A Promise To Keep

Epilogue

Hi Astrid,

How are you doing? I know it's weird for me to ask you that question, especially since I won't get the answer from you directly. But regardless, I like to think that you're doing fine, having a great time up there. At least, that thought helps me sleep at night (sometimes). But I'm sure you're more worried about whether I'm fine, and I'm pleased to say that I'm doing good.

It did take quite a while for me to confidently open up to others, but I told myself not to rush it and take my time. And now, I somehow managed to become friends with all your friends. I even managed to bring Fishlegs into the group. I honestly don't know how I did – I just talked more than usual and here I am. I can only imagine you laughing at this, as well as being proud of me (I hope). Also, I guess you were right when you said that I would get used to them when I got to know them (although I will say Snotlout still annoys me sometimes).

In addition, we're about a week away from starting our A-level exams. I'm not really nervous about them themselves since I've done a lot of practice papers. I just hope I'll be able to get the results I need to get into university. I'm thinking about attending University of Dragon's Edge. Turns out that place has a really nice campus and the course they teach is right up my alley.

However... because of the exams coming up, I found myself having a hard time sleeping recently. But it's not because of the fear of exams. I just... I keep thinking about how you'll never take them yourself.

It's believe that it's been one year since your passing. Even after that long, I find it hard to believe that you're gone. Though these sleepless nights, I keep thinking about how hard you would be working for your A-levels, how you would be thinking about which university you would like to attend. Just thinking about how you would plan out your whole future. How that will never happen. How I'll never that smile of yours.

But don't worry, I'm not going to fall down the pit again. I've accepted that no matter what, I'll always have these thoughts at any time and day, but with it, I'll continue to move forward, the same way you did. To continue to change and push through. I am still changing for you, but one day, I'll change for myself.

I really miss you, Astrid. I've always did, and I always will, but I know your memories will keep me going, like it has been this all time. Sometimes, it feels like you never left.

Look forward to seeing you again. Preferably much later rather than sooner.

Hiccup.

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"Hey Hiccup? You're done reading your letter?"

Hiccup felt a tap on his shoulder, which brought him out of him focusing on the letter in his hands. It took a bit for his brain to process the person who spoke to him, and once he realised who it was, he turned around to see Heather standing behind him, with her hands placed on her sides and an eyebrow raised up in anticipation.

"Oh, um... yeah. Just... having one more read over." He replied.

Heather chuckled, giving his arm a slight slap. "I'm sure Astrid wouldn't mind how you wrote it."

"Y-Yeah. I know. I just..." Hiccup doesn't finish his sentence, sighing and looking down on the ground.

"I know." Heather smiled, causing him to look back up again and smiled back at her. "Just don't take too long, otherwise we won't get enough wind for it to take off." She reminded him, giving him one more pat on the shoulder before walking down the beach they were in, heading towards their group of friends who were standing near the shore.

Hiccup looked down at his written letter once more, going over everything and making sure it was good enough. They had planned this meet up for about two weeks, with him starting to write the letter just last week. He changed it so many times with false starts and ends, even staying up late to work on it. Although Heather was right in that Astrid wouldn't care about it, he did.

Once he was finally OK with it, giving a sigh of content, he folded the letter and placed it inside an envelope, already labelled with his name. He sealed it shut before finally walking and meeting up with his friends at the shore.

"Well, it's about time." Ruffnut sighed once Hiccup arrived. "We've been staying here for ages."

"We have. You and Tuffnut came here 15 minutes later than the agreed time." Heather smirked from her crouched position as she fiddled with a basket filled with letters.

"Hey! That wasn't my fault!" Ruffnut objected. "Tuffnut took too damn long in the bathroom!"

"Hey, just so you know...!"

"Oh, enough already, you two! I don't have time for this." Snotlout interjected, clearly annoyed at the twins' constant bickering. Hiccup couldn't help but chuckle slightly as he handed Heather his letter, to which she gracefully took and placed in the basket. As she did, the wind in the area began to pick up, to which Hiccup could feel blowing through his hair, which had grown slightly over the past year.

"Alright, that's everything. Do your thing, Fishlegs." Heather got up, holding the basket in her hands and handing it to Fishlegs, who gave a confident nod before crouching down and processing to attach something resembling a miniature hot-air balloon onto the basket. Once finished, he got up, holding the balloon part up with two of his fingers.

"OK, guys. All done." He declared. Everyone then walked up to Fishlegs, with each of them holding a part of the basket with their hands, while Hiccup took over holding the balloon from Fishlegs, who went into his pocket, pulled out a lighter and lit up the wick in the centre before holding the basket himself. They all then closed their eyes as the wind picked up even more, whipping their hair around a bit more.

"May these letters reach her. No matter how far it may travel." Heather whispered before they all opened their eyes and slowly and surely, they lifted the basket up and let it go, just as the wind managed to pick it up.

Hiccup quietly breathed a sigh of relief, as he watched the basket float high up into the sky, with the sun starting to set over the horizon, creating an orange and red light across the beaches of Berk.

"Oh, I'm so glad it worked!" Fishlegs exclaimed, clenching his chest and giving a more audible sigh of relief. Hiccup and Heather chuckled, knowing how much he had been working on making the basket and balloon functionable for today.

"Yeah, you did a great job, Fishlegs. Thank you." Heather complimented, placing her hand on his shoulder and smiled at him, to which he smiled back.

"How far do you think it will actually go?" Snotlout asked, a slight concern in his voice that Hiccup noticed.

"Yeah. I mean, will it reach actually Astrid?" Ruffnut added to their concern.

But Hiccup wasn't concerned at all. He pushed back some of the bangs of his hair as the wind continued to blow, watching the basket just leave his line of sight and float through the clouds. He smiled confidently as he answered them.

"It'll reach her. No matter how far it goes, it willreach her eventually."

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And with that, the story finally comes to an end. Thank you so much for reading, as well as your patience with the uploads. It's funny to think that I started to publish this story way back at the beginning of the year and now we're at the middle :D

Regardless, all of your votes and comments are all been wonderful to see and read and allowed me to keep writing right until the end. Once again, thank you all, I'm really grateful for you all :)