A/N: I got this chapter done a little early, this chapter was fast for me to write compared to the others for some reason. I'm so glad that I got my psychology paper done and turned in today so I can finish up chapter 10.

Well, on with chapter 9!


The next morning, Hiccup woke up to his dragon jumping around the room. Hiccup knew he must have slept in because Toothless wanted outside. Hiccup swung his legs over the edge of the bed and strapped his prosthetic on. Once he was standing, Toothless jumped off the loft waiting for Hiccup to walk down the stairs. The teenage boy put his vest on and walked down the stairs seeing his anxious dragon wanting to go outside.

"I'm coming, I'm coming Toothless." Hiccup grumbled as he walked to the front door. Once he opened the door, the black dragon ran outside and bounced around the house. Hiccup called for his dragon and Toothless stood in front of his rider ready for him to mount. Hiccup got on his dragon and they flew around the island seeing the people coming out of their homes to start their day.

Once the Night Fury did his single lap around the island, Hiccup told his dragon to land by the Hofferson home. Toothless let out a purr when his rider dismounted. He saw Stormfly still sleeping in her pen before he knocked on the door. It took a while, but he heard footsteps coming towards him. The door slowly opened and he saw Astrid cracking the door open to see who it was. "Astrid? Are you okay?" he asked seeing her not wanting to open the door all the way. He couldn't see all of her; he only saw her eye that was shining from the morning sun.

"Are you alone?" she asked. Hiccup raised a brow and nodded. Astrid opened the door a little wider and pulled him in. Once he was inside, she slammed the door shut. Hiccup saw only her backside before she turned around to face him. He saw her braid was a mess and she was still in her nightwear.

"Astrid?" the girl let out a sigh before turning around to look at him. The young girl wrapped her arms around herself feeing truly weak for the first time.

"I thought I could handle this," she breathed.

"Astrid, what happened?" Hiccup walked up to her.

"My dad….last night," she was having a hard time finishing her statement when she felt a lump grow in her throat.

Hiccup felt his heart drop. "Oh my gods, is he-"

Astrid shook her head. "No, but I thought…." She let out a shaky sigh. "I can't believe I'm actually admitting this, but I'm scared." She saw her vision getting blurred. She tried to stop the tears, but they fell anyway.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have suggested you to move back in-"

"No, I needed to move back in. My dad needs me. He doesn't have anyone else to take care of him."

"But Astrid, look at you!" he gestured to her making Astrid cross her arms in disgust. "You're hair's a mess, you're crying, and you're still wearing your nightgown at eight o'clock in the morning! Have you even eaten yet today?" Before Astrid could reply, they heard Asmund calling for his daughter. Astrid started to walk to him, but she was stopped when Hiccup put his hand on her shoulder. "Let me see what he wants, you just get dress and clean up."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he answered before making his way to Asmund's room. When he opened the door, he saw the ill man trying to sit up straight. Hiccup noticed how thin he was now, and his hair seemed finer than usual. He never noticed the man's hair because he always had a helmet on. When Asmund turned his head towards the door, he saw the teenage boy standing in his room.

"Oh hey son, what are you doing here, and where's Astrid?" Asmund asked with a raspy voice.

"Oh um, I came by to see how Astrid and you were dong. Astrid is getting dressed right now, so I thought I could help you with what you needed," Hiccup answered.

"Well, can you hand me my ink and feather, and my journal over there?" Asmund asked pointing to his table on the other side of the room. Hiccup walked over to the table and handed Asmund's his journal and set the ink and feather on the night stand. "Thank you lad, now I know Astrid is under a lot of stress. Honestly, if I had a say on this 'moving in to take of me' thing. I would have said no."

Hiccup raised a brow at him. "Why? Don't you want Astrid to be here?"

"Hiccup, I had taken care of both of my parents on their death bed, my in-laws, and even my own wife. I know what this is going to do to her. This is going to hurt her emotionally and mentally. She hasn't even thrown her axe since all of this happened. When my wife died, Astrid was only four years old. My parents had to take her in for a while because I was too distraught to care for my daughter. I was twenty when I watched my wife die. If I couldn't think straight back then, think what this might do to Astrid at fifteen."

Hiccup let out a sigh and looked at the ground. He had no idea what Asmund had seen, if he knew he was against Astrid staying here, he wouldn't have let her. "I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"Why would you? I haven't even told Astrid the truth. After her mother died, we just told her that she was just spending the night at her grandparents' house for a couple of days. She doesn't know what I did to make her stay with them." Asmund looked at his hands as he remembered the day his mother took Astrid. He let out one last shaky sigh before he coughed in his rag. "There is one thing I want you to do for me." Hiccup nodded waiting to hear what his father-in-law was going to tell him. "I want you to get Astrid out of the house. I don't care what you two do; just let her have a stress-free day for once."

Before Hiccup could replay, Astrid walked in the bedroom giving her father a weak smile. "You okay dad?"

