Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of the "How to train your dragon" franchise or the "Rise of the Guardians" franchise. This story has been written for enjoyment only and does not collect any monetary compensation. I do lay claim to the plot/story.

2

Hiccup ran through thick trees and under growth. He felt the warmth of the sun glance along his shoulders and he laughed as he rounded a large trunk and began climbing. He and Toothless had come across the new island only days ago. Even after a year of exploring, the world kept finding ways to surprise him, (the most Earth-shattering of which was that he never did find the edge of it). Experiment after experiment led him to so many discoveries and inventions that he had filled as many books as he could find as a spirit.

Dragon and rider were combing the terrain and occasionally playing hide-and-seek; a difficult game, Hicuup thought, when your opponent can become invisible. Toothless' playfulness and energy rubbed off on Hiccup and the dragon was pleased to see some of the old colour return to the boys' eyes. They had been exploring in earnest, searching for any signs of the dragons or their old home. Even after so long, they never gave up hope.

Hiccup neared the top of the tree, branches and leaves catching on his clothing. A laugh escaped him again as he felt the heavy thud of Toothless landing above him. "Well Bud, looks like you caught me again," he grinned in jest. "Best of five hundred?" Toothless chortled down at his small friend and craned down to nudge the boy, nose-to-nose. Hiccup reached up to scratch the dragons chin and Toothless nudged his shoulder, whinnying softly to remind the boy of their mission. "You're right Bud, let's take a look at this island." Hiccup smiled a climbed higher.

The tree tops glowed in the sunlight as Hiccup emerged from the canopy. At the sight before him, Hiccup's breath caught in his throat and tears stung his eyes. "Toothless, we've been here before!" He scrambled to look behind him as the dragon murmured curiously, "We're not far from Berk!" He climbed onto Toothless and urged him on in desperation. The Isle of Night spread beneath the pair as Hiccup turned toward home.

#

He saw the ruins first. They were the only thing left of his village. The houses were run down as if they hadn't been used in fifty years. He didn't understand. He could imagine Berk in all it splendour; the dragons perched above homes painted with family colours, the stone statues honouring the Gods, the dragon arena watching over the island… It was all gone.

Toothless landed softly, sadness squeezing his heart. Hiccup fell to ground less gracefully. Dust covered ground bruised his shins as he held his head in his hands. "This can't be right. We've only been gone a year. How-?" His voice broke and his head fell to his knees. He had no control over the tears that spilled from his eyes. He wanted this all to stop. Why was he like this? What had he done to deserve this?

As Hiccups body shook with sobs. Toothless curled around him, offering as much comfort as possible. He snuffled his friends' hair and held him close.

#

They stayed that way until Toothless growled. The sounds of footsteps pricked at Hiccups ears and hope flared in his chest. His head shot up. The Sun was setting and shadows seeped into his bones as darkness swallowed their surroundings. A tall, thin man stood ten yards away, silently gazing at the young man. Hiccup swiped at the wetness on his face and rose to his feet.

Dark eyes and dark features continued to regard him and Hiccup belatedly realised that this was the first person who had seen him in a year. The man spoke.

"We wondered when you would wake." His voice was smooth; slippery like oil.

"W-wake?" Hiccup stuttered. "We?" Shadows emanated from the man and uncertainty shifted in Hiccups chest. Toothless pressed closer beside him, directing his unease toward Hiccup and remaining invisible to the stranger.

The main smirked at Hiccup's nervousness, savouring it like a taste the air. "I am Pitch Black," Pitch said. "And you, Hiccup, have been slumbering for four hundred years."

Toothless stilled completely beside him as Hiccup struggled to remain standing. He glanced sadly around at the ruins. "Four hundred-?" Shadows curled around his feet and he felt the anxiety in his veins like a physical touch. He pulled the sword from his hip in an attempt to centre himself. "I- I don't believe you! That's not possible!"

Pitch grinned and sauntered forward, unfazed by the weapon. "I assure you," he said in his deep voice, "I am not lying." He moved closer and Hiccup levelled the sword to his chest, fighting the fear overriding his thoughts. "A friend of mine was the one orchestrated your death, you see. He believed you would have great potential when exposed to the correct… tutelage."

