Hey guys! I feel like such a winner; updated this chapter already after starting it on Thursday! And it's my longest chapter yet, over 11,600 words! Lots happens, I guess.

Nothing to add. Read and enjoy. And as always, leave a happy comment in the magical box at the bottom of this page; I love feedback! As tribute, I would like to give a shout-out to QuirkyRevelations, Kanamizaki, lukerlaine, Rowena BaronErikandSnapelover, .craze, Yoshi-Strange, XCagedHopeX, AngelOfTheTwilight, and Melidona for reviewing, plus the guests Guest, Somebody, and hello! I'm sure the three counted as "Guest" can be different people, but I'll just put it as one. And TsukinArchangel for the idea. And everyone who is still reading. And those who just stumbled across it. You guys are way awesome! Especially you QuirkyRevelations!

EDIT: Big thank you to guest reviewer Sadie who pointed out that I accidentally forgot to give credit to the artist of the song "Something Different." I used / *ahem, stole* a lot of the lines from said song for Jack's dialogue this chapter, and wanted to say that I don't own her brilliant work. Anyone who doesn't know the song should totally check it out on YouTube. Again, I own nothing! (Thanks Sadie; you're right - I should've given her credit for that!)

7 – The Power of Fear

Part I – The Guardians

The Aurora Borealis: Somewhere Over the Ocean (Jack's POV)

"And this is…Prancer?"

"Comet," North corrected.

"Right. Sorry Comet."

The reindeer snorted into my hair, blowing it into my eyes. I laughed.

I was in the reindeer pens. North was there to feed them, and I just happened to be freezing their water troughs over. Thankfully, the Russki has a good sense of humor, so I wasn't harmed. Instead I ended up defrosting the water and trying my best to name the creatures. So far, I'd only gotten Blitzen right. And that was a random guess.

As I patted his head, I asked, "So I'm guessing Rudolph doesn't really exist, does he?"

"No," North said, "he does. But I usually leave him home. He is only for special occasion, like foggy skies."

"Right." As if I understood.

North, again, didn't comprehend my sarcasm. Instead he hoisted up a bucket of oats he was carrying and began hand-feeding them. "Would you like to help me? It will go faster with two hands."

I shrugged and leaned my staff against the wall. I cupped my hands out to him. North poured a generous amount of oats into them. A reindeer's muzzle (I think it was Donner, but I really had no idea) was against my icy flesh in moments, devouring everything. It tickled and I found myself chuckling under my breath. North watched me for a while, then laughed as well.

The whole day somehow ended up passing like this. Relaxing. It wasn't winter yet anywhere in the world, so having less frost wasn't really affecting anyone. Well, except everyone on the ship. I'll spare you all the fluffy details, but I found myself surrounded with peace. Away from my own thoughts.

After feeding the reindeer, I ran into Tooth. Half an hour later, I was making her a pirate hat while she made warmer clothes for up in Berk. The pirate hat wasn't a challenge; before long, I set it down and was working on a winter hat, a light blue thing lined with white fur. Ends up I had a knack for stitching.

"Where in the world did you learn to sew, Jack?" she asked.

I looked down at the completed hat in my hands. "I honestly have no idea. I've just been able to do it for as long as I can remember. It's a natural thing. Who knows, maybe I was a seamstress's son or something?"

"Maybe!" Tooth put the finishing touches to her outfit. "Here, get out so I can change!"

"Ya sure you don't want me around?"

She laughed. "Your sarcasm only works on North silly!"

I gave her my most 'innocent' puppy-dog eyes. "What? Sarcastic? Me? No way. You must be mistaken Toothiana! How could I be sarcastic to you?"

"Out!"

She slammed the door in my face, but I could hear her giggling from behind it. Smiling, I leaned on the wall opposite from it.

I heard muffled footsteps coming down the hall. Turning to my left, I saw Bunny leaving his room and coming towards me. I waved.

"Morning, Bunny."

"Frostbite." He scanned the floor to make sure I didn't freeze it – which I didn't – and asked, "Is there a reason you're standin' in fronta Tooth's room like a creeper."

"Is it a criminal offence?" I asked back innocently.

