Last chapter is now up. The tale is complete. At least for now...

Hopefully when a sequel comes around I can write that too. I know for sure that when I get the DVD, I'm going to watch The Legend of the Bonekapper Dragon and write that. :D Maybe I'll even do the Winter games, just for fun!

And before I shut up and you can finish the story, I wanna say one last thing:

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON FOREVER!

~Catnip-Packet

Chapter Sixteen: Coming Back Around

Warmth. All around me was warmth. I was lying on something very, very soft. My left leg was itching uncomfortably, and several places on my face felt burned. Something warm and scaly nudged my cheek. I blinked slowly and then opened my eyes to see Toothless blinking down at me with concern. "Hey, Toothless," I said weakly, smiling and reaching out to pet him. He started nudging my face anxiously, lifting his front legs onto the bed. "I'm happy to see you too, buddy—AGH!"

Toothless stepped on my stomach by accident, and I bolted upright, hugging my stomach in pain. I looked around at my surroundings. "Ah…I'm in my house," I realized. I looked at Toothless, who was shaking slightly, and licking his lips nervously. "You're in my house," I said in shock. "Does my dad know you're here?"

Toothless began tearing around the room like crazy, knocking over furniture and climbing up on the rafters. "Toothless!" I cried. "No, no, Toothless!" Toothless paused and looked at me. "Toothless, come on," I said, starting to get out of bed before I even thought to pull the covers away. But as I lifted the fold of orange wool off my legs, my eyes fell on my left leg, and I stopped.

Toothless silently dropped to the ground and watched me nervously.

I sighed, not knowing how to feel. I almost felt tears prick my eyes, but I held them back, knowing full well that crying would not fix anything.

I slowly swung my right leg over the bed to rest on the ground.

Then I let my metal leg rest beside it with a soft clink.

I breathed hard and looked at Toothless with disbelief. So this was how it felt to lose a limb. Halfway down my shin, my leg ended and a metal appendage began. I had not expected to come out of the battle completely unscathed, and I was not surprised to feel painful burns all over my body. But a full-on missing limb? It was too much to take in. I took a deep breath, in through my nose and out through my mouth. I slowly stood up and put my weight on my fake leg. The pain made me hiss. I quickly straightened up and took another deep breath. I stepped forward again and this time the pain sent me falling to the floor. Toothless caught me just in time. I looked into the Night Fury's eyes. "Okay…" I whispered, carefully standing up. "Thanks, buddy," I said softly, using Toothless as a crutch to shuffle over to the door.

I let go of Toothless for a second to pull open the door.

A Monstrous Nightmare was hovering right outside.

I slammed the door shut. "Uh, Toothless?" I said. "Stay here." I opened the door again and stared.

"C'mon guys, get ready, one more time, here we go!" cried Snotlout from the Nightmare, and the Nightmare took off, followed by about four others with Viking men riding them, looking bewildered and excited at the same time.

I stepped outside and stared. "What the…"

A group of Nadders were nesting on the roof of a house. A group of Terrors were play fighting on top of a pile of fish in a wagon. A Gronkle was helping a Viking chop wood. A Nadder strolled by with a little kid on its back. All the weapons were in a messy pile off to the side. The Vikings and the dragons were working and playing beside each other, completely relaxed.

"I knew it," I said. "I'm dead."

I heard hearty laughter, and Stoick approached me. "No, but you gave it your best shot." He gestured to the changed world. "What do you think?" I shook my head, beginning to smile. It was amazing, but I couldn't find the words to say it.

Somebody below noticed me, and then there were cries of "It's Hiccup! He's alive!" echoing around Berk as a crowd of Vikings raced up the hill towards me. I noted that at least half of them had a Terror on their backs.

"It turns out that what we needed was more of…this," said Stoick, sweeping his hands down in front of me.

"But…you just gestured to all of me," I said, smiling.

Stoick beamed at me proudly and nodded.

"Well, most of you," said Gobber, stepping in front of me and pointing to my artificial leg. "That part's my handiwork. With a little 'Hiccup' flair! Do you think it'll do?"

I stuck my leg out in front of me and pretended to inspect it. "I might make a few tweaks," I joked, and the Vikings all laughed.

And then somebody punched me. Hard. On my right arm. I cried out in pain and turned around, rubbing my arm. Astrid was standing there in the grass, her hand still in a fist. "That was for scaring me," she said, an odd smile on her face. Why did she take such joy in hurting me?

"Wh—what?" I stuttered in frustration, taking my hand away from my arm. "Is it always going to be like this? Because I—"

But before I could finish my sentence, Astrid grabbed the front of my tunic, stepped forward, and kissed me full on the mouth.

If she hadn't been holding onto me I probably would have keeled over.

After a few seconds she pulled away, leaving me standing there with a dazed look on my face. I let the feel of her lips on mine linger before I spoke again. "—I could get used to it," I finished.

Astrid gave me a satisfied sort of smile.

Gobber stepped forward and placed something made of metal and red material in my arms. "Welcome home," he said, smiling. I looked down at the new fin in my arms and smiled.

"NIGHT FURY!" one of the Vikings suddenly cried. "GET DOWN!" another shrieked.

I whirled around and saw Toothless bounding over the heads of several Vikings to stand in front of me, looking at me with big puppy-dog eyes. He impatiently gestured to his new fin in my arms, trying to tell me to put it on him and get going. Astrid laughed. I grinned at her, then at Toothless.

Seconds later I was back on Toothless. A new saddle had been built especially for my prosthetic, so the metal fit naturally in the stirrups. Toothless's new fin was swaying gently in the breeze beside his real one. It was bright red and had a white skull painted on it. Astrid was beside me on her Nadder. The Nadder reared up and prepared to take flight. Astrid grinned at me before she disappeared from my side into the air. Just before Toothless took off, I smiled again at the changed world around me.

This is Berk. It snows nine months of the year and hails the other three.

Toothless took off and we chased Astrid and her Nadder through the sky. We soon caught up with her and pulled in front, both of us laughing and cheering breathlessly.

Any food that grows here is tough, and tasteless. The people that grow here are…even more so.

The rest of the teens joined us on their dragons. We looped under bridges and in between houses, flying through our village.

The only upsides are the pets. While some places have ponies, or parrots...

Toothless angled up into the sky. I felt the clouds wash over my face as we flew skywards, and for that one moment I felt free and happy, with no care in the world.

The war was over. My dad was finally proud of me for the right reason. The other teens weren't shunning me anymore. The rest of the Vikings thought I was a hero. Astrid kissed me! And best of all, I didn't need to keep Toothless a secret anymore. Me and my best friend could finally be together.

We have…DRAGONS!