Toothless and Bloodbath reared onto their hind legs, one screeching at a high pitch, the other roaring with wings lit up by electricity. Bloodbath sparked as Dagur cackled, so sure he would win this duel. But in the back of his mind he knew as well as everyone else that this was Hiccup's territory. Since the Hooligan was fifteen years old, he had always been the best concerning dragons: riding, control, instincts, territory, knowledge. Everything there was to know about dragons was all in Hiccup's head. Luckily for Dagur, Hiccup only had one working leg. He was at a great disadvantage and no one could deny that.

"Fire, Bloodbath!" Dagur screeched mid-cackle.

"Toothless, watch out!" Hiccup shouted, crouching low over the saddle as his Night Fury dodged the bolt of lightning.

The young chief shouted in pain when the action jostled his leg. He found he needed to use more upper body strength than usual to stay on. Without his prosthetic and only his suit straps holding him into the saddle, he was off balance. Another disadvantage.

Toothless roared angrily as another burst of electricity came close to hitting him and his rider. He reared up onto his back legs again, growling warningly and stretching out his wings.

"Toothless, plasma blast!" Hiccup ordered.

The Night Fury gathered a massive burst of burning plasma in the back of his throat and shot it straight at the center of the arena. The blast exploded, sending a cloud of dark smoke through the arena.

"You missed!" Dagur cackled.

Hiccup smirked, struck with sudden déjà vu. "Did I?"

Dagur blinked quickly as his enemies disappeared into the dark fog. "What... Oh perfect-"

A second plasma blast came dangerously close to them, exploding mere feet away on the concrete walls. "Bloodbath, fire! They have metal, find them!"

Bloodbath roared, gathering powerful surges of electric energy into its wings. With a loud screech it released the beams into the fog. Dagur roared in victory when he heard the Hooligan and his dragon cry out in shock and scramble to safety.

Bloodbath again reared onto its hind legs, flapping its wings wildly against the fog. The dissipating fog was not lost on Hiccup. Before they could be seen he directed Toothless into a darker part of the fog. Taking to the air and circling around the arena in a tight circle, they very nearly knocked Dagur right off his dragon's back. But he saw them just in time, swiping his hatchet at the enemy. Hiccup guided Toothless into a tight flip, narrowly missing the blade.

"Toothless, two blasts!" Toothless obeyed, sending another couple of blasts into the arena—one onto the ground to restore the fog and the other toward Dagur. The Berserker jerked in his saddle as Bloodbath dove away. The duo growled angrily before leaping into the darkness in search of their prey, which just happened to be black as the night.

Little could be heard from inside the fog for a few moments as both fighters sought out the other. Astrid bounced on her toes, Snotlout's fingers absentmindedly rubbed the corners of his mouth, Gobber clutched the bars anxiously. Kara and Frederik watched the black fog with darting eyes, wondering how the men and dragons had been so quiet for this long in the darkness. Even the Berserkers seemed a little apprehensive at the growing silence.

Astrid bit her cheek nervously. Where had...

A Night Fury scream snatched away her thoughts and the Skrill suddenly slammed into the metal door she stood behind. Astrid and many others yelped in shock, stumbling backwards as Toothless dove on top of Bloodbath. Dagur was shoved against the bars with a cry of rage. Hiccup raised a bow, arrow cocked and aimed at Dagur.

"Bloodbath, shock!"

Bloodbath set itself into a torrent of shock waves just as Hiccup released the arrow, but Toothless' twist of pain sent the arrow over Dagur's head. Tuffnut jumped out of the way, missing the shot by inches. Hiccup held onto the saddle with one hand, shouting for Toothless to stabilize himself. The Skrill clamped its massive jaws onto Toothless' front left leg, making the Night Fury howl in rage.

"Toothless!" Hiccup screamed, trying to yell over the dragon cries. The dark blood dripping to the ground did not look good at all and Toothless' understandable flailing was making it difficult to hold on. "Toothless, tail strike!"

