Disclaimers : I do not own How To Train Your Dragon nor the characters nor the dragons. I only own the personnality of Zephyr and Nuffink, the OCs, the winterwind dragon and the shadows.

Cover art by me, please don't use it.

Hope you enjoy !

Love and scales !

Here we go for the last chapter.

Chapter18

Family

Helmets started to be removed in respect, prayers started to rise for the gods to take care of the fallen, yet that was when the dragons started to bostle up, roaring and throwing fire in the sky in delight.

Astrid and her kids stepped back in a start when the night fury hostled out from the fog, carrying with difficulty the huge injured white dragon. On top of the black dragon's back stood the chief, completely unharmed, with a little boy in his arms.

Toothless softly laid Snow on the rock before landing next to her. Hiccup barely had time to dismount his winged friend Nuffink ran to him and hold out his arms towards Braan with a sick worried expression on his face, asking if he was alright. The three Haddocks could see bleeding lacerations on the boy's back as well as the cuts on his forearms. His face was paller than usual, and he was completely still, motionless.

Hiccup kneeled but couldn't say anything his son almost stole the boy from his arms, collapsing to his knees while hugging the still form. Nuffink hugged Braan as close as he could, squeezing his head against his and squinting his eyes shut.

Seeing him like this, Astrid and Zephyr feared the worst and hurried up to them. Nuffink lifted his head to them and revealed his face strained with tears but also relieved. Astrid sighed and also fell to her knees before brushing her hand in the chestnut hairs with red highlights. Braan was breathing. He was inconscious but still alive.

''He's alive !'' Zephyr beamed.

Rejoycings echoed all around them, cheerings and applauses rose up from the vikings, roars and croons from the dragons. Some of the winged creatures came to the vikings, asking for affection, which they gladly accorded them. Toothless trotted to his family while Nuffink's gaze landed on Snow.

She was in really bad condition. She seemed to be missing part of her tail, her body was covered in scratches and bites, two bodyless paws were embedded in her back, membranes of all her wings were covered in multiple gashed, the bone of her upper right wing was coming out of her skin, and she was missing her whole lower left wing. The wound from the missing limb seemed to have been burnt to be closed. And she had a large cut on her nuzzle with three long and deep notch on the side of her neck.

She was panting heavily, whinning in pain, yet she seemed serene while watching the brown-eyed boy breathing peacefully. Nuffink discovered all over again the winterwind dragon with wonderment. Snow was definitively a mother : she risked her life to protect Braan and, now that he was safe, she was delighted despite of her own condition. She didn't seem to care at all about her injuries, no matter how bad they were.

Nuffink felt immesureably respectful, and didn't how to express it to her. His mind was blank from any idea, so his body replied instead, making him bow his head. Snow blinked slowly with a tiredness and responded with a same nod before looking back to her human baby. She purred at the same time Nuffink felt the boy move.

He instantly focused back on him, to see him open his eyes with trouble. Nuffink didn't remember being so happy to see those warm brown orbs.

''Hey.'' Astrid greeted him soflty while still stroking his hair. ''Welcome back.''

''What happen… ?'' He asked with a faint voice. ''Us win ?''

''Yes, we won.'' Nuffink replied. ''Dragons are saved.''

''Mommy… ?''

His tired eyes glanced around with worry, so Nuffink reassured him.

''Don't worry, she's just here.''

He turned his head towards the white dragon, leading the boy's gaze there. When Braan met her icy blue eyes, he relaxed, even if she was covered in wounds, even if he was hurt too.

He knew it was nothing for her, and the strength inside the look she was giving him proved it, even more when she purred.

This exchange and the mention of the word 'mommy' surprised the vikings who were close enough to hear it, especially Hiccup and Astrid. Their eyes went back and forth between the boy they adopted in their tribe, and the dragon who adopted him first.

It was then the three nightlights charged and interrupted this family portrait, each licking one of the kids' face in delight to see they were safe. Day for Nuffink, Dawn for Zephyr and Dusk for Braan before reporting the affection to Astrid's cheek.

They laughed, then Toothless came in and tried to make his hatchlings calm down, before meeting Hiccup's gaze.

''And now ?'' Nuffink hesitated. ''What do we do ?''

Hiccup smiled and extended his hand to put it on Toothless' nuzzle, who purred in reply. He contemplated his best friend for a long moment, before looking at his people.

Vikings and dragons were all mixed as if they had never been separated. As if the long years of missing never existed. The chief smiled brighter.

''We go back home. All of us. Together.''

Vikings beamed and rejoyed, hugged their dragons, were licked in the face… All celebrated their reunion, then they started to pack up their material and readying the drakkars.

Some vikings made the way back on dragon's back, some dragons on board ships. It was the case for the fury family, keeping company to Snow and the Haddocks. Five humans and six dragons were now forming one only and single family.

During the journey, bathed in the bright light of a shinny morning, Hiccup contemplated two peoples merging as one, and the forming shape of their island. He smiled more than he had ever smiled in years, lost in his thoughts.

''This is Berk, land of dragons and vikings. Our friendship survived years of separation and distance. We sent them away for their safety, as we thought they would be safe hidden from the rest of the world, far away from us. We needed them, but we coped. We managed to live without them.

However, friendship is a double-sided thing.

Yes, we can handle ourselves alone, they can too. But we still need them, and they still need us. Hide them wasn't the solution to protect them, since danger hides everywhere.

So we'll overcome everything that strikes our way and will handle anything as we always did it : together.''

THE END

Yes, this is the end !

Thank you again so so much to have read me until the end and followed/favored this story. Thank you too for the nice reviews, it gave me great motivation !

I had a great time writing it and I hope it was the same for you when you read it.

Love and scales, and a lot of slubber from Snow and the nighlights ! ;)

Out.