He scoffed. "It could be."

"I'll make a bet it isn't."

"Wanna bet?" Bunny slipped a boomerang easily from his back strap. "Or ya too scared to try?"

I was about to say "You're on!" when I realized I didn't have my staff in my hand. Oh crap; I snuck a glance at the closed door. Yep, without a doubt, I left it in there with Tooth. Who was probably half-naked. And what guy would walk in when a female friend was changing without her expressed permission?

Bunny noticed my hesitation. "What is it Frost, are ya really too afraid to fight?"

"Not in your lifetime, Kangaroo." But I was still trying to make a show with no actions. I didn't have any abilities without my staff.

He smirked. "Well then, get ready to taste the power of a Pooka, mate!"

He was about to throw a punch – and I had just held my hands up in a defensive position – when the door flew open. We both stopped out less-than-playful banter and turned.

Toothiana stood before us with a smile that could blind the sun brightening her face. Her blond hair floated out from under the hat I'd just completed. She was wearing a long coat that reached halfway down her shins and matching boots. The coat and hat were a sky blue; silver, navy blue, and gold stitchings wove over them with intricate swirls of snowflakes, and lined with fur. Her boots were tough brown leather. The pants were loosely fit and cream. It was a perfect fit – curving into her waist and flaring out, but still showing how proportionally thin she really was.

Tooth did a little spin. I noticed she had made slits in the backs to accommodate her wings. "Tada!"

Bunny whistled lowly and I nodded.

"Снегурочка," I whispered.

"Snegoo-what?" asked Bunny.

"Снегурочка," I repeated. "The Snow Maiden in Rossia. She's known as North's granddaughter, a fictional character from his homeland. At least, I've never met her if she exists. It's said that she's blond and beautiful, and wears exactly that." I pointed at Tooth. "If there were a Снегурочка, I would bet she looks just like you."

"Aw Jack!" Tooth fluttered up and dove into my arms. "You're too kind! There's no way I'm that ethereal! Besides, you made the hat."

I just shrugged and blushed. It was pinkish at first, but my skin flushed my cheeks blue after a moment. Once Tooth pulled away, I had an idea. Running into the room, I retrieved my staff from the floor. The familiar cool touch of the wood sent a spark of power through my body. Frost began to weave through the crevices on its surface.

I motioned for her to follow. Both Bunny and Tooth did. We went up on the deck where I began to make it snow gently around Tooth. Not much; I didn't want her wings to get too buffeted. But it was enough to give a winter appearance around her.

"There. Now you truly are a winter fairy."

Tooth flew up into the isolated cloud of snow with a whoop worthy of my own carefree spirit. While she was in the air, Bunny hopped over to me. Even he seemed impressed.

"When d'ya learn Russkian?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. Sainkt Peterburg is my favorite city. I've been flying there practically all my life, so I've become pretty fluent in Russkian over the years I guess."

He nodded. "That's pretty good…I guess."

I mock-gasped and clutched a hand over my heart. "What is this? Have my ears deceived me or did the Kangaroo just give me a compliment? Oh my, the heavens have opened and shined on his poor little soul!"

He cuffed me across the head. "Quiet, you!"

North came down then, Sandy behind him. Baby Tooth fluttered from her perch on Sandy's shoulder to mine. I stroked her feathery cheek with a finger.

The big man waved to us. "We're docking now. Eat lunch and continue trip in an hour, yes?"

Come to think of it, North did all of the ship-steering, didn't he? That must take hours of work. He only took breaks when Phil or Andy would take over. As for Sandy, he was barely on the ship to allow for relaxation time. Whenever he was I usually caught him snoozing off by his room. Right in front of the door too. Never in it though. Wake him and he'll float in real secret-like.

The three of us gathered by them. I stopped the falling snow. "I didn't know we had an anchor."

"Every ship has anchor, Jack," North said matter-of-factly. "It is one of five rules of sky sailing."

"What rules?"

"One: Never sail higher than longest anchor. Two: Never fly through uncharted skies. Three: Always know the condition of the ship. Four: Always have plenty of supplies. But it is Rule Five that is most important."

"What's rule number five?"