Toothless slammed his tail around in a 180 degree strike, effectively sending Dagur and the Skrill away. The Night Fury screeched in pain, nudging his injured limb with his snout. He hopped backwards away from the enemy, dripping leg in the air.

Hiccup patted his shoulder gently. "Easy bud, easy."

Hiccup eyed the gate for a moment. Kara noticed this and nodded before either dragon or warrior could attack again. "Open the gates!"

"But chief-" One guard began, but she cut him off.

"No. They need more room to fight."

"You're supposed to be the neutral party, ma'am," Dagur sneered from below. "You're trying to give Hiccup more of an advantage-"

"This is MY arena!" Kara thundered, standing tall from her seat. "I said to open the gate. Now you will open them."

Dagur chuckled as men scrambled to the pulley systems operating the massive iron gates. "Fine, open them. But I can still kill him before he can even get out."

The deranged Berserker slammed his heels into Bloodbath. The massive purple lunged forward in a scream of indignation, the wings bursting into torrents of electrical energy.

Hiccup snapped the pedal down as Toothless simultaneously raised his wings. The duo lifted straight into the air and quickly arched backwards to avoid hitting the chained dome above them. The Skrill also shot into the air, snapping its jaws at Toothless' tail. Hiccup notched an arrow into the bow, sat up and twisted straight behind him. He released the arrow but it only swiped Dagur's right arm. He growled in frustration at his horrible aim. It wasn't enough to shed blood anymore. He needed a death blow.

Banking sharply toward the weapons rack, Hiccup twisted Toothless so he was flying belly up and snatched a sword from it as they flew by. He righted Toothless and tested the weight of the blade—it was heavier than he was used to but it would have to do. He decided to fight with his left arm from now on. Dagur wouldn't be paying attention to the rules. Why should he when his very life hung in the balance?

By this time, the Meatheads had the gate halfway opened. The two large dragons only had so much flying space and crashing did not sound very appealing to either man. Hiccup looped Toothless around the arena one last time but the Skrill could not be shaken. The dragons could only dodge each other's shots for so long; it was only a matter of time before either or both were hit. Hiccup looked ahead at the still mostly lowered gate and furrowed his brow determinedly.

Crouching low to Toothless' back, he slammed the pedal down harder. "Go Toothless, you got this!"

The duo sped forward and blasted through the narrow space and into open air. The Meatheads yelled in shock as the black dragon shot past them and the gate slid back down a few feet.

Dagur cursed, nearly plowing his purple dragon into the metal gate. "Open it, you fools! Open it!"

Hiccup flew Toothless high into the sky, away from the arena to catch his breath and gather his bearings. His leg still hurt like Hel but that wasn't the first thing on his mind right now. He watched the Hooligans and Berserkers flood out of the arena stands to watch the remaining half of the battle. This was it. He knew in a matter of minutes, he would either be dead or alive.

He nearly chuckled at that stupid, oxymoron-like train of thought, but Toothless' growl alerted him of the approaching Skrill. Dagur quickly spotted them against the bright red sunrise and quickly pressured his dragon to meet them in the air.

Hiccup sighed lightly and rested a hand on Toothless head. He glanced in the direction of Berk with slight sadness, but the moment fled as fast as it came. "All right bud... let's show them who rules the skies, shall we?"

Toothless' fierce bellow that released from his jaws echoed across the island as they tucked into a steep nosedive toward their enemies. Hiccup clutched the saddle with his right hand and the sword in his left, eyes narrowed on his target. His ears popped and stream lines gathered at the edges of Toothless' wings as they broke the sound barrier. The Night Fury's sonic filled the air, shouting to the clouds that the strongest duo in the archipelago had arrived and would not be taken down so easily. This was their territory and they would not be deterred.

Dagur gritted his teeth as the black pair zoomed closer and closer. Hiccup wouldn't collide with them; he would kill them all. He wasn't that stupid. The Berserker's eyes widened when the duo didn't let up their speed. Hiccup was insane! Dagur yanked on the reigns, sending Bloodbath into a sharp twist to the right. The Night Fury easily lifted out of the dive and shot at the fleeing Skrill. The shot grazed Bloodbath's shoulder and the Hooligan duo easily overtook them.

