Prologue

A creaking sound woke him, and at first, he was unsure about his whereabouts. As his vision cleared so did, his senses and the boy realized he was in his room. His groan as he moved, though low, alerted a black figure in the far side of his room. It came closer, over to the boy with a happy yet concerned growl that came from deep within its chest. It was the boy's dragon, a young Night Fury; he called it by its name as it gently nudged him.

Tiredly the boy moved with a chuckle, as he did a sudden sharp pain forced him to return to his laying position. He groaned then sighed as the pain ebbed, then he gave his friend a reassured pat on his snout. The dragon watched his human companion as his face scrunched up in pain as he tried to recall how he got here. What had happened? When did he get back? And what happened to Astrid. The last thing he did remember was Astrid sitting behind him as they headed back to their island, leave an Outcast ship behind.

He sat up; calling out Astrid's name, but the sudden sitting up caused him more pain than he wanted. With a groan, he laid back down on his side watching as his dragon sniffed him making sure that his boy was all right. "I'm alright, Toothless." he smiled as the dragon nudged him again, "How is Astrid?" Toothless gave a dragony shrug and a low growl in response. The boy sighed and rested his aching head on his right arm as he set the other around his abdomen.

The boy drifted off while watching toothless and the next thing he knew a hand brushed his bangs out of his face before setting on his forehead. He heard a hum and knew the person wasn't his dad, yeah definitely not his dad. The hand then moved, gently from his forehead and stroked his cheek.

As the person let out a sigh, the boy moaned, furrowed his brow, and crinkled his nose as he stirred. A pained huff escaped his lips as he opened his eyes and grimaced slightly as he turned his head.

"Hiccup, you're awake." Astrid said in a low voice, Hiccup blinked a couple times and groaned as he turned over. "No, you shouldn't really movie Hiccup."

"I'm fine Astrid. "

"How are you feeling?" Astrid asked, giving him a stern look yet he could tell she was worried.

"I feel fine, what about you?" Hiccup smiled, but her look stayed the same, "look I'm fine, sure my head hurts and my side and chest ache but other than that I feel fine."

Astrid breathed deeply, before exhaling. He wasn't always the best at lying. "Are you sure?" Hiccup nodded, smiled and asked her again, how she felt. She told him she was fine then asked if she could look at his injuries.

Hiccup looked away, he hadn't even seen them yet, but he knew from the way they hurt that at least one would scar. She rolled her eyes and popped him on the shoulder before demanding to see them.

Hiccup protested with a rather loud 'no' that caught the attention of Toothless. He watched in curiosity as the two teens argued over the demand. He cocked his head as Astrid forced Hiccup down despite his injuries and now was attempting to remove his shirt. Hiccup yelled back, trying to get the girl off him, he was clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation that led him to want her off even more.

Toothless' guttural growl had gotten them to stop. They looked at the dragon, face mirroring the others. As his dragon now, distracted Hiccup Astrid took the opportunity to get the boy's shirt off him so she could at least check his chest wound.

Hiccup was quick to catch on, but as they continued their struggle, the door to Hiccup's room suddenly opened. It was Stoick, who upon hearing the commotion came to investigate. The teens stopped immediately, faces equally red, Toothless just gave a low purring growl and a huffy, below laugh. The teens quickly separated and Hiccup, with a groan sunk back down onto his bed. "uh its not what it looks like, Dad. She, uh, was just trying to…"

"…look at his wounds." Astrid said cutting him off and yet finishing his sentence.

Stoick said nothing and just left, Toothless cocked his head as the now flustered teens glanced at each other. Hiccup groaned and turned over and stared at Toothless, "don't you be laughing Toothless, its not funny."

Toothless just gave him his gummy dragon grin and left. Astrid gave a heavy sigh before walking to the door. "I'll just go so you can rest. When I come back I'm looking at those wounds."

Hiccup sat up with a grimace, "Astrid." She stopped and looked back, face still flushed. "what happened?" He saw her chest heave up as she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She walked back over and sat on his bed.

Chapter 1: 2½ months earlier

It happened over 2 months ago, a week after The Skrill, Alvin, and Dagur incident. Astrid had woken that morning, eager to get the day started. Her Deadly Nadder, Stormfly, as the sun peek into her window, greeted her. She got up and returned the greeting before going out and feeding her.

Finally finished with eating herself, she left to the Academy ring, where the other teens waited. She noticed, once she got there, that someone and his dragon were missing. She asked the others if they had seen Hiccup, but they all shook their heads in response. Astrid pursed her lips in thought and suggested they wait.

As an hour past, Hiccup and Toothless still didn't show up. Fishlegs suggested that maybe he was out flying like he always did in the morning. Astrid shook her head and told him that Hiccup did that way before the sun came up. So they all volunteered Astrid to go search for the boy. She rolled her eyes and mumbled that she was going to anyway and then threw a near-by shield at Snotlout and Tuffnut for their comments.