North gave me a kindly look. "Five. Always put the welfare of the crew before your own. Always look at each member as family. Always respect them. And most of all, no matter what, always do everything in your power to help them through thick and thin. Love them as much as you could ever love a person."

By then, everyone was there: North, Tooth, Baby, Sandy, Bunny, Phil, Andy, Robb, Gerald, Maddie, Henrietta. And me: Jack Frost.

The next thing I knew, we were all in a big group hug. Uncomfortable on so many levels, but I think I could get used to it.

After that, we had lunch. Borscht, to be specific. Who knew yetis ate daintily! Much more than I did, that's for sure. I've probably got beet stains on my fingers for years to come! But sitting there, laughing with everyone, I felt something I can't remember ever feeling before.

I felt at home.

Over Eastern Canadia (Jack's POV)

It seemed as though I was allowed off the ship as long as I was accompanied by another Guardian. Not surprised; if there's anyone who needs a babysitter, it's me. But today Sandy was working nearby, so I went off with him. I had North's consent too, before he vanished to his room. I suspected there was a portal there back to Santoff Claussen so he could still keep up with his Christmas planning duties.

We were near the southeast border of Canadia by an ocean town. While Sandy did his dream magic, I flew through the mild waves by the sea. They would freeze as I passed through, but melt immediately when I was gone. I was having a good time to say the least. The fish around there, not so much.

Finally getting tired of my antics I rushed back to the town. Skating down a telephone wire, I sprinted and took bounding leaps with my hand outstretched, laughing as it made contact with various tendrils of dream sand. Images flew out and glowed before my eyes, all sorts of wonders to behold.

I could honestly get used to this.

I glided up to the platform Sandy had in the air. Because this town was smaller, he was able to send all the dreams from one spot. When I got there, he was finishing up.

"Good night?" I asked.

He smiled and nodded. We watched the last of the dreams make their way to a large apartment complex. I turned towards Sandy's happy face.

"You never get tired of this, do you?"

He shook his head.

I was about to take off on that happy note when Sandy grabbed my sleeve. "What is it?"

Sandy pointed towards the last of his dreams. I was about to ask what was wrong when I saw it too. A shadow flew through them, scattering the sand from its intended path. That seemed concerning.

I looked down at Sandy. I'll say his face was quite terrifying. He was seething with anger. No one messes with his dreams, I guess. I tapped him on the shoulder lightly. "Um…Sandy? You okay?"

Sandy brushed off my hand sharply and flew down to the scene at a speed that would rival mine. I followed close behind. I'd never seen the Sandman angry; somehow, I saw it a situation that could easily become fun.

When we arrived on the scene, Sandy's anger increased by tenfold if possible. There seemed to be a dark cloud of rage surrounding him. The aura itself was menacing. I looked down at the sand by our feet.

It was pitch black.

"What is it?" I asked, but the question became redundant very quickly. The black sand began to writhe, forming the shape of a great black horse, red-eyed and ominous. I gasped. "That's not a happy dream, is it?"

"Recognize this, Sandman?"

We turned around to the voice. My suspicions were confirmed. Not that I had any suspicions, but whom else could it be?

"Pitch Black," I growled.

"Frost." His tone was disdainful. "It's been a while now, hasn't it? Since we've had a descent chat, I mean."

I rolled my eyes. "Enough of the small talk, Pitch. What the hell is that?"

"That?" He eyed his creation. "Oh, that! Why that is a little something I like to call a nightmare. They used to be so effective, until the Sandman here found out and reversed the effects. I tried to make an army of nightmares once, all out of tainted dream sand. I almost succeeded too, until the other Guardians decided to intervene."

Sandy placed a hand on the horse. It immediately transformed back into a unicorn and trotted off. With his threat gone, Sandy turned on Pitch with angry eyes.

Pitch mock-gasped. "What is this? Surely you can't be upset with me, Sandman? After all, I haven't been using it on children anymore. At least, not very many children."

I stepped forward. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You want to know? Well then, I suggest you find where these creatures came from."

I heard the sound of wings beating. Turning, I saw a hoard of dragons flying towards us. They looked vicious, eyes bloodshot and teeth barred. I decided upon instinct what to do.

