For those who didn't think there would be a sequel, here it is, and for those who saw it coming (are there?), here it is. :)

Hiccup is a full grown man now.

I can see his body from the place where I sleep perfectly; long, lean, and somewhat muscular. He no longer wears the little green undershirt of his anymore, but instead a slightly tarred (but still very, very, green) clothing that a leader would wear. He once told me that it was because it reminded him of my eyes, but I know that he doesn't need a lot to remember me (or my eyes). I'm always there when he needs me.

In his bed, his chest rises and falls softly, as if he was just a little boy still learning how to become a viking with the dreams of exploring the world.

It reminds me of when he was so young and naive. When he thought that everything was possible and anything could happen, and nothing would ever go wrong. When he was running around, throwing snow and knowing that it would never melt. He's grown up so much, and even though his innocent thoughts are gone, it's his strong sense of judgement and acceptance of the world that now encompasses his mind, just like any sensible adult human would be.

I've grown up a lot as well. And it's thanks to Hiccup that I know that things don't last and time turns flames into ashes. He probably didn't grow up because of me at all,because I was so keen on protecting him, but I've certainly come to terms with my aggression and instincts that hold me a dragon. I'm less impulsive, but yet more swift, because of him.

His blanket is far too short for him, the lack of wool on Berk something that has been a natural problem for generations, but he always covers himself with it to bed anyway. In his sleep, he scratches his muscular arms, even though there's nothing irritating him.

All of these years that have passed for the boy and the only thing that has changed in his room is the bed. The old one was, well, old, and too small for him, so he built a new one. He tried to build a bed for me once, but it was kind of too small for me and I couldn't scorch it like I could scorch the ground. It didn't feel right, and Hiccup acknowledged that.

It brings a smile to my face whenever I see him turn out to be the man that no one had ever thought of. Well, they certainly did as he grew up- but who would have thought that the boy who couldn't lift a single log to save his life become so powerful and… attractive? He has girls jumping over him from everywhere now, and it makes me snort whenever I see him like that too. It's mating season for the humans now, which is peculiar for me because it seems to be any time after a human reaches adulthood.

My ears itch at the thought, for too now is mating season for dragons. Or Night Furies, at the least. But since I've never seen any other Night Furies (let alone those hot, hot females), I haven't really gotten the chance to mate. And maybe for the better as well. How will I possibly be with Hiccup and my mate at the same time? She and the children definitely won't like me following Hiccup around all day either. So it's best if I don't have any.

And yet, I long for one. All males do that. But… I can't leave Hiccup.

Night Furies are solitary creatures. We live on our own, away from humans and other dragons alike. When we mate, we become even more protective, and we show signs of heightened aggression towards bypassers. Though I don't remember where I was born, I do remember that it was a clear ocean surrounding a small cave- and there was water as far as my eyes could see. There was never a dragon in sight, either. My parents (who I left as soon as I could fly) called it Christmas Island or something- it's a long story.

So it's either be with Hiccup or my mate- I wouldn't have any problems being around Hiccup and my mate, of course, but she definitely would- much like how Hiccup dislikes having me around when he's… well, you know.

"What are you looking at?" Hiccup'd snap at me whenever that girl, Astrid nears him and kisses him full-fledgedly on the mouth. I understand that this is because he is protective of his mate, so you get the idea. It was long ago, when and how I did not witness, that Astrid agreed to be Hiccup's. They said their vows in the woods, I heard from him. It made me really happy and really sad for a while, because now I know that Hiccup will truly be happy, but I'm going to get less and less time from him, because he has someone else who he cares more about. But like I said, I'm fine with that. and Hiccup proved to me one day that he still truly cared for me, even if he didn't admit that he cared for Astrid more.

He loves Astrid. Astrid loves him. There's no arguing there.

I absentmindedly scratch the rock underneath me, my claws retracted in order to not cause any noise. Like the rock, things erode over time, but frankly, it's no big deal for me.

I'm happy where I am. As a loyal friend and someone to lean on for support when his lover isn't enough. He's the chief of Berk now, because his father is getting older and older (like everyone else, of course), and he can't really rule any more with the state he's in, worn out and done with his job. So Hiccup, rounding his third decade, has finally taken the spot for the next leader. And while he doesn't look a lot like the person he once was as a kid, I can tell you, he still has that smile and "Toothless!" phrase that he always says when he sees me, and when I see him. He's always happy to spare some time for me, be it playing around (he likes to play tag with me, even if he almost always loses), sharing more of his stories as a Berkian leader, or, of course, flying. We still do that every day, and amid his tight schedule, be it with Astrid, the village, or his father, he always finds time for us alone by the end of the day to just take off into the sky and let our burdens fly away with the wind, filling in its place the joy and freedom of being one and unified. He doesn't admit it, of course, but he seems a lot more relaxed around me then with the other people. And I'm proud to be that friend for him.

Well, now that Hiccup is stirring, I might as well wake him up. Believe me, after all these years we've been together, the scrawny boy/man still takes forever to get up. He doesn't slack off a lot anymore, because he has a village to run, but I still have to drag him out of bed every morning. And it's fun for me to do that. Gives me something to laugh about every day.

"Tooooth…" he grumbles in his sleep, his voice deep and murmuring. To be honest, it's a bit better than the high-pitched voice of the young boy, because now he sounds more commanding and strong, capable of defending those who he cares. Exactly what I wanted him to be.

My ears perk up at these words, crooning slowly in thought. Tooth? He's rarely ever called me that before.