Dagur shouted in alarm when Toothless rammed into the Skrill, sending them catapulting towards the water. Hiccup struck Dagur's armored shoulder with his sword, cutting cleanly through the leather. Dagur twisted around and jabbed at Hiccup with his own weapon. Hiccup blocked the attack, punching Dagur in the face with his free hand. Toothless bit at the Skrill's thick purple hide with his sharp teeth, making the larger dragon howl in agony before lighting its scales in a current of shock waves. Toothless leaped off just in time, blasting the Skrill with another plasma blast.

The crowd watched the duo hurtle toward the ocean before they began to cry out in alarm. They didn't have much air left! Astrid gripped Gobber's arm for something to hold onto. She bounced on the balls of her feet as the ocean became too close for comfort, the men and dragons still fighting too fiercely to notice.

"Pull up, Hiccup! PULL UP!" Astrid screamed, her nails nearly cutting into Gobber's skin.

Hiccup swiped his weapon at Dagur one last time before yanking Toothless away. He pulled up on the saddle and equipment, barely managing to level off just above the water. Ocean spray flew in all directions from the speed of their flight, but Hiccup twisted to look behind him. He knew Dagur would try to shove them in the water if he had the chance. The Skrill had narrowly missed the ocean as well and was looping back around to chase after them. He lifted Toothless into the air to gain more height.

Bloodbath angled itself upwards to catch up to the Night Fury in the air. Dagur and Hiccup both prepared their swords as the dragons neared each other. Dagur made the first strike in a swift upper cut toward Hiccup's neck with his sword. Hiccup narrowly dodged, grabbing Dagur's arm and yanking it down towards his leg. He raised his sword and Dagur's eyes widened.

"Oh no you don't!" Dagur bellowed, kicking Hiccup's left leg before he could send his sword down.

Hiccup screamed and Toothless' flight faltered for a moment. They flew below Bloodbath by five feet and Hiccup crouched low to avoid being decapitated. Then he stared up at the dragon's exposed belly. He winced emphatically, avoiding eye contact with the amazing creature. If he looked it in the eye, he wouldn't have the heart to do what his mind commanded.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, before lunging up and slamming his blade into the Skrill's exposed underbelly.

The Skrill twisted and screeched in agony from the strike. Hiccup didn't hurt it enough to kill it; just enough to damage it so Dagur couldn't fly. The Skrill took a nosedive to get away from the attack, ignoring its master's protests.

But Hiccup didn't expect Dagur to leap off his dragon at the last moment and snag Toothless' tail. He wrapped his arms and legs around the black appendage when the dragon roared in discomfort and shook his tail around to shake him off. But Dagur would not be deterred. Toothless swooped, dove, twisted, and spun around as fast as he could but began wearing himself out over time.

"Toothless, stop!" Hiccup finally shouted, losing his balance more and more by the second. He looked back when Dagur cackled, climbing his way closer foot by foot. "Don't wear yourself out bud, I need you to-"

Dagur's victorious shout overpowered his voice and he jerked out of range of the Berserker's sword. Toothless instantly dove, trying to throw Dagur off. He held fast to the saddle with one hand as he continued to strike at Hiccup. The Hooligan blocked Dagur's sword, having difficulty fighting with the Berserker behind him. The Hooligan slammed his elbow behind him, managing to catch Dagur's still smarting nose. Hiccup twisted around and jabbed at Dagur's open chest when his free hand flew to his face.

Dagur blocked the attack, but a sharp twist from Hiccup's wrist sent the Berserker's sword flying toward the sea. Hiccup raised his sword for the death blow he so needed to accomplish, sending a fleeting prayer to the gods for strength to actually take a life...

Dagur slammed his fist into Hiccup's face. Hiccup felt his breath leave his lungs in a rush of air when his back slammed into the saddle. He saw spots for a moment, vaguely registering Dagur grabbing yet another dagger from his belt.

