Chapter 27

Hi! The last chapter is up! It's definitely shorter than the others, but you will still learn a lot in it.

Enjoy!

For days, Fishlegs and Hiccup spent a lot of time in the forge, trying to create the new tail fin. Each time they had something, Hiccup would try it with Toothless. Several times they noticed flaws and had to retry. Gobber would help, and Astrid too, bringing ideas and suggestions or helping the brothers when they would try to fly together. The dragon-boy was still feeling sad for Thunder, but he handled it. Maybe it was because they had never been very close, and because he was still like a dragon, and dragons didn't see death and life in the same way. What mattered the most now was to allow Toothless to fly again. One day, the two brothers went to the cliffs.

"This time, it will work."

"There is only one way to find out."

Mounted on the dragon's back, the boy put his metallic leg in the pedal. The dragon threw himself in the air and Hiccup moved his foot. He knew how dragons would fly, and the more they were trying to do this as one, the more he felt it. The wind was blowing strongly, it felt vivifying and he couldn't help but think of that time with Astrid when they had run together one morning in the wild…He focused again, Toothless was flapping his wing, he started to take a turn and Hiccup moved the pedal, it was still hard at times, but Hiccup was starting to see when his brother would make a move. After all, he had ridden all his life on his brother's back, all his experience was making it easier and natural. They flew up and Hiccup held on tight in order not to fall, still activating the fake tail whenever it was needed.

Toothless took an abrupt turn, and this time, hiccup hadn't see it coming. The boy's heart almost broke his ribcage, and Toothless shrieked as he was losing balance. They were getting down toward the sea. Hiccup moved his foot, allowing Toothless to stabilize himself.

"Focus, Hiccup!"

"Sorry!"

They flew down and passed right above the water before getting up again. They continued like that, taking turns, and getting more and more at ease. Toothless was happier than ever. When Hiccup had told him about a new fin, he had a hard time believing it, yet it was true. The few days he had passed on the ground had been horrible, not being able to be in the air, his natural territory, had been a torture. He had felt weak and diminished. Now, it felt like he had his strength back again, and strangely, flying with the help of his brother didn't bother him. On contrary, it felt even stronger, as if nothing could ever stop them.

"She made us stronger! She tried to kill us but she made us stronger!" Toothless roared in victory.

Hiccup giggled out of joy and they roared once more in the sky, for the simple pleasure of screaming their victory.

They spent hours in the sky and they were eventually joined by the other teens. Stormfly and Toothless raced several times, at a point, Hiccup couldn't help but want to jump on Stormfly's back and hug Astrid.

"When I'll run well again, we'll race!"

"Challenge accepted," Astrid declared.

They only got on the ground in the late afternoon, Hiccup's face was glowing with happiness. He was surprised when the girl took his hand.

"Follow me, alone."

She led him through the woods, and soon they came at the familiar place.

"That's where we met. I mean, when I came to you," he murmured.

"Yes. That's where my owl lives. Look, here he is."

They saw the bird netting its feathers, not bothered by them in the slightest.

"It's a little thanks to him that I met you. I didn't visit much lately."

She took his hand again and he felt suddenly something weird starting to build inside of him.

"I know you've lost your father, and I know we wanted to wait…But I really thought you were dead after the fight, and even when you came back, I feared you wouldn't wake up. Next time, maybe one of us won't make it, and I realize it now."

She breathed in deeply.

"I was scared…I forbid you to repeat that to anyone, got it? I was scared after what happened with those men. But I'm feeling better now. I'm ready and I don't want to lose time anymore."

He smiled to her and squeezed her hand a little. Having lived with animals, he knew how nature worked, but humans had strange ways, and that was why he had been lost with Astrid. The young boy had seen some humans put their lips together when they were in love, and Astrid had explained him that once, when they were in the wild. Now he wanted to do that. Her eyes were shinning slightly. She approached him, and he leaned toward her. The sensation when they kissed was almost overwhelming, it seemed like time had stopped and nothing could be sweeter. They slowly embraced each other, and their bodies started to shake slightly. The vertigo as they lost each other in this was wonderful, their feelings had remained under, hidden because of everything they went through and now those were bursting out. When they broke the kiss, Hiccup had the sensation he had never done anything that human before. As for Astrid, it felt like her first flight. They kissed again and again, until the dark got thicker.

They held hands toward the way back to the village, Toothless joined them and entered with them in the Great Hall. It was only when Astrid's father looked at them with a frown that she let go of Hiccup and went to him. His friends were on him soon enough, teased him and asked questions until she came back.

