This is my first FanFiction so do give your opinions in the comments, in this chapter Astrid remembers her life during the time of HTTYD and she is currently in HTTYD 3 so imagine them looking exactly like in the third movie. [Cross-posted on AO3 and Wattpad]

Scr-eech! The sound echoed around the large Throne Room as the twenty-three-year-old, blonde-haired woman sharpened her favourite axe. The axe boasted intricate designs on both the hilt and the blade and had been made by her husband, who is a very skilled blacksmith. Her husband and her best friend at the time had gifted the beautiful axe for her thirteenth birthday.

This nostalgic and sweet memory spiralled her mind to remember all the little snippets of what her life had been and how it had now changed for the better.

Other Vikings would think that being a runaway from a tribe with only another friend and his pet dragon to survive with, would not have been a great life choice but so far it has been the best decision of her life. Yes, she did miss her parents and her little sister but she didn't regret leaving them for a life where she could live in peace with dragons and the man she truly loved.

Scr-eech! As she moved the whetstone along the edge of her axe's blade she further realised it had been eight years… Eight years since she had left her tribe and her family, and how she has grown…

She now stood just a little shy of six feet, her blonde hair was now reaching halfway down her back while the left side had a few strands of her blond hair loosely tied into a braid whose ends disappeared just below her kransen. Her deep ocean-blue eyes had become even brighter with life and joy over the years of living life in the sky and with her new family.

She now wore a pair of fur and iron shoulder pads with a blue tunic that matched the colour of her eyes, the suit was held together with a bright red vest and a belt decorated with metal skulls which was stitched onto the waistline of her spiked leather and fur skirt over her fur boots.

Scr-eech! After expertly twirling the axe, she started sharpening the other side of the dual-bladed axe.

Eight years ago life for her had been very different from the life she had now. She had been the most popular and strongest girl in her tribe, The Hairy Hooligans. The tribe had resided on the island of Berk for seven generations under the chieftainship of the Haddocks. The island itself boasted beautiful forests and a very steep mountain range that stretched across the entire island. With the beautiful view of the sunsets and the fertile land, it was the perfect place to settle down. The only problems were the harsh weather and the dragons. The latter was the reason there was a three-hundred-year war between the Vikings and said dragons.

When she was young she liked to play in the forests or around the village with her friends till sunset and was kind towards everyone until her uncle Finn died on one of the searches to find the dragon's nest. That unfortunate day was the day she pushed everyone she loved and cared about away and became a stone-cold warrior to avenge her dead uncle.

Even as she became popular she kept training to kill dragons day and night, she did not use her popularity to bully people unlike the other teens their age used to do, she instead ignored them and kept to herself, only speaking when absolutely necessary. However, the other teens used to bully and abuse only one person…

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third as the name clearly suggests, he was a hiccup, a runt, he couldn't lift a sword himself so he instead made crazy inventions to kill dragons. These inventions, however, did more damage towards the village than good.

The wreck his inventions left behind paired with his skinny and shy demeanour was the reason every Viking on the island loved to bully, hurt, and insult him. But through all the scorn and abuse he always had a smile, he used to always smile, it was this smile that had gotten Astrid to fall in love with him. She admired him, for his intelligence and his attitude to always strive to do better even after everyone he tried to help, hurt him.

That and his messy auburn hair and deep green eyes had made her develop a large crush on the lanky young boy. However, she would never admit that to this very day.

Hiccup had always been the happy, kind, caring and smart Viking. He wasn't born with muscles but had compensated for that by being smart and intelligent. The Vikings, however, found that skill of little use and deemed him useless, and since then, his new nickname was Hiccup the Useless.

She had been best friends with Hiccup since she was a kid, they shared the same birthday and got along really well… that was until she pushed everyone out of her life which also meant her crush, her Hiccup. But that isn't how her relationship with him ended instead it only helped him grow in a way.

