So, here it is: The absolute last chapter of "Dragon Conquerors by Definition". I honestly can't believe it.

One last shout-out before we dive in:

P (Guest): No, you're no the only one. I've read about half dozen others besides my own. I'm glad you like it so much, I hope you enjoyed the rest just as much.

Every review that comes after today will be answered either in PM or as a shou-out in the sequel. And now: Enjoy!

Chapter 15

When I woke up again Toothless looked straight at me, happily wagging his tail.

„Hey" I heard a voice next to me.

I turned my head and looked at Hilja sitting on a chair next to my bed. The was beaming. But still the dark circles under her eyes were showing that not everything was alright.

„It's good to see you decided to return." A few tears started to flow down her cheeks.

„What?" I asked in confusion.

Now she started to cry uncontrollably.

„I th-thought, I ha-had lost y-you." She said through heavy sobs and threw her arms around my neck.

Toothless began to get restless and jumped on my bed. I jerked into a sitting position. Just now the surroundings struck me.

„Uh..." I stuttered confused. „I'm in my house. You're in my house! Uh... does dad know you're in here?!"

I looked at Hilja questioningly. She smiled through her tears.

„Yes, he does. I think it's for the best to tell you what happened."

I landed and immediately joined the others on the beach and watched you ascend to the clouds.

When the first lightning flashed I began to worry, but everything seemed to be alright. Then the clouds erupted in flames, followed by two dragons shooting down.

A few dozen meters above the ground we saw Toothless turning around, shooting into the Red Death's mouth.

„Wait. Red Death?" I interrupted her.

She nodded. „That's what we started to call the dragon."

The Red Death tried to slow his fall, but as soon as he opened his wings they started rip. I guess, they've been damaged by all the fire in the minutes before.

When the dragon hit the ground, everything around us started to burn and we tried to cover ourselves with our arms.

It took a while for the flames to finally die down and smoke began to fill the air.

Dad and I scouted the island, shouting your name.

„Hiccup! Hiccup! Son!"

Everyone was utterly worried, especially dad and I.

After some time we saw Toothless lying on the ground a few meters away, unconscious.

„Hiccup." Dad called once again and stumbling ran to Toothless, me closely behind him.

When we reached him I saw the saddle and the tailfin being torn to shreds. You were nowhere to be seen.

Dad fell to his knees in shock. And I broke down crying.

„Oh, son... I did this..." dad said, his voice full of sorrow.

Toothless slowly opened his eyes and tiredly looked at us.

„I should have stayed with him!" I yelled in despair. Then I resumed crying unrestrained.

Dad put a hand on my shoulder and spoke to Toothless, his voice shaking: „I'm so...I'm so sorry..."

I heard a rustling sound and curiously looked where it came from. Toothless was opening his wings and …

„Hiccup!" dad practically cheered when he saw you.

Fearfully I pressed my hands to my mouth.

Dad carefully took you in his arms, dropped his helmet and listened for a heartbeat.

„Oh, he's alive! You brought him back alive!" he cried out relieved.

I once again began to cry, this time in relieve.

Behind us everyone began to cheer.

„Thank you... for saving my son." Das was over the moon.

Gobber came to us.

„Well, you know... most of him."

Dad and I looked at him blankly.

„And then preparations for the return were made." Hilja concluded her story.

Toothless excitedly began to jump around the house and even climbed the roof beams.

I tried to calm him: „Okay, okay- no, Toothless! Aw, come on..."

He didn't listen.

„Toothless. Stop!" Hilja called strictly and Toothless immediately returned to the ground and sat beside my bed as if nothing had happened.

„How did you ..." I started.

„... calm him?" Hilja smiled. „We spent a lot of time with each other and now he's listening to my orders. But don't worry, he's still yours." She added with a grin.

„How long was I …?"

„I don't know. One or two weeks maybe. I completely lost my sense of time."

I went to stand up.

„Beware!" Hilja warned.

I looked at her questioningly and she began to pull away the covers.

