RTTE S6, before Mi Amore Wing. My take on how Heather and Fishlegs broke up. (a bit OOC)

Heather decides to pull the plug on her ever-distant relationship with a certain stocky blonde Viking.

Growing Apart

Ever since Heather left the Edge to move back to Berserker Island, she knew that her relationship with Fishlegs would be put to the test. They sent numerous Terror mails during this time, but lately, she hasn't received any mail from her boyfriend in a while. Being general of Berserker Island also didn't help as she and Dagur have to constantly watch out for enemy presence who may seek to attack their island, following the Shellfire incident.

One day, after a training session, Heather thought of the ever-distant relationship she and Fishlegs have. She still loved him, but it would be best if they remained friends – they can still send Terror mails to each other, just like they've done the past year, but without the romantic feelings anymore. There is one thing she regrets not doing before she left the Edge: kissing Fishlegs on the lips. She thought of her love story going in a similar way as Hiccup and Astrid's, but unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be like that. Maybe he's fallen out of love for me. She sadly thought. Her thoughts were snapped when a certain Razorwhip nudged her arm.

"I don't know girl," Heather turned to Windshear. "It's just….I don't know if I should end this or what." Windshear growled sadly, as if she's saying 'Just follow your heart.'

Later that day, Dagur announced to the rest of his tribe that he and Mala were betrothed. He then gave out invites to the wedding, which would take place in about 4 months at their great hall. It was the main talking point of the island - their Chief finally had a chieftess to rule alongside with.

"We should go to the Edge and inform Hiccup and the riders about the great news!" he told Heather, dismounting from Shattermaster after doing his chiefly duties. Ever since the injury he got from the Shellfire battle, Shattermaster had only been confined to fly around Berserker Island to recover; when Dagur goes on long-range trips, he flies Sleuther, as he's significantly faster than the green Gronckle.

"Wouldn't it make sense if we went to Berk first? I mean, they would go home once in a while." Heather retorted. She had a point, as Berk was only a 5 hour flight compared to the Edge, which would take about two days, depending on the weather. But Dagur wasn't convinced.

"I don't think they'd be going home just yet, with them Flyers still lurking about." His sister thought for a moment, before conceding to his plan.

"Fair enough. When do we leave?"

A couple of days later, the silhouette of Dragon's Edge came into view. When they landed, they were greeted by a certain romantic couple giving their respective dragons a bath at the hangar landing platform. Windshear and Sleuther landed on said platform and their riders disembarked, getting the attention of Toothless and Stormfly.

"Hey guys!" Hiccup greeted cheerfully. It's been a couple of months since the Berserker siblings last visited the Edge and they were duly missed.

"Brother!" Heather and Dagur said in unison, before pulling the auburn-haired man in their embrace. Astrid chuckled at their unique way of greeting Hiccup as she approached her best friend and hugged her as well.

Once Hiccup finally got out of the death grip, he asked. "What brings you back?"

"Well my dear brother," Dagur announced proudly, "Mala and I are about to get married!"

"So we decided instead of telling y'all through Terror mail, we thought of announcing it in person." Heather added.

"Congrats brother!" Hiccup patted the redhead's shoulder, beaming with pride.

"When's the big day?" his girlfriend chimed in.

"In 4 months," The Berserker chief smiled, "I almost thought you and Hiccup would get married first before me." Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other, before blushing heavily; it's as if everyone's itching for them to tie the knot already.

Just then, the rest of the riders arrived to greet their visitors. Snotlout groaned at Dagur calling him 'Snothat' again, Ruffnut offered Heather a run of their boar pit, and Tuffnut had been telling everyone the story of how he faked his death when Throk came to win his sister's heart. But perhaps the only quiet guy around the group was Fishlegs. He stared blankly at his raven haired girlfriend, who was talking to Astrid, when a certain Thorston twin broke him out of his reverie.

"Why the long face?" Tuffnut interrupted.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about Tuff." the stocky Viking rambled.

"You're usually excited when Heather comes here, so why aren't you?" Tuff may not be the brightest mind among the gang, but he's smart enough to notice something's wrong.

"It's…nothing really. I'll just talk to her when they're all rested, coz I'm sure their tired from their flight." Fishlegs tried to cover up but Tuff wasn't having it.

"Just tell her that you ain't interested in h- mmphh!" he yelled before the stocky rider covered Tuff's loudmouth with his large hands.

The others noticed the altercation and Heather was first to comment. "What's up with those two?"

"Probably arguing about who's gonna cook dinner." Ruffnut rolled her eyes. Hiccup and Astrid remained silent; they knew exactly why Fishlegs was acting out. It was just a week before Heather and Dagur came, when the stocky blonde told Hiccup about sending a Terror mail to his girlfriend about breaking up. Hiccup told Astrid about it and she then told their friend to hold it and tell Heather in person.

He looked at his fiancée and whispered. "Should we tell her?"

"Not now babe, maybe after dinner." Astrid softly replied, before pecking his cheek.