Hiccup, the blacksmith apprentice, was also the heir to the throne of Berk, his father being the chief was the biggest and most powerful Viking you would ever see. He was the living embodiment of the Viking life, he hated dragons and was a skilled warrior and ruled Berk with a just and placid order.

But that didn't mean anyone was not afraid of him, if one of them got on his bad side they would be as good as dead. The respect towards him by his people had thus gained him the title Stoick the 'Vast' Haddock. 'A fitting title', as her father used to say.

A bit ironic to see the largest man in the archipelago have a son with the same body as that of a twig. Hiccup being Stoick's son didn't stop him from being ignored by Stoick himself. This fact hurt him more than being beaten up by cousin Snotlout and his goons. The only person who did care for him was Gobber the blacksmith, who was his father's best friend and was more of a father to him than Stoick. But after being ignored and bullied for his entire life he did what no other Viking in history had ever done…

He had bonded and befriended a dragon and not just any dragon but the strongest and most feared dragon in the world, the Night Fury. When he had told the village he had shot the legendary dragon no one believed him, instead they laughed at his face, and Snotlout and his goons beat him up for being a 'liar'.

So he decided to go back to kill the dragon himself and show the tribe he had been telling the truth and more importantly to prove to his father that he was worthy to be a Viking. But when he found the dragon he saw the fear in its eyes and decided to untie and free it from the bolas that Hiccup had used to catch the legendary dragon.

The fear in the eyes of the dragon was the same as the one he saw in himself every time he looked in a mirror. The emotion he had seen in the Night Fury sparked his curiosity.

Over the next few days, he found out the dragon could not fly and protect itself from enemies as his tail fin had been cut off when it crashed. He thus began making notes and made him a new tailfin. He soon bonded with the dragon and had ever since seen the dragons in a completely new light, they weren't mindless creatures as everyone said they were but were instead kind, intelligent, and smart creatures.

Upon learning that the dragon had retractable teeth he decided to call him… wait for it… 'Toothless' is the perfect name for the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Vikings were not known to be great at naming things…

While studying his new pet dragon who soon became his best friend he learnt a lot of new facts about dragons, like how most dragons hate eels or they like to play games and love scratches which sometimes given at the right spot could make them go into a sweet slumber. He was also able to fly on Toothless, and after a few failed flights they became the perfect duo in the air, with the same soul but a different body.

On his flights, he discovered new islands and plants he named Dragon Root and Dragon Nip the latter being grass which could calm about any dragon while Dragon Root could make most dragons go feral. He started writing all this new information in a book he called Hiccup's Book of Dragons. Unlike Bork's version of the Book of Dragons which only told you about the ways the dragons were dangerous, his version told how the dragons can be tamed or how they were kind and friendly creatures.

Hiccup used whatever he learned in Dragon Training to beat the others which soon made him the most popular Viking on the island. As the word spread more and more people came to see how he could mysteriously subdue dragons without even using a weapon. All of them, even the ones who used to bully him tried to become friends with him, but he always left when they came to talk, as he knew they were only trying to be his friend as he was becoming popular.

When he had received the honour of killing his first dragon he had seen the proud look on his dad's face for the first time. He saw what he had always wanted but it didn't matter. His friendship towards Toothless and his bond with other dragons had changed his heart and dreams.

Scre-ech! She moved the stone along the blade's edge again, when Hiccup had tried to run away, Astrid had caught him with Toothless, and upon having no other option he showed her the truth about dragons with a sunset flight to the stars.

After learning the truth and finding the Nest they discovered the true reason behind the raids was the Queen of Dragons, a huge fire-breathing monster. It was as big as the size of Berk itself, she could swallow many dragons in one bite and thus Hiccup had named it the Red Death. The Queen forced the other dragons to bring back food for her or she would eat them instead. This knowledge made both the teenagers aware that the only way the war would end was with the demise of the Queen.

Therefore after the trio silently flew back Berk and landed in the secret cove which had become the Hiccup's secret hideout, he explained his plan to run away to Astrid. He couldn't kill the dragon the 'honour' in Hiccup's eyes was terrifying and made him sick to the stomach, he couldn't kill a dragon without reason especially when he knew they only attacked to survive the wrath of the Queen of Dragons.