"And if I don't want your tutelage?" Hiccup returned. The blade was growing heavy in his arms and he drew strength from Toothless' presence to keep it aloft. The dragon was quietly snarling, but Pitch didn't seem to notice.

"Come now, Hiccup, you've been alone for so long. You're only a fledgling spirit. Don't you want a friend?" Hiccup couldn't breathe as the words overwhelmed him. Darkness will be your only friend. The strength he drew from Toothless disappeared and the tip of the blade met the ground as their connection weakened. Toothless dropped all pretence of caution. He snarled viciously at the evil spirit trying to corrupt his friend and became fully visible. Any sane person would have fled immediately, but Pitch didn't even blink. He doesn't see me, Toothless realised with shock. So confused by this, his growl cut off in his throat and he sat back on his haunches to examine the dark man more closely in the fading light. Before he could understand the strange situation, he heard the soft clatter of Hiccups' sword landing upon the dusty earth.

The dragons head swivelled to his friend and his curious eyes narrowed at the sight he beheld. Hiccups eyes had turned black and glassy. His features were slack, as if unaware of what was around him. Toothless crooned softly, and nudged his nose into his friends' hand. The glassiness receded and the black faded to a dark grey, but Hiccup remained distant. Toothless' attention was drawn away by the dark chuckle that emanated from Pitch.

"That's right, Hiccup," he coaxed, "I'm just like you. You can trust me. Let me teach you how to survive." Pitch drew an arm around Hiccups' shoulder and Toothless whined loudly as their already wavering connection faded more. "Forget the Man in the Moon. Forget the mortals, what have they ever done for you? They never saw you. They never appreciated you. They never believed in you." Toothless pressed himself into Hiccup, unable to protect him from the shadows swirling around them or the dark charm of Pitch.

The spirit pulled Hiccup forward into the night and Toothless stayed close by his side. "We can teach you, Hiccup" Pitch continued guiding Hiccup.

"Teach… me," Hiccup recited in a daze.

"We can help you, Hiccup." Pitch whispered bewitchingly.

Toothless whined loudly and pushed his head into Hiccups hand. "Help… me," Hiccup uttered as Toothless broke through the haze. He blinked several times and tried to regain focus, but it was too late. With one last glance between dragon and rider, the unlikely trio dissolved into shadows.

#

The first thing Hiccup did when they landed was fall over. He heard Pitch's sinister laugh and hauled himself to his knees as he fought dizziness. The ground beneath him was cold and damp. Hiccup swallowed thickly and examined the unfamiliar setting. The lighting was dim, but he could see they were now in a cave. The rocky walls arched high above them and stalactites branched from the ceiling like gnarly teeth. A shiver teased his skin as he took in the billowing shadows that seemed to have a mind of their own. "W-what happened?" He stuttered. His voice echoed eerily in the vast chamber so he lowered his voice. "Where are we?" He whispered.

Toothless murmured quietly next to Hiccup, reminding the young trainer of the daze he had slipped into moments before. A new wariness alerted Hiccup to the encroaching fog that tried to wrap around his mind. He pushed it away as he stood to face Pitch. The tall man moved away from the old friends and began circling them. "This is where you will learn your first lesson." Before his eyes, Hiccup saw the other spirit melt into shadows. The next moment, Pitch spoke behind him. "You have the ability to walk through the shadow realm," Hiccup felt the presence shift once more as he spun around in shock. Pitch stood adjacent to him, his sharp features clouded by darkness. Hiccup yelped in surprise and stumbled away. Unfazed by Hiccups' surprise, Pitch continued. "You must concentrate on where you wish to go. Use the shadows that surround you. They are all connected."

Hiccup stared at Pitch like he'd put on a large meat suit whilst surrounded by hungry dragons and yelled 'Attack, beasts!' Pitch glared at Hiccup

expectantly and Toothless leaned into Hiccup protectively. "I can't!" Hiccup protested. "That's impossible!"

"You will," Pitch sneered. "Or you will never leave this place."

