn't freeze to death...He's keeping him alive..." Gobber breathed out. They just stood there a while maybe 20 minutes watching closely as the color slowly returned to Hiccup's face and his shivering stopped, he curled against Toothless now asleep.
"We can't move him...but we can't leave either..." Astrid said slowly.
"I agree...lets just stay up here tonight. We'll make a fire and sleep on the grass..." Snotlout nodded, without much more argument everyone went to get wood while Astrid stayed leaning against a tree watching them. They got the fire going and all found a spot near it, no one could sleep though knowing Hiccup tried to kill himself again and this time he even left Toothless in the cove so no one could stop him. They saw Toothless adjust and Hiccup now laying on Toothless's right wing, his head on Toothless's right front paw like a pillow and then Toothless brought his left wing over and wrapped Hiccup in them gently.
"We really fucked up guys...and I don't think Hiccup is ever going to forgive us...Not after this..." Snotlout looked in to the fire. None of them wanted to agree but they knew it was true, Hiccup had been okay for 3 weeks with Toothless around but after tonight what Stoick said to him about getting inside and staying out of the way made Hiccup feel that they still didn't trust him, that they felt he couldn't handle himself and would only be in their way and it pushed him to leave Toothless in a place he couldn't get out of on his own in order to kill himself. This all meant one thing...Hiccup's depression was beyond even Toothless's help and they had to do something or next time they might not be so lucky to get their in time because tonight they only made it by seconds. Any later and Hiccup would be dead, this was a thought that prevented them from sleeping the rest of the night. They all stayed awake, just looking at Toothless's wings where Hiccup laid sleeping.