Astrid and Stormfly searched everywhere they could think of, the Great Hall, Gobber's blacksmith shop, even his own home, but Hiccup wasn't at neither of them. She thought for a while, trying to think of where else the dragon boy could be. Then, with a snap of her fingers, she thought of a place. Calling for Stormfly, she went off into the forest. Stormfly gave her a low questioning growl, and Astrid just smiled and patted the dragon's nose.

Moving through the trees and brush, she finally reached the spot: the place she had met Toothless. From her perch on the cliff, she scanned the area, but neither Hiccup nor Toothless were there. "Damn, where is he? She was really sure he would be here. Come on Stormfly." She grabbed one of the dragon's many horns on its head and hoisted herself up.

It wasn't until hours later that she had found the boy, thanks to Toothless, a sheep bray, followed by the distinctive Night Fury growl. Stormfly landed and Astrid called to Toothless. He ran up to her and nudged her gently before going and greeting Stormfly. Astrid looked around and found Hiccup, why he came here was beyond her. It was a nice little nook, not too far from the village.

When she spotted Hiccup, he was sitting against a tree, his right arm-resting on his leg, a sketchbook in front of him and a rather pensive look on his face. She walked to him, but he didn't look up, not even at the sound of his name. "This is where you disappeared to." He finally looked up, straightened his legs out and stretched. He went back to his sketchbook, but nothing was there, he was just tapping his pencil on it. "Everyone is waiting at the Academy, what's the plan today?"

Hiccup just marked on his sketchbook, "I'm not really up to doing any Training to day."

"You not wanting to show off what you and Toothless can do?" Astrid gave him a smug look but he just shrugged. She grumbled, "We can't do anything unless you're there."

"Sure you can." Hiccup said his tone distant. He frowned and scribbled out what he had drawn. Astrid rolled her eyes and for a while, she just watched him before asking what they could possibly do without him there. He pursed his lips, again lost in thought, so Astrid kicked him, hard. Though he didn't speak he just blinked and furrowed his brows, but she did get him to look at her. The look he had given her shocked her and so she sat next to him and waited for him to speak.

After another few scribbles, growls and tearing out a sheet and throwing it. Hiccup sighed and set it aside. Astrid just watched him, as he leaned back and rubbed his face. Hiccup let his hands fall to his sides as he stared at the sky, "I'm just trying to figure out what we can do if we have another run-in with Dagur or the Outcasts. And how to make mine and Toothless' prosthetics and other metal parts not attract the lightning."

"Well I don't think the Skrill is going to attack anytime soon." Astrid said with a smug tone in her voice.

"It's not just the Skrill. What if we have to go out in a storm or Dagur or Alvin attacks us during a storm. I am just trying to think of way not to put me or anyone else in danger. Especially since it's me their all after."

"Let me rephrase what I said. I don't think Dagur, the Skrill or Alvin will be attacking us for a while. Don't worry, Hiccup, things will be fine." Astrid said smiling and standing, "now come on, let's go back."

"No you go on, tell them to just take the day off or you can figure something out to do. I still have some things to do."

"Nope. Not going anywhere, Hiccup, not unless you come with." Astrid said with a seriously strict tone.

"No I need to come up with a better tail fin and leg."

"No you just think you do. "

"I'm serious Astrid; I really don't want to get struck by lightning. Thor knows what would happen. It wouldn't just hurt me, but Toothless too, and I don't want that."

Astrid watched him and growled as Hiccup continued to babble about what he could use. She then grabbed him and dragged him back, Toothless and Stormfly following closely."

"Hey come on, Astrid let go, I told you I don't want to do any training." Hiccup objected, but Astrid ignored him and continued to the Academy.

Once there she let him go, "got him." She said and the others all breathed "finally". Hiccup grumbled and patted himself off and told Toothless he was ok.

"I don't have anything for us to do." Hiccup said adjusting his vest.

"You said you wanted to do more in case we were attacked by Dagur of something, right?"

"Psh Dagur won't attack! Hiccup, said it himself that he got struck bad by that lightning." Snotlout roared in laughter and Tuffnut mimicked being struck himself.

Hiccup gave in and instructed to do mock battles with one another. So they paired up and went separate ways into the forest to do some real training. It didn't take Astrid long to find Hiccup and though he seemed into it, he lost interest quick after the first sparing match he had with Astrid.

With a roll of her eyes, she walked to him. "Maybe you're right; maybe we all do need a break."

"We don't really need to, I mean the better we all get, the better chance we have at defending Berk."

"No, Hiccup, it's not just up to us to defend Berk. " Astrid said and pulled him into a hug. "Perhaps it's not all of us who need a break." she released him to look at him, a smile on her face.

Hiccup looked away and stammered, "No, no, Astrid, I don't need a break I'm fine."

"No choice. Come on." She turned around and walked to where Toothless was rolling on the ground. He stopped and looked at her, with his gummy smile. He rolled over and cocked his head. What was the hotheaded Viking girl up to? "Why don't you, I and Toothless go for a fly? Just us."

