Twenty years' rang through their minds. To hiccup and toothless that was insane. He understood their looks of seeing him, alive. Ruffnut slapped Tuffnut. " Hey! He asked! He was going to find out sooner or later, at least this way he can get it in his head before heading to Berk" Tuffnut spoke. Ruffnut had to agree. It made sense.

Snotlout backed out of the cave towards the entrance. He came to a halt, seeing Astrid and Heather, and the next generation dragon riders. "Why did you bring them here? They really should go home"

Astrid looked at him " I know I heard you found toothless" she replied to him.

"Yeah... and hiccup is alive" Snotlout told her. Astrid and Heather looked at him then each other. Had they heard that right? No couldn't be right. " I know how insane this sounds. Trust me. But he is alive. And I doubt those guys will help this situation at all."

Astrid looked back at the teens "okay, your not needed, head home" if what Snotlout said was true then , no they weren't needed and it would be too much to soon for hiccup.

"Ohh come on! Mum you said we could help!" Garth defended.

"I know what I said. But the situation has changed" she turned her attention to Gustav. " get them home, report to Fishlegs" they are going to need him to look over the two of them. Gustav nodded as much as he wanted to see, he knew it was the best.

"I will help Gustav" Heather told Astrid, "I guess his already confused, plus I will help Fishlegs prepare" Astrid nodded. Less people the better. " don't be too hard on him" she mounted her dragon before flying up to the teens "you heard your chief" she herded them with Gustav towards Berk.

Astrid headed inside the cave. Surely Snotlout was mistaken. He walked slightly head. " Why didn't they just come to Berk?" She questioned softly.

"Toothless' tail is frozen shut, and I think hiccup may have accidentally broken it? Plus Hiccup's leg was frozen and they can't get a fire going with things frozen and fire would go out cause the ice" Snotlout explained. That made sense.  They were grounded and without a fire hiccup can't fix toothless' tail.

She slowed up as the neared the twins. She didn't believe it was true. As she looked around the corner she saw him leaning against the night fury for support. His skin was almost white.His hair was lighter in tone and looked wet.

So many thoughts went through her head . How?! Why now? They left them there and they were alive. He was still just a teenager, hadn't aged a day. She wanted to yell and punch him. But she had to keep her temper. It wasn't his fault. He was protecting Berk. Her blue meet his green. He was confused and scare. She didn't blame him.

She walked forward, her instincts took over as she pulled her friend into a hug. He didn't hug back. She didn't care. He was cold, shivering, scared or cold? Maybe both. She didn't care how he was alive , something they will deal with later. "A-Astrid?" He questioned.

"Yeah it's me" she whispered to him, pulling him back a little but held onto him so he could keep balance on his one leg. "It's been a long time."

"Twenty years?" He questioned. " I heard" he muttered. She nodded, good someone had told him. Not that he wouldn't figure it out. He is intelligent after all.

"Are you okay though?" She questioned.

"Physically I guess I am fine, Confused, a little tired, but that could be because I was frozen for 20 years" he replied.  She couldn't hold back anymore and punched him hard on the shoulder that he fell back , Toothless caught him " Owe! Thanks bud!" He glared at her " what was that for!"

"Being an idiot! You put yourself into this situation! Getting yourself frozen. Do you know what that did to Berk? To us? To your father?" She scrolled him. He looked away.

"I didn't choose this! I -I" he spoke looking at his dragon. "Dad... is he..?" He questioned , he couldn't get the words out. He looked at each of them wanting an answer. Astrid frowned. He didn't need them to answer. "Ohh" he rubbed his arm"

"I'm sorry Hiccup" Astrid spoke in a gentle tone, " come on let's get you both to  Berk" she walked over to help him get onto toothless. " you will come with me on Stormfly, the others will carry Toothless" he just nodded.

They headed out of the cave, silence, he was lost in his mind. He guessed his dad was dead, especially after he found out it was 20 years later. But actually knowing was like a dagger digging into his chest. He hated this feeling.

He was so focused on his thoughts he blanked out going into stormfly as they headed back to Berk. Astrid glanced at him. He was definitely in his own head. "So" she started "what happened?" She questioned, pulling him out of his thoughts. He tilted his head slightly " In the iceberg and the Skrill" he looked at her then glanced down thinking.

"I-I can't remember" he replied, hs eyes darting. " I remember the Skrill destroying the house and going after it, then every thing after is a blur."

"It may come back to you later" Astrid glanced at him, he gave a weak smile.

"So your chief right?" Hiccup questioned. She gave him a surprised look. "What? It's not that hard to figure out. The twins don't have the skills, and they are way to demoted to Loki, Fishlegs doesn't do well under pressure" he explained. " Snotlout, doesn't have that spark his more of a follower, then that leaves you" she chuckled.

"Forgot how smart you are" she laughed. He shrugged. Her face went to thought. They had tried everything to get them out. So what had change.

"What's wrong?" He questioned.

"When it happened, we tried everything to get you out, all sorts of dragon fire, even the fireworm queen nothing worked, it was like diamond" she explained. "So why now?"

Hiccup glanced at his dragon "weird" it was ice? What had the Skrill done to the ice that made it not melt from fire. "No idea" he muttered. "I'm sorry."

Astrid's body froze. Why was he apologising? It wasn't his fault, maybe a little . Yes she was angry at him for what had happened. But that was more because they thought he had died. "You have nothing to apologise for, Hiccup don't blame yourself, these no point" she explained " Let's just get you to Berk and to Fishlegs, he took over for Gothi" she explained.

"That Tracks" he muttered, looking up to see the place he once called home, was the same, yet somehow different, something he couldn't place his finger on. His nerves were high.