Here we are, Chapter the Last. It has been a true ride writing and posting this story for all of you. I hope everyone enjoyed it at least half as much as I enjoyed writing it. Special thanks go out to Silvolde for dutifully beta-reading from start to finish, as well as to those of you who have been here since day one.

This is going to be, barring a major lightning strike of inspiration, my final post in the HTTYD fandom. After spending over two years lurking around in here reading and writing, I feel it's time for my curtain call. There will be no part 3 to the Bound/Ghosts saga. In fact, this epilogue will wrap up this version of Hiccup and Astrid's story with a nice little bow. Funny how such a small change to the sequence of events has created an altogether different conclusion. I dare to say it's a happier one, even.

Since this is the last that will be heard of me, I have a few questions to ask each and every one of you that have reached this point. I assume by now you've read through both Bound and Ghosts in their entirety. I hope a bunch of you will answer these questions in a review at the end of this chapter. It would honestly mean the world to me. Those questions will be posted in a note at the bottom to make them easier to get to if you want to answer them for me.

Epilogue: Winds of Change

Astrid was cleaning the dishes when her water broke.

She didn't really have any words to describe the sensation; it had just... happened. Her gut had tightened up much like it had on those days forever ago that she'd learned she was with child, but all that had emerged from her lips this time was a strangled groan. Her fingers had gone stiff and she'd dropped the plate in her hands, the wooden piece clattering against the table as she leaned forward to catch herself on its edge, hissing as she felt the sudden wetness in her leggings. Suddenly, every inch of her skin was tingling.

Her mother looked up sharply from her seat across the hall, a flicker of worry flashing across her face. Edna had been staying in the house while Hiccup was out for the past few weeks, ready to launch into action whenever the big moment came. Hiccup's chiefing work was keeping him busier than ever now, with winter barging in through Berk's door and ice on the verge of setting in down in the harbor.

"Astrid? Are you alright?" her mother asked worriedly, starting to rise out of her seat ever so carefully.

Astrid tried to answer, but all she could do at first was hum as her lips locked shut out of some foreign spasm. After another troubled groan, she started to speak. "Mom," she managed, sucking in a preparatory breath. Edna was already on her feet. "I think the baby's coming."

That sent another spark into Edna's step, the older woman powering over and rounding the counter. Edna's eyes pivoted toward the floor, and she gasped before immediately rushing to Astrid's side. She curled one arm around her daughter's shoulder and the other around her stomach, supporting her. "Your water's broke. The baby is definitely coming."

"I thought we'd have another week or so," Astrid said with a tremble. She wriggled in her mother's grasp.

"These things happen, darling. Come on, let's get you to bed." Edna started to lead her away, but Astrid's feet all of a sudden felt incredibly heavy. Walking was more difficult than it had ever been. Her knees cried out with each step, scolding her for daring to move. Her gut twisted and roiled, a sharp spike of pain piercing upward through her like a bolt of lightning.

They were halfway to the bedroom when the door flung open. Astrid whipped her head over her shoulder, hoping she'd find Hiccup surging in. Instead, a fountain of auburn hair frayed with a few streaks of grey strode inside, attached to the tall, spindly visage of Valka. The woman's staff was tucked at her side, and as she stepped into the torchlight, she flinched upon seeing Astrid and Edna huddled together.

Astrid opened her mouth to speak, but Valka knew all too well what she was looking at. "The baby," Valka blurted, and Astrid nodded feverishly. Another sharp ache overtook her again and she finally gave into the cry building in her throat, leaning forward against her mother's grip.

"Valka, get the midwives," Edna said, and without hesitation the dragon woman was flying back toward the door she'd just entered through.

"And send for Hiccup!" Astrid added, succumbing to another grimace as the aching continued. "He has to be here," she managed, and she hoped Valka had heard her, because she didn't get an answer before the front door slammed shut.

Her mother led her a few steps closer to the bedroom. Astrid's breathing was uncomfortably ragged, virtually all of her strength suddenly sapped in just a few unexpected seconds. "He has to be here," she repeated, sucking in as many breaths as she could before the next wave of pain could hit. She had no idea how long it would be.

"He will be, love," Edna promised, "Let's focus for now on getting you to a bed. The next several hours are going to be quite taxing."

Astrid clutched her stomach as her mother dragged her along, shuffling towards the door blocking off her and Hiccup's room. Edna pushed the door open and leaned against it, helping Astrid stagger inside. As soon as Astrid was far enough past the threshold, Edna scrabbled away from the door and returned fully to her side. They crossed the short distance to the bed and with great difficulty, Astrid managed to clamber onto the furs. The soft material did nothing to soothe her. The second her whole body was atop them, she turned on her back and scooted up to the headboard, spreading her legs and panting while doing so.

She started dragging her armored skirt and leggings down her legs, feeling her belly swell. The skirt came off easily enough, and her mother helped her drag it the rest of the way down her legs. The opulent fur beneath her stuck to her now-bare legs—Astrid's undergarment and the sides of her thighs were soaked. She peeled her underwear away, very much not enjoying the sensation of that, and Edna found an additional blanket as Astrid discarded the garment. Together they draped the blanket over her, and Astrid steepled her legs beneath it.

"Mom? Does it always feel like you're going to die?" she asked, finally resting her head back down flat and panting. She was already starting to sweat—she could feel little beads of fluid peppered along her hairline.

Edna shrugged as kindly as she could. "Well, love, I only have experience with the one birth." Astrid tilted her head up to meet her mother's eyes but couldn't bring herself to smile. "But I suppose so, yes." Astrid set her head back on the pillow and bit down on her lip.

