John helped Hiccup off of the floor and back into the bed. "Harry kept a spare in the forge. I'll go get it. Just stay put for now."

After John left, Astrid sat on the bed next to Hiccup. "What does this mean for us? Me and you?"

Hiccup took Astrid's hand and kissed it. "You're a beautiful woman, Astrid. But you're not my Astrid. My Astrid is waiting to return."

Astrid pulled her hand away. "I'm going to die, aren't I?"

"Not if you don't want to," Hiccup answered. "You two can share a body, or you can join Harry. It's ultimately up to you unless something happens beyond our control. Harry wasn't supposed to die. If Liam hadn't been there, if they hadn't have fought, I wouldn't be here. Not yet anyway. I was supposed to have come to him and discussed what to do."

"How long do I have to decide?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup shrugged. "A few weeks at best. We don't have long and need to destroy Liam, while we have the chance."

"And when that's over? Do we come back and live out our lives?" The young blonde wondered.

"If you choose death, your soul goes to Folkvanger forever," Hiccup explained. "You will be reunited with Harry and any of your friends who choose death. You will remain there, forever youthful, training for Ragnarok. However, if you share a body, Astrid will go back to Valhalla and I will remain here to grow old and alone. She will wait to reunite with me the way I waited for her when I died. 40 years, I waited for her. She might wait longer. When you die of old age, you might not be reunited with Harry and be sent to Valhalla. Who's to say?"

Astrid said nothing else. She got up and walked out of the hut. She had a big decision to make. Everyone did.

Shortly after Astrid left, John returned with the spare leg. He handed it to Hiccup, who studied it with interest. "It's nothing like you used, but it's virtually the same. Just upgraded to look like a regular leg. The tech in it is useless, but it still works."

"It'll be fine," Hiccup said as he started to put it on. "I'll make a new one later."

John leaned up against the wall. "Speaking of technology, how come it was completely wiped in the second Quake?"

"Odin thought it best," Hiccup answered. "The world as advanced as it was with a villain like Liam was not a good mix. If Odin hadn't done what he did, Liam could have launched one of those nuclear warheads if he chose to. It was a hard decision, but it was the best one. Once Liam is destroyed, the world can advance back to what it once it was. Should only take a couple of hundred years or so."

With the leg properly attached, Hiccup stood up and tested it out. "Let's go see Toothless."

As John and Hiccup walked through the village, everyone stared and pointed. As far as they knew, Harry was dead. How was he walking around? Hiccup heard people whispering about zombies and faking it. He ignored the comments; he would make a speech later.

"Maybe leaving wasn't such a good idea," John pointed out.

"It's fine," Hiccup said. "They'll get used to my presence."

They neared the entrance to the stables and began to head down the winding stairs. Once at the bottom, Hiccup saw Toothless lying on the floor in the middle, surrounded by a half dozen people. He rushed to his dragon's side, pushing a couple out of the way. He got down on his knees and placed his hands on the dragon's head. "Hey, bud. It's Hiccup. I'm back and you're okay." He looked up at one of the people helping Toothless. "He is okay, right?"

"He should be," someone answered. "He has a broken wing, leg and a few ribs, as well as a severe burn. He's also clearly exhausted from the battle and trying to save his rider. The dragon will need a lot of rest and time to recover. A few months at best. You can stay if you so wish to, Hiccup."

Hiccup stood and looked at the man before him, ready to demand how he knew it was him when only two people knew. It was the sea captain that tried to save Harry. "Oswald."

"I go by Mark, now," Mark corrected. "But you probably didn't catch that."

"How'd you know it was me and not Harry?" Hiccup asked.

"Do you think it was luck, Toothless landed next to my ship?" Mark asked. "I was told to go there and wait. I would be needed."

"Who told you?" Hiccup practically demanded.

"Someone who knew what was going to happen, even though you didn't," Mark replied. "My daughter."

Hiccup was silent for a second as his brain caught up. "Heather?"

"Aye," Mark said. "She had been watching him through her vessel for years. That's the only reason she knew."

"I didn't realize she had a vessel. She never showed up," Hiccup stated.

"When she died, she went to Folkvanger," Mark cleared up. "Dagur went there as well when he died. Part of why they weren't needed for when the dragons returned. Heather took her vessel after Liam killed the young woman. Dagur should be taking his soon. It's taking some time and delicate discussion."

"Delicate? Dagur?" John asked.

"Yeah. His vessel, is, well, a wimp. For lack of a better term," Mark said.

"What about you?" Hiccup asked. "Where's Oswald?"

"Oswald is staying out of it," Mark said. "At least for now. He will take my body when the time is right. He said I'll know."

Toothless let out a small coo, getting everyone's attention. Hiccup got back down on his knees and held his dragon's head. "Hey, bud. Everything's okay."

Toothless slowly opened his eyes and crooned, before giving Hiccup a small, but weak lick. "Yeah, I'm Hiccup. Harry didn't make it. I'm sorry bud. I know you had grown attached to him. But he's in a better place now. You've been hurt pretty badly and need to rest. Okay, bud? Just go back to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up."

The Night Fury weakly bobbed his head before lying back onto the floor and closing his eyes. Hiccup scratched the sleeping dragon's chin and stood back up and looked at Mark. "Do whatever you can. Make sure he's comfortable and not hurting too much. I'll be back to check on him in a couple of hours."

With that, Hiccup and John exited the stables and toward the Great Hall. "Can you gather the town into the Great Hall for me? I'm calling a meeting. Liam won't live long."

Author's Note: Sorry for not updating. I don't even have the next chapter started yet. I should be starting it my next day off, hopefully.

As always thanks for reading, don't forget to favorite and review. Also thanks for understanding.

Special thanks to Draconicbeing2.0 for being an amazing beta-reader and understanding friend.