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(PAINTSPLASH'S POV)

As soon as he heard it, everything in Hiccup's world stopped. He looked over, pale and sick to his stomach.

"ASTRID!!"

He ran towards the dragon and the warrior, leaving the dead body of Burntdeath on the ground. Toothless ran ahead of Hiccup and barreled into Cinderpaw. He knocked her to the ground and tried to get at her neck. Cinderpaw slashed and burned him, but Toothless ignored the pain, and finally saw an opening. He latched onto Cinderpaw's neck, adjusted his grip so it was firm, and twisted. Cinderpaw's neck snapped, and she lie still on the ground, finally dead.

I looked back to Hiccup. He had Astrid in his arms.

"Astrid," he said hurriedly. "Come on, you're gonna be okay, don't worry, it's gonna be fine--"

"No, Hiccup," Astrid said, coughing. A small line of blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth. "Hiccup, I'm not gonna--"

Valka put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "Hiccup," she said quietly. "Listen to her. She's right. There's nothing we can do."

Hiccup looked back at Astrid. "Nonono, please Astrid," he said after a few moments, realizing what she meant. His eyes began to water, and Astrid tried to smile as tears streamed down her face.

"You'll be okay, Hiccup," she whispered weakly. She put a hand above his heart. "I'll be here, don't worry. You'll always have me...right here. Just....." She pulled Hiccup towards her with her shaking hand. Then, they kissed, both crying hard. Three seconds into it, Astrid went limp.

"No, Astrid, come on!," Hiccup said shakily. Astrid smiled tiredly up at Hiccup.

"I......love you.....Hiccup......." Then she sighed her last breath.

"Astrid!," Hiccup said. He checked for her heartbeat.

"Thump........................."

By this time, all the dragons who had fought, all the people who had fought, everyone, had gathered in a circle of mourning. I wrapped my arms around Toothless and sobbed. He put his wings around me, and I could feel his shoulders shaking, as he was crying too. I thought of Kohora's prophecy.

"Few are a chief's tears, for rare is it he has to mourn. When he does mourn, his tears will fill the oceans ten times over...."

Hiccup closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Astrid's, tears streaming down his face. "Please, Astrid.....," he whispered. "Please......come back to me........you can't leave me, I can't live without you! Please!................You asked a few months after the Singeclaws attacked for the first time, after I had killed Phoenix, what I thought was worth fighting for, and I never got to answer............................YOU were worth fighting for...................................................please come back, Astrid..............I love you........" Hiccup fell silent as he began to cry harder. A shaft of light broke through the clouds that had gathered and illuminated Hiccup and Astrid. Ran began to fall, to pour, and it soaked us to the bone. It created mud puddles, and the pool of blood that had gathered underneath Astrid began to wash away.

I cried into Toothless's shoulder and twined my tail around his. Toothless wrapped his arms around me and laid his head on mine.

I looked down as I felt a small body squeeze in between Toothless and I. It was Astradh. She looked at Hiccup and Astrid, then up at me as if asking for permission. Then I understood. Maybe it was possible to change Fate after she had gotten what she wanted......

I nodded hopefully.

Astradh toddled through the mud and tentatively approached Hiccup and Astrid. Hiccup didn't notice. Astradh put her tiny paws on the gaping hole in Astrid's side. Then, THEN Hiccup noticed. He opened his eyes and glanced at Astradh weakly. She gave him a sad smile, and looked back at Astrid's wound. It began to glow blue. Hiccup's eyes widened. A haze of red removed itself from Astrid's still body, and floated away into the air like mist. All the wounds and scars Astrid had were now gone, and her whole body started to glow a light, almost white shade of blue. Then, Astradh took her paws off Astrid, and looked up at Hiccup. The blue aura that surrounded Astrid got too bright to look at, and Hiccup flung his arm over his eyes. When the glow disappeared. Astrid was gone. I felt sick. What had happened?

Hiccup looked at where Astrid had been, and then looked around, hopeful and confused.

"Hiccup..."

Hiccup whipped around, and there was Astrid, standing up, alive, smiling down at Hiccup.

"Astrid!" He ran to her and grabbed her by the waist, spinning her around in the air happily before wrapping his arms around her in a huge hug. She hugged him back, and both were crying joyously.

"I thought I lost you....," Hiccup whispered, tightening his embrace.

"Hiccup," Astrid whispered back. "I never left....."

Everyone cheered; Toothless and I looked at each other and wrapped our arms around each other in a giddy hug. Asla scooped up her daughter and smiled at her gleefully.

"I didn't know you could do that," she whispered, happy tears streaming out of the proud mother's eyes. "You always surprise me!"

Hiccup and Astrid pulled away from their hug, and Astrid put her arms around Hiccup's neck seductively. Hiccup beamed down at her and put his hand on the side of her face gently.

"I love you too," he whispered. Then, Astrid tightened her arms, they each tilted their heads, and kissed. It was long and passionate, and I'm sure my smile was too big for my head.

When Hiccup and Astrid pulled away, they smiled at each other. Then Astrid grinned mischievously and pulled Hiccup's head down by his braids, and kissed him again. They stood there for about five minutes, and it made me happy, seeing Hiccup and Astrid together again.

I giggled and looked over, and stopped giggling abruptly. Toothless looked surprised, too. Our noses were touching, and I saw Toothless's cheeks turn pink, as mine probably were as well. Stormfly laughed from behind Toothless, and shoved him forward. His cheeks really turned pink when his lips connected with mine. We both stared at each other, embarrassed, but then Toothless smiled as he pulled back.

"Now I understand why humans enjoy this," he said smoothly. I giggled, and Stormfly, not entirely satisfied, shoved ME forward this time. The same thing happened, but without embarrassment or blushing. Toothless pulled up his wings and covered either side of each of us, blocking us from view of the public. I heard Stormfly snicker behind me.

"Now that's more like it. I'll leave you two lovebirds to...that." Toothless laughed slightly, ending our moment of bliss abruptly. Toothless put his wings back down, and jumped slightly when he saw Hiccup and Astrid smiling at us smugly.

"So, Toothless," Hiccup grinned, an arm around Astrid. "Finally found yourself a girlfriend, did you?" Toothless turned beet red, and I laughed at him. Hiccup walked up to Toothless and rubbed his head. "If you need any advice," he whispered, glancing over at Astrid to make sure she couldn't hear him. "Just come to me." Toothless grinned and began licking Hiccup.

"ACK!," Hiccup complained, flinging the Night Fury's spit off himself. "How many times have I told you that doesn't wash out?!" Astrid and I laughed, and Toothless grinned smugly. Hiccup glared playfully at his dragon and shot a loving glance at Astrid. He hopped on Toothless, and Astrid mounted Stormfly. I fluttered my wings and stood next to Toothless.

"What do you say we get back to our normal lives?," Hiccup said as Valka, Eret, and the other riders mounted up behind him. We all leaped into the sky, Nightshade, Io, Asla, Thrae, and Kohora waving us off happily.

"What do you know?," Kohora sighed contentedly.

"Fate CAN change."

THE END