A good half-hour passed before the front door was flung open. Feminine voices filled the house, and Astrid saw shadows dance off of the far wall before three shapes rounded the corner, led first and foremost by Valka. Astrid recognized the other two as Angrboða, one of Gothi's assistants, and Cattail, both trained midwives.

"Hello, Astrid," Angrboða greeted, her black hair tied back in a braid so it wouldn't get in her way, "We're going to help you deliver your baby." Astrid nodded, ignoring the vaguely snarky responses that surfaced in her head, and the two women went to work. Astrid eyed Valka, unconsciously gritting her teeth.

"Where's Hiccup?"

"I don't know. Fishlegs said he went out to help a fishing vessel, so I sent him to bring him back."

"You couldn't have gone yourself?" Astrid snapped, immediately regretting it. She was being ungrateful, an emotion that had never been a good look on her.

"I thought I might be more useful here…" Valka said, trailing off. Despite all the time she'd been living on Berk again, sometimes she still clung to the timid side of herself. Like an outsider unaware of the locals' customs, almost.

"Then go find my father. He's probably in the Great Hall," Astrid insisted, and Valka sprang into action again, heading for the door. Astrid felt a pang of guilt in her chest for ordering Valka around, and called out to her before she could vanish.

"Valka." The woman paused and looked over her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know you're trying," Astrid said. Valka glanced momentarily at the doorframe and then back to Astrid, nodding before taking off again.

Cattail looked up from examining Astrid, nodding firmly. "Try to control your breathing, Astrid. You're further along than you might think. Stay with us, and we'll be through before you know it."

For whatever reason, Astrid felt fairly certain that Cattail was just trying to keep her spirits up.

It was brutally, unmercifully cold.

The wind was pelting Hiccup in the face nonstop as he flew, Toothless beating his wings as powerfully as he could. Hiccup looked over his shoulder, groaning at the sight of the vessel they were tethered to. Their pace was slow, even as Toothless worked together with 3 other dragons to tow the ship back towards home.

A winter storm had blown past Berk and snatched up one of their fishing vessels, steering it horribly off-course. Along the way, they'd rammed into a sheet of ice, punching a hole in the hull of the ship and rendering it unable to sail home safely. A few of the fishermen aboard had mounted their dragons and flown back to Berk, begging for help bringing in their significant catch.

Upon following them out to where the ship had been languishing, Hiccup had known he needed to lend his help. The amount of fish aboard the ship would be a boon to their food reserves, as today was going to be one of the last days of the fishing season. Ships had been circling the waters around Berk, gathering what they could before the ice set in, but unfortunately, it already had done so where this particular vessel had been sent to.

So, Hiccup had tied Toothless and a few other dragons to the bow of the ship, and they were tugging the vessel back toward the village as quickly as they could, their combined strength keeping the ship from capsizing. They'd been out here for over an hour, and the cold was beginning to get to everyone. Hiccup had wisely brought along one of his heaviest fur coats, but the fishermen had not all been so clever, having expected just that morning to be back in Berk well before nightfall. Now, with the sun setting and the temperature only dropping further, the sailors were having to resort to burning a few consumables aboard the ship to keep warm.

Hiccup felt for them. Berk wasn't that much further away, so they would survive, but he wouldn't be surprised if Gothi needed to look at a few of them for frostbite. He would probably call off all fishing efforts after the fact, for the sake of preventing anyone else from getting caught up in a storm.

He was ultimately unable to escape the cold, even with the heavy furs he'd wrapped himself in. His jaw was getting the worst of it, teeth beginning to chatter against one another as the wind besieged him. Toothless likely wasn't faring much better, having been forced to tow the ship for hours now. The Night Fury did have a special dislike for the cold.

"Man the oars!" shouted a Viking, hoping to offer as much assistance as possible to the dragons. Men scampered to their positions and dunked the ends of the oars into the sea, pushing accordingly to boost the vessel's speed. "Row!"

The move actually did end up helping, getting them further in the next half-hour than they'd been able to go before. The blistering wind still kept up, though, and Hiccup retreated into his cloak. He could practically feel frost beginning to form on his jaw.

Toothless grunted in that way that told Hiccup something was amiss. "What is it, bud?" he said, teeth chattering, and Toothless flicked his flat head up ahead of them. Two shapes were flapping closer and closer, one much larger than the other. Against the dim remaining light, he recognized the telltale horns of a Monstrous Nightmare, and judging by the smaller and bulkier shape of the second dragon…

"Is that… Snotlout and Fishlegs?" he mumbled to himself, and within the next minute his suspicions were confirmed as the two young Vikings roared into the picture.

"For Thor's sake, Hiccup, there you are!" Snotlout bellowed, arms crossed in annoyance over his chest. "We've been looking for you for over an hour!" As if Hiccup had wasted his time.

"I had to help them get back to the village," Hiccup said, gesturing at the damaged longship behind him. He was a little annoyed by Snotlout's 'greeting', as if he were the one who had truly been inconvenienced, but he was able to keep a straight face thanks to years of practice. "What's the problem?" he asked, calm and measured.

"Astrid's in labor!" Fishlegs squeaked. He clapped his hands over his mouth as if he'd said something wrong, eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Hiccup froze. "She's what?" he shouted over the wintry wind, all hint of composure draining out of him like blood from a gutted sheep. Toothless warbled after him, a startled groan rumbling out of his throat.

"Uh, she's having your baby, stupid," Snotlout said, "That's what labor means."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I know what labor means, Snotlout. I thought we had more time!" He fidgeted relentlessly in the saddle now. Astrid was having their baby—no, rephrase—Astrid was having their baby!

"Valka said she was asking for you," Fishlegs said.

