Wow, what a long time it's been! The Gorillaz fics aren't going to be continued, I'm afraid, and neither are the Harry Potter ones. I've moved on from them (it was two years ago, so go easy on me!). Now for my new passion, How to Train Your Dragon! This is developed from a dream I had, and it's the first piece of fiction I've written since my coursework last year. Apologies for any mistakes!
Summary: when Snotlout is struck down by a mysterious illness, the teens know that it is up to them to find a cure. However, this strange sickness drives all of the dragons from Berk! How can the young riders possibly get to a cure in time without their dragons?
There he lay, in the darkness of his room, yak-pelt bed covers pulled up around his chin. The only noise that permeated the dry atmosphere was his deep, rasping breathing. The room stank of sickness.
Hiccup stared at his friend from the doorway, a halo of light seeming to surround him. Snotlout looked impossibly small, curled up in the bed, pale and shivering. The darkness of the room seemed to invade the teen, making him seem smaller and darker still.
"And he hasn't moved at all?" Hiccup turned to look at the person he was addressing. The plump Viking, stood outside in the bright Berkian street, simply shook his head. Hiccup groaned. "What on earth could be wrong with him?"
"Beats me" Fishlegs replied, shrugging his shoulders, "but if you ask me, he needs help. I don't think this is any normal illness. I've never seen anything like it before..." His voice trailed away into nothing, captivated by the sight of the boy, once his bully, now his ally, looking so feeble and sick in the centre of his room. He was surrounded by his favourite weapons. Axes, swords and shields lined the walls in every direction. The only other thing in the house was the small, black stove in the corner, looking as miserable and dark as the boy in the bed.
The chiefs son shook his head slowly.
"Whatever it is, we need to get Gothi right now"
"She should be on her way..." Fishlegs muttered.
"What?" Hiccup span around to face him "Who did you send to fetch her?"
When Fishlegs didn't reply, Hiccup raised his eyebrows. The boy seemed to fall apart under his gaze.
"W-well, they were the only ones here!"
"You didn't send..."
"Come on! I couldn't go..."
"But honestly, the Twins?" cried Hiccup incredulously. "You expect them to remember what they were supposed to do all the way to Gothi's shack?"
"Well, that's a bit harsh..." mumbled a voice behind them
"Yeah, owch!" another gravelly voice joined in. Hiccup placed a hand on his forehead. Great, he thought, just great.
"Yeah!" Tuffnut protested, shoulder to shoulder with his twin sister. It was almost impossible to tell them apart, with the morning sun behind their backs, darkening their features. They had the same build, the same greasy, dirty blonde hair, the same hurt expression on their faces. "We totally knew what we were doing!"
"Oh, oh really?" Hiccup scowled. "Then where is Gothi?" He gestured to the empty space behind them. There was not a tiny soothsayer to be seen. The twins looked at each other in shock and realisation.
"So that's what we were doing there!" Ruffnut growled at her twin. "I knew we forgot something"
"This doesn't mean... this totally doesn't... if you..." Tuffnut blustered, turning on Hiccup, before settling with a loud "humph!" and trudging away, his sister in tow.
Fishlegs sheepishly looked around as Hiccup's eyebrows raised further.
"Why don't you go and get Gothi, Fishlegs? I'm sure Meatlug would enjoy the ride."
"Actually, um, I was kind of, uh, hoping that, um..." The plump teen stared intently at his toes. Hiccup sighed deeply and changed tact.
"Where's Astrid? I haven't seen her all morning"
"Over here!" Came the cry, and a bright cyan Nadder descended from the sky, landing softly on the ground near them. Astrid herself, tall and blonde, slid off her dragons back and, tossing a scrap of chicken over her shoulder for Stormfly to catch, jogged over. "I can't belive I'm asking this, but how is he?" She enquired, leaning into the room. Hiccup lead her in, followed by Fishlegs, who was tentatively tiptoeing, as though it might prevent him from also becoming ill.
"He hasn't moved all morning." Hiccup reported. "The fever is getting worse and he's showing no signs of recovering. We were going to get Gothi, but Fishlegs decided-"
"Okay, I admit that sending the Twins was a stupid idea!" Fishlegs bawled. "There, I said it, are you happy?"
Both of his friends looked at him, askance.
"Well, that certainly clears that up" The chiefs son said mockingly.
All of a sudden, there was a hideous, rumbling, snorting noise from the bed, followed by the most monstrous fit of coughing ever heard. Fishlegs recoiled, with Astrid and Hiccup exchanging worried looks.
Fishlegs was the first to recover. "Guys, go and get Gothi. I'll see what I can do until you get back"
"I'm staying too" Astrid scowled. "It's hardly fair for you two to have to do all the dirty work"
"Well then, looks as though it's just me..." the final teen sighed, heading for the door.
"Hurry, Hiccup" Astrid breathed, "I don't know how much time he has left..."
Well that was short. Woohoo! Stay tuned for part 2.