This is an idea I got after watching HTTYD again the other day. Enjoy. It is a two-shot, if any of you are wondering.

A voice. More than that, though; four voices. "It's already pretty much gone," said one. "We have to amputate the rest of it."

"Amputate!?" second voice shrieked.

"Stoick, if we don't do it now...he won't...we'll lose him, Stoick," said the first voice, obviously trying to stay calm, failing all the same. "All of him. Forever."

"We don't have a choice. You have to listen to us," said the voice of a female; probably a healer.

"Does it have to be this way?" asked another female voice; a younger sounding one, this time, though.

"I'm sorry, Astrid, it does," said the first voice.

"But it's not fair, Gobber!" said the younger girl voice. "Why should Hiccup be the one to pay for our mistake!?"

"Astrid, we don't have a choice now," said the first voice. "If we don't take the rest of his leg, the wound will take him."

"But Gobber, he's still so young," said the second voice.

"I know, Stoick," said the first one. "Believe me, I know. But we have to do this."

There was a heavy sigh. "Fine. Do it."

There was a blinding pain in his leg, and he found himself screaming, before he blacked out once more.

Hiccup screamed and bolted upright. It was the same dream every time, and he couldn't get it out of his head. Three days. It had only been three days. Three days since he had woken up after the battle with the Red Death. Three days since he lost his leg.

As soon as he regained his wits, he swung his legs - well, leg now...man it hurt to think about - over the side of his bed and made sure he had the right one. It had become a habit for him; every time he woke up, he would always make sure he still had at least one leg. Because before, he had been knocked out, and then woke up with a part of himself missing.

Hearing a familiar roar from a certain Night Fury, Hiccup instantly jumped to his feet - foot. Ugh, what was once plural was now singular - and ran over to his window, looking down at Toothless. The Night Fury - the "Unholy offspring of lightning and death itself" - was bounding in circles, a gummy smile on his face.

"I'm coming, Toothless!" Hiccup called to the dragon. "Give me a few minutes!"

Toothless grunted and sat down like a puppy dog, waiting patiently for his master. Hiccup nodded to the dragon and raced down the stairs and out the door. As soon as he stepped outside, Toothless met him.

"Hey, buddy," said Hiccup. "You ready to go flying?"

Toothless grunted happily and ran circles around his rider, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, his teeth sheathed. Once he finished bounding around his rider, he licked him.

"Okay, okay, I know you do!" said Hiccup, wiping dragon saliva off his face with a moan of disgust. "Come on, bud." Toothless turned and waited for Hiccup to mount him. Once he did so and clicked his prosthetic into the foot pedal, Toothless spread his wings, and shot into the morning sky.

This was something Hiccup had come to enjoy; waking up every morning with his dragon eager and raring to go flying. Flying was what helped Hiccup take his mind off everything else.

After flying for a good hour, Hiccup and Toothless headed back to the village. They landed in the plaza, just in time to see Astrid and Fishlegs wave to them. Hiccup dismounted as they ran over to him, followed by their dragons.

"Hey, Hiccup!" Astrid greeted.

"Hey," Hiccup replied. "So how's it been going with Stormfly?"

"Better than expected, actually," said Astrid.

"And Fishlegs," said Hiccup, "how about Meatlung?"

"Never been better, Hiccup!" said Fishlegs, almost excitedly. "Meatlung and I have already pretty much bonded!"

Meatlung, as if confirming what her rider stated, licked Fishlegs' face.

"Well, glad to see you two getting along with your dragons," said Hiccup.

"And it's good to see you getting along with your prosthetic," said Astrid. "You're not limping very much anymore."

"Nope," said Hiccup. "I suppose I really am getting used to this...thing."

"And it's only been three days," said Fishlegs. "You'll get the hang of it in no time!"

"Um...yeah, no time," said Hiccup. He wouldn't have said it out loud at that moment, but he really wasn't in the mood for talking about his prosthetic. It wasn't something new. It was something missing. The prosthetic was replacing something he had lost. It wasn't as big of a deal to Hiccup as it appeared to be for the other villagers.

Hiccup would always live with his hunk of metal for a leg as a reminder of a part of him that he lost forever. He would always look at his prosthetic and remember. He didn't have two legs. He had one.

Most people would use it as a badge of honor; not him. No, not him for sure.

"Hello?" said Astrid, waving her hand in front of Hiccup's face.

Hiccup shook his head and stared at her. "What?" he asked.

"You kind of zoned out there for a second," said Fishlegs. "It was weird."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Well," he said, "I guess I should leave you to do...whatever you were doing."

"Can't do that," said Astrid. "We were looking for you."

"We had some questions," said Fishlegs.

"Well, okay, shoot," said Hiccup.

"We haven't talked much since...well...you know," said Fishlegs. "And we have a few questions...it's just...how did you train Toothless in the first place?"

Toothless, who had become bored with the conversation, bounded away after a Terrible Terror, chasing him while the Terror shrieked in...well...terror.

"Yeah," said Hiccup, laughing at the sight of his dragon. "I suppose I should tell you, huh?"

Fishlegs and Astrid nodded eagerly.

"Here you go," said Hiccup. "How I trained Toothless: fish, patience, and no weapons."

"That sounds so simple," said Fishlegs.

"Once you form a bond, it is simple," said Hiccup. "Once you gain a dragon's trust, their loyalty is forever."

"Sweet!" said Fishlegs. "I guess I should tell Ruffnut and Tuffnut, then, before they get themselves killed with their dragon."

"Yeah, I guess that would be best," said Hiccup.

"Okie dokie, see you guys later!" said Fishlegs. Then, he turned, called to Meatlung, and then ran in the opposite direction.

"Bye Fishlegs," Astrid and Hiccup called in perfect unison.

Once Fishlegs was gone, Hiccup sighed. "The twins, out of all people, had to get the Zippleback," he groaned. "The Zippleback."

Astrid laughed. "Well, they didn't have much of a choice," she said. "If they didn't get it, then I guess Snotlout would have gotten it."

"I take it back about the twins," said Hiccup.

"I thought you might," said Astrid, and smirked. "So what now?"

"No idea," said Hiccup. "I suppose we could race?"

"Dragon race," said Astrid. "Sure you're up to it?"

"Yep," said Hiccup. He whistled to Toothless, and the Night Fury came running over. Hiccup mounted him and turned around, seeing Astrid had already mounted her own Deadly Nadder.

"You ready?" said Astrid.

"Yes," said Hiccup. "Are you?"

"You bet," said Astrid. "Ready, set, GO!"

Their dragons shot into the sky.