Hiccup nodded frantically, unsurprised, and looked back at the fishing ship. The Vikings aboard appeared to have heard Fishlegs' message, for their expressions were firm and determined.

"Go on, Chief. We'll be fine!" one of them shouted, despite the frost forming in his beard that might've liked to contradict him.

Hiccup looked back to Fishlegs and Snotlout, decided, and then reached to the side of Toothless' saddle, unhooking the rope that he'd tied around the edge of it. "Fishlegs, Snotlout, I need you two to cover for me. Make sure everyone on this ship gets back to Berk safe and sound!" He tossed the rope to Snotlout, who was closer to him.

Snotlout caught the rope in one hand, looking down at his dragon with a broad smirk. "You got it, cuz! C'mon, Hookie, let's show 'em how it's done!" he crowed. Hookfang responded by flaming up, igniting the scales all across his slender body and burning Snotlout's arse. "Ow, shit! Hookfang, what have I told you about that!?" he complained, and then followed his objection up with, "Actually, that doesn't feel all that bad. It's like a seat warmer!"

"Get a rope for Fishlegs!" Hiccup called over his shoulder, and the sailors scrambled to find an extra cord. Hiccup spurred Toothless ahead, now untethered and able to fly much faster than when he'd been towing the ship. The Night Fury flapped his wings with bated glee. "You guys get home in one piece, okay?"

Fishlegs gave him a determined nod. "We will, Hiccup. Go be with Astrid."

Hiccup dipped his head and focused on the horizon. "C'mon, bud," he barked to Toothless, and the Night Fury beat his wings with as much strength as he could manage, building up speed as they raced back to Berk.

Hiccup flew home quite possibly as fast as he ever had before in his life. He leaned flat on Toothless' saddle to shield himself from the cold, and the sky ripped apart as the Night Fury zoomed in the direction of Berk. It took them another half-hour on account of the distance, but when the village popped into view in the darkness, Hiccup let out a weary sigh.

He directed Toothless to land on his front lawn and was already jumping out of the saddle before the dragon had even touched the earth. He stumbled as he caught his footing and without even thanking Toothless, he surged toward the house, ducking his shoulder to burst through the door.

"Where's Astrid?" he shouted before he had even registered who was in the house. Stoick and Gobber were whispering to one another, while Valka brewed tea over the fire in the hearth. His abrupt entrance had startled all three of them, delaying any sort of response from anyone.

Instead, Astrid's cry conveniently tipped off her location, and Hiccup powered in the direction of the bedroom. His mother crossed paths with him and placed a hand on his shoulder, sympathetic.

"Is she alright?" Hiccup asked, nearly at the door already.

"Fine, so far," Valka said, "Though not especially thrilled."

"What do you mean?" he asked, opening the door to the bedroom with his mother in tow. He paused. There before him was Astrid, lying on the blankets and biting back another cry. Two midwives busied themselves with Odin knows what, while Edna Hofferson stayed on Astrid's right side and coached her through labor.

Hiccup could only look upon Astrid for an instant before her eyes shot open, irises fraught with agony and her perfect face soiled with beads of sweat. As soon as their eyes met, he could've sworn that a furious flash of red struck through her brilliant blue eyes, igniting a burst of anger the likes of which he had long forgotten what it was like to be the victim of.

"There you are, you son of a half-troll!" Astrid screeched. With her left hand, she snatched one of his charcoal pencils that had been left behind on the table by his side of the bed, knuckles white as she clenched her fingers around it. Before Hiccup could even breathe, she hurled the pencil straight at him.

It was hardly a dangerous weapon, but Hiccup still ducked instinctively, hearing the pencil pathetically slap against the wall at his back and clatter to the ground. Astrid's tirade against him wasn't quite done, though, and her voice sent his head snapping back up in her direction for fear that she would throw something else at him.

"You did this to me, you rat-eating—munge bucket!" Astrid threw her head back and furiously swallowed a scream as the contraction continued. When the pain at last subsided, her livid eyes were on him again, lips curling back into a snarl. "We are never having sex again; do you hear me?"

Hiccup admittedly gulped. How, exactly, should he approach this?

"I am so sorry I'm late," he decided to start off, "C-Can I come over to the bed?"

Astrid's head bobbed up and down, her burst of fury giving way to fatigue. "Get your ass over here," she murmured. She looked exhausted. Hiccup carefully padded over to his side of the bed, slipping by both of the midwives. He caught a glance at his mother holding back a chuckle as he passed and threw her a brief, panicked look, startled that she could be taking enjoyment out of it all. He refocused on Astrid and her smoldering glare, and once he was at her side, he decided to offer her his hand. It might as well have been a stick for her to bite down on, because she interlocked her fingers with his and, without warning, squeezed with a grip that was surely made of iron.

Hiccup bit back a pained groan. "How far along is she?"

"Her contractions are much closer together now," reported one of the midwives, a woman of about thirty with chocolate brown hair all tied up so as to not get in the way. Cattail, he was pretty sure. "The Chieftess says she's dealt with cramps and pains for most of the afternoon before she passed water, so she's likely at least halfway there."

Astrid winced. "Halfway? Gods."

"Hey," Hiccup leaned in and whispered to her, "You're doing an amazing job."

"Stop talking to me like I'm Stormfly," Astrid snapped under her breath.

"I would never," Hiccup half-apologized, raising his other hand in defense of himself. "I'm not going anywhere now, okay? This is what we've been waiting for. Think of it as a really long dragon race, and the finish line is right up ahead. You've got the black sheep, no one can stop you."

Astrid smiled softly, grateful. "I'm really looking forward to getting back into those."

"I'm ready for you to come back, too. It gets boring winning all the time," Hiccup said, only partially bragging. Astrid snickered.