I nudged Sandy. "Split. We'll take 'em out one by one!"

He nodded. From the sand materialized two golden whips. He cracked them threateningly and flew right. I went left, the wind picking up behind me.

Flames were shooting left and right, from all angles in all actuality. I flew backwards so I could blast the fire with my staff. Fire doesn't kill me, but it's got a certain burn to it I don't appreciate. I've never been completely engulfed for any extended period of time. I bet I'd be in excruciating pain or something dramatic like that.

As the buildings around me became charred, I couldn't help but think about the cost for repair. I tried my best to put out the majority of the fire. Damage would remain yet it would be minimal.

After a minute of flying, I managed to nail one straight in the wing. It crashed onto a nearby roof. I laughed. In fact, I probably hadn't stopped laughing since splitting with Sandy. "Ha ha! Sandy! Sandy, did ya see that? Wow, look at this thing!"

Flying over to the dragon I took a long look. Its wing was plastered to its body where the ice was, but I could see it was melting. The thing was less terrifying now that it was lying there helpless. It had small wings despite its large, bulky body – which resembled a large, brown boulder. The dragon was no longer growling. Instead, it struggled quietly while watching me with petrified eyes.

I poked it with my staff. The ice refroze before immediately beginning to defrost again. The dragon seemed more scared than ever. Feeling guilty, I tried to comfort it. "Hey, shh, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you. Okay?"

"Frost."

I gasped and turned around. There was Pitch Black, walking easily out of the shadows. I made a swipe from him, but he vanished as he usually did. I wheeled around as his voice came from behind me.

"I've noticed you've been spending an awful lot of time with those Guardians." He spat the word like poison. "This isn't your fight, Jack. It's theirs."

"You made it my fight when you stole those teeth," I retaliated.

"Teeth?" he asked. "Why do you care about the teeth?"

Suddenly, we both sensed a presence. Standing silently behind Pitch was the Sandman. Pitch gasped and danced away from Sandy's tiny frame, who was still obviously furious. After he regained his composure, the Boogeyman began to laugh nervously.

"Now this was who I was looking for. Hello Sandman."

Sandy's arms uncrossed and his whips reappeared in one fluid movement. He proceeded to lash at Pitch without a hitch in his step. I wanted to intervene, but it was too fast for me to follow. The two whips cracked and twirled in twin golden arcs while Pitch barely managed to dodge them. Each narrowly missed him.

Then one snagged around his wrist. Pitch only had a moment to comprehend it until he was being flung into the sky, the walls, banged against the concrete and flung down the street, triggering several car alarms.

I gave Sandy a low whistle. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

The two of us floated down to the road where Pitch was getting up from the road. He scrambled back when we came.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Pitch begged as we approached. "You can't blame me for trying! You don't know what it's like to be weak and hated. It was stupid of me. I should have learned after the first time to never mess with your dream. So I'll tell you what…" His face changed from pitiful to evil, "You can have them all back."

Black sand began to float through the air. It swirled around the dragons that were there. Was he controlling them through nightmares? It seemed so; the dragons resisted for a moment before a strange glint came to their eyes and they surrounded me and Sandy.

I took a quick head count. We were outnumbered at least fifty to one. I stood back-to-back with Sandy and swallowed. "You take the ones on the left, I take the ones on the right?"

He shrugged.

Pitch's eyes became wide. He said one simple word. "Boo."

All hell broke loose.

Sandy's whips reappeared as he lashed out. I gripped my staff and got ready to attack. Just then, the sound of bells filled the air. The fight paused momentarily as we all looked up the sky. North had the reigns in his hands, the reindeer practically roaring as they trampled through. The sleigh came barreling down the street, scattering the dragons, before the fight migrated back to the sky.

Sandy grabbed me by the waist and used the distraction to fly us into the sky on a flat platform of sand. We went up into the greying clouds with a spiral of dragons following us. When we made good height, Sandy let go of me so I could fight on my own.

I shot a flash of frost at the nearest dragon. It fell to the sky with a shriek. I didn't hit it with much, just enough to stop them. Since it seemed as though they were out of their spell as soon as they were attacked the dragons would fly back north.