#

Time passed slowly. It had taken months to learn to Shadow Jump and years after that to escape Pitch's 'tutelage.' Only Toothless' presence had fought off the darkness. They had never spoken aloud around Pitch; Toothless had explained that he was still invisible to other spirits and Hiccup speaking to himself would arouse suspicion. Silent communication had become an easy skill that went beyond reading body language. But even with his friends' support, Hiccup had often lost track of where they were and who he was. Pitch kept him in a daze as much as possible, unaware that the young spirit had an invisible friend aiding him.

Hiccup missed the sunlight. He didn't know how long they had been trapped in the cave, but the cold and darkness had seeped into him and taken root. As spirits, neither he nor Toothless needed much food to survive, but Hiccup still felt weak without it. He had not been strong enough to take both him and Toothless away from the cave in the beginning, but as soon as he was able, they had disappeared from Pitch's grasp. Hiccup could imagine Pitch's fury at his escape – the spirit had always believed Hiccup completely enthralled by his spell – and Hiccup swore he would do everything in his power to evade him for as long as possible.

The day of their escape, as Hiccup dragged himself and Toothless through the shadow realm, he thought of the forest he and Toothless had first woken up in all those years ago. He needed a fresh start. He needed an escape from the man who had derailed all his plans of finding his people and the dragons. Dragons - he had to find them. They couldn't all be gone. He pictured them – every last species he could remember- and felt the shadows tug his sleeve to the left. He followed.

#

The light behind his eyes was bright. Too bright. His brow furrowed in pain. Something blocked the light for a moment and his face relaxed. Something softly nuzzled his cheek, coaxing him into consciousness. Grey eyes open wearily and took in the pale body filling his vision. The escape came back to him in those moments and he shot upwards to examine his surroundings. Toothless inched back slightly, white scales gleaming in the sunlight and smiling his old reptilian grin that had been hiding for years. The sight of it made tears prick his eyes and he laughed as Toothless kicked up sand as he jumped about in excitement. He pounced on Hiccup, knocking the boy back to the ground and licking him until his hair stuck out at odd ends.

As the shock and excitement wore off, Hiccup gazed upward at the clear blue sky. He felt freer than he had since the day he died. He felt light and warm. So warm he felt it sweep way the years of cold Pitch had subjected them to. He was content, as if he'd found a part of himself that he hadn't realised he'd lost. Toothless curled around his friend and Hiccup leaned into his familiar shape.

He was entranced by the waves lapping on the shore before him. Hiccup glanced down at grime covered body and took in the similar state of his dragon. "What do you say, bud?" He stood eagerly and strode to the waters' edge. "Let's get rid of that cave."

#

It was after they'd cleaned the dirt from their skin. After they wandered from the beach to explore the rest of the island. After they found a large clearing where they could enjoy the sunlight. She came out of now where. Charging forward and surprising both Hiccup and Toothless. She landed on top of Hiccup as he heard Toothless growl and prepare to attack. The snarl was cut short by a surprised roar and Hiccup glimpsed his assailant for the first time. "Stormfly?" The Deadly Nadder chirruped happily and sat on Hiccup, preening his hair. "Stormfly! We did it! We found you! Are the other dragons here? Where are we?" He rambled on with more questions as the dragon freed him to greet Toothless. The two pranced around each other, sniffing and wrestling. Hiccup felt his heart soar. If Stormfly was here, then the rest of the dragons must be close by as well. As he thought this, the playing dragons attracted a crowd of spectators. Hiccup saw more species in one place than he'd seen dragons in his life. Most he didn't recognise, of all different shapes and sizes he was unfamiliar with, but all seemed friendly with each other and toward him.

As more and more dragons gathered around the trio, Stormfly and Toothless noticed their audience. Their came a pregnant pause in which Hiccup slowly moved closer to the white Night Fury. The pair waited with bated breath, unsure of what was to come next.

At last, the lost dragons bowed to Toothless and Hiccup, welcoming them home.

#

Hiccup and Toothless wandered the world, travelling from island to island, but always returning home to the other dragons. They learned much about the dragons in the years that followed. In many instances, Hiccup had found himself scared silly when suddenly faced with normally aggressive breeds of dragon who now seemed docile and friendly. The Tidal class dragons inhabited the surrounding waters of the island and as dozens upon dozens of them greeted the pair, Hiccup wondered if it was ever crowded down there.

