Word began to spread of the defeat of the Arlong Pirates far and wide and everyone the island began to rejoice upon hearing the news. Everyone on the island made their way to Leefside Village where they prepared a massive feast in celebration and ingratitude of their saviours.
"We're free again! It's been a long time coming, but now our hardships are over!" a villager cried. "No work for three days! We're going to party until we can't stand up!"
Soon everyone began eating, dancing, laughing and basically enjoying being alive no longer fearing to be under the heel of Arlong. Astra was sitting back and was enjoying a nice cup of mead when Bard appeared.
"Astra!" he yelled.
Astra smiled at him. "Hey, you."
"Have you seen Arlong Park, Astra?" Bard asked excitedly. "It's totally smashed to pieces."
"I know, it was great."
"I have to meet the guy that did that, he must be totally awesome. I heard that he was still here in our village, you know where I can find him?"
Astra just at a table. "He's right over there."
"Yeah, which one is he?" he said turning to the table excitedly.
"Skinny guy," Astra answered.
Bard looked slightly disappointed, because Hiccup wasn't exactly the hero he pictured. He had expected someone 20 feet tall with a string for the dozen men, instead he found a skinny looking guy with a goofy grin.
"Are you sure that's him?" Bard questioned dubiously. "He doesn't look as if he can take down a Fishman."
Astra chuckled. "I know it's hard to believe, but…"
Ragnar and Snotlout were outside the hospital as the Doctor was tending to Toothless and the twins. They could hear Toothless' screams as the Doctor began to re-stitch his open wound.
"He's still at it," said Snotlout.
"Well, you saw the way he looked after that fight," Ragnar reminded.
Snotlout nodded. "Yeah, anyone else, apart from me, would be dead."
The Doctor shook his head in disbelief as he stitched Toothless' chest. It was very difficult getting through his hard skin with the needles he had more than a few of them had bent at the pressure.
"You dumbass," said the Doctor. "Did you think it would heal on its own? Seriously, pirates are supposed to be smarter than this." He then pushed Toothless down as he tried to get up. "Don't you have a ship's doctor?"
"Not yet," said Hiccup as he poked his head through the window. "Trying to find all the people you want to join a pirate ship is not an easy task, we're still short a shipwright." He then looked the Doctor. "Hey, Doctor, have you seen either Astrid. Fishlegs is with his family, but I've got no clue where Astrid is."
"Well, if she's not in the village there is only one place where she'll go," said the Doctor.
Astrid was sitting at the grave marker that represented her adopted mother. Watching from a distance was Goodwin and he just stood there in silence.
"Why are you still here Astrid?" Astra asked as she approached them. "Your friends have been looking for you, especially Hiccup. Maybe he's hoping that you give them another kiss."
Astrid immediately blushed. "I was just being grateful, I mean he did just save the village I think he earned the kiss."
Astra gave her dubious look. "Sure…"
Astrid decided to change the subject quickly. "Hey, Astra. Goodwin." The two of them looked up with confused look. "If Bel was still alive and I wanted to become a pirate you think she'll let me do it?"
"A pirate?" Goodwin stared. "What do you think of course she would never let her precious daughter go out to sea with a bunch of treacherous pirates!"
"Hey, she'd let you," Astra smiled.
"Astra," Goodwin snapped.
She then turn to Astrid. "But if she had said no, that wouldn't stop you would it."
Astrid smiled back at them. "That's right, none."
Astra laughed and Goodwin shook his head.
"I see," he said and then soon laughed himself.
"What's up, Goodwin?" Astra frowned.
"You certainly are Bel's kids," he said as he placed a hand on Astra's shoulder.
"Oh yeah," said Astra dubiously.
Goodwin then walked away. "Astrid you've already made up your mind about this, there's no use fighting it. Live your life, it's what Bel would have wanted."
Fishlegs meanwhile was having a similar conversation with his mother and she looked as if she was in two minds.
"You seriously want to join those boys?" said she, not sure what to think.