"You're a terrible winner," she said, "Promise you'll stay?"

Hiccup nodded and squeezed her hand back. "Cross my heart," he maintained.

He stood there letting her squeeze the life out of his hand for another two hours as the contractions grew closer and closer together. By the third hour, his hand was numb, and by the fourth, Cattail announced that it was time for Astrid to push.

What followed was a series of long, pained grunts (with a few intermittent cries) as Astrid labored to deliver the baby. Her grip on Hiccup's hand seemingly increased tenfold, but he was so numb that he couldn't find it in himself to complain. He merely kept coaching Astrid through the ordeal, echoing the support offered over and over again by the midwives from time to start pushing to one more big push, Astrid!

Before they knew it, the pain ceased, and a pitiful little cry shook the room. Hiccup looked on in awe, hearing Astrid's pained breaths in his right ear. She was too busy recovering, not quite in the frame of mind to look at what he was seeing.

"Astrid, look," he whispered, and with a quiet sigh she tilted her head down and followed his eyes. A faint gasp escaped her lips and her grip on his hand broke, returning feeling to his digits. Hiccup barely noticed, though, too enthralled by the sight before him. Cattail was gently swaddling a frail little figure in a pristine white blanket, her experienced hands careful and tender.

The midwife turned back to them with a brilliant smile. "Say hello to your daughter," she said softly. She carefully handed the squirming little bundle over into Astrid's arms, the baby girl whimpering as she tried to get comfortable. Her eyes were closed, because clearly, it was she who was all worn-out from labor.

"She's beautiful," Hiccup marveled as Astrid tucked the baby into her arms, staring down in wonder.

"We made this," Astrid echoed him and peeled her eyes away from the newborn child to look at Hiccup. With a grin, he nudged his forehead against hers, a silent gesture of love.

"Should we allow the rest of your families in? Or would you both prefer some time alone with the baby?" Cattail asked.

Hiccup and Astrid locked eyes and both nodded slightly. "Let's bring them in for a few minutes," Hiccup said. Cattail stepped over to the bedroom door and leaned out the doorway, beckoning those in the other room to enter. Stoick, Valka, Gobber, Ingvar, and Edna crammed themselves inside, cluttering the bedroom as they all fought to get a good look at the newest addition to the tribe.

"She's gorgeous," Edna said, "What will you name her?"

"Zephyr," Astrid answered immediately, looking down at the babe in her arms, "For the great western wind."

"A fine name, befitting a fine child," Stoick said.

"Judging by what little hair she's got," Hiccup added, "We might need to call her Stoick. If that isn't Haddock red…" a soft chuckle circulated through the group.

"Zephyr Stoick Haddock," Astrid amended, "She'll carry her grandpa's name with her, too."

Hiccup paused, searching her eyes for some hint of pretense, and then beamed. "It's perfect," he said, "She's perfect."

Their families lingered for only a few more moments before taking their leave. Edna pointed out that Astrid was exhausted, and Hiccup wasn't in much better shape. The midwives coached Astrid and Hiccup through what their baby would need over the next several hours, and then left them alone as well, the only remaining sounds after their departure coming from the flickering candles on the nearby table.

"Can I?" Hiccup asked, gesturing to the bed.

Astrid scooted over, taking great care not to jostle baby Zephyr around as she made room for Hiccup. He carefully climbed onto the bed, tucking his legs in and lying next to Astrid. He stared at Zephyr, warmth bursting forth from his chest.

"I can't believe this is real."

"I can. I'm beat." Astrid looked over and smiled at him. "Do you want to hold her?" Hiccup flinched, scanning her eyes for some hint of pretense, and then nodded. He reached his arms out and Astrid gently passed Zephyr to him, making sure that he had a secure hold before she pulled her hands away. Instinctively she remained close enough that she could jump in if anything started to go less than ideally.

Hiccup stifled a laugh, beaming down at the tiny little life nestled in his arms. "Hi, Zephyr. I guess I'm your dad. It's so great to finally meet you," he whispered, watching the baby girl's frail chest rise and fall underneath her wrappings. Her nose twitched ever so slightly as she dozed, breathing in and out.

Hiccup glanced to Astrid and carefully leaned over to kiss her on the head before returning his full attention to Zephyr. "I'm never gonna let anything happen to you," he said to his daughter, "I promise."

Astrid let him admire the little bundle of a person in his arms, smiling through her own exhaustion. He was so gentle, so careful. He'd be incredible with their daughter, she just knew it.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Astrid whispered to him, "When you got here, I mean. I was pretty bent out of shape."

Hiccup's smirk was barely visible in the candlelight. "And made a few angry and frankly distressing threats, as I recall."

Astrid grimaced. "Well, let's just say I might be able to get used to this," she said, gesturing between him and Zephyr. "And there is only one way to do that." She gained a wicked smirk of her own as she noticed Hiccup's resulting blush.

"I'll, uh…" he covered his mouth and cleared his throat very quietly under his breath, flustered, "I'll make a note of that." Hiccup eyed her anew in the candlelight. "Do you want to hold her again? You kind of did all the work, so I think you've earned it."

"I suppose I did," Astrid mumbled, and she extended her hands slightly so Hiccup could pass Zephyr to her. She tucked their daughter gently into her chest, careful not to disturb her. Hiccup cautiously curled an arm around her and shuffled closer, letting his legs extend forward and relax on the blankets.

"We're parents," Hiccup said, keeping his voice as low as he could.

Astrid gave a weak smile, but her eyes were genuine. "I know," she said, "It's… amazing." For so long, she had never imagined she'd become a mother. She'd thought she'd never want to be one. But now, seeing the beautiful little bundle nestled between them, she couldn't imagine life without her daughter.