I prance around his bed slowly in wonder, curiously thinking of what he'd be thinking of to say my name in his sleep. Usually he says Astrid's name or he doesn't say anything at all. Sometimes he comes back home late and even smells of her. I don't know what he could do to smell of another human, but I guess we're close enough that we smell like each other anyway. He smells of pine and mint, whereas I smell of fish and scales. Together, we must smell pretty weird. But we never seem to tell each other about it. Nor have I seriously smelled him before. That sounds pretty gross.

"Toothless!" he yells suddenly, getting up and looking around furiously with a glint of vindict in his eye.

Hrm? I ask, cooing as I rest my head on the bed. It's soft and comfy, but not warm enough to suit my sleeping styles. I'd personally prefer Hiccup. Especially since he has grown enough for me to actually rest my snout onto his stomach.

"Hey… Toothless!" he says, getting to his senses and spreading out his arms. I move my snout into his arms happily as he gives me a huge hug. "Good morning!"

What was that all about? I croon, shifting my head in inquiry. I know, I know. He can't hear me. But I like to pretend that he can. He answers most of my questions as if he knew, anyway. I just need to croon and he'll answer. He just needs to sigh and I'll comfort him.

"Oi… I was actually going to surprise you," Hiccup says, rubbing the back of my snout with his now coarse, but still tender hands. His body smells are quite strong in the morning, and I'm not talking about mint or pine. "I wanted to get up before you did for a change. I had it in my mind all last night."

Maybe that's why you got up late, I snort. Because you were thinking too much.

"Oh, well…" Hiccup says, pulling out of the embrace. "Today's my birthday."

I nod. Again, I think in my head.

"Again."

I snort. Hiccup gives me one of those awkward smiles.

Yep. It's his birthday. Again. You should be bored of this by now, because every 365 night cycles it's his birthday again, like how it will be your birthday again within the range of 0 to 365 days, and to me, it's just something that you count to make sure your memory is still intact. How old am I now? I don't really care. What really matters is Hiccup's age and how he's still getting older. I don't want him to, but it's something I've learnt to deal with. He's getting older, I'm getting older (on a minimum scale, because I'm already fully mature as a body), and the village is getting older, and the world and the universe are getting older, just like they always have. If I could stop time for Hiccup, I would, but alas, the universe does not grant wishes like Hiccup gives me hugs.

I snort, getting up from my sitting position and trudging silently around him. He looks so innocent right now, rubbing his eyes lazily, waking up from a sleep without knowing a thing in the world, letting his thoughts be his world, letting the world around his world be nonexistent. In reality, he is no longer innocent. He is a grown up, a large man with a small beard (that he cuts every day), a person who knows of the ways of the village and the ways of love. He no longer wakes up thinking that the world is a place where happiness blooms from the most random of places, but a place where happiness only comes when you go and search for it.

He swings his legs off the bed, landing squarely on the ground and getting up next to me. "Well, in any case, I'll be off to the village now. Just gotta look good… though I don't see the point why."

I nod, cooing quietly as he puts on his more formal garments.

"Gee, you're quite the prerogative, aren't you, to be looking at the Chief as he dresses," he jokes as he puts on a large woolen coat, which had once been his father's.

I snort, resisting the urge to scorch his clothes. He doesn't have a lot to spare.

"So, it looks like a special day. I really wish you could come with me, Toothless, but my work… well, you know my work."

I coo understandingly, but inside I feel a small pang of disappointment. I was hoping that I'd be able to go with him today.

It's been like this ever since he was made chief by his father. He's become so busy that he can't afford to have me nagging him all the time. Besides, the population of the village has grown a lot, without the dragons destroying the village every few weeks, and there isn't quite enough space for a huge dragon like me to walk down the streets anyway. Plus, my curiosity would end up with me breaking something, which wouldn't be all too good for his public image.

My drooped expression gives away my thoughts, and Hiccup's quick to notice that.

"I know, Toothless. I don't want to, either. Who leaves their friend in their house all day?"

I snort slightly, nudging very pointedly at his side. I could be anywhere, really, but there isn't really anywhere to go. Plus, I have to be on alert in case Hiccup needs me, so I can't be snatching fish from the docks or something.

He sighs. "I know, Toothless."

I warble, licking his hand playfully. After all this time, I am still stupidly optimistic about the world. Well, mostly because of Hiccup, but who knows?

He crouches down and rubs my snout gently.

"It's not like we're apart, though. You're always here to listen to what I say, and you never ignore me. I don't know what I'd do without, Toothless. There are a lot of things that I can only tell you alone."

My memory, which has hardly faded over the years with Hiccup, because he is someone worth thinking about, flips back to the first few days when Hiccup became Chief. There was a big party and everything, and I got to see the other teenagers now fully grown up; Snotlout is now the leader of building infrastructure and making new weapons to defend Berk. The twins, stupid as they may have been in their youth, have become forgers (which is not something a stupid person could do) and make iron materials (and test them on each other). Fishlegs is a teacher at the Mead Hall, which has replaced the Dragon Training Academy as a place to learn about dragons. Astrid is busy with being, you know, Hiccup's mate. And managing the ports.

"I'm glad you're still with me in all of this," Hiccup says, giving me another small hug. I snort, as to tell him, Get to work already, you lazy human.