When I saw what she meant I was shocked.

In place of my left foot was a prosthetic.

„That's why ..." I said flatly.

Hilja nodded, stood up and went around the bed.

„Should I help you?" she offered.

I nodded and sat on the edge of the bed.

Heavily leaning on Hilja I tried to stand up.

„You alright?"

I didn't answer. Instead I focussed completely to keep standing, which wasn't easy.

In the meantime Toothless had joined us and sniffed the prosthetic. Then he sadly looked up.

Hilja petted his nose. „It's okay." she said and smild.

Meanwhile I tried a step forward which I regretted immediately when I tilted forward. Luckily Toothless caught me.

„Okay... okay... Thanks, bud."

I was leaning on my dragon to the left and my sister on the right and actually managed to get to the door like this.

„Don't be scared."

I ignored Hilja's warning and opened the door. Only to immediately close it again.

„Dragon attack?" I asked hesitantly.

Hilja started to laugh. „Like I said!" she chuckled and resumed laughing.

I turned to my dragon.

„Toothless, stay here."

The I opened the door again.

It wasn't a dragon attack. The dragon I had seen was Snotlout's Monstrous Nightmare.

„Come on, guys, get ready! Hold on tight! Here we go!" he yellew and flew by, followed by Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

With Hilja beside me I exited the house and stopped surprised. The whole village had changed. The biggest change were the dragons everywhere. They were sitting on roofs, helped vikings doing their daily work or played with the children.

„I knew it. I'm dead."

Next to us a familiar Scuttleclaw appeared and cockily butted me.

„Careful, Wildfire! He has to regain his balance again." Hilja explained to her dragon.

Dad ascended the stairs, having her my last sentence.

„No, but you gave it your best shot. So? What do you think?"

The other villagers were gathering around us.

„Hey, look! It's Hiccup!" - „Hiccup, how you doin' mate?" - „It's great to see you up and about." a few were calling at me.

Dad supportingly put a hand on my shoulder and led me carefully down the stairs, while Hilja and Wildfire followed.

The whole village had apparently gathered because of me.

Dad smilingly turned to me: „Turns out all we needed was a little more of... this."

Surprised I looked myself up and down.

„You just gestured to all of me."

Dad answered with a nod.

Gobber joined us.

„Well, most of you. That bit's my handiwork. With a little "Hiccup Flair" thrown in. You think it'll do?"

I grinned and lifted my prosthetic.

„I might make a few tweaks." I comented.

Suddenly I got punched in the shoulder.

„Oww" I turned around.

Astrid commented the nudge: „That's for scaring me."

„Wha-what" I stuttered. „What, is it always going to be this way? Cause..."

I got interrupted when Astrid pressed a kiss on my lips.

„...I could get used to it." I finished my sentence, while Astrid grinned at me.

Gobber smilingly handed me my new flying gear.

„Welcome home."

Exactly at this moment Toothless decided he had waited long enough. When he jumped through the door and landed on top the gathered vikings, someone shouted „Night Fury! Get down!"

Toothless grinned at me and I beamed back at him.

Quickly I madeboth of us flightready, Hilja and Astrid joined me on top their dragons.

„You ready?" I asked him.

He nodded and seemed to ask: „What are you waiting for?"

„Take care!" Hilja called at me from her dragon, then we shot up and chased around the island, while the other teens joined us.

„This... is Berk. It snows nine months of the year, and hails the other three. Any food that grows here is tough and tasteless. The people that grow here are even more so. The only upsides are the pets. While other places have...ponies or parrots, we have... dragons!"

Thank you all so much for going through all this with me.

And now a bit of information how this is going to continue:

The next part will be Gift of the Night Fury, you'll be able to find it under the title "The best Present a Dragon could give" once I upload. I plan to stick to my former schedule, so the first part is coming next friday. I don't know yet if I do it as a one or a two-parter, so you'll see next week.

Until then, have a nice time and leave your thoughts in a review on your way out.