Hiccup felt his heart shattered. He stood, without thought. One arm encircled Onyx's head. The other offered the same embrace to Sunburn. Hiccup would still keep his vow to let the dragon chose to touch him or not. Sunburn stared at him. Her gaze flicked to Onyx who began crooning. She shifted. Her muzzle edged closer to Hiccup's arm, then ducked under it. Hiccup curled his arm and drew her close. She began purring. Hiccup went to lay his head upon Onyx's but froze as chilled scales with the same texture as rock and ice pressed into his hair.

[Silent.]

Hiccup did not really need his brother's explanation, but he was grateful for it nonetheless. He would have thanked Toothless except that he could not move. As with Shadowfire, his gut screamed that moving would disrupt something that had to happen.

Several heartbeats later, Hiccup stirred. Both his alpha magic and his connection to Toothless settled into what he now called stand-by mode after hearing Shadowfire use the term and then explaining its meaning. Silent's chin raised as Hiccup slowly released Onyx and Sunburn. Hiccup gently wiped away a tear that fell from Onyx's eye as the dragon lifted his head.

[I do not know how this is possible,] Onyx began, sounding both in awe and confused at the same time. [My son's soul was supposed to return to the ancestors when Hiccup the Second died of old age, yet he lives on in you, Hiccup.]

Hiccup blinked. "Um, what?"

Onyx sighed, lifting his head and tilting it so he could see Silent. [Old friend, do you think they are trustworthy enough?]

Hiccup's head tilted as Onyx's lobes lifted. He glanced to Toothless, finding both his brother and Moondust appeared to be listening to whatever Silent was saying. Given that both dragons looked as if someone had said Alvin the Treacherous was friendly and peaceful, Hiccup could only imagine what they were hearing.

[Hiccup.]

Hiccup turned back to Onyx. The dragon looked as if a weight as heavy as the world had just been placed upon his wings. With everything that had happened and been said in just the last two days, Hiccup worried about what Onyx had to say now.

[Silent has agreed so what I am about to say can never be repeated.] Onyx leaned right a bit and Hiccup followed his gaze, finding the dragon was staring at Fishlegs. [It can never be recorded in a human's tale-holder either. Do all of you agree to this?]

Hiccup spun on his heel, facing his friends. Astrid and Fishlegs looked pensive but with muted and cautious excitement. Snot, the twins and Skulder all looked as if they were not sure all they had seen and heard was not some elaborate dream and that they would awake soon. Gyda, who still had tear tracks down her cheeks, appeared to be reexamining all she had been taught. The dragons all wore similar expressions to Toothless and Moondust. Every single one of them, even the dragons, nodded their heads when they realized Hiccup was staring at them. He turned back to Onyx.

"I give you my word that what is said here will never leave here."

Onyx tipped his head. [We accept your word, alpha of your nest.]

Onyx closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

[Even in the Days of Chaos when dragons believed themselves superior to everything and everyone, we also believed the soul of a being was eternal. Human, dragon, animal, it did not matter. Each soul lived on and each was unique to the one who carried it.]

Onyx paused for a heartbeat. Hiccup wondered if he was gathering his thoughts like Stoick did at times.

[We also knew a soul was the most powerful force because all magic comes from a being's soul. Control a soul and you control that being. That's what made the Days of Chaos so brutal. The alphas of that time tried to dominate their followers' souls. After my rider and I, along with our flock, stopped the Days of Chaos and we dragons learned what love truly meant, giving up one's soul so another could live was seen as the purest form of love.]

Onyx lifted his wing, brushing against Silent who stood close behind him.

[Silent and his kind were charged from the founding of dragonkind to guide the souls of dragons who died to the ancestors. I don't know how. That is something only a Way-guard knows and they will never tell anyone. They are bound by an oath not to. Most Way-guards do not know the soul they are guiding. At least according to what Silent and his kind will say. They can recognize flock members though.]

Onyx paused again, but this time Hiccup could see the dragon fighting to speak as tears clogged his voice again.

[Silent and my son were as much brothers as they were friends. When my son allowed his soul to be used to save your ancestor's life, Silent waited to guide my son's soul on. Somehow, someway, that I don't quite understand, my son's soul did not pass on after your ancestor died, Hiccup. My son lives on in you. That's why your connection to Toothless is so strong. My son's soul has somehow fused with the bond that forms between dragon and rider and turned your love for Toothless into something I have never seen before.]

Onyx's lobes lifted again. He looked up at Silent and Hiccup got the impression that was exchanged right then was something Onyx had trouble believing.

[What do you mean?] Onyx questioned, sounding as if whatever Silent just said had been something he did not know at all. [Did my son know that would happen? You..you told him and he still..]

Onyx screeched. Hiccup felt the pain and the sorrow that time.

[Hiccup, Silent…he…my son..]

[His son knew that giving up his soul in this manner would prevent it from traveling through the Way-guard's passage,] Toothless began in a whisper as Onyx fell to his belly and his wings hunched into his body. [His son can never fly with the ancestors because he is forever bound to your bloodline, Hiccup.]

Hiccup dropped to his knees before Onyx and all but laid down upon the dragon's head. He did not care that the spikes on Onyx's head were taller than Toothless. He just wanted to comfort Onyx.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup whispered.

Hiccup's eyes closed as a white light almost blinded him. When he opened them, he found himself not in the stone hut holding Onyx. He found himself, Toothless, Silent, and Onyx in a grassy field with the wind blowing softly. Before them stood a Night Fury Hiccup had never saw before, but given Onyx's reaction, assumed it was his son. Behind the Night Fury, a foggy shadow that Hiccup could not make out laid upon the grass.

[No, don't move, Father,] the Nigh Fury said, proving his identity. [I have limited time or we risk Hiccup and Toothless' lives. I just wanted you to know, I chose this because of what you and Uncle taught me and my siblings. I know my sister did not accept the teachings, but I did, Father. My Way-guard brother told me what would happen, but I knew it had to be done. I am at peace, Father and I love you. Always know that.]

Literally Nobody: Don't apologize for missing chapters. Life before fanfic, my friend. Yes, Astrid and Meatlug are out of patience and they have a small explanation. The full story is yet to come. Snot will always be Snot, even if he respects Hiccup and doesn't try to one up him anymore. Yes, they are. Life is life and it has both birth and death. The Dragon Eye will be in this version of HTTYD.

Kirika: Hehe, thanks.

Prince: Hiccup is human. And that is all I'll say cause the rest is spoilers.