I remember circling the clouds above the village, the infrastructure below hidden beneath the mass of white, innocent clouds that roll their way over in the endless sky, but there always seems to be some clouds hovering over the endlessness of the world. Hiccup used to let me help in his running the village by flying around the village, but there was always the sense of duty in there, and we couldn't fool around like we used to, so we stopped after a while. When we're alone together in the air, the impossible becomes possible, the nature blooms into magic, and in friendship does the care show in its most treasured value.

"Alright, alright," he says, rolling his eyes. "Though I know that you still feel bad."

I let out a small croon as I admit these feelings. Of course he likes to voice his thoughts to Astrid as well. But they're mostly thoughts of love and reminding each other how much they love each other, but for the two of us, Hiccup and I, we don't need to tell each other that we care. Because deep down, we can never be apart, no matter how far we are from each other, and we always know that we care. This is the thing about friendship. No matter what part of the ship we're in, we're still always in the ship. And we know that we're still in the ship together, and we don't need to tell each other that 'We're still both in this ship,' because it's obvious that we are. And I don't know what I'd do without him on the ship. I'd sink for sure. Like I almost have over the course of the time we've been together.

"Just don't try to feel that bad," Hiccup says, mumbling as he gets his viking helmet and extra clothes out. "I don't want my birthday to be soggy."

I stick out my tongue and close my eyes, as if to express disgust at the very thought. He laughs. I mean, who likes soggy food?

I croon at my own thoughts. Wait, or was it soggy birthday? Or does he mean that his eyes are soggy?

Oh, well. It doesn't really matter, as Hiccup pulls away and heads downstairs. I follow him, because I'd have nothing to do otherwise.

"Hi, dad!" Hiccup waves to his father enthusiastically, who is eating silently at the wooden table.

"Good morning, son," Stoick greets, smiling as his son enters the room. There are several plates of food lined about, and a large basket of fish nearby.

"Eat up, you boys. Especially you," he nods towards Hiccup, gesturing to the massive amounts of food on the table. "You have a busy day ahead of you."

I waste no time in diving into the fish basket, gobbling up whatever its interiors hold, savoring the taste of each fish that passes my tongue. Pre-chief Hiccup would fly with me to the sea for breakfast, but since that's not possible anymore, Stoick often gets food for me, and for that I'm grateful.

"You bet, dad," Hiccup says, his enthusiasm from those teenage years finally bursting with emotions and colours. He sits down on the table while I eat right next to him, showing far less dignity than him. He looks at me devouring the fish hungrily.

"Wow!" he says, impressed with the amount of food in the basket. "Where did you get all that fish?"

"I turned out to be a fine fisherman," Stoick deadpans, and they both laugh. "It's a lot easier than running a village, anyway."

"Must be," Hiccup says to the old man, who has now lent his strength in feeding the village by the docks, which is something that he has been doing for most of his career before, anyway. "But all of this?" He gestures to the massive amount of food laid out on the table. "You didn't have to, dad."

"Consider it a birthday present from me," Stoick says, giving him a smile. "Though it might not be the best you'll get today."

"It's awesome, dad, thanks," Hiccup says, wolfing down his food quickly, but not messily. He must be really excited. "I appreciate it a lot."

"You're appreciative for a lot of things," he says, gesturing to all of Hiccup. "That's the son that I've known of."

"Thanks, dad," Hiccup says, grinning and he finishes his breakfast. He gets up and hugs his father once, and then turns to me. "Alright, Toothless, I'm going now-"

Just then, the door nearly crashes down as Hiccup's mate, Astrid, almost literally bounces in, sweaty but quite satisfied with herself.

"Astrid!" Hiccup yells, running into her arms as she pulls him right in- and kisses him wildly on the lips.

"Mmph- mm!" Hiccup says in surprise, but doesn't fight Astrid's passionate kiss. Stoick turns away and chuckles, but I stay rooted in spot, my eyes open in utmost interest.

So this is how humans woo each other, I think to myself. Though I never thought that it would be this…. uh, nevermind.

"As Hiccup opens his eyes during the kiss, and sees me staring at the two curiously," his cheeks instantly go red, his embrace faltering a bit.

"Astrid…" he says dazedly, still lost in that wonderland bliss. "We're in front of… you know?"

"I know," she says, stealing another kiss onto his cheek. "That's how you know that I'm serious."

Behind me, I hear Stoick grunt something like "By Odin you are."

"What have you done this time?" he asks, out of breath as the beautiful blonde girl (who now has long hair) holds his shoulders playfully.

"I did the basic routines for you," she says in her most joyful voice. "Which means you have the whole day off!"

"You… do?" he asks, surprised and totally taken aback. "Thanks."

Though my spirits lighten at her words, because Hiccup will finally get to be free for a day, my heart sinks because I know who Hiccup will choose to spend time with; Astrid, of course. He's going to take Astrid on a long walk somewhere, and I'm going to have to sit in the room as if it were any other day. Because they certainly won't appreciate me being around.

My ears perk up at her next words, though.

"I know right? I'll be chiefing the rest of the day for you!" she says, throwing her arms up in the air. "Isn't that, like, the best birthday present ever?"

I stand upright immediately, almost knocking a chair backward in surprise.

"Wha… what?"

"Of course!" she says, hugging Hiccup. "You'll get to do whatever you want the whole day! Like flirt with Toothless," she jokes, winking at me, and I recoil in fear.

"Just kidding," she says blowing me a kiss from Hiccup's front. "Oh, yeah, and Fishlegs said that he discovered that sandstone melts into something really glassy. He said it might be something that could be fit on windows, to keep the snow out but the view intact."