His mind swimming, he jerked away from the diagonal swipe across his chest. The harsh sensation of ripped flesh tore across his collarbone and neck as his blood slashed across his face and Toothless' neck. The dragon screeched in sudden terror, knowing blood when he smelt it.

The light of the sunrise magnified the sight of spilled blood as Toothless shot over the crowd and back over the ocean. Gobber hunched over Astrid to protect her from the downpour, but her eyes never left the fight.

Dagur was overpowering her husband. She knew whose blood that was. "Hiccup!"

Dagur cackled in satisfaction and lunged at Hiccup again. Adrenaline shot through Hiccup's veins and he twisted out of the way. He slammed the hilt of his sword toward the side of Dagur's head, but he groaned in pain when he missed. Dagur snatched his arm out of the air and slammed it over the edge, twisting his arm in a way a limb shouldn't twist. Hiccup cried out in agony, waiting for his shoulder to pop out of its socket. He kicked his right leg up towards Dagur's head, trying desperately to get a hold on the situation. Dagur brushed it off with his armed hand and lunged over, knees on Hiccup's chest and right shoulder, dagger raised.

"Toothless!"

Sharp agonizing pain blasted through Hiccup's chest when Dagur slammed the blade straight into his heart. His mouth opened in a silent cry and he arched his back, trying to scream, to give his panicking dragon an order, to say something... but the pain raging through his chest, the convulsing palpitations of his heart, the blood soaking the tunic under his flight suit... he couldn't say a word. All he could do was feel the beginning of the end of his life. He was dying.

He could vaguely hear Toothless roaring mournfully under him and Dagur cackling victoriously above him. He could feel the slight rattle in his throat as he gingerly tried to breathe, stem the pain, but each light puff of air only sent more shivers of pain through his system. And then... everything went quiet.

He didn't know why Astrid had summoned him out of the blue just to feel her growing belly... but a moment later his heart skipped a beat as he felt a tiny movement under his hand. This... this was his child. The child he and Astrid had made together. A wonderful new life growing inside of her. He couldn't wait until his baby was in his arms. Only five months left.

He was exhausted from being up all night but it was for a single, beautiful reason. As Astrid placed his newborn son in his arms, everything went quiet. He was more nervous than he had ever been in his life. This little baby sleeping in his arms needed him. He wondered if he could be there for him, for both of them, and the thought that he might let them down terrified him. But one thing was for certain: he loved his newborn children more than he ever thought he could love anyone.

He loved making his children smile. Sometimes all it took was eye contact. Other times he had to make a funny face or sound. Addie was in his arms and, for no reason in particular, he decided to make a funny popping noise with his lips. For the first time, the little girl giggled. And then came an enormous hiccup that jolted her entire body.
"Woah, you all right there, Addie?"
She continued to giggle, his concerned expression amusing her further, and another hiccup escaped her. Suddenly he felt a surge of pure joy. He turned to Astrid, who was holding Finn and watching the pair, and smiled widely.
"Did you hear that? Do it again! Do it again, Addie!" he turned to his daughter, his arm flailing around and making the girl laugh harder. Again, a hiccup erupted from her throat. "She hiccups when she laughs! Ahh, could life possibly get better?"

He hoped that Finn's days of wearing out the knees in his pants were about to come to an end. He stood the toddler up, smiling as he wobbled before standing straight, and gently pushed him toward his mother, whose arms were outstretched. The little boy grinned and let go of Hiccup's hands. And then his foot moved forward and rested on the floor. The other foot followed suit and before they knew it, he was shakily walking not toward Astrid but toward the stairs. Before he could injure himself, Astrid grabbed him around the middle and pulled him in for a tight hug. It had finally happened. Their little boy had taken his first steps.

