Hello, you wonderful people...

*sniff* This is the last chapter of Eye of the Storm! Wow. Somehow in my mind, I never really expected to get here. But now that I HAVE arrived... *sniffs again*

Shoutouts... for the last time... :-(

thepurplewriter333: YES HICCUP IT'S TIME TO GET UP NOW! COME ON! GET UP! PUT YOUR HELMET BACK ON SO TOOTHLESS CAN BE CUTE AND LICK YOU! Yeeeesssss. The feels are... *fans self* Aw, yes... The Riders all have their different relationships with Hiccup... yes, yes, here is your update! *cowers* You don't need to start a riot- I'm here!

Fantasygirl1329: YEEEESSSS. I am now so bored with all the extra time I have... I actually have been writing LESS since summer break started... dunno why... yes, high school did seem so far away when I was in 6th grade! Now... *shivers* ...it's coming up quick...! And, yes! Almost there. Yep. I don't know why I make comparisons like that, but they usually work out... :D

phieillydinyia: FINALLY! Yes, OF COURSE! I, actually, am a twin myself, and am VERY annoyed when I'm paired up with my twin. Like, "HELLO! I'm a person, too!" We all have our individual things to say. Ruffnut is one of my favorite characters, too! One of my absolute favorite episodes of Dragons is Twintuition- Ruff has amazing sass that can challenge even Hiccup's! She can be really smart if she wants to. YEP. THE HELMET. *glares at Hiccup* You'd better wake up in time for Snoggletog, young man!

FanWriter02: Yep. The FEEELLLLLSSSSSS... Yes! *fist bump* How to Write a Novel In a Month. (well, I actually wrote more if you think about all those one-shots and other stories I wrote... I think the last time I checked, I had written 94,000 words since April 18th... 0_0) Yeah, of course! Thanks so much for the cover! XD I LOVE IT!

katurdi: Yes! Poor everybody... I can be so mean to my characters sometimes... Aw, thanks! Really? Perfect? *kicks rocks* AW SHUCKS... HICCUP, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE WAKE UP. DON'T DIE ON US, DRAGON BOY! *shrugs* We'll see if he makes it... hey, no spoiling The Last Flight for the fortunates who HAVEN'T read it! *glares back*

SunshineGirl14: Thank you! :D Hope you enjoy this last chapter!

Hiccstridlover13: AH SORRY FOR MAKING YOU WAIT. My computer kept on glitching, and then the keyboard wouldn't work... took ALL DAY to write this, but I'm finally done! XD Thank you! That means so much!

flopy: You did? Wow! Yes, I agree, sadness does bring humbleness. Bad situations can bring out the best in people... or the worst. In this case, it's the best, however, and I love writing it! :-)

jessygirll03: (lots of responses for you, huh? :D)

1. Thanks! Yes... ONWARD.

2. HICCUPPPPPP... TOOTHLESS... who knows? We'll see!

3. AH YES POOR HICCUP. No spoilers! :D

4. "Daddy's coming." BEST DARN QUOTE OF THE YEAR. Thank you!

5. Hahaha, glad you liked it! NOOOO NOT HICCUP... *evil part of me laughs* Yes, Hiccup...

6. TOOOOTTTHLLLESSSSSSSS! Not. The. HELMET. Thank you! *waves hands* Woah, there, calm down... it's here... :-)

Also, I wasn't feeling that great as I wrote this, so apologies for any mistypes or how cheesy I think it may be... FORGIVE ME.

And now I give you the final chapter... *begins to sob*

Chapter 16:

It was a strange feeling at first, like someone had been clasping his head tightly, and then slowly released the pressure to about nothing. Relieved of the pain, he lay panting for a moment, bits of nightmares flashing still flashing in his mind. He tried to ignore them, but it was hard, as he had spent days with only them as company.

Focus.

He breathed in and out through his nose. He was awake now. Fully. Only the faintest of artificial colors and sounds still clung to him.

He had, actually, been able to wake up before now, but was so tired. He knew his body needed rest. So he had slept… and slept… and slept some more. It was growing harder to force himself to return to unconsciousness, but he now knew that he was strong enough to get up, perhaps. At least open his eyes. It would be good to move around. He somehow processed that he had been in bed for a long time with not a lot of exercise beforehand. His muscles were tender, not liking the sudden movement after days of bedrest. But he had to try to get up, anyways. He felt it was important. There were people who wanted him to, and he never liked to disappoint.