I roll my eyes, sitting back down in exasperation. A small smoke cloud forms from my snout as I huff out air.

"I hope you're not serious about the flirting thing," is all Hiccup can say, hugging her back quite awkwardly, causing me to laugh. Or snort.

"But of course!" she says. "Everybody knows that you loooooove Toothless."

Hiccup rolls his eyes this time, and Stoick lets out the smallest of chuckles.

"I love Stormfly, too," she says, pulling out of the hug. "But I love you more."

A really awkward silence fills the air, which I break by smacking Hiccup's back with my tail.

"Ow- uh, yeah, thanks, Astrid. I love you too," he says, shooting a glare at me. "You are going to pay."

I make my most innocent smile ever, causing Astrid to laugh.

"I'll spend some time with you at night to make up for now," she says in a seductive voice, and after another kiss, leaps out of the door and goes straight for the village.

A really, really, awkward silence follows as Stoick and I eye Hiccup with a 'you're not serious' look.

"What're you looking at?" he snaps at me. I snort in response.

"Quite the lover you have there, Hiccup," Stoick calls, turning back to eat the rest of his food.

"Quite the family man," he says, with an embarrassed look, his freckles not really helping at all to hide his exquisite burning face. He turns back to me, and I look at him hopefully.

"C'mon, Toothless, let's go do what chiefs in their free time do," he says, giving me a smile.

Sure!

I tackle him down, licking his face furiously at the new developments. Me? With Hiccup? All day?

All hail whatever gods there might exist out there! Though I should curse them too for not giving me more.

I croon happily as I follow him out the door. I turn back to see Stoick, a man who once tried to kill me, but now a man that I am tolerant with, maybe even respect, smiling at me.

"Thanks for being with my son," he mouths with a wink as I watch him curiously. I croon and follow Hiccup outside, closing the door with my tail behind me.

"Well, that was unexpected," Hiccup says, his face still slightly red.

Wonder when she ever got that hyperactive, I mutter to myself, but still smiling nonetheless.

"In any case, you know what we're gonna do," Hiccup says swinging his leg over my back, the prosthetic (which has been remade over time) clanking as it makes contact with the metal mechanism of my leg.

Like every flight I've ever had with Hiccup, I feel a surge of power rush through me, coursing from my head down to my legs, my wings spreading out in eagerness, my legs tingling and ready to leave the ground.

"Time for liftoff," Hiccup says, patting my side excitedly.

I roar, pushing my feet off the ground powerfully and letting my wings take the two of us into aerial flight, our shapes blurred to the normal eye as shoot through the sky, the winds blowing past us with magnificent speeds, chilling our bodies, but not our hearts, which are blazing with emotions of freedom, happiness, and most importantly, care.

"Awesome!" Hiccup yells, thrusting his arm into the air in triumph. I follow his actions with a roar of my own, doing a small mid-air spin to let off the rushing feelings that blow through my body like the wind does, blasting underneath my wings with every flap, propelling us farther and farther into the seas where no land lies, where no burdens ever come across us.

If life is meant to be lived, then this is the true meaning of living. To be free, to be with those you care about, to be the one that provides those you care about the happiness and love. To be a friend, to be able to fly, to be able to care- these are the points in living.

At one point, the wings are so strong that our ears hear nothing but the sound of speeding air, to which Hiccup brings his body close to mine- at the rate that we're going, it's going to be easy to fall off. But that'll never happen when I'm watching. By the time that I've slowed down, Hiccup is shivering.

"Hey, that was super fast," he pants dazedly, hugging me tightly in order to get warmer again. I descend into a glide to let Hiccup recover. "I never knew you could fly that fast."

I coo, turning around in small circles as Hiccup marvels at my also recently newfound speed. My wings are slightly tired out from the simple, yet powerful stunt, but with Hiccup on my back, I feel like I could keep flying forever. But if he wants to rest, then so will I.

"That was awesome," he says, getting back into his normal position and turning the prosthetic back towards Berk. "We're definitely doing that again tomorrow."

I nod, my legs tucked in tightly as I begin to fly back towards the village. The sky is strangely cloudless, as if the weather itself is also celebrating Hiccup's birthday. It's unusual for Berk to be cloudless. It's usually either cloudy or murky.

As we head back, we pass by the wooden tower, which connects to the iron arena, both of them completely neglected and forgotten, eerily free of both dragons and humans that would otherwise roam the areas together in harmony. We land on the rocky grounds not far from it. As soon as he gets off me, he scratches his chin, his mind in deep thought.

"Mm…"

"Hey… Toothless," he says eventually, patting my side gently. I croon in a questioning answer. "How about we go demolish the arena?"

What? I nudge his side, following his side with in interest. Why? My mind races with the possibility of destroying what was once the place where dragons were captured and tortured… and then later trained. Irony? Maybe. Contempt? Depends on the dragon of choice.

"It's been such a huge thorn to the new dragons here," Hiccup explains, gesturing to the dragons beyond the arena as they play around. "They hear what the other dragons say about it, about what it used to be. They lose trust in us and fly away." He picks up a hammer from the forge (that has been given back to Gobber) and swings it around in excitement. "Besides, I'm chief, and I get to do whatever I want now. Mostly."