His heart had been shattered into a million pieces. His little girl no longer wanted him, no longer loved him. He couldn't stop his tears from falling, couldn't face her anymore. He would happily spend the rest of his life making it up to her... if she would only let him. Suddenly, a tiny, warm hand rested on his shoulder.
"D-daddy?"
He looked into her wide green eyes, tears still spilling out of his. For a moment, she stared at him, her mouth open in horror. She began to tremble all over, her breathing labored.
"D-don't cry, d-daddy. P-please don't c-cry... please d-don't..."
Her timid hiccup echoed in the silence of the room. Suddenly, tears began to pour out of her eyes, almost like she was finally reacting to everything that had happened to her all at once. He immediately put his arms around her and sat down next to her on the bed. She crawled into his lap as her sobs and hiccups grew louder. He held her as tightly as he could, rocking her back and forth and feeling a burst of joy in his heart. She didn't hate him after all. She wasn't okay and she wouldn't be for a very long time. But they would get through this together.

Finn's forehead was far too warm for comfort. He didn't know why little kids always got sick in the middle of the night but he didn't care; what mattered was that his little boy wouldn't have to be sick all by himself. He got out a bucket and placed it in front of his son just in case but Finn didn't seem to need it quite yet. He looked completely miserable. There was only one thing left to do.
"Did I ever tell you about the time I got stuck to Meatlug and flew out over the ocean?"
Finn giggled and shook his head. The young father regaled the boy with his story, throwing in as many details as he remembered. When describing the bizarre events surrounding his apology to Fishlegs, Finn was laughing so hard he very nearly threw up again. The father loved making his boy laugh. And the boy appreciated his father more every time he did.

"Easy does it, Addie! Let him come to you."
He was talking to a ten-year-old girl with long, loosely braided hair and stunning green eyes. She had her arm extended, her eyes squeezed shut and her head facing away from the dragon mere inches from her hand. It hesitated for a moment before resting its snout on her outstretched fingers. Her eyes opened wide and her face split into a delighted smile. Her father stood back and watched her gently stroke the dragon, his heart bursting with pride.

"Slowly, Finn, I said slowly!"
He sighed deeply as he watched his son acquire his very first cut while shaving. The teenager had never liked to do things slowly and he scowled as he washed the blood off the razor and pressed a cloth up to his jaw.
"Yeah, I think I'm just going to grow a beard." he said in a voice that sounded an awful lot like his grandfather's.
"Feel free. But you're still going to learn how to shave."
Finn glared up at his father, who shrugged before holding up the razor and demonstrating on his own face. "If you're slow and careful, you won't get razor burn or cut your face. See how I'm moving it down my face? Always go down, not up. Now you try."
The red haired teenager sighed before picking up the razor and emulating his father's actions. To his great surprise, he didn't managed to nick his skin. In fact, his face hadn't been this smooth in a long time.
"There you go. See? Nothing to it."
Finn rolled his eyes. "I'm still growing that beard."

He had almost hoped this day would never come. His daughter's arm was linked with his and every one of his fellow Hooligans stood as they entered the Great Hall. He wanted to cry but he thought he should save it until the kiss. If he could hold out that long. The trip up the aisle seemed to fly by and now that they were up front, it was time to give his baby away. He turned to look at her. She was so beautiful, her round face smiling widely and her green eyes sparkling with joy. Her betrothed was blurred and in shadows but he didn't care because this was the perfect man for his little girl. He kissed her on the cheek and let her go.

Hiccup's eyes snapped to focus. He didn't know how long he had been "dead" to Dagur, who was presently yanking on Toothless driving gear and yelling at him to land. Toothless continued to roar and jerk his head around in his attempt to see Hiccup and tear Dagur to pieces limb by limb. Dagur hadn't tossed him overboard yet. He probably wanted to toss his enemy's bloody body at Astrid's feet in smug pride. Hiccup could feel the agony in his body from head to toe, each bruise, each cut, each slash of his skin, each smear of his blood...

But he wasn't done. He wasn't dead yet. And Odin and all the Halls of Asgard curse him to Hel if he allowed this maniac, this cursed fiend, this disgusting vile of all of Loki's minions to get his hands on his babies, his wife, his dragon, and his island. He might be dying. But still he wasn't dead.

Tears welling up in his eyes both from the pain and from the realization that Dagur must die, he must take a life if it meant the safety of Berk and the Haddock heritage, Hiccup grabbed Dagur's tunic and pulled himself into a seated position.