So, pushing past his lingering exhaustion, Hiccup forced his eyes open. He was met with a wooden ceiling a few yards up from his face. Truthfully, it was a welcome sight, because one of the last memories Hiccup had of waking up was seeing a cold gray top, studded with holes that spat rain and snow. He shivered, though he was quite warm underneath his mass of blankets. He remembered now… he had been… kidnapped… but how? Why?

Slowly, recollections of the past few weeks returned. Coming home for Snoggletog. His father having to leave. The hurricane. Johann's news. Flying off into the storm with his dragon… Toothless (he smiled at the name, which brought happy memories of his friend back). Searching. Flying. Fighting. Falling. A plan. Getting grabbed… Dagur… jail. Interrogation. Seeing the Riders. Sleeping. Eating. Talking with Astrid… and hazy reminiscences of waking up with soft dousing the flames of his nightmares. He had drank a lot of water during those fuzzy moments.

Hiccup let out a soft sigh.

It was time to get up now.

Come on, Hiccup, just a little bit at a time…

He grunted.

Creak.

He was almost in a sitting position.

Thump.

Made it.

His head spun with a coming headache, but he pressed on. And he was glad he did, because the longer he stayed up, the more accustomed to the circumstances he felt. His head settled back to normal, and heartbeat steadied to a regular pace.

His gaze fluttered around the strange room he was in, scanning everything. There were boxes and little trinkets everywhere. Like presents… Hiccup reached forward and grabbed a nearby one, startled to realize it was addressed to him. With a jolt, he was aware that all of these gifts were for him. A warm feeling filled his heart. His village had cared about him this much? He couldn't fight down a smile. This... this was amazing... but... but where was he?

After a moment, Hiccup fathomed that this was his room. Gods, was his mind slow right now... he hadn't even recognized the place he had spent years working in...

With a considerable amount of effort, and slung his legs over the side of the bed, wincing slightly when his twisted foot touched the floor. He was surprised to feel a sort of cast around it, protecting it from further harm. It felt better than he remembered it feeling, and he knew he would be able to walk on it now.

Just as he started to stand up, Hiccup heard a rustling. He turned his head to see-

"TOOTHLESS!"

The Night Fury bounded over from his bed, tongue lolling happily. He practically flew over the bed to get to Hiccup, immediately beginning to lick him like a playful puppy would. Hiccup laughed, a rough sound due to misuse.

"Bud- buddy- Toothless- hey- okay, okay, I'm fine!" grinned Hiccup, trying to push away Toothless's muzzle, but not having enough strength to complete the effort. Nor did he want to. It was good to see his friend again.

After a minute of that, Toothless plopped down to a sitting position, regarding Hiccup with a toothless smile and a tail thump.

Hiccup chuckled. "I'm... happy I'm awake, too... wonder how long I've been out... feels like days... hey... can... can you help me up, bud?"

Toothless nodded energetically and moved to Hiccup's side. The Rider stood...

And immediately collapsed.

Fortunately, Toothless had been expecting this, and caught Hiccup. The boy patted Toothless's head, murmuring a thanks. He tried again, this time leaning on Toothless to be able to walk. The pair limped over to the door of Hiccup's room. Hiccup reached forward and turned the handle to open the door. Hiccup and Toothless then made their way out into the hall.

Hiccup sighed when he saw the stairs. "Of course... Toothless, buddy, could you-"

"Hiccup?"

Stoick's voice cracked out like a whip.

Hiccup turned so quickly he nearly fell again, but this time his father caught him and held him upright.

"I- son- Hiccup-" Stoick fumbled for the right words to say. Was this a dream? Was his son, that thoroughly unconscious figure on the bed last night, finally… awake?

Hiccup smiled, a missing light returning to his eyes. "Dad!"

Wordless, Stoick encased his son in a hug, lifting him off of the floor in the process. He hugged him tightly- so tight- because he hadn't known how much he had worried that he'd never be able to do this again. Hold Hiccup once when he was alive- a warm, happy, breathing body.

"Oh, son..."