I coo, watching from my distance as a boy runs around with a Terror. The village has grown so much under Hiccup's leadership. Dragons are now accepted as citizens of Berk, and they are free to come and go as they please. Sometimes the dragons bring fish with them as a sign of thanks. Some just come to rest, but it is assured that their stay will be safe and sound. The former dragons of this place, namely Stormfly and co., are in charge of keeping the new dragons under control. Just like how Hiccup and the other former teens keep the humans under control.

We can see the port from here. Stoick is hauling in another net of fish onto land. My mouth drools slightly at this, the saliva running down my left in a small trickle.

"Hungry?" Hiccup chuckles, walking towards the arena. "You just ate, you know."

I let out a snort, poking at his stomach with my paw. So did you.

"Ow! Alright…" he grumbles. "I'm sort of hungry too. Your breakneck flight took all the appetite out of me, though."

Apart from meat and fish, that Hiccup has strict regulations on keeping the consumption rate under control, the place even has agriculture, with fields of corn and potatoes to keep throughout the whole year. There are proper ships that lie in proper ports that trade with other villages. And there have been no attacks from either dragons nor other villages with the power of humans and dragons combined. We are an independent village that no one can deny.

And this is where I feel home the most. With Hiccup.

As we cross the wooden bridge that has fallen into disrepair, Hiccup tries to find something to keep me occupied. I can sense him thinking about it, if not by a large margin. I believe he still feels guilty for, if I daresay, neglecting me all those years before, even if it was all those years before and he did apologize. Maybe he's still trying to make up for all of it. But whatever he's doing, he's having fun too. And that's enough for me.

"Hey, Toothless, don't you have a mate somewhere?" Hiccup asks, his long hair striking with his tunic as he walks along, waving off the people that approach him.

I let out a small growl, shaking my head in frustration.

I've considered finding one. I wasn't smart back then.

"Oh," Hiccup says, his face falling. "I'm sorry."

I coo softly in response. I don't want him to feel bad in any way, but certainly he brought this upon himself. And I'm going to do my best to make the burden as small as possible.

"But… don't you want to?" he asks, looking at me curiously.

I growl a bit louder, but Hiccup chooses to not keep his mouth shut.

"I mean… it doesn't matter if you don't, but if you do… I'm hindering you, right?"

My ears perk up despite my increasingly louder growls.

"Like, you could go looking for all the females you've ever wanted in the world, Toothless," he says, "But instead, you're stuck here, on Berk, with me."

I think you've acknowledged this before, I growl, nudging his side irritably. And I don't want a mate… that much.

I consider the thoughts in my head. Finding a mate… repopulating what little population my kind has… having children… teaching them how to be strong. How to live life and have adventures like I had with Hiccup. All of these urges clash with the very mentality of my love of Hiccup. If I left him, wouldn't I be betraying him? Wouldn't everything that he's given me all amount to them being given to a female that I hardly even know of? She would never give me the friendship that Hiccup had.

But to be in love… it's something that I've thought of before, but never really became something worth thinking about in my mind. Especially after I met Hiccup. He gave me, is giving me, and will give me all the love I will ever have experienced. I don't need… I don't need… a mate, right?

"Think about it, Toothless," Hiccup says, patting my head. "I'd feel awfully bad if my best friend was rejecting his needs just because of me."

But... I need to be with you, I protest, growling in frustration. The last time that I wasn't…

"I don't want you to leave," he says quickly, not quite meeting my eyes with the fear of losing me. "But if you have to do what you have to do, I'm not going to stop you."

Don't… I growl through bared teeth. Don't talk about it. I'm never… to leave you.

"Toothless, even I have my desires," Hiccup admits, his cheeks going red at the thought. "You must have yours too."

I… I… Argh! I growl, stomping the ground in anger. Why must you bring up this subject? I was perfectly fine until you made me crave for such… feral desires! I even spit fire at the ground in frustration, which burns for a while before it puts itself out.

"Oh, Toothless…" Hiccup says, his face falling, his hammer hanging feebly by his side. "I went too far. Sorry."

At his apology, I clear up right away, nudging his hand gently in forgiveness, but I cannot push away the nagging feeling of mating from my mind.

I've been with humans long enough to know how they woo. They get together, talk to each other often, and if they're close enough, they lick each other's tongues. How they actually mate is beyond my knowledge (and Hiccup has nearly thrown me out when he found out that I was secretly opening his notebook), but it mustn't be that much different from dragons.

As for dragons, wooing is quite simple and is often incredibly quick. Especially in the mating season, where pheromones are running high. We get to talk a bit, some species like to show off, and if we agree, we mate. Simple. Not confusing and tentative like humans. Astrid was trying to win Hiccup for, what, nearly ten years? That's really long. And I don't even know if they've mated yet. Compared to our less than 5 minute talks… yeah.

Gah! What am I talking about? I shouldn't be thinking about this stuff. No. No way.

As we continue our now silent walk towards the arena, I fight my own battles in my head about the subjects that Hiccup has so inadvertently planted into my mind, growing larger and larger like an infection.

Imagine what you could do.

Shut up. What I'm doing now is enough.

Even Hiccup supports you.

He's only saying it to make me feel better. He doesn't want me to leave as much as I do.

But you do want to leave. You want to find a mate.

Only because you started it.

Only because your friend started it.

I don't care. I'm not going to betray my best friend for a measly female.

Oh, yes, you will.

Oh, shut the-

"Here it is, Toothless," Hiccup declares, snapping me back to my senses. "The arena."

Mm… I grumble, sliding my tail on the ground awkwardly as my inner voices die down. Hiccup laughs.

