WARNING WARNING WARNING THIS STORY HAS A MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH AND WILL PROBABLY MAKE YOU CRY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! IT IS NOT A ONE SHOT THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SIX OR SEVEN CHAPTERS.
Toothless was dead.
It wasn't anyone's fault except Dagur's; a midnight flight had gone wrong. The Berserkers had been waiting for an ambush attack. And so when Toothless was shot clear out of the sky, the dragon wounded, dying a few minutes later due to his multiple, severe wounds.
He had saved Hiccup, though, using his wings to shield his rider as he had done during the fight against the Red Death, and for that, Hiccup blamed himself.
The worst part about it though, was not the fact that Toothless, the only and last Night Fury was dead, although that was a huge part of it.
No, the absolute worst part was watching Hiccup afterwards.
The first time people saw him since the accident was the dragon's funeral.
Hiccup had drawn the bowstring back after lighting the mandatory arrow on fire. Then, tears streaming down his face, he released it, hardly even looking at what he was aiming at. Tears blurred his vision, making it near impossible to see anything at all. He wasn't even a good archer, and yet, he had managed to hit the pyre. As soon as his arrow hit, he had turned, dropped his bow, and ran like the wind in the opposite direction.
No one stopped him, nor did they blame him.
No one saw Hiccup for a week straight after that; from what they learned from Stoick, the boy had locked himself up in his room, refusing to speak, open the door, or do anything of the sort. Once again, no one blamed him; but how could they?
The second time Astrid actually saw him, he was walking in a straight line, his head bowed, watching his feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. She didn't find herself brave enough to go towards him. Instead, she found herself walking in the opposite direction. She wasn't trying to avoid him, but she feared talking to him would just make him feel worse.
The third time Astrid saw him, he was at the forge, working on a dagger. She watched him for a few minutes until he finished the weapon. When he did, he picked it up and hurled it at the wall behind him. It sank into the wood, falling into place with many other daggers littered across the wall that matched almost perfectly.
Astrid looked back and then continued walking. She didn't know how to approach him, or what to say to him.
The fourth time she saw him, he was at the cove, throwing a handful of daggers at the trees. She hid out and watched him as he threw weapon after weapon, each one sinking into the bark as if it were made of butter. Once Hiccup had used up all ten of them, he walked forward, yanked them out of the tree one by one (a process that took him nearly five minutes), and then started over again.
The fifth time Astrid saw him was when she finally sound the courage to speak to him. He was sitting at the edge of a cliff, his legs dangling over the side of it, his hands folded in his lap. She approached him slowly and sat down next to him, looking at him. He didn't even acknowledge her presence, and if he did, he did nothing that would signify it.
"Hiccup?" she said.
"What?" he replied. His voice was flat and thick, and he didn't turn his head to meet her eyes.
"Do…" What could she say? "...I-I miss talking to you."
"Okay," he said as if he were just spitting it out.
"Are...are you alright?" Astrid asked.
"Astrid, do you think I'm alright?" Hiccup said. He turned to her for the first time, and Astrid could barely contain a gasp. His eyes were bloodshot, lacking the usual light that made his emerald eyes sparkle. His countless freckles stood out painfully against his too-pale skin, and he looked like someone who had been crying and panicking for weeks.
Which he probably had been, now that Astrid thought about it.
She had asked a stupid question. Of course he wasn't alright. What made her think that?
"No," Astrid admitted.
Hiccup nodded, turning away from her. "Yeah, I didn't think so," he said flatly, no emotion leaking into his voice. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, staring out into space.
"Hiccup…?" Astrid asked. Hiccup sighed and nodded silently, giving her leave to continue. "Can...can I do something to help you…?"
Hiccup shook his head. Astrid saw tears stinging his eyes; seeing him in such a state as this was making her heart ache.
"I'm sorry about Toothless-" She cut herself off. She did not just say that. How could she say something like that!? And to Hiccup of all people…
Hiccup looked at her, tears now streaming down his face. "Go away..." he moaned, turning away from her once more.
"Hiccup-" Astrid tried.
"Just go," Hiccup pleaded, resting his head against his knees, crying silently. Astrid stood up with a heavy heart, worrying for him and his well being. She knew she wouldn't get another word to him; not after what she just did. How could she have brought up Toothless at at time like that?
She looked once last time at Hiccup. He was sobbing now, his tears running freely down his face. Despite how much Astrid wished she could have helped him, there was nothing she could have done.
So, she turned and walked away, and didn't look back. As she walked, the battle flashed in her mind…
The next chapter will be sort of like a prologue, but not a prologue at the same time. It will be Astrid recounting the battle, meaning we will see Toothless' death. Stay tuned for chapter 2!