It would not be easy. Children were hard work. They didn't operate on any schedule, and in many cases they had minds of their own. It would be a constant struggle from this moment on, in many more ways than one.

Hiccup leaned forward, placing a chaste kiss on the tip of her nose. He lingered; his face was right beside hers, Zephyr nestled in the space between their bodies and sleeping soundly.

It was an innocent gesture, but it carried the weight of the world to Astrid. She loved the man before her with all her heart. He was the first and only owner of her heart; her closest friend, her confidant, her partner in battle, her husband, and the father of her child. Whatever challenges parenting threw at them, they would weather the storm together and emerge better for them.

Because he was by her side, she was ready for anything.

"I love you," Hiccup whispered. He let his eyes drift closed, taking in a deep breath that seemed to wash away the tension of the last few hours. Sleep was overtaking him, fast.

Her reply was automatic. "I love you, too."

Toothless folded his wings and darted forward, snatching the black sheep from the air. Astrid could hear the poor ram bleating pathetically as Toothless clutched it in his claws, but the dragon made no sound as he leaned and looped around the side of Raven Point, as focused as Mjölnir slicing through the sky.

"Cut them off, girl," Astrid urged, and Stormfly changed course so she could cut across the mountainside and catch Hiccup and Toothless unexpectedly. Unfortunately, they looped around Raven Point more quickly than she'd expected, so Hiccup spotted them in time. He shifted his foot to change the position of Toothless' fin and they rolled, forcing Astrid to yank on Stormfly's spikes and steer her away to keep from colliding with them. She curled in on herself as she did so, instinctively protecting her head with her shoulders. The wind whooshed up above her.

"Well, hello, milady. Nice day, isn't it?" Hiccup drawled, hanging upside down as Toothless flew over her. The black sheep wailed as its belly faced the sky.

Astrid's head snapped up and she glowered at the cheeky expression on his face. "Stop playing," she warned.

"Playing?" Hiccup teased. Astrid briefly glanced past him, where Snotlout and Hookfang were closing in. She didn't allow her gaze to linger, knowing she'd tip him off if she did. Hiccup was distracted, and she'd use the incoming collision with Snotlout to steal the black sheep right from under both of their noses.

"Careful, or I'll climb up and take that sheep myself!" Astrid shouted and reached up for the visible handle on Toothless' saddle. Hiccup snatched her hand out of the air before she could grab on, holding her wrist in a firm yet painless grip.

"I have to warn you, milady, that would be quite dangerous."

"Well, then Stormfly and me will just work together and mitigate the risk," she hissed, right as Hookfang closed in. She ripped her wrist out of Hiccup's grip to avoid being caught in the collision.

But Hiccup and Toothless twisted around just in time, nearly knocking Astrid out of Stormfly's saddle as Hookfang came careening past them. A string of choice words spilled from Snotlout's tongue as he passed, man and dragon hurtling out of the way.

Hiccup snickered and returned his gaze to Astrid, the smile in the eye holes of his mask as apparent as ever. "Nice try," he teased, "But sadly, this race is over. Like I told you on our wedding day: Nadders? They're just not fast enough."

And right then, unwilling to leave anything else up to chance, Hiccup had Toothless launch forward. The downdraft knocked Astrid around, forcing her to grab onto Stormfly to steady herself. She gritted her teeth as she watched Toothless peel away, but not out of anger—she had no qualms about Hiccup getting rough. None at all.

Hiccup left her and everyone else in the dust, depositing the black sheep into his designated basket to score ten points and snatch the victory from all of them. He'd hung back today, only getting minimally involved in the typical madness of a dragon race. Thanks to his marginal participation, no single rider had managed to build an insurmountable lead, allowing him to swoop in and steal the win from all of them in a single round.

Astrid would have to propose lowering the number of points that the black sheep was worth at the next rules meeting. Ten was simply too many.

Stormfly flapped past the finish line, Astrid steadfastly ignoring Hiccup as he did a victory lap with Toothless, scaling the Night Fury's side and accepting a long line of speedy high-fives from the crowd beneath him. The others—Snotlout, the twins, Fishlegs, Eret, and Heather—followed her in and Gobber got on the horn.

"And the Chief wins again, with eleven points on the day! Coming in second, Astrid with seven, followed by Heather with four, Eret three, Snotlout two, and the twins and Fishlegs bringing up the rear tied with one!" the smith bellowed. His braided mustache was beginning to fester with gray hairs, but he was still going strong in the forge, having taken one of Phlegma the Fierce's nephews on as his new apprentice. He often complained that the lad was nowhere near Hiccup's level, and it was clear that Gobber missed the good old days with his original apprentice, so Hiccup tried to pay a visit and lend a hand once a week if his workload wasn't too much.

The crowd roared, though it was more to celebrate an exciting race than to cheer for the Chief's victory. They actually tended to enjoy it more when the Chief and his Night Fury failed to win, which was not as uncommon as one might think. Astrid had by far defeated him the most times, primarily through a combination of beating him to each sheep and mid-air acrobatics. It was never an easy task, that was for sure.

Astrid guided Stormfly down to the center of the stands, where the twin thrones on the plaza sat empty. Sitting in much more pedestrian chairs nearby were Stoick and Valka, each of them tending to a different little human. Both shapes squirmed in their grandparents' grip as Astrid hopped down from her saddle, and the ex-Chief and Chief-Mother released the sentient bundles of joy to charge at their mother's legs.

"Mom! You almost had him!" Zephyr shrieked, her red curls and blue eyes glowing in the summer sun as she pulled up in order to not crash into her mother. Zephyr was five years old, but she had half a mind to say she was both older and wiser. She adored Grandpa Stoick with all her heart, and he with his own. She did, after all, carry his name with her.