The arena, which has been pretty much unused for the last several years, stands perfectly as it once had been; the metal rusting slightly from the rain and snow on Berk, but nothing really shabby or in need of repairing. Maybe that's why no one's touched it for so long.

As we near it, I notice the Night Fury sign hanging above the gate and croon. It's still there, after all this time. Ever since Hiccup had it made all those years before.

Hiccup shakes his head in disapproval, and I perk my ears up in interest.

"It was back then when I thought dragons could be 'trained'," Hiccup says in disgust. "It turns out that you guys are just like humans. You disliked being oppressed as much as we did. That's why we're friends, not master and pet, see."

I growl in agreement. The people back then thought that they could control us. They even tried to put dragons on a leash or in cages, which is why none of the dragons went near the arena, and eventually, it was shut down due to lack of activity.

"It was you, actually, that showed me that," he says in thought.

I let out a small croon of curiosity.

"You showed me that your instinct to protect me had to be earned. It wasn't always in you, to follow me everywhere. And you showed me that I was just like you. That you needed care, too. When I forgot about you all those years, I thought you were a doll that was eventually stored away as I grew up and more… mature and interesting things came into my life."

He says the last sentence through gritted teeth, his grip on the hammer tightening.

"It wasn't until you openly showed your anger and actions towards my neglect that I understood that we were equal. We all needed to matter to another, but I chose to matter to Astrid instead. I thought that you'd be fine without me, because I didn't know that you'd care. But it turns out that you did, and I realized that I did too, despite how much I'd ignored you, and how I wrong I was to do so. Which means that dragons need care as much as humans do, and like us, don't like being treated as playthings. You're just like a human friend, who have other human friends that care for each other and stick with each other and comfort each other. You don't like following me around but getting ignored all the time. Fishlegs would certainly hate me for that."

I coo, sensing frustration in his voice.

"I guess I'm just ranting right now because of what I used to do back then. And I feel guilty because you can't really explain your side of things to me."

I give an appreciative croon, rubbing the side of my snout on his side. He gives me a gentle pat.

"I know, Toothless. Thanks."

He takes a long look at the arena and sighs.

"You know, when I see this place, I don't think of the original Flight Club at all," he says. "I always think of when I was just a kid, and I was fighting Hookfang, and you were there to save me." He walks over to the side of the arena, where the spectators safely viewed the gore inside. "I remember my father right here," he points to a part of the neglected wood, "Telling Gobber to stop the fight." He walks over a rusting section of rusting metal bars that cover the place. "And somewhere here, where you blasted through the bars to save me."

I follow him around quietly as he makes his way around the arena, making sure not to disturb him as he recalls these memories. I remember, too, when I swooped in and cleanly destroyed the metal when I heard his scream of fear. He wasn't going to make it- or die- without me, was what I thought back then. But now, when I look at the quiet, lonely arena, I think of only how such a thriving place became… this. From a place that tortured dragons to a place that trained them, then to a place where dust settles idly, wondering why it must rest in such a lonely place. He silently climbs up to the top of the arena and bringing the Night Fury sign down carefully. He sets it near me, but I ignore it and follow him back to the arena's gate.

"Now, all we need to do is tear this place down," he says with a determined voice, The arena stands in its full shiny glamor, but like many things, beauty has its own bloody history. "Shall we?"

I roar, shooting a firebolt that melts a hole in the front gate.

"Yeah!" Hiccup yells, smashing down a metal bar with a mighty swing of his hand. The rusted metal makes it easy for me and Hiccup to smash, tobble, burn, and raze the exteriors of the arena, whose insides soon follow the same fate.

"This is way better than sorting out water supplies," he comments, ripping out the ropes that bind the arena above line by line, occasionally swinging on them and then shoving axes straight at them. Hiccup lets me do the honors, which is burn the vertical line that descends downwards and connects the rest of the ropes.

"Whew," he says, signed slightly from the massive amounts of fire that I use to tear the metal bars apart. "That's enough, I guess."

When the bars surrounding the arena are totally in pieces, but not discarded (Hiccup says that they can be melted into something else later on, regardless of their destroyed state), Hiccup and I back off and begin pulling out the wooden slabs that make up the wooden platforms. One by one, the wood comes out cleanly from its group, where Hiccup hands it to me to bring to the growing pile of supplies by the post-arena's front. Many times will Hiccup ask me to take the metal to Gobber's forge, but it is only when he stops deboarding the ground and come with me do I take the iron to the forge.

"You are one stubborn dragon," he mutters, leaving the forge after handing iron to Gobber for the third time in half an hour, the latter nodding absentmindedly (and melting sandstone). "I wonder if you got this from me, or you were already this stubborn."

All he gets is thrown off my back and onto the soft ground as I lick him. He doesn't fight it, despite villagers watching him.

Once all of boards are gone and all the materials have been taken to the village, which really is saying something, it's midday. Hiccup removes the last bits of wood, and lets me burn the outlying ones that he couldn't pry out. Now, the arena is a hollowed bit of ground with smoldering bits of wood scattered here and there.

"Wow," he says, looking at a column of thin smoke that rises from my firebolt from the front of the post-arena. "This was once where I taught the other guys, and now…"

It's nothing but hollowed ground, I finish for him. Which is somewhat depressing.

"We'll build a real Academy this time," Hiccup says determinedly, looking at the charred ruins. "We'll make sure it never holds as terrible memories as this place once had."

I croon, agreeing with his plan.

We will.

But he can't hear that.

