HTTYDWTGOM One-Shots
Hey everyone! Consider this as a place where I post in-between scenes starring the Three Weirdos and the people and dragons around them. Please note that this won't follow a chronological order. Some might take place during the events of the first film and some will take place in between episodes of the cartoon series. Some might even serve as sneak peeks of what's to come.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy.
Adjustments (after the events of first film)
Losing a leg and an eye took some getting used to.
For Hiccup and Zenna, it was just one of the many changes happening on Berk. The war between the Berkians and the dragons was over, the dragons were moving in, and the two of them along with their friends were the ones leading the changes. They just had to adjust and employ a little bit of that good old-fashioned Viking stubbornness to get on with it.
Neither of them paid much attention to the fact that they were both missing a body part at the start. There was too much to do. Too many fires to put out (literally and figuratively), continuing Astrid and the others' training, coming up with ideas on how to make the village more dragon-friendly, etc.
Thank the Norns most people were willing to give the dragons a chance. Hiccup and Zenna gave even bigger thanks for having Erland with them. Their mischievous friend/older brother figure helped pave the way for them with overseeing Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut's training while they'd been sleeping for most of the winter. Now that they were awake, they were eager to start training alongside the others.
But, as the weeks went by, it became harder to ignore the biggest changes that needed adjusting to.
Vikings did not build things completely straight. Much like the wild terrain of Berk, which slanted and sloped, the buildings weren't entirely stable. Stairs were fashioned out of wood that warped with the weather and weren't exactly level or evenly-spaced. The steps leading up to the Great Hall weren't smooth, hewn out of rough granite, and tripping was a common occurrence for clumsy adolescent Vikings like Hiccup who were just getting used to their lengthening legs. If it was raining or snowing, the incidents where one tumbled down the steps or slipped on their way up increased in number.
Hiccup always found climbing up and down stairs difficult. Now that he had a peg leg, that action became twice as hard.
The first time he climbed up the steps to the Great Hall after waking up from his coma, he stumbled after climbing twenty-five steps. He would have busted his chin if Toothless hadn't caught him by the back of his vest.
"You okay?" Zenna asked as she paused from her own climb to help Hiccup right himself.
"Fine," Hiccup mumbled and resumed his climb, Toothless right behind him. By the time he and Zenna made it up to the Great Hall's door, he was panting.
"How is it that I can breathe easily when I'm riding Toothless hundreds of feet up in the sky while I'm winded after climbing these steps?" Hiccup wheezed, resting his hands on his bent knees.
"Maybe it's because you spent a long time in a coma. Your body's adjusting to moving about again," Zenna suggested.
"Right…" Hiccup nodded before giving Zenna a shy smile. "Think you can show me those stamina-boosting exercises your Dad taught you to whip me back into shape?" he asked.
"I'll invite you to our next training session. My Dad will be more than happy to help you workout," Zenna told him.
They headed into the Great Hall, where they found Erland reading. After having a light lunch and catching up, the Three Weirdos and their dragons headed outside.
Barely halfway down, Hiccup took one step on his left leg and slipped.
"Whoa!" As he fell backwards, Hiccup instinctively covered the back of his head and shut his eyes, bracing himself for the pain.
But strong and slightly cool hands caught him and held him upright.
"You'd think with all the feet that have trampled upon these stones for seven generations, they'd be smoother by now," Erland quipped.
"Nothing on Berk's smooth save for maybe your hair," Hiccup joked, earning a snort of laughter from the older boy. He then looked down at his prosthetic left foot and grimaced. "I really gotta make good on my promise to Gobber and make a few tweaks to this thing. Maybe a couple of cleats to help with the traction…" he mumbled as he took more careful steps until he caught up with Erland and Zenna at the bottom of the Great Hall's staircase.
"Might be a good idea to craft a spare to keep in your saddlebag. Just in case the other one gets busted and we're far from home," Zenna suggested as they walked about the village.
Stryka rumbled in agreement and sidled closer to her, purring when the Fiersome girl scratched her behind her ears. She affectionately nudged Zenna who giggled and stroked her scaled head. The two of them didn't notice a flaming cart rolling down the road from their right until somebody yelled "Look out!"
Hiccup and Toothless quickly pulled the girls out of the way while Erland threw up a shield. The cart crashed into the golden shield in a heap. While two of the villagers doused the small fire, Zenna and Stryka blinked at what would have been a cause for major burns and broken bones for them.
"We didn't even see that…" Zenna mumbled and placed a hand against the eye patch covering the scar from where her right eye used to be. 'Downsides of having a blind spot…' she thought and looked at the smoldering remnants of the cart.
It dawned on her that she could only see maybe half of what was in front of her now. Anything from the right side was out of her range of sight unless she turned her head. It felt… odd to suddenly be so aware of that fact.
Glancing at Stryka, who was giving Toothless a reassuring nuzzle, Zenna felt a stab of guilt in her heart. Her dear dragon sister had been consigned to the same fate. Of only being able to see half of the scenery at a time. If the two of them were out in enemy territory and their foes decided to charge in from their right sides, they wouldn't see them coming until it was too late.
Slipping while climbing stairs and having a blind spot weren't the only things Hiccup and Zenna had to get used to.
There was getting used to walking with a limp, no longer being allowed to read late into the night, and the overall sensation of missing a leg and an eye.
Along with that came the changes of how everyone else looked at them.
Berkians weren't subtle people. If they had something to say, they said it whether it was a compliment of one's beard or an insult to one's grandmother. But they tried to hold their tongues around Hiccup and Zenna and treat them with more respect than they'd had before. It was only fair since those two had been the ones to sacrifice the most.
Their eyes gave everything away though.
Guilt, pity, and worry.
