Toothless' POV (minutes later)

As I come to, I blink and open my eyes a bit, it's dark but I can see some orange flecks here and there. My whole body aches and throbs in searing pain. My chest heaves with every breath I take, my lungs protesting in pain.

What happen--HICCUP!
I focus my ringing ears and pick up my heartbeat, and just a little quieter and slower, Hiccup's heartbeat. I still feel him pressed against me so I know that he is at least alive. I relax slightly, knowing he's safe. But what worries me, is the stench of blood. My mind is foggy, and I cant process much, except for the fact that we're alive, and how much blood I smell. It takes over my senses, until all I smell is blood. Human, and dragon, blood.

"Oh, Son..I did this...I caused this...I'm so...I'm so sorry!" I look up through the fog with my great eyesight to see Stoick kneeled a few hundred paces away, looking at the ground in defeat. All the rest of the vikings are without helmets and also looking at the ground. They think we're are dead...I think it's best that they believe that.

I hear some wing flutters so I look up to see Wildfire land in front of me softly, followed by a Monstrous Nightmare.

I try to ignore the pain and concentrate, looking at Wildfire as I try to tell her what I want, feeling myself fading out again.
We gotta get out of here. We gotta keep Hiccup safe.
Wildfire nods, understanding my pleading look and beckons for the Monstrous Nightmare and RedViper to come over.

The Nightmare spreads his large wings, blocking us from any wind or rain, or Vikings in case they see us, while I unfold my aching wings and RedViper gently takes the safe, but deeply injured Hiccup in his claws. It takes all I have to stop myself from lunging for him. Wildfire picks me up and takes off, being as gentle as possible as she follows RedViper through the smoke and fog.

"Don't worry, Toothless. We'll find a safe place! We'll keep you and Hiccup safe. I swear the Nightmares life on it!" Wildfire reassures me softly.
"Hey!" The Nightmare jokes, trying to lighten the mood but to be honest it doesn't help.

The last thing I hear is, "SON! SON!"
And then I let out a gentle moan, before everything fades to darkness again. Where no pain can get to me.

Astrid's POV.
"Hiccup!" Stoick calls, searching urgently through the fog and smoke with the rest of us. "Hiccup!" He spins around wildly, cloak flinging as he searches. Searching for his son. His blood. His saviour.
Where is he?! The last thing we saw was him falling into the fire, the night fury going after him. He's gotta be here somewhere!
"SON!" Stoick yells desperately into the heavy air.

He.. saved us! He saved all of us. A Useless. Every single tribe in the archipelago and beyond owes him greatly! Hiccup horrendous Haddock the Third, X-heir of Berk, winner of dragon training, betrayer of vikings, savior of us.

Suddenly our great chief bursts into a run, obviously seeing something, and I share a distraught look with Randi as we and the rest of those present scramble after him desperately.
Please be okay, please be oka—
"Hiccup....Oh, son... I did this.. i caused this... I'm so...I'm so sorry..." Stoick murmurs, sad and torn, as he drops to the floor. It turns out, that what he thought was a dragon, was simply a pile of rocks.
No! No..I...I don't- it can't be.
Shocked tears well in my eyes, and I look down towards the ground, trying to contain myself as I breath heavily, the thought of Hiccup gone shocking me deeply.
Stoick's given up. Is Hiccup really gone?!  No. No, He can't be.

"O-only Useless could manage to-to kill himself." Snotlout mutters, trying to keep the act up. I sock him hard in the shoulder.
"Drop the act, Jorgensen. No one believes it." I mutter, looking down with wide eyes.
He's gone.

Unexpectedly, I hear some wing beats, and I get a glimpse of a Monstrous Nightmare's silhouette through the thick smoke. I think another dragon is there too, it looks like a Nadder.

"SON! SON!" Stoick cries out, in tears as he thinks that it could be his son. But it's false hope, it's not Hiccup. When he realises this he breaks down even more, trying to come to terms with the fact that his only son, the one he disowned and banished, is gone. Dead.

The dragons take off though the mist, but I can't make it all out anyhow. And just like that, he's gone.

Stoick solemnly walks forward through the thick smoke and fog in an aimless direction, crying out for his son, followed by all the rest of us reluctantly, knowing we don't want to loose our chief in the fog.

We walk with our heads down, no sound emitting from anyone except for Stoick and his desperate, and rather depressing, calls.

Suddenly, Stoick stops, causing us to all stop, and looks towards something we can't quite see.
Stoick moves forward again, at a faster pace, and bends down on the ground over something. Cautiously, I move forward, and see what he's bending over, caressing in his hands. It's a wooden spear, expertly crafted around the glistening spear head, and my eyes roam over the whole thing, until I see a marking under Stoick's thumb, which he is paying more attention to. Marked faintly on the hilt, are three small H's, and three small lines. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. My breath hitches.
It's his.

Stoick grasps it tightly and stands up. He turns to face the crowd, who were reluctant to move any closer.