Astrid grinned. "I'll just have to get him next time, Zeffie." The second small person bowled into her legs and latched his arms tight around Astrid's knees. Three-year-old Nuffink looked up at her with adoring green eyes, his unruly blonde hair in his face as he did so. Toothless landed with a crash on the plaza, allowing Hiccup to hear Nuffink's question.

"Mom, does it make you mad when Dad beats you in dragon racing?" Nuffink asked, enunciating his words a little more than absolutely necessary.

Astrid laughed outright at that, watching Hiccup with a smirk when she answered. "No, Nuffink, I only get mad when your dad lets me win."

"It's true," Hiccup concurred, "Your mom doesn't want to win if the odds are in her favor. She's too competitive."

"Oh," Nuffink drawled, "Okay." And then he let go of Astrid's knees and moved onto something else that had captivated his attention. His hair was so long that he had a rattail growing down the back of his neck, an unsightly feature on the son of a Chief.

"Nuffink, I think it's about time for a haircut," Astrid said, and it came off like a judgment of wrongdoing, because Nuffink audibly cried 'No!' and bolted in an ill-advised effort to flee. If he could just manage to escape, Astrid couldn't take him to Aunt Heather for said appointment and force him to sit still in a chair for what felt like hours on end.

"Tooth'ess, help!" the toddler wailed. Fortunately, the Night Fury knew better than to undermine Astrid, and so he leaned down to clench his teeth around the collar of Nuffink's tunic and carry him back in Astrid's direction. Once Nuffink realized what was happening, he thrashed and tried to fight his way out of Toothless' grip, but the dragon's jaws were much too strong. Toothless was prompt in handing the boy into Astrid's waiting arms as he crossed the plaza, whereupon the young lad finally gave up on his struggle and sulked.

"Traitor," Nuffink lamented with a frown directed at Toothless. The Night Fury warbled and looked to Hiccup for some kind of pointer. Had he done well, betraying the small human?

"Good thinking, bud," Hiccup said and patted the dragon's side. Toothless warbled apologetically to Nuffink, which seemed to lighten the toddler's mood at least a little. Astrid started walking toward them, Nuffink in her arms, Zephyr on her hip, and Stormfly quite literally shadowing all three of them.

"Good race, Hiccup. But I'm beating you next time," Astrid said.

"You always say that," he challenged.

"And I'm always right," Astrid chirped back at him. She looked over the edge of the plaza where Heather was conversing with Fishlegs. "Heather! I'm afraid I've got a little one in need of your services!" she called, and the black-haired Berserker looked up from the mob. Heather smiled up at her and Nuffink audibly whined. Fishlegs leaned forward to kiss Heather on the cheek, clasping her hand with his for a moment before heading off in the other direction so Heather could head over to Astrid.

"Okay, so you'll take Nuffink to Heather's, and Zephyr can come with me to the Council meeting?" Hiccup suggested. Astrid signed off on the idea with a nod. Seeing that her fate had been negotiated without her consent, Zephyr groaned.

"Aw, but Dad, those are boring!"

"I know they are, little lady, but the heir to Berk has to start learning early," Hiccup said as Zephyr sulked. "Tell you what, tonight we'll go out to the cliffs and watch the sunset as a family and go for a flight. How's that sound?"

Zephyr beamed at the suggestion. "Can I fly with you on Toothless?"

"Only if you let your brother have a turn later."

"Deal!" Zephyr declared and started to skip in the general direction of the Great Hall. The crowds of Vikings below were dispersing to get on with the chores of the day, the morning's entertainment over with.

"I'd better not let her disappear," Hiccup said to Astrid.

"Damn right. That's my daughter there."

Hiccup guffawed, coiling his arm around the small of Astrid's back. "C'mere, you," he said, tugging her in for a kiss; chaste and sweet, but with all the love in the world. Nuffink loudly complained about the two of them being gross and Hiccup stuck his tongue out at his son, earning a giggle out of the toddler.

"I'll see you two later," Hiccup said, and turned on his heel. "Zeph! Wait up!"

The day blew by, Sól rushing to duck under the horizon and escape the wolves for another day. As promised, the Haddock family followed the setting sun to the western cliffs. The crags overlooked the harbor on one side and the western woods on the other, the sun always setting over the evergreens of Berk.

Hiccup and Astrid walked up the path to the cliffs hand-in-hand, their dragons taking the lead in front of them. Zephyr rode on Stormfly's back, playfully tugging on the Nadder's reins as if she were an airborne shieldmaiden leading a battle in the sky. Stormfly played along, trilling and contracting her tail spines over and over. Next to her, Nuffink sat much more peacefully on Toothless' back, merely swaying with the Night Fury's movements.

Astrid leaned on Hiccup's shoulder, watching their children with a gleam in her eye. Part of her envied them, being able to have dragons by their side from birth, but a greater piece of her being felt pride. Building this peace had not been easy, and some days over the past six years had still been difficult ones. Drago's defeat hadn't immediately brought an end to skirmishes with hostile dragon trappers and enigmatic leaders. There were still those who had sought control through force and saw dragons as the arm of their ambitions.

But the might of Berk had felled them all, and now, the island was coming up on its third year of uninterrupted peace, a feat that would've been unfathomable to those who came before. Today, Berk was everything Astrid had once thought it could never be. Over the course of a little more than a decade, the people that had once been dragon slayers had become dragon riders, friends and companions of the beasts that once ravaged their village. They were the protectors of peace, the defenders of the islands where dragons roamed free, and feared from edge to edge of the world. They were the whispered fables in the ears of young babes, living legends on the backs of dragons.