"Helping Hiccup with his dream is the least I can do after he helped us," said Fishlegs. "Besides I've always wanted to be a navigator and I would see the world more if I was on a pirate ship."
"I'm not sure whether I like the idea of my son been a pirate," Mrs Ingerman admitted and Fishlegs looked to the ground. "But with that being said, you're not a little boy anymore and you're free to make your own decisions. Plus those boys aren't your average pirates and I know that Captain will do anything he can to keep you all safe."
Fishlegs then immediately hugged his mother. "I love you, mum."
Mrs Ingerman placed arms around her son. "Me too, son."
True to the villages' word they kept on celebrating for three long days, Toothless had finally been discharged by the Doctor and was now enjoying the booze.
"Boy I stuffed," said Ragnar as he sat down opposite Toothless. "It's nice not having to cook for a change. So how are you feeling Toothless?"
"I'll be okay, I think all I need is little bit of rest," Toothless assured.
"Good to hear."
Toothless looked at the villages and shook his head. "Seriously how much longer can they keep this up it's been three days now?"
"Considering what they've been for they have every right to celebrate," Ragnar smiled.
Hiccup soon approached them and smiled. "We soak up the gratitude as much as we can, I have a feeling that we won't receive this kind of treatment from every island we stumble across."
"Good point, it'll be back to being hated by most of the known world," Toothless agreed.
Ragnar chuckled. "We all knew the price that we would pay when we became pirates, and personally I don't regret a thing."
Snotlout was busy showing himself off to every attractive young girl in the village by lifting tables they were sitting on. Everyone was impressed by his strength, thereafter seeing him take down Seablade single-handed it was not hard to believe.
Astra was still setting with Bard, who was trying to enjoy himself but he kept on looking miserable.
"I'm so bored," Astra sighed.
Bard frowned as he looked at her. "Hmm?"
"I thought, you'd be more upset. 'Why didn't this happen before my daddy died? Why is life so unfair?'" she cried mimicking him. "That."
"I was kinda upset at first," Bard admitted. "But I don't decided to think about my future."
"What about it?"
"We were saved by that scrawny guy and his friends, but tomorrow we'll have to start all over again on our own without anybody's help. We can't forget the past, but now it's really up to us what happens. There's no one else to blame our problems on any more, we can succeed or fail it all depends on our choices. Whining about the past gets us nowhere, I decided to think that way."
"That's so?" Astra asked with a smile. "Wiser words have never been said."
Goodwin meanwhile was on the hill pouring some mead over Bel's grave marker.
"Bel, your daughters are strong young women now," he said solemnly. "You would be so proud, it's like I'm standing right in front of you."
Goodwin smiled as he remembered the time that Bel announced she was going to join the Marines.
'What you're going to join the Marines?' Goodwin gasped.
'Don't bother trying to stop me, my mind is made up,' she said.
Goodwin closes eyes and smiled.
"We're not going to waste any single moment now. So much has been lost, everyone has had to make terrible sacrifices which is why I don't care if I look like a fool, I'm happy for the first time in a long while."
"So, this is her mother's grave marker is it?" said a voice behind him.
Goodwin turned and to his surprise saw Hiccup standing there. "Yeah, it is." He then took a deep breath and looked back at the grave marker. "Listen, boy, I know Astrid is going away with you, as is Fishlegs. Those two have the mindset of becoming pirates and that is a dangerous business and I'm fine with that, it can't be helped."
"But…" Hiccup pressed.
"But if any of you hurt them I will kill you," Goodwin threatened.
"I assure you I would do anything in my power to protect any crewmember on my ship," Hiccup swore.
"You better."
Finally after a full night of partying everyone fell asleep and it was clear that everyone can have a massive hangover in the morning judging from all the empty bottles.
In fact the only person that wasn't sleeping was Astrid, who was at Astra's house packing up all her belongings as well as leaving a large pile of money behind, the money that both she and Fishlegs collected.
