I've changed a few bits in this too.


"Wake up!" With a startled yell and the sudden disappearance of bedding, Hiccup tumbled to the floor. "Gods, you're lazy. Get up!" Astrid vaulted over the bed, barely resting her foot on it. She yanked him to his feet and threw the blanket in his face. "Don't look at me like that, you asked me to get you up early."

"I did?" He squinted at her in the dim light, sensing rather than seeing her bland stare. The main thing he could see was the gleam of moonlight making her soft hair seem silver and those blue eyes like ice. "I thought you hated early mornings."

"Oh, I'm usually up. Stormfly likes to go flying in the sunrise." There was a tinge of sadness in her tone then, reminding Hiccup of the heavy absence of their reptilian friends.

Hiccup caught a yawn in his elbow, feeling her hand in his hair. "Your hair is definitely the messiest upon waking up." He nodded in agreement, dropping his blanket on the bed and whistling for Toothless.

Handing over a packed bag of supplies for him and the Night Fury, Astrid's voice took on a more serious tone. "What are you planning to do today?"

"I'm going to scout out Drago's new lair. Hopefully I can work out what he's planning."

"Just be careful."

"This is me. I'm always careful." She scoffed and looked down at his mismatched feet. "Everyone makes mistakes, sweetheart." Her eyes flicked back to his and he got a smack straight in the stomach.

"Don't," She warned, "call me 'sweetheart'." He nodded to show he understood, trying to breathe and laugh at the same time. There was another pet name she didn't like. "Oh, shush." Toothless padded over, lying low and growling. Hiccup waved him away.

"It's OK, bud." He wheezed. "Just Astrid being Astrid." Toothless sat back, but he still didn't look happy. "Remind me why I'm nice to you." He told his girlfriend, straightening up. She gave one of her sweet smiles, as though she hadn't just attacked him.

"I'm a lovely inspiration. Now get your flight suit on and leave."

"Charming." He muttered, turning away to hide his smile. "Toothless, c'mon. Where'd you hide it this time?" The dragon finally looked away from Astrid and smiled toothlessly.

"What's he hidden?"

"My helmet, most likely. He likes filling it with spit."

"He has a thing for that, doesn't he?" Hiccup nodded, pulling on the present flight suit. He had upgraded it quite a lot over the last two years. The wings and fin on the back were much more suitable for flying now and the whole thing appeared to be more aerodynamic and lighter, but somehow safer, almost fireproof. Astrid would never admit this to him, but he had done a marvellous job with his flight suit. Not only was it suitable for its purpose, but it was very stylish as well and suited him perfectly.


The smell of burning dragon nip was stronger in the air this time round, causing both Hiccup and Toothless to breathe through their mouths. How Toothless didn't succumb to it, Hiccup didn't know. He just counted his lucky stars that Toothless was immune.

If possible, the old Sanctuary had far more dragons than Hiccup recalled, all dazed and sleepy. None of them stirred as he and Toothless passed by or overhead.

They stuck to the shadows mostly, Toothless shielding Hiccup from most cursory glances. He, himself, was hidden completely, so it was unnervingly easy to pass through the dragon prison until they located Drago.

He still had that hideous cape on. Toothless's ears lay flat upon seeing it, but Hiccup managed to shush him. Drago carried something in his hands, but, from here, Hiccup couldn't tell what. All he knew was that it reflected the firelight.

This reflection must have been from something metallic, most likely new if it was shiny enough to redirect light so brightly. A weapon of sorts, Hiccup concluded. That was never good.

The fire- five times the size what it had been- snapped and crackled, throwing up red sparks amongst the blue. Drago's laughter echoed, deep and resounding, about the cavern. His men scurried to and fro, hundreds of them carrying all sorts of armour. They suited the dragons up as quickly as they could.

The dragons were awakening.

A man ran up to Drago, appearing from beneath the ledge Hiccup and Toothless were concealed on. He whispered something in his boss's ear, standing on his toes to do so. Compared to Drago, he was a talking fishbone.

Hiccup patted Toothless's head.

"Let's go, bud." He breathed, his eyes on Drago as the deranged turned to face him.

Toothless took flight instantly, but it wasn't good enough.

Pain pierced Hiccup's side, tearing through the tough material of his flight suit as though it were thin cloth. His agonised yell disorientated Toothless briefly, but he quickly recovered and flew straight up, letting out a harsh, piercing cry. In any other normal circumstance, Hiccup would have recognised that as his dragon's roar to discover a way out.

He had other things on his mind. And in his side.


"Where's Hiccup?!" Stoick roared, bursting into the Dragon Academy unannounced.

"He went flying." Astrid lied, deciding not to worry the ex-chief. He cast a wary glance at her and she feared he knew she had arrived in the early hours of the morning to get Hiccup up and out. She wished Valka were here. She knew how to calm Stoick from one of his over-protective dad states.

"Is this true?" He demanded, his gaze swivelling over the rest of the trainers.

"Very true." The twins confirmed.

"Duh." Snotlout replied.

It was Fishlegs- always Fishlegs- that gave them away.

He was humming nervously to himself, pale and sweating and wringing his hands anxiously.

"Fishlegs…" Stoick warned, securing his fiery glare on him.

"H-he went… he went flying… like Astrid said. Yes. Definitely flying and-" It wasn't an axe to the head from Astrid that cut him off, but a familiar roar.

"See, they went flying!" Astrid beamed, running past Stoick and out to greet the descending Night Fury and his rider.

Toothless landed rather heavily, urgent. "Hiccup?"

"Hiccup!" Stoick barged her out of the way and caught his son as he all but collapsed from the saddle. "What-? What happened? Get a medic!" Stoick bellowed. Fishlegs squeaked and ran off as fast as his legs could carry him. Snotlout and the twins were leaning this way and that, trying to see the damage.

Blood had soaked all down Hiccup's right side, pouring from a wound above his hip. Protruding from the injury was some form of arrow, but none like Astrid has seen. This one was a perfectly cylinder metal bolt and, she later found out, the tip was as sharp as any sword she had ever wielded.

Valka rushed up out of nowhere, hurriedly inspecting the injury. Hiccup was dead on his feet; pale beyond measure.

"Get him to the house, quickly, quickly!" She ordered. "Hiccup, can you hear me?" He groaned feebly in response, raising his left hand a fraction, only for it to fall miserably back to his side. Stoick supported him easily, but he ended up carrying Hiccup upon the young chief's knees giving way.


The next hour or so was a mad, dizzying flash. Astrid would later recall very little of it, other than having to restrain Toothless from seeing his beloved friend and frantic prayers to as many gods as she could think of.

It was most likely the worst hour of her life; so riddled with panic and worry that her mind conjured up haunting images of worst case scenarios.

Hiccup would be fine, she told herself repeatedly, but it did nothing to cease the endless swarms of a lifeless love, ghostly and slumped on his bed, blood dripping to and pooling on the floor.


I've bought this idea forward a bit. Trying to work on the other stuff too, so if this is a bit :/ I'm sorry! Haven't had a lot of inspiration lately D: