Starting Over

Chapter 1: The Aftermath

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Meanwhile, in a pile of rubble somewhere in the middle of the ocean........

"Ugh.........H-Hiccup?"

"Astrid! You're okay!"

"I don't know how true that is..."

"What? Why? Tell me! Are you hurt? Where are you?"

"No, the thing is, I don't know if I'm hurt or not.....and I don't really know where I am, either. Can you see, or at least hear Stormfly? I can't see or hear her."

"*sigh*........N-no, I can't, Astrid."

Hiccup shoved a rock over from where he was. A shaft of light broke through, and he flung his hand over his eyes as he wasn't used to the light. Hiccup tried to move his leg, but the prosthetic was stuck under another rock. He shoved that one out of the way, and brought his leg up to examine the prosthetic's condition. All that it was now was a twisted, smashed, crumpled piece of metal that looked nearly impossible to walk on. Hiccup sighed, and tried to dig through the rubble to find Astrid. He shoved a boulder out of the way, and found her farther down in the pile.

"Hiccup!," Astrid shouted gleefully. Hiccup reached down and grabbed her hand, and pulled her out of the hole she was in. Once she was out, Astrid wrapped her arms around Hiccup and didn't let go. "Thank you," she whispered tearfully over and over again, tightening her embrace. "Thank you." Hiccup wrapped his arms around Astrid and held her tight.

"You're okay," he whispered in her ear. "You're fine, I'm here now. I'm just glad the Singeclaws didn't get to you again."

The young chief and the crying she-warrior sat there for a while, an eternity that wasn't. Then Hiccup pulled back and wiped away Astrid's tears before giving her a tender kiss on the forehead. He smiled down at her and brushed her bangs out of the way of her big blue eyes, rimmed with long black eyelashes and filled with tears.

"You're safe as long as you're with me," Hiccup said affectionately. Astrid sniffled and nodded, giving Hiccup a halfhearted smile. Hiccup grinned back. "Now let's find Stormfly."

"But," Astrid said, suddenly worried again. "What about Toothless and Paintsplash?"

Hiccup jumped slightly. He hadn't thought of that. He opened his mouth to speak, and then Astrid interrupted him.

"Your leg!," she said, looking at the prosthetic. "Do you think you'll be able to walk on it? It doesn't look like you can!" Hiccup sighed and thought for a minute. Then his eyes lit up and he reached down, twisting the top of the leg around.

"I have another walking attachment in here," he said, fumbling with the spring. "Granted, I designed it for use on ice, but it'll have to do for now until we get back home and I fix it." Astrid, who had suddenly returned to her usual, tough, warrior self, tossed her head to flip her bangs out of her face.

"Yeah," she said. "If we get home."

Hiccup looked up at her and rolled his eyes. "Please don't say that." He twisted the final knob on the prosthetic, and Astrid pulled him to his feet.

"Why?," she said innocently. " 'Cause you know that we'll get home, and you'll make sure it happens?" Hiccup cracked a crooked grin and adjusted one of his shoulder pads. Astrid smiled seductively and tightened the strap that ran across Hiccup's chest. "Good. That's what I love about you; you always make sure that your goal is achieved."

Hiccup took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, looking around the rubble for any signs of the three missing dragons. A small opening in between a few of the rocks gave him a glimmer of hope. He smirked, then walked up to the crack to examine it. Structurally sound, doesn't look weak, he thought. Hiccup yanked on one of the smaller rocks. It didn't budge, and didn't loosen any of the others. Won't move if we bump it, Hiccup concluded, satisfied. He half-turned and waved Astrid over.