After she was done dragging it into the house and immediately posted a note on top of it and sat down on a chair. She then turned and looked at the portrait of her and her family back in happier times.
She then began to remember when she was much younger, she and Astra were sitting at a table where a massive plate of food was laid out in front of them.
"Wow, what's up with all the food?" a young Astrid asked.
"Do you to know what today is?" Bel asked.
The two of them just gave him blank looks.
"It's the anniversary of the day we met," said Bel cheerfully. "We're celebrating the day that you became my daughters."
She then began to remember another day when both she and her sister had been out in the rain, after which Bel began to dry them both up and they began to cry in her lap. They were mostly upset because the storm would no doubt ruin the Orchard and they were low on money.
"Hey, don't cry, it's just a storm so what if it ruins our crops," Bel smiled. "You need to learn to be strong girls so that you can smile even during the hard times. Do that and nothing shall ever stop you, now show me those smiles."
Astrid then continue to remember all the other times, when she began to express her dreams of saving up to sea. She then looks down her battleaxe, this had in fact once belonged to Bel when she was part of the Marines, Astra had founded gave it to her when she was old enough to hold it.
Despite knowing how stupid it sounded, Astrid sensed as if Bel were sitting at the table looking at her. Despite this she turned and looked at the empty chair with a strong feeling that Bel's spirit was looking at her.
"Well, Bel, we finally made it," she said. "It took eight long years, but we're finally free, the village and me. It's just like you told us when we were children, 'Be brave and smile and nothing shall ever be able to stop you.' It's so true, Arlong is gone now everyone is so happy to be free.
"And me, I'm finally going to leave this island, but don't worry I'll be okay. I'm going with good strong people, like you, Hiccup already said that he wanted me as a first mate and I know he won't treat me like some kind of slave. Fishlegs will be going to, he lost all the charts he made eight years ago, but now I can draw them again and this time with feeling. This time when I see the world you will be with of my friends, you know that's what I've always wanted. Anyway, I'm just trying to say goodbye, because I don't know if I'll be back."
Astrid brushed the tears out of her eyes and she sensed that Bel was no longer in the house. "I'm going now, okay."
Astrid then began making her way outside, but then to astonishment she felt someone pushing her along. She turned, but found no one and began to wonder whether Bel really had been in the house. She smiled knowing that her adoptive mother was telling her to live out her dreams and encouraged her to go with her friends.
The next morning Hiccup and the others began to restock on supplies in the village was happy enough to give them the supplies they needed.
"Is this last one, right?" Snotlout asked as he grabbed the crate from Toothless as he climbed on the Going Tiger.
"Yeah," said Toothless as he climbed aboard.
"We've got everything?" Hiccup asked.
"Yep!" Snotlout yelled as he put the crate down.
Ragnar smiled. "All right, we're stocked up with everything we need, I think we're good to go."
"You know we've only been here on this little island for a few days, but it feels more like a lifetime," said Snotlout as he leaned against the crate.
Hiccup chuckled. "Sure does." He then turned to Fishlegs, who was already on board. "You ready to go on a new adventure?"
"You best," Fishlegs smiled.
"Hey, we're coming to!" said Ruffnut as she and her brother climbed on board.
"Don't think you are going to go without us," said Tuffnut.
"You guy sure?" Hiccup questioned. "Life is a pirate is much different than that of a bounty hunter."
"After seeing you guys take down Arlong and his gang, we decided that we would take down even bigger fish if we joined you guys," said Ruffnut.
"And I think you can do with a few crewmen," Tuffnut beamed.
Toothless smiled and looked at Hiccup. "What you say Captain? They may be dumber than thick planks, but they do occasionally become useful."
Hiccup laughed. "The more the merrier."
"Sounds like it's time for us to get going," said Snotlout.
Ragnar then held out a hand. "But what about Astrid?"
"She may not be coming," said Toothless.