And leading them?

The talking fishbone himself had become a man; a force to be reckoned with in the streets, in the skies, and at the table. He was a strange fellow, but Astrid loved him more than anything (except for, perhaps, the two little people they'd created. With the peace having held for as long as it did, they were starting to have discussions—and sometimes more—about adding a third to the mix). By now, she could hardly remember a time when she hadn't loved him.

Their family reached the highest point of the cliffs, the rock face jutting out over the sea and glowing in the sunset. Next to the cliffs were the tops of several trees, and thick shrubbery cluttered the space between. The dragons planted themselves near the cliff's edge and the kids slid off of the saddles.

"Alright, kids, huddle up. Once the sun goes down, we'll go for a nighttime flight," Hiccup said. Nuffink and Zephyr huddled together, sandwiched in between their parents and the dragons.

The silence could only hold for so long. "Mom, Dad," Zephyr asked, "Will you tell us the story of how you met Toothless and Stormfly again?"

"Sure, Zeph," said Hiccup. He glanced at Astrid. "Should I start?"

Astrid nodded, flashing a sweet smile. "The story does start with you."

Hiccup started recounting the tale, painting a mental picture for the two little ones in his and Astrid's laps. He practically designed the machine that had shot Toothless down before their eyes with all of his details, telling them what each and every part did. Astrid threw in little comments here and there as he explained how he'd rushed up the hill to look for a clean shot at the Night Fury besieging Berk's skies, the horrifying, bloodthirsty offspring of lightning and death itself.

The dragon in questioned rolled his big green eyes and licked Zephyr on the back of the head as if to contradict Hiccup's point. Zephyr giggled at the sensation, while Astrid glared at Toothless and very pointedly moved to stop Nuffink from declaring, "Me next!" and getting licked as well. She'd explained to her two children many times that Night Fury saliva did not wash out easily.

"And I fired the Mangler at the shape in the sky, and the next thing I know there was this great roar," Hiccup snared Zephyr in his grip and lifted her up, making an exaggerated guttural noise right in her ear that made her squeal with laughter.

"And then Mommy came running up the hill, axe in hand, ready to beat your dad into submission for being a mischievous little sneak," Astrid butted in, smirking.

"That she did!" Hiccup concurred, "Kids, I'm warning you, do not ever try to pull the wool over your mother's eyes. There will be Hel to pay, and believe me, I will not try to help you out."

"You'd best listen to him, kids. Your dad kind of knows what he's talking about."

Hiccup smiled and then launched back into the story. "And that was when a preposterously huge Monstrous Nightmare came climbing over the cliff, his skin alight with fire!" That part wasn't true, but it might as well have been. "He wasn't happy with me for shooting down his friend…" He went on and on, telling them how he'd gone into the forest after the disastrous raid to search for his quarry, then how he'd let it go, then how he'd tracked Toothless down again, and built his tail, all the while with Astrid adding important details from her side of the story. She took over a majority of the storytelling when they reached the point of Astrid being introduced to Stormfly.

By the time the tale was all well and told, it was nearly nighttime, the last curves of the sun still peering over the horizon. The sky was painted with all manner of reds and oranges and purples, and the stars were growing more visible by the second.

"Kids, what do you say we go for that flight?" Hiccup asked. Zephyr and Nuffink both cheered, excited to finally get on with what they'd really come out to the cliffs for. The family rose to their feet, Toothless and Stormfly itching to get going. Zephyr was to fly with Hiccup first and Nuffink with Astrid, and they'd later switch at some point. Hiccup always loved the acrobatic exchange, guiding Toothless into twists and turns over Stormfly's head to swap kids before dashing off again.

Nuffink was grabbing onto the stirrup at Stormfly's side, utterly determined to lift himself onto the Nadder's saddle without any help. Something else, however, appeared to catch his attention.

"Do you hear that?" the toddler asked, looking to the bushes near the cliff. Curiosity abound, he dropped his foot from the stirrup and hobbled toward the foliage.

"Nuffink, be careful," she warned, but he didn't call back to her. Astrid started to follow him with a measured caution, having all too much prior experience with Nuffink paying the price for not being cautious. Hiccup nudged Zephyr and gestured for her to follow him after her brother.

Sure enough, the bushes were rustling, leaves shaking about as something writhed beneath them. Nuffink stopped halfway to the bushes and stared at them, waiting.

"Dad, look! Do you think it's a dragon?" Zephyr asked.

Hiccup shrugged. "It might be, Zeph. Let's try not to scare it."

The bushes stopped shaking and a tiny reptilian head poked out, golden eyes wide and curious. The rest of the dragon's body slithered out behind it, little green legs carrying it forward. The Terrible Terror spotted Nuffink and stared, nostrils expanding and deflating rapidly.

"Hi," Nuffink cooed, dropping down and extending one of his little hands in the Terror's direction. The mischievous dragon shuffled forward, pausing about a foot from the toddler. Nuffink gasped as the Terror smelled him, staying still against his wild toddler instincts as he recalled what Hiccup had always told him about Terrors. They scared easy, since they were so small, and if they felt cornered, they lashed out.

The Terrible Terror seemed to approve of Nuffink, and without warning launched onto his hand to scuttle up his arm. Nuffink giggled hysterically as the little dragon reached his neck, scales and claws brushing gently against his skin.

"Mom! Can I keep him?" cried the boy.

"As long as he wants you to," Astrid said. Nuffink had brought critters home before, though this was his first dragon. Both parents knew that he couldn't force the Terror to stay, they were picky like that. But right now, Nuffink was having the time of his life. Zephyr left Hiccup's side to play with the little dragon, who immediately accepted her presence and bounded onto her shoulder as well.