He felt Hiccup tensing beneath the embrace. "Dad... it's good to see you, too, but... I'm eighteen years old now..." He more or less meant, It's okay. You don't have to hug me.

Stoick grasped the Rider even more firmly. He didn't care that Hiccup was nearly a man. He had missed him so much, that it didn't matter. "But you'll always be my son..."

Hiccup relaxed under his arms, leaning into the hug. However, he was rigid a moment later. When he spoke again, he sounded strained. "But, Dad... um... could you maybe give me a little air to breathe in?"

Stoick realized exactly how tight he was holding Hiccup, and released him back to a standing position. Hiccup winced, rubbing his ribs. But then he looked up and grinned at his father, making Stoick beam in return. Because Hiccup was awake. Hiccup was awake!

"What...," began Hiccup, shifting. "...what happened? The last thing I remember is talking to Astrid in my cell..." His eyes widened. "Is everyone okay? I know that- that there was a battle or something... please tell me that no one was hurt..."

Stoick placed a comforting hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "Everyone is perfectly fine, son. It's you who we've been worrying about." He gestured to Hiccup's hunching figure. "Look at yourself, Hiccup; you're as skinny as a fishbone, and can barely keep yourself upright."

Hiccup sighed at his description. "Thank you, for summing that up."

Stoick chuckled, a grin stretching across his face. It almost hurt, as he hadn't smiled since before he learned that Hiccup was in danger. "How are you feeling, anyways, son?" said Stoick, pushing past his anxious thoughts. That was the past. Hiccup was safe right now.

"Eh..." Hiccup shrugged. "Not too bad."

Toothless cooed, his ears pricking up with conviction. Stoick raised an eyebrow, and Hiccup's shoulders slumped.

"Fine... well... my chest is sore... and my foot... and my side... but only a little."

Stoick's brow creased. "Side?" Did Hiccup have another injury? Fret raced through his mind.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah... I got scratched a- a little... huh... a week ago?"

"You were unconscious a week ago."

Hiccup's fingers tapped against his leg nervously. He hadn't wanted his father to worry anymore than he already was. "Oh. Then two weeks ago. But it's almost healed, I promise." He smiled, and Stoick couldn't bare to press on while looking at the Rider's wide and seemingly innocent green eyes.

"Are you hungry?" Stoick asked, deciding not to continue the previous matter. They could talk about that later, if needed.

"I don't know... maybe... I feel sort of... hollow, though."

Stoick nodded. "You've barely eaten anything for the past week. You need something in you. I could feel each of your ribs, son. And you must keep up your energy. How about we go to the Great Hall for breakfast? Everyone is already there."

"Why?" said Hiccup. Normally, the Hooligans just ate at their own homes.

Stoick looked confused, then realization dawned on his expression. "It's Snoggletog, son. We're having a feast there… I didn't want to leave you to sit in on it, but now that you seem strong enough to get around… if you feel up to it, we could go."

Hiccup was still stuck on the fact that he had been unconscious for so long.

"Snoggletog!" Hiccup gaped, blinking in surprise. "Then I've been asleep for..." He attempted to be nonchalant, failing dramatically. "...awhile..."

"Awhile, indeed," said Stoick. "Now, I don't think that ankle of yours is going to let you go down the stairs anytime soon... do you need help, Hiccup?"

A little reluctantly, Hiccup nodded. Stoick then gently helped his son walk down the stairs, Toothless trotting alongside the pair. Eventually, they made it. Hiccup tried to hide how much the effort had fluttered his heart, but Stoick knew and understood. The boy had just been in bed for a week, after all, and was still accumulating to the sudden changes.

Stoick quickly got a parka for Hiccup to wear, remembering Gothi's advice to keep him out of the cold to keep the pneumonia from worsening. Hiccup groaned that he didn't need a coat, making Stoick smile. This reminded him of when Hiccup was knee-high and trying to prove his independence. He didn't need help opening that jar. He could reach the doorknob just fine. And Stoick would chuckle every time.