"Fix a ship! We head home...and kill any dragon we come across! Whether it be a Terror or a Nadder. It dies. We avenge my son and we don't give up! Dragons are the enemy! They will ALWAYS be the enemy!" Stoick shouts, his voice heavy and breaking with grief and anger.
Everyone yells in agreement. Grieving for the lost heir of Berk. The lost saviour of Vikings everywhere. The lost hope.

Stoick stalks off towards the ships, and I'm frozen in place.
"A-And keep a look out for him. I-If there's a chance, that he might be alive....." Stoick adds shakily, though we all know it's not true.
I don't know what to think. He is gone. For good now. He's never coming back. He has sacrificed himself for the greater good of every soul in the archipelagos-inside and out.

Dread sets in. Emptiness too. Like a part of me is missing. My eyes widen at the realisation.

Randi unexpectedly pulls me towards the ships, a sympathetic look on her face as she leans in close, her arm around my shoulder. Oh, gods, I really did. Didn't I. I guess I figured out a while ago... but I've liked him for longer than that, I realise. For years, even! I just didn't realise it till now. And I treated him like..like THAT. I'm a monster.

I numbly walk beside her , eyes wide with tears threatening to fall, as my mind pictures him. His goofy grin when backchatting Gobber, his determined gaze when working on something in the forge. His sparking green eyes. His Auburn tussled hair. His sarcastic sense of humour. How he always has something to say back. Even in the worst situations. How he stood there, and took all the insults we threw at him. The look in his eyes when I abandoned him, realising I needed to hang out with more 'viking' Vikings. How defeated he looked.

I feel like I could cry, but I'm not going to cry. I'm strong. I'm strong. I breath deeply. For crying out loud, I love him! And now I won't ever be able to tell him, or make it up to him, or just look at him.
"Shhh..." Randi whispers into my ear, "I know, I know. Just, let it out. Let it all out. I'm real sorry, Astrid. Just let it out!" I cringe at her words, raising an eyebrow, and sidestepping away from her.
"Umm..I'm not crying." I awkwardly tell her and she pulls back from me with a sheepish laugh.

"Sorry. I've just always wanted to say that." She slings an arm around my shoulder. "Come on, let's get going." And she leads me towards the ships. Most of them are destroyed, but there is one that—with a lot of work obviously—may be sea worthy.

"I don't..I don't understand. How has this happened?" I mutter in shock. "He's not really...he can't be. No. He'll pop up, and..and.."
Randi gives my shoulder a little squeeze. "It's okay, let me and my awesomeness distract you." She smiles, and lets go of me. I turn to face her as she cracks her knuckles. I sigh, but shrug.
"Let's do this!"

And so, we find ourselves duelling on the pebbly beach, as unfazed by our actions, Vikings manoeuvre around us to fix the ship and gather supplies. Our movements start slow and soft, but we get quicker and quicker, as my axe slams into her sword, it doesn't take long until I'm giving it all I've got, almost screaming as I try to work through my thoughts.

WHY *SLAM* IS HE *CLING* GONE? *CLING!* WHY DO I *THUD* CARE?! WHY *THUD!* DIDN'T I *CLING* DO SOMETHING?! WHY DID I *CLING* HAVE TO *CLING* DOB HIM *CLING* IN?! WHY DID I *CLING* HAVE TO *CLING* TELL STOICK?! THIS *CLING* IS MY *CLING* FAULT! I disarm Randi with a final move, and I stand there panting as she lays on the ground, looking up at me innocently and in shock.
"Good job!" She smiles softly as I help her up. I run a hand over my braid as I frown.

"It's my fault." I whisper, and turn to walk away. "I've failed..."
I board the ship.

I caused him to die. I killed Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third.

The boy who greeted total strangers with a grin, and picked himself up after every insult. The boy who put others before himself every time. The boy who controlled a Night Fury. The boy who came to save us when we tried to kill what I can only assume as the queen. The boy who ran. The boy who banished himself. The boy who I snitched on. I'm a murderer.

Randi catches up to me as I absentmindedly tie a sail rope down, tugging on it furiously. I'm furious at myself. For being a coward. For putting my reputation above everything else.

She catches me by surprise by embracing me in a tight hug. "It's not your fault." She mumbles, then pulls back.

"I didn't just hug you, and if you tell anyone, I'll deny I was even here!" She announces sternly, pointing at me and looking around suspiciously, and I laugh, socking her arm.

I offer a small smile to Randi. "Thanks for the not-hug, but I'm gonna be okay...I'm not the one who's..dead. " I mutter and together we both go to help prepare a half sunken boat for sailing.

-------------------
So........I feel like this was a depressing chapter. Also cringe.

No?
Oh, well. It was a little too cringe😂
So, congrats for getting this far without dying!

🍰Eat some cake🍰
Do you like it? I want it to be my sign off :) cause, it's not like I'm gonna say 🐎 eat some horses 🐎 . I suppose I could say 🐎 ride some horses 🐎. But, eat some cake is better 😂 sorry, I'm rambling.

See you next update!