Dagur stared at him in shock. "What-"

"I'm s-sorry Dagur..." Hiccup breathed into his face. "But I can't let you win."

Dagur made a move to grab the dagger sticking out of Hiccup's chest, but the Hooligan quickly collided the Berserker's nose with his forehead. Dagur cried out, recoiling back. Hiccup wrapped his right leg around the back of Dagur's left knee, pulled back and shoved Dagur forward.

Dagur's leg slipped out from under him and he screamed in shock. He grabbed Hiccup's arm, pulling him over the edge with him. Hiccup's stomach slammed into Toothless' black hide and Dagur's hand slipped from his.

Hiccup watched Dagur plummet toward the rocks below with wide eyes. Toothless yanked to a halt, hovering in place to watch the enemy fall. Dagur screamed angrily, indignantly at first, then the more he fell, he screamed in terror. His Skrill didn't come. His men couldn't come. His only potential rescuers would not rescue him.

Dagur the Deranged smashed into the rocks with a sickening crack that set Hiccup's teeth on edge. In a daze, he watched Dagur lie there, completely unmoving, watched as the small pool of blood formed underneath Dagur's head. How long he stared at the body he didn't know, but it was the flutter of his heart and the sudden struggle to breathe that snapped him back into action.

With a groan of indignation he reached up and grasped his saddle. Toothless warbled to him, still unable to fully see his best friend. Hiccup wasn't well—his instincts and the smell of blood told him that much. Hiccup pulled himself back onto the saddle, barely managing to get his foot into the rigging. His vision clouded and he placed his forehead onto Toothless' neck. Toothless warbled again, still hovering in place.

"Astrid..." Hiccup could only whisper. "Just get me to Astrid, bud."

Xxx

Astrid watched a body fall off of Toothless, heard a horrible scream... and then all went silent. The Night Fury was flying at a breakneck speed toward land, steadily flying closer until the rider on its back was finally visible.

Hiccup.

She wanted to cry with relief. He had done it. He had won. After everything they had gone through, every moment she feared would be his last, he had protected his family. And he didn't have to die to do it.

Or did he?

The moment Toothless touched down, her husband slid off his back, landing with a dull thud on the dirt. Blood splattered on the ground around him and he remained still. Astrid gasped in horror. She wasn't even conscious of the fact that she had started walking forward until she had quickened her pace enough to run. She fell to her knees and gently lifted his upper body so that it rested on her lap. His eyelids fluttered.

"Dagur's dead." he choked out, trembling slightly as more blood gushed out of his body.

Astrid's shaking hand made its way to the hilt of the dagger sticking out of her husband's chest. She dearly wanted to pull it out... but a distant memory of something her mother had once said drifted into her subconscious and reminded her that jostling the weapon or pulling it out could be fatal. She looked into his eyes, relishing the sounds of his shaking, weak breathing.

"You did it. You won." she whispered, holding him close and feeling the warm blood running through her fingers. "You've got to stay with me, Hiccup. Come on, don't you die on me now."

People were running to and fro, a healer was probably being summoned, Toothless cooed in concern and nudged Hiccup's foot, but Astrid paid them no heed. Tears were falling thick and fast upon her face, dripping into her husband's blood and causing his features to become blurry. Hiccup raised a quivering hand and gently brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek. She reached up and gripped his wrist, holding it to her face and caking his wrist in his own drying blood.

"Stay with me." she breathed, stroking his shoulder with her other hand. "Come on, Hiccup. Y-you can finally be there f-for our kids. And m-me... don't you leave us now. Stay w-with me."

The edges of Hiccup's mouth twitched upward slightly as he stared into her eyes. For a moment, the entire world was silent. They were the only ones in the universe, the only ones that mattered.

But all moments, even the most precious ones, are fleeting.

A few seconds later, the Hooligan chief's body shuddered and then fell limp. His bright green eyes rolled upward and his eyelids fluttered shut.

Astrid's heart stopped.

"HICCUP!"