"We'll have to take this Night Fury sign back home first, though," he says, picking up the sign from the ground. "Maybe we'll hang this in front of the house again."

I nod as Hiccup mounts my back once again, and we fly back home together. I don't know when I started calling Hiccup's home my home, but it just feels like home. It's that vibe of security and freedom that you get when you're in your own quarters, I guess, that makes home home.

It's also Hiccup's presence, of course, that makes his home my home as well.

We land just outside his house, the interiors of the structure empty of people, with Stoick out at the docks, and Hiccup just right on the outside. It's just a tiny step to being inside, but the house is still empty.

"I'm going to go get the stuff. You just wait here."

The cloudless sky is still open for us to fly, and I nod towards it expectantly.

"Hold on, hold on. We'll fly once your spectacular picture is up."

I roll my eyes and flop down on the grass in wait. Stubborn Hiccup still wants to get the Night Fury sign hung up first. Grmmph.

I watch the sky as I wait. The village has so many dragons visiting it, but I don't really talk to a lot of them. The pre-chief dragons know better than to try and get me to talk to them. They're just annoying, in my eyes. Maybe it's because of the solitary thing, too, but really. I close my eyes and let out a sigh.

Some of them are just unbearable-

Who's unbearable?

A black figure, a female Night Fury, is hovering just above the cliff, not landing on the grass, and is right in front of me.

No way. Why would a Night Fury, of all sorts, be here?

As she hovers there, her wings flapping slowly and gracefully, all my thoughts slowly fade away, her blue eyes locked into my own.

So, who's unbearable? she asks playfully, I stare at her wildly, my pheromones blazing at her desirable body. Never mind that. Who are you?

I… uh… I stutter, trying very hard to make myself look nice. H-hi.

Hi, she answers sweetly, her eyes glinting in interest. She's so pretty… I wonder if she has a mate yet. She probably doesn't. Maybe she's looking for one.

Um… I, uh, well… I continue, trying my best to form words, but it's just not working. Everything has just slipped from my mind, the image of her filling every corner of my peripherals as I try to take her image in as much as I can.

I've been searching everywhere, she says, ruffling her wings gently. There aren't a lot of us left.

T-that's true, I reply. Not to mention that it's mating season…

What's wrong? she asks, tilting her head slightly. She looks so cute when she does that…

C'mon, say it! Just say it! You can do it!

Y-you're pretty, I manage to stutter, and instantly mentally slap myself at my own awkwardness. No, you can't be that blunt! She'll think you're a pervert! Pretty, um, nice, I mean.

Right… she says quietly, leaning down to touch my wing with her own. My eyes race with thousands of thoughts at her touch. I've never really met another Night Fury before, but I can tell you're pretty… nice, too.

Pretty nice? I ask, my mind zinging as she draws away, finally landing on the grass.

As in… you know… cute, she says shyly. I like... y-your eyes.

I croon, moving in to touch her wing back with my own. As we touch again, I feel I rushing sensation, a need to be with her, a want to… love.

I like… you, I say finally, moving in to rub my snout with hers, earning a small coo from her.

M… me too, she says, cooing softly as our snouts touch.

I'm Toothless.

I'm Starlight, she says, tilting her head coyly. This is all so fast… my mind's rushing…

It is… I say, my mind lost in bliss. We can go somewhere else first, if you want-

Yes, I do, she whispers, lowering her head in acceptance.

Wait at Night Fury isle, then, I say, the first place I can think of. It's about ten minutes to the northeast from here.

I'll be waiting there, then, she says with a wink, backing off slowly and winking at me. See you.

She turns around, looks at me one more time, and then takes off in the direction that I talked about. This is so unreal… a female Night Fury… and I didn't even have to dance with her. Which is lucky, since I…

...need Hiccup to fly.

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no no.

As soon as this thought comes into my head, my thoughts instantly crash back down to me, accusations flooding my head as I slam my head in the ground in guilt. My head is aching, but I don't care.

No! I shouldn't have said that… no…

"Found your long love at last?"

I instantly turn around, and stare, with wide, guilty, eyes, as Hiccup stands in front of me, a smile on his face. Hiccup. The man who gave me everything. Hiccup. The man who I just betrayed.

Hiccup! I cry, running up to him and throwing myself downwards forcefully. I'm sorry! I- I don't want to leave you… you mean the world to me. She was… she… I'm not going to trade you for- I'm sorry, Hiccup. I can't… I can't.

"I knew something like this would happen," he says, kneeling down and touching my snout gently. "I just never thought it would be this day that you'd leave."

I'm not going to leave! I roar, nearly knocking him down in frustration. Never!

As he continues to pat me gently, I slump down onto the grass, the fight going out of me.

"It's alright, Toothless," he says, hugging me tightly. "I understand."

I know he doesn't. No one understands me at the moment. Even I don't understand myself. I move my snout up to his chest, and pray, despite having never believed in any gods at all, that he will get my message.

I'm sorry, Hiccup. Please forgive me. I'm not going to leave you, alright? You've done everything you can for me. She's not worth it. I want to mate, that's true, but… I'm not selling you out. It's just not fair for you, after all that's happened. She's nothing compared to you. Besides, I can't leave you, even if I wanted to. My prosthetic won't work on its own.

"That's why I made this for you," he says carefully, producing a metal prosthetic from behind him.

I stare at him, not really believing what he's showing. In fact, I can't believe if this is really him.

In his hands, a new prosthetic, clicking with little gears and metal lines, a contraption that I've never seen before.