Those were clear as day to Hiccup and Zenna whenever they talked to someone. Even when the villagers thought they didn't notice, they did. The glances their way when they passed by told them enough.
Even Stoick couldn't hide his guilt when he saw Hiccup struggling to carry a box full of scrap metal meant for Gobber down from his room.
"Let me help you with that, son." He met his son halfway up the stairs and took the box from him.
"Dad, it's fine. I can handle it," Hiccup protested as he followed his father outside, leaving a snoozing Toothless behind at the house.
"You've only been up and about for a short while. I don't want you pushing yourself too hard," Stoick reminded him.
Hiccup kept silent until they arrived at Gobber's forge. His former mentor cheerily accepted the box from Stoick before noticing him hanging back.
Gobber gave Stoick a look, the chief furrowing his brow, before waving them inside.
"Alright. What's got ye so down, lad?" Gobber thumped his hook hand against the bench. Hiccup and Stoick both took a seat.
"I was going to deliver the scrap metal myself when Dad took over the job," Hiccup said sarcastically.
"I was only trying to help, Hiccup. You know that." Stoick frowned.
"I know! It's just…" Looking down at his prosthetic leg, Hiccup sighed. "I don't want anyone seeing me more useless than before…" he mumbled.
"Hiccup, no one is thinking you're—"
"Yes, they do! Same goes for Zen! We lose a couple of body parts and everyone's walking on eggshells around us." Hiccup felt something wet forming under his eyes and rubbed at them.
Looking at Gobber, the blacksmith calmly watching, he took a deep breath. "Did things change when you lost an arm and a leg?" he asked.
"Of course it did. The pitying glances, the worries that I wouldn't be able to work as well as I did when I had all of my limbs… the biggest change was having to accept the loss." Gobber sat next to Hiccup, so the boy was effectively sandwiched between him and Stoick. "But those things are only temporary, lad. Give yerself time to adjust and then go about your day as usual. Soon, people will notice that yer doing just fine and that yer not fragile. Of course, getting help every now and then won't hurt ye. 'Specially if it's help from family or friends," he said, ending his advice with a gentle pat of Hiccup's head.
Hiccup looked up at his father, who was listening to Gobber intently. "Hey, Dad?" he places his hand on his father's and mumbled, "M'sorry…"
Stoick gently placed his arm around Hiccup's shoulders. "Ye have nothin' to apologize for, lad. Just know that… that if you ever need help, I'm right here," he told his son.
Hiccup managed a small smile and leaned into his father, feeling a little better.
Meanwhile, Zenna had rallied her parents in helping her rearrange her bookcase and a few other things around her room.
"Okay. Favorite titles on the left side and books I'll trade to Trader Johann for new ones on the right," Zenna counted the books on her shelves whilst her father and Stryka moved her table to the left side of her bed. She usually got out of bed from the right side and could easily avoid hitting the table in the mornings, but, with the loss of her right eye, she'd already had her fair share of bruises from bumping into the table during the last couple of mornings.
"Anything else to rearrange, love?" Henna asked, having arranged her daughter's clothes with tops, bottoms, and underclothes from right to left.
"I think it's all good. Thanks for letting me make some adjustments to the place," Zenna said and looked at the big empty space where her table used to be. "Look, Stryka. We've got room for a bed just for you right over here." She grinned.
Stryka wagged her tail and padded over to the spot, circling around the floor, imagining what her bed would look like.
"I know you dragons prefer a nice smooth slab of rock to torch to a temperature of your liking. Tomorrow, let's all head out. We'll look for a bed for Stryka together," Edgar suggested.
"Thanks, Dad!" Zenna grinned and flopped down on her bed. Looking around her room, she took in the changes. 'I'll have an easier time getting to things now,' she thought, only to stiffen when another thought entered.
At least while you still have your eyesight…
"Zenna, love. Are you alright?"
Feeling two dips in her bed, Zenna sat up to find her parents sitting on the bed on either side of her. She tried to smile but it came out more like a grimace.
"What should I do to prepare for going blind?" she blurted out. Upon seeing her parents' bewildered expressions, she winced. "Sorry, that was a stupid question. Forget what I just said…"
Henna coaxed Zenna to lean against her. "Is that something that's been on your mind, love?" she asked, hugging her daughter.
"A little…" Zenna cuddled into her mother's arms. "I know I gotta take better care of my one eye. I'll miss staying up at night to read, but I know I can't do that anymore. But… what's gonna happen to me when I grow old? What's gonna happen to Stryka?" she looked at her dragon, who pricked up her ears and looked at her, confused.
"You two won't be alone." Edgar kissed Zenna on the forehead. "While we're here, your mother and me will be right here to take care of you both. And… even when we're gone, in the far, far future, I'm sure you'll have people who'll love you and take care of you in old age," he reassured her.
Zenna nodded slowly and relaxed as her parents embraced her. She giggled when Stryka, having finished inspecting her bedspace, trotted over to her bed and tried to climb on, wanting cuddles.
With their parents supporting them, Hiccup and Zenna slowly but surely began to adjust to the changes. Little by little, the villagers stopped treating them like they were made of glass.
Toothless and Stryka, while protective, stayed by their sides and, together, they also learned to get used to the changes.
Throughout it all, however, one person didn't change the way they treated Hiccup and Zenna.
Even when Hiccup sometimes tripped and when Zenna missed a throw when they played catch in the Cove, Erland didn't mind. He merely helped his brother up and threw the ball back to Zenna.
I've got more ideas for these one-shots. Some might even be deleted scenes that I cut from my future writings. In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy this little collection of one-shots that gives us a peek into the day-by-day of our beloved Three Weirdos and everyone on Berk in-between the series' episodes.
-GuardianDragon98