"Yeah, just talking with the lad," Asmund replied with a smile. "Hey, why don't the two of you go out?"

Astrid's smile faded and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you sure dad?"

"I'm positive, go out with Hiccup, your friends, and Stormfly, and throw that Thor forsaken axe of yours!" Asmund told his daughter with a smile.

Astrid looked at her father with concern. "Really? Are you sure you'll do okay without me?"

Asmund rolled his eyes. "Astrid we could do this all day. Go out today and please just have fun."

Astrid gave him a small smile. "Okay, I'll see you tonight, bye dad." She said as she made her way to leave his room.

"Bye Astrid," he said as he saw his daughter grabbing her axe before leaving the house. Before Hiccup left the room, he heard Asmund saying his name to get his attention. "Hiccup, I don't care who you think who is the strongest is in your marriage. Just promise me you'll take care of my daughter."

Hiccup nodded and said "I will, I promise. Bye Mr. Hofferson," Hiccup walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

~oOo~

Gobber was sharpening an axe when he saw his chief walking by. "Hey Stoick, you got time to talk?" he asked before mounting the axe on the wall.

"Um sure, I can spare a few moments. What's on your mind?" Stoick replied walking over to the forge.

"I'm having a hard time with what you said to Hiccup the other night." Gobber answered with a little fear of how Stoick would react.

"What are you talking about? What did I say to Hiccup that you didn't like?"

"Well….You practically called your son, your married son, a kid."

Stoick was taken back at what Gobber was saying. "What? I did no such thing!"

"You told your son that he's not a man because he doesn't act mature enough, and because he's fifteen! Do you see your son as a man only because he's wearing a ring now?"

"Gobber, you and I both know that Hiccup still acts like a child in some areas."

"Yes, it's called being free spirited." Gobber snapped at his friend.

Stoick let out a sigh before he would explain himself. "Gobber, do you see Hiccup as a man? I mean a real man?"

"Well, before I answer your question. Answer me this old friend, what do you think a man is?" Gobber asked seeing Stoick pressing his lips together trying to think of the right way to answer.

"A man is someone who can fight on his own, who knows responsibility, and can defend others and his village." After Stoick answered Gobber's question, he realized what he was saying described his son. Stoick looked at the ground as he let out a groan. "Alright, I see your point. I was out of line for saying Hiccup wasn't a man, but can you blame me? Even if he does have the characteristics of a man, he still acts like a child."

"What fifteen year old lad doesn't!? Stock, he's a teenager. He's no longer that little boy that started a fire because he tipped a candle over with his elbow. He's going through a hard time right now. He's trying to support his wife in the only way he thinks is best. If that's not the acts of a man, then I don't know what a man is!"

"Well what do you want me to do?" Stoick asked putting his hands on his waist. "I can't take back what I said! I can't help it if I still see my son as a boy!"

"I think you need to show your son how important he is. He still views himself as a screw-up, and I can't blame him for thinking that." Gobber suggested seeing his old friend stroking his beard. Stoick smiled once he thought of an idea.

"You know Gobber, you're right! I need to show Hiccup that he does play an important role for the village, and I think I know just what to do."

~oOo~

Astrid threw her axe over her shoulder aiming at the tree. "Wow, I forgot how good it feels to throw this thing." She said with a smile as she walked to the tree that her axe was stuck in. She grabbed the handle of her axe to pull it off the tree. "You want to try?" she asked looked at Hiccup who was leaning against his dragon. Hiccup's eyes grew wide after hearing her question.

"Um….I don't think that's a good idea." He stammered rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Oh come on, if you can sharpen an axe, you can throw one." She said shoving the handle of the axe in his gut. He let out an "oomph" when the wooden handle met his lower abdomen. "Try to aim at that tree." Astrid said pointing to the tree in front of them. Hiccup tightened his grip the handle of the axe and struggled to pull it up by his shoulder. Astrid tried to hold her laughter seeing him trying to throw the axe. When he threw it, the axe landed a few inches away from the tree trunk. Hiccup heard his dragon laughing behind him at his failure.

Astrid let out little a laugh as she made her way to her axe stuck in the cold ground. "Okay, I saw several things wrong with your form." Astrid said as she handed the axe back to him. "You're left handed right?" she asked seeing how he was holding the handle.

"Um yeah," he replied. Astrid nodded and adjusted his hands on the handle. Hiccup felt his heart flutter when she touched his hands. He tried to ignore the feeling because all she was doing was fixing his posture to throw an axe, not wanting to hold his hand.

Once she got his hands on the handle right. She put her hand on his chest, and the other on his back to straighten himself. Astrid then moved her hand that was on his chest, to his stomach so she could fix his slightly arched back. He felt butterflies in his stomach, and heat rise in his face when she pushed her hand in his abdomen. He knew Astrid was giving him tips on his form, but he was having a hard time listening. It was a good thing Astrid was looking down so she wouldn't be able to see how red his face was.