"He's so cute!" she giggled, though the Terror deftly dodged her when she brought a few fingers up to pet him. "Did he come up here from the village?"

"He might've," said Hiccup, "But he could be a newcomer." Wild dragons showed up on Berk all the time, the majority of them curious or simply looking for a new place to roost. The dragon paradise of Berk typically roped all of them in to stay long-term. They even had seasonal residents—packs of dragons that lingered on the island for a time before always migrating somewhere new in the colder (by comparison) months and returning once the weather turned. Toothless, ever the benevolent Alpha, had encouraged his scaly underlings to come and go as they pleased.

"I'm gonna call him Greenie! Because he's green!" Nuffink declared as the Terror hopped on top of his head and began smelling his blonde hair.

"That he is, buddy," Hiccup said, smirking as he nudged Astrid on the arm. "Guess we'll need to add an extra fish or two to the daily stock."

"And guard it from Toothless," Astrid added. The Night Fury overheard her and groaned, annoyed at being called out.

"This'll be good for them. Their first dragon. It'll teach them some responsibility."

"Odin knows they need it."

"They're so lucky, you know. They'll never know what it was like to be at war with dragons."

"They're lucky that you came around and showed everyone else the truth," Astrid said. Hiccup draped his arm around her and tugged her close, leaning over to kiss her on the top of the head. She leaned into his touch. "Hey, so I've got something to tell you."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to see Gothi tomorrow. I think," Astrid paused, emphasizing that it was only a suspicion and far from confirmation, "That I might be pregnant."

Hiccup froze and looked down at her as she tilted her head up to lock eyes with him. Zephyr and Nuffink squealed as they played with Greenie, blissfully unaware of their parents' conversation.

"That's wonderful," he whispered, and this time her kissed her more firmly on the cheek. Astrid tried and failed to hide her grin.

Toothless warbled at Hiccup, in that way that was very obviously a whine. Hiccup looked at the dragon, who nudged forward and swished his tail deliberately. "Can't you see we're having a moment, bud?" he asked, only slightly annoyed. Toothless whined again, stamping his feet this time. "Oh, alright, we'll get going, you selfish reptile," Hiccup groaned. He met Astrid's eyes again, "Honestly, I think we already have three kids. It's just that this one can fly and breathe fire."

"Stormfly doesn't bring the count up to four?" asked Astrid, cocking an eyebrow.

"Nah, I'm counting her as an aunt, or maybe a cousin."

Astrid snorted and looked away, eyes now pointing over her shoulder at their two children. She cupped her right hand beside her mouth to amplify her voice as she called to them. "Zephyr, Nuffink! Come on, let's go flying really quick. Greenie can come with us if he wants."

The Terrible Terror indeed ended up wanting to fly with the family, already smitten with the two youngsters that had found it. The kids returned to Toothless and Stormfly, climbing into the saddles with one of their parents—Zephyr with Hiccup, and Nuffink with Astrid.

"Dad, can we fly really fast this time?"

"Sure, Zeffie."

"How fast?" Zephyr pressed, a hint of eagerness in her voice.

"Hmm," Hiccup hummed, considering, and then he pointed to the statues guarding the bay. "See the Guardians? I want you to time us all by yourself, and we'll see how fast we can get there."

Zephyr accepted the task with a bright grin and a feverish nod, excited. Hiccup helped her position her hands on the saddle's handlebars, and with a click of his tongue he urged Toothless forward. The Night Fury bounded forward, breaking into a run before leaping off the cliff, spreading his black, bat-like wings to catch the wind.

"Mom, let's chase them!" Nuffink begged, so Astrid mushed Stormfly after the Night Fury, knowing that they wouldn't be able to catch them. But she'd be damned if she didn't try.

Nuffink whooped as Stormfly flew, almost immediately forgetting that he had wanted to try and chase after his father and sister on Toothless. He was merely thrilled to be flying at all. Stormfly seemed to feed off of the little boy's energy, pulling out all the stops to keep him giggling and hollering as she danced on the winds.

Astrid could only smile. Even in the dead of night, her family was a beacon of light, illuminating her way and reminding her every day what she strived for. What she had fought for and fought against.

The ghosts of the past were dead. The winds of change had blown their ashes away, bringing the future in its wake. Peace was possible, and gods willing, it would last forever.

END

And that's it! As mentioned earlier, here are my questions for all of you before I close the book on this story. Please, please, please consider sending a review. It really would mean a great deal to me.

1) What was your favorite part of Ghosts? For me, my favorite parts to write were probably Chapter 1: The Best Kept Secret, Chapter 7: In the Dragon's Den, and this, the epilogue. Bonus question: Do you have a favorite part from Bound? Mine was the battle against the Red Death, which included Hiccup and Astrid's first kiss. There are a number of things that influenced that scene.

2) What was your least favorite part of Ghosts? For me, my least favorite parts to write were probably Chapter 2: Where No One Goes, and the stretch from Chapter 11 to Chapter 13 that bridged the gap from the heroes' escape to the First Battle of Berk. Bonus question: You guessed it; do you have a least favorite part from Bound?

3) What's something that you think could've been done differently in this story? Any particular changes you might've made? Anything that I didn't include that you would've liked to see?

4) Anything else that you might have to say about this story, say it. Whether it's about characters, certain plot points, etc., don't leave anything out. I want to hear it.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for reading my work. It's been a blast to write Bound and Ghosts for you all. I'm sure it hasn't always been the thrill of a lifetime, but the feedback I've received over the last year and some odd months has made it all worth it. Thank you so much to each and every one of you reading this. You guys are the reason I write. I hope you've enjoyed the journey like I have.

-OP17