"Quit it guys! Hiccup…My parents says you can't stay home anymore."

"Why? They hate me now?"

"Not at all, they are fine with us being a couple. But they say it wouldn't be proper for us to sleep in the same room anymore."

"Uh?"

"I'll explain you later. But it's not against you, don't worry."

"Maybe you can come leave with me or Snotlout, or the twins?" Fishlegs suggested.

"I don't think my dad will approve…I would like it, and my mom would be okay with that, but my dad…"

"Don't worry, Snotlout, I think I know already where I want to go."

The dinner was served and they all ate together. As soon as it was over, Hiccup went to Stoick, the chief was talking to some of the villagers about the harvest and the boy waited until he was finished. His father eventually noticed him, the dragon-boy approached and looked straight at him:

"Dad, can I stay home with you?"

Stoick gaped at this, he seemed absolutely stunned at those words, but joy appeared right after. Not caring in the slightest about the people around, he took Hiccup in his arms and this time the boy returned the embrace with more ease. His father…For the first time maybe, this wasn't only a fact, he felt something stronger toward him. When he released his son, Stoick's eyes were shinning, and he seemed like he couldn't find his words:

"I…Well…I'll have to arrange the house. You'll need your room, after all!"

Hiccup couldn't help but smile happily. He still hadn't forgotten Thunder, he would always remember the dragon, but he wished to know his real father, before it was too late. It was time to let the human in him grow to form only one being with the dragon.

O o O

"Are you sure this isn't all a strange story?" Asked one. "If you try to sell us lies, you'll pay with your life, I guarantee it."

"Shut up, just listen to what he says." Said the second.

"I was on Berk, I saw the corpse myself, that dragon was gigantic, the biggest one we ever saw." assured the frightened merchant. "And I saw the boy, he is indeed a mix of a dragon and a human. He can make them obey, he has already started to teach Berk how to ride them. And his friends too, they were the first ones to ride on dragons. There is that young girl, she had ran away with him to see the secrets of dragons, she had lived in the wild with him and they had nicknamed her the Dragon Princess."

Only a few candles were enlightening the room, and the people's faces looked even more threatening right now. The merchant had been proposed some gold to tell them the story of the dragon-child and he saw no objection about it. It could happen sometimes that people would give him some coins to hear his travelling stories and fresh news, and the story of Stoick's son was something. In fact, the chief had told him some of it, to be sure that people would hear the truth, and not fake rumors. The other tribes would eventually learn about Hiccup and the dragons anyway, so he'd rather make sure that the truth was more largely spread than lies.

So, with the approval of Berk's chief, the merchant had told the story to many people, and it had always grabbed a lot of attention. But now, he realized that those people didn't simply want a story or news. The fact they had brought him in a small private room to hear him and had guards posted at the entrance had alarmed him, yet he hadn't dared to refuse. He went on, he was pretty sure they wouldn't let him leave like that. He explained how the other teens had joined them, how they vanquished Night Furies together, introduced dragons to the village, showed the Red Death to the people, and finally killed it.

"Now more and more people are riding dragons. But those teens have a special status, some call them 'The Dragon Children'."

"If they are really doing that, they could be a serious threat," said the first one.

"Or a big asset. Is everybody happy with that?"

"Hum…A lot of people are, but not all of them. I heard that the boy was to inherit the tribe and some are against it, his uncle especially," explained the merchant.

"Why?"

"Well, before the boy reappeared, Stoick's nephew was supposed to be the Heir. It's now the case anymore and Stoick's brother is feeling cheated."

"And the nephew?"

"Oh, he doesn't seem to be bothered by it. In fact he and his cousin seems to get along very well. There was also an annoying old man who would often say that this would lead to Berk's downfall."

"Hum…We should reward you, now. How about a nice cell to spend the night?"

"What?!" The man froze on place. "But, you said…"

"I lied. Take him away."

The man was carried away, begging and yelling, but it was useless. The first one turned to the second and asked:

"Should we make a trip to Berk?"

"We will, very interesting prizes are awaiting for us."

If you want to know who were talking in the last scene, I guess you'll have to read the sequel. It will be called 'The Dragon Children', I don't know when I will post it, I started writing, but the first chapter isn't done yet. It shouldn't take very long though. Don't hesitate to review for the last time on this story, I want to really thank all those who posted comments, I didn't think that fic would have a lot of readers, I'm glad that I was wrong! Thank you all, and I hope you'll read and enjoy the sequel. Bye!