Tooth came up next to me. "Jack!"

"Tooth!" I flew over to her. "How did you guys know to come here?"

"We saw the dragons flying this way and came to investigate." She ducked as a dragon came flying by. "Is there anything I should know about them?"

I pointed to the black sand surrounding them. "Pitch is controlling them with some tainted dream sand. Once you destroy that, they fly away without bothering to attack."

"Destroy the sand. On it!" She winged away and blasted through at least six dragons in one circle. Wow, those wings were lethal!

Bunny leapt from the sleigh onto a roof. His boomerangs spun through the sky like nobody's business. Taking out a dozen dragons he jumped back onto the sleigh. North allowed the controls back to his reindeer. He gave a surprisingly threatening yet jolly laugh as he cut through the nightmare-cloaked dragons. As for Sandy, he was whipping a circle of dragons from his golden platform.

I was in the midst of dodging two dragons when I felt someone grab me from the back of my hood. I was tossed non-too-gently onto the back of a dragon. And sitting on the dragon next to me was Pitch. He was checking his nails in a very bored manner.

"I felt we should talk."

"Okay, talk," I said.

"You're probably wondering why I keep interfering with the duties of the Guardians. I wanted to let you know that it's not because I hate the children or anything. In fact, it's because they have no way of understanding how I feel."

"That's stupid." It came out pretty fast. Pitch's eyes narrowed.

"Stupid? Really? As if you're no different from me. You're the only one that understands, which is why I'm telling you what I've been doing in Berk for the last three hundred years."

That got my attention. "Three hundred years?"

"Are you interested? I could tell you…but first…"

"What is it?"

"A child's mind is so delicate and fragile, after all," Pitch said smoothly, changing topics faster than you could say 'Jack Frost'. "It's no wonder they're more susceptible to the power of fear. Nothing like an adult, of course. It's why the precious Guardians protect them."

"What have you been doing to the kids?"

"And why should I tell you, Jack?"

I clenched my staff tightly with anger coursing through my icy veins. The way he brushed it off made me on edge. He was definitely plotting something and I didn't like it. I took a swipe at him, only to have Pitch vanish and rematerialize on another nearby dragon.

"Temper temper." He tsked. "Now now Jack, we mustn't let out emotions get out of hand. Relax. Let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time, I tried to do something no one had ever accomplished before."

I really wasn't liking his grin. "And what was that?"

"I tried to kill a Guardian." Pitch shrugged. "I should have realized that it was impossible. You can influence their ability, so to speak, but they can never die. The Man in the Moon makes them immortal and immune to regular deaths – even if they are no longer believed in, they are only weakened. But that weakness is what makes them defeatable.

"Fear can take all forms. It can make one agreeable. It manipulates them. The Guardians would be lying if they told you they weren't afraid. They must live in constant fear, bound by rules and duties and a reason no one can put in words.

"It's the Fear that keeps these dragons bound to me." He stroked the head of the nearest one. "What do you think? A fearsome creature loyal to me. Too afraid to leave the company of either me or its Queen."

"Queen?" I asked.

He didn't reply. Instead his grin became more gruesome. Pitch flew off his dragon easily; I followed.

"The problem with the Queen is that she hates winter. She is a beast of fire and ash, not of cold and storms. Yet I convinced her to accommodate you. She is quite thoughtful. Willing to set aside her hatred for the greater good. I could show you, Jack, all the power that comes with this."

I shook my head. "I don't think so. Just tell me what you needed the teeth for, Pitch."

"I will…but there's a catch."

"Oh?"

"You have to come with me. And in return, I'll tell you everything. I'll even let you have these." And then he held up my teeth tauntingly in front of me. I was about to reach out for them when I stopped myself.

I couldn't break the trust of the crew now.

I put my hand back in my hoodie pocket. "Sorry Pitch, but I'm afraid I can't. That's breaking the ships most important rule."

Pitch had me by the front of my hoodie. His yellow eyes stared into mine.

"You could always come with me Jack," he murmured. "We go together, cold and dark. Ice and shadows. We would make a powerful team, you and I. We would be believed in. Seen. Have you not always wished for that?"