Once Heather and Dagur settled in their huts, where they'd be sharing with Astrid and Snotlout, respectively, they made it to the clubhouse for dinner. Heather sat beside her boyfriend and the twins' table, while Dagur headed to Hiccup, Astrid, and Snotlout's table. After dinner, only the two couples plus Dagur remained to clean up the dishes.

"That's weird, my sis is usually excited with seeing Fishlegs." her brother remarked, watching Heather and Fishlegs talk uncharacteristically of a couple in a relationship as they were doing the dishes. Astrid stood up and approached her best friend to have some well-needed girl talk.

"Hey girl, can we talk for a moment?"

Heather and Astrid arrived at the northeast part of the island, close to the Edge Nadder nesting grounds. This was also the forest where the two girl friends talked about their respective crushes over a year ago.

"I need to tell you something regarding Fishlegs." Astrid started.

She then told how Fishlegs complained about him and Heather growing apart from their relationship, to the point where he thought Heather was cheating on him. Even though Heather reassured her best friend that she's not cheating, Astrid also added that Fishlegs felt like he wasn't sending out enough Terror mails. Because of Krogan and Johann having knowledge when the Edge sends out Terror mails to Berk and its allies, it became more difficult to time in their mail sent and received without having their messages being intercepted by their enemies. Unfortunately, this meant that Fishlegs cannot send as frequently as he does, which in his mind, Heather had already dumped him.

"And that's why he feels guilty because of that, and we were extremely busy lately." Astrid finished.

Heather, still trying to grasp what Astrid had told her, felt her heart ache not just for herself but for Fishlegs as well. "Oh my gods, I never thought he felt that way."

"Even Hiccup has those moments where he feels unworthy of me." the blonde rider continued, "That's why I keep saying that I love him no matter what." Heather let out a sad chuckle at her best friend's crack.

"I understand what your intentions are sis. But you really must talk to Fishlegs about this. He's my friend and I want for you two to end on good terms." Astrid said sternly. The raven haired Berserker nodded as the tears started to flow.

"I...I feel such an idiot thinking we'd be able to work out a long distance relationship!" she sobbed, "Damn these feelings! Why did I fall for someone whom I would be separated from him?!"

"You know it's not your fault, girl. Come here." Astrid wrapped her arms around Heather and whispered sweet nothings to her, whilst rubbing her back for comfort. Typically, Astrid only reserves this kind of gesture when Hiccup experiences the night terrors, but the raven haired Berserker is the closest person she's had as a sister and she loves her dearly.

Once Heather had stopped crying, Astrid wiped her cheek and stared at her emerald eyes. "So, what are you gonna do about it?"

"Something stupid, but something that would help us end in good terms." Heather replied.

"Good." her best friend smiled, "When are you gonna talk to him?"

"Probably tomorrow, since he must be already sleeping."

When the two girl friends returned to base, it was nearing midnight and the others had retired to their huts, so they decided to get some shut eye and wake up early before the others. The following morning, at around 5, Heather woke up to see if her about-to-be ex boyfriend was already awake. She stepped outside Astrid's hut and sure enough, she saw Fishlegs feeding Meatlug some rocks by his hut. She walked the way there to get some exercise and greeted her boyfriend.

"Morning Heather." Fishlegs greeted her nonchalantly. He looked like he was uninterested with whatever his girlfriend wants to say.

"Fishlegs, can we talk?" she offered. Fishlegs nodded and they sat on the edge of his hut, which had a stone bench to look at the sunsets.

"It's about us, isn't it?" the blonde Viking started. Heather nodded.

"If we continue like this, we'll still end being a couple, but in a more heartbreaking way. I don't want to go that road so I'm making my decision final. I'm breaking up with you." She said in a determined yet hurting tone. Fishlegs felt his heart been ripped out but he wasn't the only one who's hurt. He saw the unshed tears on Heather's green eyes, and wiped them off without hesitation.

"I know," he whispered, a hint of sadness in his voice. "I'm sorry we didn't make it work out."

"Don't be," the raven haired girl reassured. "We may not be like Astrid and Hiccup, but I still want us to be friends. Don't get me wrong, I loved you Fishlegs and I never realized how you've felt not sending me mail until Astrid knocked some sense to me." Heather finally broke down, raising her legs and lay her forehead there. Fishlegs was also crying and wrapped his arms around his ex. Although they were two broken hearted teenagers at the moment, their friendship still proved to be there as they held each other for what felt like hours.

"We're still friends, right?" Fishlegs asked, pulling out of the embrace.

"Of course." Heather replied, before leaving her ex to go to the stables. She would be crying her heart out when she returned back home, just like any other breakup, but she felt as if a large spine had been removed from her chest. Maybe I really do love him, I finally set him free. she thought.

A/N: So I've read on the HTTYD wiki that Heathlegs was no more by the time of RTTE S6, tho it wasn't implied how they broke up. This one's personal to me because I've experienced a similar situation three years ago, but thankfully, I've moved on from that. I've been quite slow in writing lately because of my new job and writer's block. Next up is a mini-series of Heather finding about certain events that happened during the 2nd and 3rd films.