Astrid after arguing with Hiccup for a good few minutes had been able to convince him to take her with him. She then told him to wait for her while she packed her stuff for the start of her new life. Before leaving to get the necessities she softly kissed Hiccup on the cheek to show him that she had his back and would stand by him through anything. Before he could react she had run out of the cove.

Later that night, they released all the dragons in the arena and the very next day defeated and killed the Queen, ending the three-hundred-year war. The battle had lasted for less than an hour but the victory came with a price, Hiccup had lost his left leg.

When Astrid saw Hiccup fall into the burning inferno, that was the Queen's remains, she felt her heart skip a beat, and she fell to her feet screaming his name. At that moment she was so afraid of losing him that she searched for him running through the fire and smoke while calling out his name even though it hurt her lungs. When she found them she could see Toothless knocked out from the fall and his prosthetic tail burnt, the only sign it had been there in the first place was the twisted metal rods. She then felt tears crawl down her cheek when she laid eyes on Hiccup, he had many burns all over his body, and everything below his left knee was nothing but burnt flesh and bone.

She quickly whistled for a nearby Deadly Nadder as she slowly picked up Hiccup in her arms, holding him close to her. Together with Toothless in the dragon's claws, they flew away from the godforsaken island. She knew that the closest island to the nest was Berk but she couldn't go back there so she instead decided to fly north towards the Bog-Burglar Islands.

Another reason she was flying there was that she knew they were an all-female tribe and would give her a chance to explain her situation instead of trying to kill them like every other Viking tribe.

Camacazi the daughter of Bertha, the chieftess of the Bog-Burglars, was a close friend of Hiccup and had never hurt him, none of the other Viking heirs did, as they all saw the potential of having an intelligent man as chief. Thus not wanting to make him a future enemy all the hiers became close friends.

After she explained to the tribe what had happened, they let her stay. Hiccup was soon healed and after Astrid told him what had happened in the three days he had been unconscious, he helped the Bog-Burglars train dragons and used his inventions to make their island one of the most advanced and well-defended islands in the archipelago. He showed Camacazi how to train the Changeling she had bonded with whom she called Sneaky.

Over the next year, they had a small war with the Outcasts and the Berserkers over the control of dragons, but when the Berserker chief, Dagur found out that Hiccup was on the Bog's side and was leading them to battle he surrendered and tried to negotiate a peace treaty with his 'brother'.

Dagur had always felt like an overprotective bigger brother towards Hiccup, when they were little Hiccup had taken the blame for a mistake Dagur had made when their fathers were signing a few treaties between their respective tribes, this act made him like the little boy and protected him from the bullies who used to pick on Hiccup. They soon changed the minds of the Outcasts, which made Alvin the chief of the Outcasts, and Dagur the most powerful allies Hiccup had.

The year after that, they started roaming and mapping the world outside the archipelago borders where they found an island that reached the sky, with waterfalls and lush green forests this island paradise was only accessible on the backs of dragons. Since it could only be reached by dragon back it was the obvious choice for Hiccup and Astrid's new home.

So Hiccup and Astrid named this island Dragon's Edge and started living there with Camacazi and Heather, who was Dagur's younger sister and was the closest thing Hiccup had to a sister.

During their first few months on Dragon's Edge, they fought the Dragon Hunters. After Viggo Grimborn, the leader of the hunters, learned the truth about dragons he changed sides. He ended up having to kill his brother which ultimately made them win the war. They also made new allies such as the Defenders of the Wing and the Wing Maidens.

The fourth and fifth years had been full of surprises the young couple had got married, and Hiccup found his mother who was said to have been dead.

They also fought Drago and his Dragon Army, who was a ruthless psychopath. Drago had been responsible for the death of Bertha who had died saving Astrid from Drago. Fueled with vengeance the united armies of dragon riders along with Valka's Dragon Nest were able to defeat and kill Drago in their final battle. A few men from Drago's army joined Hiccup and the Dragon Riders while the rest were either killed or captured.