Once Stoick was satisfied that his son was warm enough, the two departed from the house. Hiccup quivered in the chilly weather, but the parka helped a lot. He saw that snow covered the roofs of houses, as well as the ground. Toothless jumped around in it, batting the occasional flake that fell down. It was clear he hadn't left the Haddock home for awhile, and was enjoying the fresh air and outdoors. Hiccup was different, however. The wind bit into his frail figure, especially irritating his chest. Stoick noted this silently, and set the pace a little quicker to the Great Hall. Hiccup had a bit of a hard time catching up, but with his father and Toothless's help, he managed.

"So...," said Hiccup, not quite chattering, but there was a certain shiver to his voice. "...what... what exactly happened? I was stuck in a jail cell for awhile, and my captives didn't bring the best information."

Stoick nodded and began to explain his side of the story, starting with receiving the letter from Astrid. Hiccup listened intently to Stoick's tale. He felt ranging measures of high guilt upon learning how much everyone had done to find him. Stoick could tell his son felt bad about that, and tried to comfort him. After all, he would do anything for his boy. Even now, he had to pause and look over Hiccup, scarcely believing his son was actually here. It had been nearly three weeks since he had seen him conscious, and he was overjoyed to hear his son's sarcastic quirks and see his intelligent green eyes. Those things had been traits of Hiccup's since he was just a wee lad, and no matter how much Hiccup's appearance changed, those things would stay.

By the time the chief had finished the story, they had arrived at the Great Hall. Hiccup was relieved. The wind had picked up in the last few minutes, and even Stoick's story, or even Toothless's cute antics with the snow couldn't distract him from the cold.

Hiccup leaned on Toothless while Stoick walked up and opened the doors for him. Hiccup murmured a thanks, then was helped inside.

Vikings looked up from the tables to see who had just entered. Dead silence hung over them as they all stared at Hiccup.

The Rider swallowed in his nervousness. Had he done something wrong? Did he look weird? He had, after all, been asleep for awhile, and hadn't been able to take care of the necessities. Maybe his hair was sticking up or something...

"Uh... h-hi, th-"

A thunderous amount of cheering cut him off. Hooligans grinned at him, clapping, whooping, and stomping their feet. Hiccup stood, stunned, for a minute while they celebrated. Stoick placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder, giving his son a smile.

"Finally stealing the crowd away, eh?" said Stoick, ruffling Hiccup's hair good-naturedly. "Not like you haven't before."

Eventually, the applause stopped, and Vikings began to swarm at him, rambling off how glad they were to see him, what they had done while Hiccup was gone, and asking how he was. Hiccup tried to answer as best as he could, but it was a little hard with all of the people crowding him.

Stoick had to yell for people to give the hero some space for them to back off, and Hiccup was grateful. Having just woken up from a long period of unconsciousness, all of the craziness was difficult to process.

Just a few moments after Stoick's order, Hiccup felt something punch his arm. And hard. Though his thick coat covered him, he yelped and turned around.

Astrid was standing behind him, her hands on her hips and sporting an angry expression. "That's for scaring me," she said, folding her arms.

The Dragon Rider rubbed the injured spot, though it didn't hurt as much as it did when he was fifteen. "Is it always going to be like this?"

But he was secretly elated to see Astrid again. His last memories of her was a worried young woman on the verge of tears.

There was an unspoken question in the air between the two... Hiccup wondered if what had happened the past few times Astrid had hit him would happen again...

Astrid looked him over once. Hiccup's heart flew. She was going to...

...and then pivoted away. Hiccup wilted with disappointment. He had been expecting a-

Suddenly, Astrid whirled around and grabbed Hiccup, pulling him in. She pressed her lips to his for two heart-stopping seconds, then broke away.

"That's... that's for staying alive," said Astrid.

Hiccup stared in bewildered awe, and Astrid's cheeks flushed slightly.

"I could get used to it," Hiccup grinned.

Astrid couldn't suppress a smile, and she threw her arms around his shoulders. "I've missed you, dragon boy," she whispered into his ear.

Hiccup tried to return the hug, though he was still pretty weak. "Me too..."

A gust of wind unexpectedly blew through them, and Hiccup quaked. The pair pulled away from each other to see where the rush had come from, and saw that the Great Hall door was open. And a few familiar people stood there.

"Fishlegs!" said Hiccup, startled. "Ruff, Tuff..."

The threesome gaped at him.

"We thought you might've died while we were gone!" Tuffnut blurted, oblivious to how blunt his comment was.