Toothless and he had come to be respected every inhabitant of the island – an island that was bigger than any Hiccup had ever seen. They had reunited with his reptile friends from the dragon academy and, whilst Hiccup found it strange to see them without their human companions, they seemed to have adjusted to their new lives. From brief impressions that Hiccup gained from the dragons, he learned that Pitch had spoken the truth about slumbering for four hundred years. The dragons told him that they were spirits and had never encountered another species that could see them, before Hiccup. That Hiccup was the only spirit who could see the dragons made him happy, for he knew that their end in the mortal world had come at the hands of Dragon Hunters. As the only spirit who could see them, he could ensure their safety; to know this was a gift he would always cherish.

It had been another very emotional moment for Hiccup when they'd first found the other Night Furies. There were fewer of their kind than many of the other dragons, but they made up for their numbers with their enthusiasm. Perhaps the most playful of all the dragons, Hiccup often saw them wrestling and playing with whoever would join them. There were of course the older of the species who mostly slept and ate, but they were also friendly and enjoyed ear scratches. Curiously, they were all still raven black in colour, making him wonder if there was a deeper meaning behind Toothless' colouring. Was it somehow connected to the bond they shared? If this was the case, were there more differences to be found between the white Night Fury and his brethren?

As the years passed, Hiccup and Toothless became inseparable. Words were rarely needed for communication and this fluency helped Hiccup interact more with the other dragons. With the return of familiar faces and without the twilight of Pitch infecting their lives, the pair were happy. The warmth and love he felt surrounding him drained the darkness from Hiccup and he became the young man he once was as a mortal. Such is the way, in that Hiccup wouldn't notice the change until the darkness came back.

As they roamed the Earth, they learned the languages and experimented with the new aspects of their lives. Hiccup avoided Shadow Jumping as much as possible, fearing it would lead Pitch to him and disliking the oppressive nature of the Shadows. Hiccup found more notebooks to store his ideas, and whilst he regretted the need to steal them, he was faced with the rather difficult problem of being invisible and unable to communicate in any way with the book smiths.

The books grew full and Hiccup created a new dragon eye that detailed everything he could learn about the dragons. He kept separate notes regarding the people they observed – they were very strange in many ways and did not celebrate Snoggletog as they did on Berk. Many people believed in Christmas and, over the years, Hiccup believed he saw the infamous sleigh that the children sung praises about. He began to wonder if perhaps he and the notorious 'Santa Claus' were similar beings. After more than 50 years of theorising, Hiccup concluded this must be true.

By this time, the Sand Man had made his appearance in the lives of mortals. Hiccup often found himself gliding along on Toothless' back, the wind caressing his face as he observed the night-time rituals of the sandy visions. He had never seen the creator of these dreams, but felt grateful, each time he fell asleep, for the man that allowed him to see his loved ones once again. Although these other spirits gave him hope for his future – many times Toothless had sworn that mortals had seen the red sleigh – Fear told him that he would never be like them.

More years passed with no new developments to their situation. They moved from island to island, never meeting a single mortal that could see them, but often hearing stories of monsters and heroes that appeared to be like Hiccup and Toothless. The boy wondered what set them apart from the fabled ones; were they too old to be remembered? Was it because they had slept for so long? These thoughts always led to the question – why had they slumbered for so long?

They had approached seers and oracles who preached their ability to see those who had died, but it all came to nothing. Seasons changed and the cold struck. Toothless kept them warm, but the chill didn't bother them much anyway.

The embers of their cooling camp fire blazed early one morning and Hiccup heard laughter from the nearby village. They had visited this island once before, but hadn't stayed long. Now, snow had fallen over night and children were causing havoc. There had been many occasions like this before on other islands, and he had often felt tempted to join in, but this morning felt different to the previous years.

The laughter was infectious. The cold hung on his sleeves in an inviting swirl. Glancing at Toothless, Hiccup rose to his feet. The pair still avoided a confrontation with Pitch at all costs - Hiccup could sense if his darkness was close, allowing them to evade the malevolent spirit - but curiosity got the best of him. The familiar sensation of a friendly nearby spirit sparked a surge of hope between them as the isolation of their life was broken, much like when they had seen the Tooth Fairy. Toothless murmured quietly to his friend, expressing his interest.