Fishlegs shrugged. "I haven't seen her for the past three days, so I can't vouch for her. Besides she might not even be coming, I mean she has achieved her goal in freeing the island. In fact she might be better off staying on this island with all her friends and family."
Snotlout folded his arms. "Too bad, I really thought we had a special relationship. There goes my future wife."
Ragnar rolled his eyes and looked at Hiccup. "It's your choice Captain do we stay a bit longer or do we head out?"
Hiccup sighed. "We've already stayed here long enough, the Marines might show up and arrest us."
The villages were also getting concerned.
"Why isn't Astrid here?"
"Don't know, I haven't seen her anywhere since this morning."
Astra then informed Goodwin and the Doctor of the note she found in her house.
"What? 100 million Gil, she left all the money?" Goodwin stared.
"She left all that in our house with a letter," said Astra.
"She's not even going to take some of it, but she and Fishlegs worked so hard to get it?" said the Doctor.
Astra shrugged. "She'll steal more that's what her letter said." She then rubbed the back of the head. "There's no changing her mind once it's made up."
"That girl," said Goodwin shaking his head. "She didn't even give us a chance to say thank you."
Hiccup was about to give the orders set off, but then he saw someone in the distance. Immediately everyone turned and followed the direction of his eyes and standing in the middle of the road was Astrid.
"Astrid?" Goodwin stared.
"Set the sails!" Astrid ordered.
Hiccup looked up and then suddenly Astrid dashed down the road towards them.
"I don't get it, why is she running?" Snotlout frowned.
"She said to set sail," Hiccup answered.
"What?" Ragnar blinked.
"No, she's planning on leaving us without any of us to thank or say goodbye," said Goodwin.
"Set sail!" Hiccup ordered.
Almost instantly the crew immediately unfurled the sails and began to lift the anchor. Snotlout immediately made his way to the rudder and immediately pulled down on it and the ship began to move away from the port.
"Wait, don't go!" a villager yelled.
"They're leaving!"
"Stop at least let us say goodbye!" the Doctor yelled.
Astrid was now approaching them quickly and the villagers kept on trying to persuade her to stop, but she didn't listen.
Goodwin then immediately pushed his way through the crowd. "Astrid, come back here! You can't leave this way!"
"You sure you want to leave like this?" Ragnar asked looking at Hiccup.
"Not my decision, she has every right to say goodbye how she wants," said Hiccup.
The villages then immediately moved in trying to stop Astrid, but with a smile she immediately somersaulted over their heads. Then before she landed into the crowd, she placed her hand on top of the head of the village and immediately push off somersaulting directly over them until she landed on the pier.
"Astrid?" Astra stared.
Then with one mighty jump Astrid launched herself off the pier and was heading straight towards the poop deck and landed with a perfect three point landing.
"But why?" Goodwin stared.
Astrid then immediately turned round and smiled. "I wanted to leave and style, but I'll miss you all!"
Fishlegs sighed. "She always has to be dramatic."
"I'll say one thing, things are gonna get quite lively here with our new arrivals," Toothless chuckled.
Hiccup approached Astrid. "They just wanted to thank you and say goodbye you know."
"I know," Astrid smiled. "But it wouldn't be right for a pirate to leave with a bunch of grateful citizens."
"True enough," Hiccup smiled.
"We'll miss you, you little minx!" Goodwin yelled at the top of his voice. He then looked directly at Hiccup. "Boy, remember what I told you!"
Hiccup smiled. "Don't worry I will!"
Astrid then immediately waved at them. "Goodbye everybody, take care of yourselves!"
Fishlegs then immediately joined in and waved at the villages. "We won't forget you!"
Astra sat down on the pier and laughed. "I can't believe her, my little sister got as good with that one. Be safe Astrid."
The Doctor looked at Goodwin. "You don't have to worry about Astrid any more, she's with a good bunch, even if they are pirates."
Goodwin nodded. "I know and I know each and every one of them will take care of her."
Soon the Going Tiger disappeared from view leaving all the villages wondering whether they would see that ship or its crew ever again.