The Night Owl tribe was a trading tribe led by Eret and was part of Drago's army. But Eret in reality was the inside man and was the reason they knew about Drago's plans and were able to defeat him.

Soon after the battle they found and changed the minds of other tribe outcasts or runaways looking for a better life. These reformed exiles and runaways lived on Dragon's Edge.

Over the next few months, Astrid gave birth to her and Hiccup's first child. The beautiful baby was wrapped and covered with warm furs and was named Zephyr Bertha Haddock. Their daughter had now grown up to have the same auburn hair and the inventive, and intelligent personality of her father while she had the body, eyes and stubborn attitude of her mother. She was now four years old and the most loved person in the entire Draconian Empire.

Scr-eech! Tiny sparks flew into the air as the rock met the metal, that's right the 'Draconian Empire' with Hiccup and Astrid as the Emperor and Empress, the empire had become more advanced than any other tribe in the entire known world. They made buildings out of stone and made a castle that reached the sky, ships the size of sea stacks and soldiers wore fireproof suits made out of dragon skin.

The Chiefs and Chieftesses of every tribe under the Empire would take care of each of their respective tribe but would report and fall under the kingship of Hiccup and Astrid. The ex-Dragon Hunters lived on Dragon's Edge where the Great Castle was situated.

Below the island had become the new nest of dragons who were led by Toothless and his mate the Light Fury whom the couple had found near Bog-Burglar Island. After Astrid bonded with the Light Fury, she named it Stormfly and they soon became the best of friends.

The Draconian Empire stood as the largest and strongest empire to ever exist in the archipelago. They had thousands of ships and tens of thousands of soldiers, sailors and dragon riders and thousands of dragons had made them into a force to be feared and reckoned with.

Rumours and legends of the empire had been spread all over the archipelago, thus they stayed away from Berk not wanting to draw unwanted attention to themselves. With the Berserkers and Defenders providing security, the Night Owls and Bog Burglars brought in trade the Empire prospered.

She looked down at her axe as it was glistening in the sunlight. Satisfied she placed the axe on her back and walked from the throne she was seated on to a small table arranged in front of their thrones, where a game of Maces and Talons was being played by the two smartest people she had ever known, her handsome husband who was now six feet tall, with a lean but muscular body and a sharp jawline. He was no longer a fishbone but her twenty-three-year-old husband, Hiccup Haddock and on the other side of the board deep in thought was Viggo Grimborn, the reformed dragon hunter, who had become one of the closest advisors to Hiccup.

Astrid bent down to kiss her husband on the cheek just as he moved a piece on the board. After giving him her silent show of affection, she silently slipped outside the room and walked to her soon to be four-year-old daughter's bedroom to wake her up, she let Zephyr sleep in late, as she never had the heart to wake her princess up from her slumber.

Also since she was the cutest thing in the world when asleep cuddling into the wings of her dragon whom she called Dart. Dart was the offspring of Toothless and Stormfly who had a completely black body with the tips of her ears pure white and bright blue eyes. As she opened the door calling her daughter's name a large auburn-haired man far away on an island with tall jagged cliffs and vast forests called for his dead son…

Hiccup's Imperial council consisted of -

Alvin with his Boneknapper called Bonebreaker who was the chief of the Outcasts,

Dagur and his Skrill called Sleuther was the chief of Berserkers along with his wife Mala and his sister Heather who had a Razorwhip called Windshear,

Atali the Chieftess of the WingMaidens,

Viggo and his Monsterous Nightmare called Reaper,

Camacazi and Sneaky the now chieftess of the Bog-Burgulars,

Eret and his Stormcutter named Owlface,

His presumed-to-be-dead mother, Valka along with her Stormcutter named Cloudjumper, and

His most trusted council member his lovely wife Astrid and her one-of-a-kind Light Fury called Stormfly.