This is where I belong ||httyd fanfic||

48.Facing his past

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A peaceful night on the island of Selardalr had been erupting into a chaotic storm at every turn thanks to the unexpected arrival of the Berkians. Most people weren't aware of the cause, and quite likely no one cared as irate mumbling could be heard from every house on the island and fireplaces suddenly went alight one by one across the scape of the village highlighting their grumpy figures trudging around the house and standing at their front doors. The dragons were beginning to awaken as well, save for the Gronkles, who turned out to be notoriously heavy sleepers. Perhaps in fear of an attack by the tribes they had remained isolated from they had their weapons in their hands and fire built up in their throats.

All of which meant trouble for the remaining Hooligans standing right outside of the house of Selardalr's new chief, pacing around and bouncing on their heels in anticipation. Their planned mission to 'rescue' Hiccup had all gone horribly wrong. Thanks in no small part to small encounters quickly growing more massive and unpleasant at every turn. The boy they had once dubbed as "Useless" managed to both surpass their wildest expectations and brought their worst nightmares to life. On both accounts, it was a terrifying thought.

Yet, perhaps it assisted in answering the question burning in everyone's minds: was the person they saw really Hiccup? It looked like him and sounded like him – no one on Berk, no matter how they tried, could forget that irritating nasally voice – but it couldn't be him. This man who bore his face, a wild mane of auburn hair, a strong body that made up for in definition what it lacked in size, eyes that told of hardship, sacrifice, and conquest. He held a presence unlike anything they had ever felt, a strong aura of confidence and resolve enabling him to stare down the demons and beyond, a spirit like steel armor. It spoke volumes, especially as it had been channeled into fury just moments ago. That man couldn't be the weak cowardly Hiccup they knew, there was no way.

But having come all this way, even ruthless Viking stubbornness in all its long-lived and time-tested glory could not argue against the only chance they had. It was Hiccup, a man who had destroyed the world they knew and created a new one in its place, whether they believed it or not.

Ruffnut didn't seem to care either way from the dreamy look on her face or the way she near crumpled to the ground. Tuffnut, in an extremely rare show of brotherly concern, caught her before she crumpled to the ground. "You know you still have bones in your legs, right? And you haven't broken them or anything? Or I haven't... yet?"

"Sweet mama Freyja in a volcano, he was HOT!" She all but shrieked with a goofy looking smirk on her face.

"Ugh, all right, seriously! I've watched you braid your armpit hair, smash your face into the statues after you lost staring contests with them, and jump ridiculous heights just to see if you can land on your feet afterwards. Why are you all of a sudden acting so weird?" He asked as he dropped her to the ground in disgust.

"That's a question not even Gothi could answer. And she can tell you about your married life for the next 30 years!" Fishlegs muttered from the back.

"Heh, I don't need Gothi to tell me I'm getting me that gorgeous hunk o' Dragon Conqueror."

"Fraid he's already taken, if I saw right." Gobber said with a scratch to the back of his head with his hook.

"Yeah, tell that to Astrid." Tuffnut chuckled.

"Speakin' of Astrid, where'd she go, anyway?" The other teens looked around and took notice that Astrid was indeed missing. They couldn't have been outside for less than a minute or two and she had simply vanished into thin air, it appeared. It hardly surprised any of them, to be frank – Astrid was a warrior who prided herself in her stealth skills; any opponent she faced in training had always been likely to end up with the blade of her axe at their throats the second they let down their guard or even blinked. It wasn't really a revered trait in consideration of the old Viking 'bash 'em till their dead' tactic' but impressive nonetheless.