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The past is different than Hiccup remembers it.
His father towers over him, impossibly strong, but beyond that he's just a man. Not the myth, the legend Hiccup always saw him at.
And his friends - well, future friends - they're so much younger than he ever thought they were. Arms thin, faces full of uncertainty and childhood fat.
Berk itself is also different. Violence from and against Dragons reigns, but it's not what Hiccup notices the most. Where he used to feel dwarfed by the buildings and long jogs would separate everything, with all he's seen of the world he can't help but feel how small Berk is.
His home, his family, his friends. It's all so different from the way Hiccup expected.
*
The raid happens the night Hiccup remembers it happening. He's already waiting on that cliff - knows he won't enjoy what follows.
But Toothless is still trapped under the Red Death's control and Hiccup has no other way of reaching him.
He fires. In a pained scream Toothless falls and Hiccup starts running.
In the chaos of the raid, he's not noticed. Leaves and darkness hinder him, but Hiccup keeps running until his lungs feel close to bursting, until his legs shake, until he sees the snapped tree.
Toothless is trapped, lying on the ground with eyes slitted and tension running through his body.
As he spots Hiccup a croon escapes him and his pupils dilate. "It's me, bud. I'm sorry I hurt you again."
Cutting the ropes, Toothless jumps on Hiccup and starts examining his changed body, leaving Hiccup covered in his spit.
At the leg, he freezes. Tilts his head. Gives it a sniff, then a nudge. Soulful eyes meet Hiccup as understanding fills Toothless.
Toothless lifts his tail and stares at the fresh wound of it. "I'm sorry." Hiccup repeats, if he had any other option, he would have taken it.
He had tamed a Gronkle during a previous raid but hours and hours of search ended in failure of locating Toothless at the Nest.
Sitting down next to Toothless, he pulls of his boot and offers the foot. "Want to make it even again?" It would hurt, but Hiccup truly wouldn't mind being taken up on the offer.
Teeth flash and Toothless snarls at him in indignation. "Alright, alright. I shouldn't have offered, I know we'd never want to cause each other pain." Hiccup placates.
Crooning again, Toothless puts his head in Hiccup's lap.
His tailfin will need a few days to heal but afterwards Hiccup can start on his prosthetic. The basics are already build but it's not yet fireproof.
And he doesn't have the control mechanism. He build the fin Toothless can fly on his own with.
This is a new start for them both, and now that Toothless is free from the Red Death, he can make his own choice from the start.