"I made this not long ago," he explains. "I found out that I could make the metal prosthetic match your still living tailfin's movements, and I went ahead and just that."

I stare at him, a small coo eliciting from my vocal chords. This isn't true… he really did this for me? Just so I could be with… her? The hopes of mating, filled with guilt and self-hate, flow once into reality again. But...

"You can fly wherever you want with this new prosthetic," he says with a wink. "Even with… have you got a name for her yet?"

No! I'm not going to go with her!

I make a lunge for the prosthetic tail, aiming to destroy it before my thoughts even more out of control, but Hiccup jerks it away from me. I crash into his chest instead, which I regret immediately as he recoils backwards.

"Why fight your desires, Toothless?" he asks softly, wincing slightly in pain. "Even I ran off with Astrid once, remember?"

I nod. There's no denying that.

"She doesn't like humans, right?"

I nod.

"Yeah. I figured that out," he says, a smile on his face. "Look, we've all gotta move on at one point. Your life is not going to stop because of me. Do you understand?"

I shake my head vigorously.

"Admit it. She's accepted you."

I bare my fangs. Doesn't mean I accept her.

Hiccup sighs. "You like her. You want to be with her."

At these words, I cannot make myself lie anymore. I nod.

"T-then this prosthetic will suit you well."

I look at the thing, this time with not anger, but with hope. The fact that I can finally have a mate, finally have kids, finally be with another Night Fury, is more than I've ever dreamed of. Even Hiccup has a mate. And since he's fine with it, maybe I can finally have one of my own too.

I look back at Hiccup expectantly, whose eyes aren't all that glinting anymore.

Hiccup? I croon, nearing him once again.

"I-it's nothing," he says, shaking his head vigorously. "J-just turn around and I'll get t-the prosthetic on."

I don't budge, my eyes widening in concern as his body starts shaking.

"C'mon, you stupid reptile," he stutters, his voice cracking. "Just turn around."

I stay exactly where I am. If he's not happy, neither will I.

"Toothless!" he says, discarding the prosthetic and running up to hug me. I realize that he's crying, and coo softly as his large arms embrace me, his body trembling from emotions.

"Toothless…" he says, his voice on the verge of breaking down. "I… I'm glad that I've had the chance to have a friend like you. I don't think anyone else in the world will care for me as much as you will. You've been with me ever since I met you all those years ago, and since then, you have never left my side. You've always been with me, be it through love or hate. You've tolerated things that other people would have never tolerated. Every time I screwed up, you would always be there to listen to me. No one, will be able to replace you. Not any person or dragon. You've been the best person I've ever had in my life. You'll always be my best friend, Toothless. Nothing's going to change that."

I coo softly, my eyes closed, and, being unable to bear the emotions that crash through, I cry as well. Small teardrops roll down my eyes, sliding off my scales and onto Hiccup's arms.

"No one," he says, "Will ever know as much love and care as we do."

As I cry silently, Hiccup wipes the tears away from my face gently.

"All through my life, I've never thought of you leaving," he continues, "I hoped that you'd be with me forever. But even friends have to leave one day. We're like sticks floating on a streaming river, and I'm glad that our paths have crossed for so long. Time to move on from this stupid little boy who can't raise a knife to defend himself, Toothless."

I open my eyes, and see a teary smile on his face. Nodding, I move my tail up to my side, allowing Hiccup to undo the saddle, dismantle the old tailfin and replace it with the new one. As he works on the last thing he'll ever get to help me with, my eyes do not leave him.

"T-there, you lovesick reptile," he says, standing up and pulling me into a hug once again. "You can fly on your own now. I had to hide the prosthetic away from you before, because I know you'd destroy it, but now… just don't try to break it, alright? I don't have spares."

I coo gently, my mind nudging gently at his own. He pulls in closer as I pour out my thoughts to him, not caring if he can hear them or not.

I don't know what to say, for everything has been said, I tell him. But when I first met you that day, I never thought that I'd become friends with you. I never thought that we'd share a bond stronger than any dragon and human would ever have. And I certainly never thought that I'd standing here, bidding you goodbye. But here I am, and I want to tell you, that I am grateful for every single moment that I am with you. Every moment just standing with you equates to an immeasurable amount of security, care, love, and trust that no one will ever be able to experience. I might be away from you, Hiccup, but you'll always be with me forever.

Hiccup stands tall, looking at me with a mixture of happiness and sadness. His green eyes, matching only mine, glint in the rays of the orange sun, his smell of pine and mint making my reason to breathe more than to just survive.

"I'll miss you, Toothless," he says, raising his arm in a small wave.

I will never, never, forget this boy. The man who gave me everything I could want, and things that I never thought existed. The boy who made a dragon something much more than just a flying reptile.

I retract my teeth, give one him last smile, and take off into the air, my thoughts thinking of the future ahead as I sail into the endless sky.

I'll miss you too, bud.

L/N: I know I'm not really great at notes, but I really, really, want to thank you guys, all of you guys, for providing me with the inspiration to write and continue writing throughout all my time here. Be it a follow, a review, a favourite, or even a PM, you guys keep on showing me that my stories are actually worth reading, and for that, I'm grateful for you. A story is never complete without a reader to appreciate it, and you guys have filled that part so well.

Thanks.

Also, to clarify: Searching for Lightning is *sorta*on hiatus, because I'm still thinking of what to write about. Not to mention that last chapter was also kind of an enging to the story anyway, so now I'm stuck.