"I know, Bud; I think it's someone new too." Toothless and he faded into the background as the dragon manipulated their appearance. Sneaking quietly towards the village, they studied the giggling children. One boy, older than the rest, stood out to dragon and rider. The children looked through him, and Hiccup felt a pang of understanding. Whilst the boy appeared happy, the smile didn't reach his eyes. He stood, grasping a wooden staff and sending snow in every direction. The children slipped and slid about until they were called away by their parents, and the boy was left alone. With a sigh, he turned and strode away, sending a few errant snowballs after the more mischievous children. Grinning at the prospect of meeting someone new, Hiccup and Toothless followed.

#

The meeting did not go as planned. Leaving Toothless' side and emerging from the shadows, Hiccup approached the clearing nervously. The younger spirit was laughing at something, jostling the snow and tracing patterns along the tree trunks. His back was to the other boy and for a moment Hiccup was overwhelmed by an intoxicating order to "Attack." The voice was low, as quiet as a ghost and Hiccup would swear later that he had heard it once before – a long time ago.

Hiccup shook the order from his thoughts as he felt a soft nudge to his right hand. Glancing down, he saw nothing, but he could sense Toothless' presence. He sent a silent 'thanks, Bud,' his way and let the crisp air clear his mind. He whispered the words that had become his mantra in his years of captivity; do not let fear control your actions. But try as he did, he couldn't stop the darkness that clung to his form as he repeated the chant.

"Hello," Hiccup said, ignoring the awkwardness of his first interaction with another person in over one hundred years. The boy spun to face Hiccup so quickly, he slipped and fell into the snow. Hiccup gave a small smile as the staff met the ground with a soft thud and landed next to its' master. Shock, tinted with a glimmer of hope, pervaded the boys' pale features as he gazed at Hiccup. Had he not experienced the loneliness of the boys' situation, Hiccup might have found the circumstance humorous. But having a part of himself shatter with each glance that passed through him, Hiccup felt only empathy.

"You-" Blue eyes widened further as Hiccup continued to regard him. "You can see me?" Hiccup smiled brighter and nodded, noticing the dawning apprehension on the boys' face; he could sense that the young trainer was a spirit.

"I'm Hiccup," he introduced quickly. Beside him, Toothless remained unnoticed. "I'm like you," he confirmed. He couldn't have known how right he was in saying this.

"Jack Frost," the tall boy murmured in return. Still shocked, he stood slowly.

Unfortunately, the quiet morning glow could not disperse the shadows clinging to Hiccup. The oppressive darkness that pervaded his outward appearance stilted any hope of friendship. He was unaware that he his hair and eyes had turned black the moment he'd heard the old voice. Darkness will be your only friend, the voice whispered once again. Blinking back the memory, Hiccup raised a hand to stroke Toothless. Jack started, taken off guard by the sudden movement.

"Stay back!" He ordered, backing a way slowly. Hiccup frowned in confusion as the white haired boy positioned his staff between them. Jack glanced around nervously, sensing something Hiccup could not. "I'm nothing like you!" Hiccup heard that sickening laugh and fought desperately to hide from it, sinking deeper within himself to escape it. Despite the early morning rays, the shadows converged in the clearing and Hiccup new no more.

#

When he woke, Toothless would not tell him what happened. The worry in his friends' eyes kept Hiccup from asking more than once. Whilst he wondered what had become of the mysterious Jack Frost, Hiccup not help but think good riddance. There were so few people they could interact with, and the first he had come across in years had treated him like a monster - treated him like he was Pitch Black. He could not think of what might have occurred if the pale boy had seen Toothless. Resentment slowly festered within him and the painful stab of betrayal echoed through his heart.

The sun had set and they sat by the same campfire. If he hadn't known better, Hiccup may have thought they'd been there all day. But his bones ached and his brain felt foggy. Toothless nuzzled closer, sensing Hiccups discomfort and the young boy leaned against him. "What's happened to me?" He wondered aloud. Whatever it is, he thought to himself, it can't be undone. As the pair gazed at Hiccups' pale skin, the boy couldn't help but believe it was true.

The Next Chapter will be available soon.

W-L