Hiccup sat on a hill, staring down at his village. Vikings argued over goods, walked from house to house, kids played as though nothing was wrong. He sighed contentedly and stared up at the sky. White puffy clouds floated against a blue backdrop. He remembered being up there.

This is Berk. The best kept secret this side of anywhere.

He stood up and began to walk toward his home.

It's twelve days north of hopeless. It's a few degrees south of freezing to death. It's located solidly on the meridian of misery.

Agnes threw open the door and bounded toward her approaching grandfather, throwing her arms around him. Astrid was standing in the doorway.

We have hunting, fishing, and a charming view of the sunset.

Hiccup walked up and kissed his wife. "Is everyone here?"

Astrid nodded.

Winter holds on with both hands and won't let go. It snows nine months of the year and hails the other three, boasting the kind of fun in the sun balmy weather that can give you frostbite on your spleen.

Hiccup walked inside and saw his family gathered around the fireplace. Magnus and his wife, and their granddaughter Agnes joined them moments later. Their daughter Haidrien, and the youngest, Stoick the second. Hiccup and Astrid walked up.

Any food that grows here is tough and tasteless. The people that grow here are even more so. It may not look like much, but this wet heap of rock packs more than a few surprises.

Hiccup nodded to Astrid as she sat down with the family. Hiccup picked up the journal kept by the fireplace. "Who wants to hear the story?" Everyone cheered. Everyone loved hearing about the dragons. Astrid exchanged a special look with Hiccup. A knowing look.

Life here is amazing, although not for the faint of heart. It's trampled and busted and covered in ice, but it's our home. The people who attacked us were relentless and crazy. The people who stood against them? Even more so.

We are the voice of peace. And bit by bit, we will change this world.

Hiccup opened the book and looked over all the faces of his sons and daughter. His wife and grandchild. The one still to come. Haidrien was going to be married. Magnus's wife was expecting. It was a very happy time. "Well, shall we start at the beginning?"

You see, we have something they don't. Oh, they have armies, and they have armadas... But we have...

We have our...

Hiccup opened the book and began to read. His whole life was written in the pages. From the moment he stepped outside for the first time.

To when he got his tiny axe.

Throwing his stuffed dragon off the boat.

Going hunting for trolls.

Shooting down Toothless.

Befriending a Night Fury.

Dragon training.

Riding a dragon.

His first kiss.

Losing a foot.

Starting the dragon academy.

Meeting Heather.

Alvin the treacherous.

Dagur the deranged.

Sealing the Skrill.

The dragon eye.

Ryker Grimborn.

Viggo Grimborn.

The Edge being destroyed.

Learning to be chief.

Finding a mom.

Losing a dad.

Becoming a chief.

Becoming a father.

Losing Berk.

The True Isle of Night.

Learning to speak the tounge of Dragons.

Finding a home.

Toothless...

The story didn't have a happy ending. Unfortunately. Hiccup closed the book and looked over his family's faces again. "And that leads us to today."

They all began to talk about everything from Adderwoods to Gronkles to Nadders to Zipplebacks. He smiled and left amongst the chatter.

He went back to the cliff where Toothless and the dragons had all left. Left forever. He felt fresh tears roll down his face. Forty years he'd been chief over the new land they called New Berk. He had been in charge of naming. He'd had Itchy Armpit in mind, but Astrid, Gobber, and everyone else had disagreed.

He laughed softly at the memory. He heard footsteps. He turned around. Astrid was approaching. She smiled at him. Her eyes may have faded a little of the deep beautiful blue, but they still held intensity. Love. She moved silently and wrapped her arms around his waist. She looked into his eyes, and they stared for a long time, listening to the waves crash against the rocks. Neither of them even needed to say a word. She silently comforted him, stroking his cheek with one hand now. His beard needed some trimming. He had finally gotten around to growing one once he turned 22. Now he had a nice neat beard and mustache, not nearly as unruly and not braided as his father's had been long ago.

Hiccup grabbed her hand and kissed it gently. "Milady." His voice cracked a little.

She smiled her usual Astrid smile and moved closer, their faces close, noses nearly brushing. He moved closer as well. They kissed.

That was ages ago. Now the past is the past. And there's still the future. I still believe I will see my friend again.

They are leaving, leaving the earth forever, with not a tooth or claw or even a scale for man to remember them by. But I will always remember. Till my last breath. Which is closer than it was years ago when I... I... They left...

I miss my best friend.

Hiccup turned towards the west suddenly, moving apart from Astrid and staring out at the horizon. A black shape was against the setting sun, wings catching the breeze. A roar echoed across the water, a roar that used to be feared by every man in the world. The roar of the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Hiccup moved to the very edge of the cliff, Astrid behind him.

He watched Toothless fly against the backdrop of a blood orange sky, doing backflips and twirls like a leaf released from the tree. He saw on his back, a boy in a green tunic and brown vest, auburned hair flapping in the wind. He watched in envy as the pair flew up towards the heavens, daring to touch the Gods' home. The boy leapt off the dragon's back, the two falling as one. Each trusting the other perfectly. Two halves of the same soul.

They rejoined and pulled up, starting their tricks again with practiced ease. The boy's exuberant hollers could be heard for miles. There was a flash of red and blue and silver. And they were gone.

Hiccup was left breathless. A memory? A vision? A trick of the light? Who knew?

When I was a boy... there were...

Dragons.

THE END

Author's note: Thank you everyone who read, reviewed, and loved! I had a lot of fun writing this. I had doubts about it at some points, and I had to kinda force Night Furies in there and you can totally tell. But I still love it. And I hope you do too.

Book fans will notice the Book references in there. Because I really wanted it to end book style, despite being very against Toothless and Hiccup splitting up. But it still works! And now I have feels.

I will (eventually) write what happens inbetween this chapter and the previous. Maybe. Possibly. We'll see.

(I originally had three different endings. One where Hiccup dies, one where Toothless returns alone, and one where Hiccup hallucinates in his grief and sees himself riding Toothless when he's sixteen. I chose the last one.)

And wether you like it or not, I'm going to go over the adventures of Magnus as a boy and probably Stoick the second. And years and years in the future.

So that's it for now...

Go find another thing to read. XD

Maybe my "How to make a friend" will capture your interest?

Oh, and don't forget to Review!