I remained silent.

"So be it." Pitch leaned in close to my ear. He whispered, "Did you honestly think I'd let you all go freely to Berk?"

I didn't realize the shadow dagger materialize in his hand until his arm came back. It flashed menacingly in the moonlight. Unable to move, I closed my eyes and braced myself for impact…

…only nothing came.

I opened my eyes slowly, and gasped. Floating between me and Pitch was Sandy. His eyes were hard and determined, stance brave and strong.

Embedded in his back was the dagger.

It disintegrated slowly and was carried off into the night. Sandy coughed silently, his body wracked with pain. And then I watched with a horrified fascination as the wound on his back blossomed black. The shadows spread up his back and over his shoulders.

I watched and realized what exactly Pitch meant by influencing a Guardian's powers.

"No…" I reached out.

Pitch laughed cruelly. "I'd say sweet dreams, but it looks like there aren't any left."

A dragon swept by, knocking my staff out of my hand. Pitch let go of me so I was falling, but I couldn't stop. Not without my staff. I forced myself to turn away from the awful scene, reaching for the wooden shepherd's crook that was spiraling down through the sky. It went through a cloud, and I shot down after it.

"Sandy!"

I was able to grab my staff and landed on the one of the wings of North's sleigh. Looking over, I met eyes with Bunnymund. All he said was, "Ya might wanna duck."

I did. His boomerang came flying into his open hand a second later. Once he truly looked at me Bunny did sense my immediate panic. He frowned.

"What's happened, Frostbite?"

"We have to get to Sandy!"

Not bothering to wait for his reply I flew straight up will at the strength of the wind. I could hear North cracking the reigns furiously, calling for me to hurry as another sea of dragons affronted the sleigh. But we was all too late.

Sandy stared down at his hands as they became tainted by darkness. It was spreading faster now, several smaller marks splotching their way across his chest like fire burning paper. As all the sand turned black, the Sandman's eyes met mine for one last time. He smiled. Though he smiled, I could sense the defiance in them. The true warrior on the inside. He turned towards Pitch and closed his eyes with an unwavering scowl.

And then he vanished.

"No…NO!"

I can't say exactly what happened next. In all honesty, I'm not sure. All I remember in clear memory was my anger. It burned like liquid nitrogen through my veins. The wind roared in my ears as I let out an anguished cry and flew forward faster than I'd ever managed in my life.

Pitch had the black sand swirling around him, in his control. As I rocketed towards him he shot it all at me. I held my staff out in attack mode.

The sound barrier seemed to explode with out impacting forces. At first the sand swept me back; I even stopped as it came towards me. Then something inside me broke. I ripped through the sky, everything howling around me, and fired all of my anger out with a shriek.

All the sand surrounding me froze. In fact, anything within a ten foot radius did. Black sand, dragon fire, rushing blood, screaming wind, everything. All I heard was my voice rising above all, every emotion possible crammed into it.

Then the ice exploded.

Both from the sudden outward blast and my complete loss of energy made me fly backwards. My vision started going black around the corners. I knew I was falling, but it felt like going through molasses: slow and thick.

The next thing I knew, Tooth was carrying me gently down to the sleigh. She set me down on a seat. I tried to sit up, and failed. Groaning, I flopped back down again.

"Jack?"

I forced one of my eyes open a crack. Tooth and Bunny were both staring over my, concern riddled on their faces. Especially Tooth; her violet eyes were practically brimming with tears.

"Jack?" she repeated. "Oh, thank the moon you're alright! I was so worried. You just fell and we weren't sure if Pitch managed to hit you!"

Finally having enough energy to sit up, I propped myself up with an elbow. "I'm okay. Where's Pitch."

"Gone. Left as soon as ya did that li'l trick of yours." Bunny helped me up. His paw was uncomfortably warm, but I didn't bat it away. Once I was in a normal sitting position I used my staff as a makeshift cane. The Pooka let go of me. "Bloody hell, mate. How did you do that? Where did that power come from?"

"I don't know." It felt lame to say, but that's all I could muster. "I don't know."