"Alright, I think you're good," he heard her say. He let out a deep breath trying to control the coloring in his face. Then she grabbed his forearms and adjusted them over his head. "Okay, now try to throw." Hiccup threw the axe, this time it landed by the roots of the tree. He let out a low growl seeing the work of his weak throw.

"Well, it's better than last time. Looks like you just need to work on your upper body strength a little more." She told him as she walked to pick up her axe. Then they heard a dragon flying towards them and saw Meatlug and Fishlegs landing by them.

"I've been looking all over for you two! I thought Meatlug's wings were going to fall off," Fishlegs said.

"What's going on?" Hiccup asked walking up to the Gronckle.

"Stoick wants all of us at the Arena," Fishlegs answered.

"Why?" Astrid asked.

"I don't know, Stoick just said that he wanted the six of us at the Arena. He said he'll explain when we get there." Fishlegs said before Meatlug hovered over the ground to take off. The two just stared at each other and shrugged before mounting on their dragons.

~oOo~

When Toothless and Stormfly landed by the Arena, the two teens noticed that the villagers were outside of the Arena. Hiccup saw Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut standing in the middle of the Arena with Gobber. When he walked inti the Arena, he was trying to figure out what they did wrong.

When Hiccup and Astrid walked up to the twins and Snotlout, they asked if they knew what was going on. The three of them shrugged and shook their heads. Then Meatlug and Fishlegs showed up, and the boy walked up to the rest of them.

"Hey Gobber, do you know why everyone is here?" Fishlegs asked the blacksmith.

"Sorry son, I can't say anything until Stoick is here." He answered just before the chief walked in.

"I know you're all wondering why I called you here today." Stoick started with as he walked up to the six teens. "You are all young men and women, even though most of you don't act like it." He mumbled the last statement before he continued. "You are all learning your place in the village, and I know what would be perfect for the six of you. That is why-"

"You're getting a Dragon Training Academy!" Gobber shouted with a smile. All the teens looked at each other enthusiastically. The villagers gasped and chattered at what the blacksmith had just blurted out.

"Gobber! I wanted to tell them!" Stoick shouted behind his friend.

"Oh sorry…well you can tell them how proud you are of them!"

"Gobber!" the chief shouted before letting out a groan. He turned to the smiling teenagers and let out a sigh. "Well um…what he said." He smiled looking at the six teens. "All of you have helped us defeat the Red Death, and you are all learning your place in the village, and this Academy is just the beginning. You all are learning how to be men and women of Berk, and learning to be responsible for this village. This Arena now belongs to you, and the Academy is now your responsibility." Stoick finished with a smile hearing the crowd cheering around them.

"Dad, are you serious?" Hiccup asked keeping his grin on his face.

"Yes son, and I was out of line saying you weren't mature enough to be called a man. I want you to start leading the next generation, starting by training your friends." Stoick replied putting his hand on his son's shoulder.

~oOo~

After everyone left the Arena, Astrid and Stormfly went to the Hofferson house. Still excited about the Academy, she burst through the door and shouted for her father. "Dad! You won't believe what just happened!" she shouted as he walked up to his room.

When she opened the door, she saw him lying down on the bed with his journal lying across his chest. "Dad wake up, I need to tell you what Stoick did." Astrid saw that her father was still. She put her hands on her hips before she shook his shoulder. "Dad, come on, wake up. I need to tell you something."

When she moved his shoulder, his arm fell limp revealing his bloody cough rag. Astrid's eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth with her hand. Before she could react she heard distinctive footsteps entering the house behind her. She turned her head and saw Hiccup standing in her front room. After she looked at him, she quickly turned her head away and she saw her vision blur.

She heard Hiccup running into her father's room. He placed two of his fingers in the hollow part of Asmund's collarbone to feel a pulse. She saw Hiccup's face fell and she knew the truth of her reality now. She tried to hold in her sobs, but it came out without her control. The two said no words as the weight of the news was too much.

Astrid fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around herself. She bent over trying to take deep slow breaths, but each one came out as a whimper. She felt Hiccup kneeling next to her as he placed a hand on her back. Keeping her head down to the floor, she leaned up against him as she poured out her feelings. She felt his thin arms pulling her towards him as she tried to muffle her cries in her hands.

Hiccup tried his best hold to his sobs as well, but he buried his face in her shoulder feeling the hot tears going down his face as he cried. They both knew this day was coming, but it was still hard to grasp that the Great Asmund Hofferson was dead.


A/N: Yep, so that's how the teens got the Academy in my AU. Hate it? Love it? Like it? I really don't care it's my AU. (Just kidding :), but seriously it is my AU so I can do what I want!)

So yeah, Stoick still sees his son a boy, and not a man. (What parent doesn't?) But yeah, even though this is a Hiccstrid story. there are still going to be family elements in here too.

Anyway, I'm in the middle of writing chapter 10 right now. I have no idea when it will be done.

So, until then I'll see you next time. Bye!