Hiccup chose to ignore that, but squinted at the last part. "I- wait- why were you gone?"

He was answered by a stampede of dragons stumbling inside, practically knocking over a few stray Vikings in the effort to get to their riders.

"The dragons left!" Hiccup heard Fishlegs yell over the din. "We- the twins and I- went after them a couple of days ago to bring them back in time for Snoggletog!"

By now, Fishlegs had made his way over to Hiccup, and hugged his friend once. "You had us worried, Hiccup! Pneumonia... phew... don't scare us like that again!" But he wore a relieved smile.

"I'll try," Hiccup said. "Yet trouble seems to find me no matter what I do."

"Son!" Stoick's voice wafted over from a nearby table. "Come and sit! You must be tired from the hike here."

Hiccup nodded. He was exhausted- yet only physically. He didn't want to sleep any longer, but couldn't stand up too long, either. "Sure," he replied, and with his friends and Toothless helping him walk, he made it to his father's table. His friends sat down around him. Snotlout was already there, and offered Hiccup a sideways smirk.

"Glad you're up, cuz," Snotlout greeted, which, for him, was practically a hug.

Hiccup smiled. "Thanks, Snotlout."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it or anything."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Attention!" Stoick bellowed to his tribe, standing to make his presence known. The Vikings silenced after a couple of moments, then turned to look at their chief.

Stoick continued, "I'd like to say a couple of things before we begin our Snoggletog feast...

"Lately, this hasn't been a very happy time of year. One of the biggest hurricanes the archipelago has ever seen threatened my life- and my son's. It caused Hiccup here to contract pneumonia in an effort to save me. Yes, this hasn't been like the other Snoggletogs at all... yet as we sit here, together and as safe as can be, I feel that this =... is one of the best."

He cast a fond look down at his son, then reached for his cup and held it firmly.

"I'd like to dedicate this meal to Hiccup, my son, who risked everything just to make sure I was alright." Stoick smiled at the Rider. "No one could be more honored.. or more proud than I am." He lifted his cup to the ceiling, and boomed, "To Hiccup!"

"To Hiccup!" the Hooligans repeated, all of their voices mixing together into one powerful vibration.

Hiccup felt his cheeks burning at the attention and couldn't fight back a grin. His fifteen year-old self had dreamt of this moment for so long, when his tribe would finally recognize him with pride, and not disappointment. Over the years, that dream had faded. He didn't need glory, nor wanted it. But, now, he couldn't help but be happy. He was surrounded by friends and family, his tribe and dragons... it was perfect. This was perfect.

He looked around at everyone. Astrid, who was patting her newly returned Stormfly, Fishlegs squealing as he hugged Meatlug, Ruff and Tuff debating the best way to explode things, Snotlout reluctantly scratching Hookfang's chin and smiling, his father laughing at the lightheartedness of the room, and... Toothless. That wonderful dragon who had made all of this possible.

Hiccup rubbed Toothless's head, then eventually leaned forward and hugged the Night Fury.

"Thank you, bud," he whispered, an indescribable appreciation bursting inside of him. "I couldn't have done this without you."

Toothless rumbled softly in response.

Hiccup pulled away a moment later, a permanent beam stuck on his face. Gods, he had never known such euphoria in his life.

And as Stoick raised his cup to toast to the New Year, Hiccup knew that everything would turn out alright.

It always did, after all.

Because it was… an occupational advantage.

One that Hiccup would hold dear to his heart for years to come. For the hardest times. For the longest days.

For always.

I hope you all enjoyed this story, for I enjoyed writing it!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your lovely reviews, follows, and favorites. Through my hardest times, just scrolling through the reviews you guys left would bring me comfort and joy. FanFiction has been a blessing to me. Thank you all so much for being a part of it! And thank you to those who just silently read- everyone is appreciated in my eyes.

Eye of the Storm has about 4,700 views now! WOW! That's SO MUCH! I could never dream of that many people viewing my work... :-) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! XD

Well... I guess this is the end now, isn't it? The end of Eye of the Storm... *wipes tear away*

Goodbye, everyone! Thank you for sticking with my through this journey. This experience has been indescribable. Thank you.

And, as I always say...

Until the next.

:-)