Hiccup blushed and Toothless perked up, "what about Stormfly?"

"She knows the way home." Stormfly, upon hearing her name came thumping over, "right girl?" The Nadder gave a growled purr in response. Hiccup just shook his head and insisted that they continue with their sparing match. Astrid just glared at him before rolling her eyes. He watched her, as she came over to him and grabbed him. "h-hey what are you doing?"

"If you won't fly with me, then we'll just go on a walk. "

"But what about…"

"Don't worry; let them think what they want." Astrid said and told Stormfly to go home and Hiccup held his palm out for Toothless to stay. He let himself be drug away, his face flushed. When she let go of his hand and turned to look at him. "I'm not going to drag you, Hic, but I want you to come with."

Hiccup breathed uncomfortably and fidgeted as she just stared, waiting. Their eyes locked and he smiled, "alright, you win, just stop looking at me like that." Astrid just smiled and the two walked off.

For a while, it was quiet, except for the sound of their feet crunching the leaves below. Once Astrid asked a question, the two didn't stop talking, even when they ran out of things to talk about.

They lost track of time, where they were, and found themselves at a clearing, the sun starting to set. Hiccup stopped and asked if she really wanted to go flying with him. Astrid smiled at him and walked past him, replying smugly, "of course I do. Out of all of us, you're the best at flying."

"Well yeah, I mean I did start before all of you." Hiccup said smiling widely.

"But we'll have to walk back, that way?" Astrid said unsure of which way they really had to go.

"Ha-ha for once Astrid Hofferson doesn't know which way we came from." Hiccup laughed and received a punch in the arm. "Don't worry. Toothless!"

Astrid, eyes wide in surprise, punched Hiccup again, "really you had him follow us this entire time?"

"Ow, what its not like he cares what we've been talking about." Hiccup said rubbing his arm. Astrid just rolled her eyes and looked as Toothless came bounding out of the forest. "Hey bud, want to go fly?" Toothless bounced excitedly, and leaned down for the two to get on. Hiccup got on first and reached out his hand to help Astrid up, not that she needed it. "Gently, okay Toothless?" Toothless snorted and took off, completely opposite of gently. The two screamed as the dragon dashed up into the sky. Astrid buried her face into Hiccups back as the rider scolded his dragon. It wasn't long until the dragon leveled out, gliding high above the island.

Hiccup let out a sigh of relief and told the girl behind him that it was all right. Astrid peaked up and gave her own sigh, but she kept her arms around Hiccup. "Much better." She said and eyed the dragon, who just gave a playful, innocent growl. The teens laughed and Astrid rested her chin on Hiccup's shoulder. They were both, now, content with the way the flight was going, gliding around their island and eventually up into the clouds, where the sky was much clearer.

"This brings back memories." Hiccup said and only received a "mhm-uh" in response. Hiccup smiled, "hey bud, lets land ok." Toothless gave a dragoney nod, before gliding down to a small bay. Once landed he let his cargo off and wandered to a tide pool. The teens laughed as Toothless waddled over to another tide pool before walking off on their own.

"see, wasn't this nice?" Astrid asked sitting in the sand.

"Yeah actually it was. Thanks, Astrid." Hiccup smiled and it grew as she looked away from his, rather shyly. "could have landed in a different spot, this sand isn't too awesome to walk on." Hiccup hung his head and kicked the sand with his left prosthetic leg.

"stop complaining." Astrid said, grabbing his hand and pulling him down. He yelped as he went down and righted himself to sit next to her.

Minutes later found the two leaning back against Toothless, who by now got bored with the tiny organisms in the small pools. They sat there, obviously uncomfortable with being so away from everyone just the two of them. It was Hiccup who broke the awkward silence, "So, um, what now?" Astrid looked at him and shrugged, before looking back at the now setting sun before them. "we should probably go back."

Astrid stopped Hiccup in a quickened, motion, grabbing him. "No!" She let go even quicker as they both noticed the loudness of the word. She looked away, "I-its ok, We don't have to go back. We can take care of ourselves and they know it."

"True, but we just kinda left. I wouldn't be surprised if they're looking for us now."

Astrid leaned against him, her voice low, "still, we don't have to."

Hiccup looked at her and balled his hand up, he was nervous, he looked at Toothless who quietly nudged the boy, encouraging him. Hiccup let out a sigh and hesitantly put his right arm around her. "alright, we don't have to go back just yet." Astrid tensed and Hiccup felt it, but she didn't let him move his arm from around her. So Hiccup didn't and they sat there watching the sunset and talking quietly.

As the sun disappeared the two decided to return to Berk, but their on there way back they were unexpectedly hit and knocked out of the sky. They crashed into the water, Hiccup with Toothless and Astrid no where to be seen. Hiccup called out for her but no reply, he gasped and dove into the water in search of her. When he came back up he told Toothless she wasn't there, then he saw the one thing he didn't want to see.