The Aurora Borealis: Somewhere Over the Ocean (Jack's POV)

North, Bunnymund, and Tooth stood around a portrait in the Sandy's cabin. I opted for standing in the doorway. It was the first time any one of us had been it. Everything there was still golden. The last bit of pure dream sand caked the floor in a soft warmth that I didn't want my icy feet to taint. In the center, under a rug, was a painting. Much like the one Tooth had under her palace, though this one depicted the outline of the Sandman in a circle.

Somehow, it seemed to become tarnished before our eyes.

I left. The sight of them grieving their longtime friend was too painful for me. I'd always been talking to Sandy throughout the ages, but never as close as the last few days. I felt like I'd just had my heart ripped out of my chest and crushed into a million pieces. It wasn't right.

Pulling my hood over my head, I ran outside to the head of the ship, sat next to the angel. She had her arms raised to the horizon. Unconsciously, I took my staff and made icy tears run down her face. The sun made it melt slowly so it actually looked like she was really crying.

I heard footsteps approaching. Looking up, I saw North coming over to me. He sat down by me, watching. I sighed and snuck a glance at him from under the shade of my hood.

"Why did he have to go?" I finally asked.

"It is risk we all chose to take. We all have our own path to follow. Our friend chose to save you. It was path he chose with his own free will."

I remained silent. Then I looked up at him. "Why would he do that for me? Why not just leave me to my own fate?"

"It's because you still have much to find. Many questions to answer. Sandy wanted you to find them, because it was your dream. And it will be the key to your center."

"Even by putting the faith of the children on the line?'

"Even so."

"He shouldn't have. Kids need his dreams." I thought back to the boy in the slums of New Amsterdam. "No one needs me when I can't be seen. They needed the Sandman. Now all they'll have are nightmares. That's not fair to them."

"Never doubt power of children. They may not have physical strength, but the fire in their hearts is nothing to look down on." North's baby blue eyes met mine. "Sandy would not have wanted us to grieve. Everything will be okay! I can feel it…in my belly!"

I looked up. "Thanks North."

He patted my shoulder gently. "If you ever need to talk, we all are here for you Jack. Don't forget that."

I nodded. Excusing myself, I went downstairs to my room. Phil happened to be passing by with a tray of cocoa and hot apple cider. I crashed into him, almost spilling everything. He looked ready to spit fire at me, but stopped when he saw I wasn't getting up off the floor.

Phil set down the tray and offered me a clawed hand. I took it and he pulled me up gingerly. He even brushed me off, but it was quite harsh considering he had all his yeti power in him. Phil tapped my head until I looked up into his chocolate brown eyes. They asked the question no one seemed to want to utter.

"I'm alright. Or at least I will be."

Phil nodded. He handed me a single mug from the tray. It burned when my hands first made contact with it, but then it froze over. "Hot-cold chocolate? Can that be a thing?"

The yeti shrugged and went off on his way. As did I. My room wasn't too far. I entered and shut the door behind me, wishing for once that there was a lock.

Thankfully no one came down to bother me. I drank my hot-cold chocolate in slow sips throughout the day. I lay there, on my bed, and watched from the pothole as the moon rose and fell. And again. And again. North, Tooth, Baby, even Phil, visited periodically. Henrietta and Gerard (who I later learned were married and co-operators of the kitchen on the ship) would bring me food. I ate it, but tasted nothing.

It was that morning that there was a light knock on my door.

"Leave me alone, North," I grumbled. "Or Tooth, if it's you. Or you, Phil, Henrietta, or Gerard. I'll bring my dishes back down to the kitchen if you want me to."

Bunny popped his head in. "Not likely, mate, considering I'm not that Christmas celebrator. Or a woman. Or a yeti for that matter."

"Lemme rephrase. Get out, Easter Kangaroo."

"No." he hopped over to me. "Something's on your mind, Frostbite. Even I can tell. It's been three days mate. And I hate to say it, but I'm just as worried as the next person for your sanity." He added gently, "What happened that night wasn't your fault."

"North already said that," I said quietly.

Bunny stood before me awkwardly before sitting in the chair by my bed. He watched me with scrutiny. "Talk. What's on your mind?"

When I didn't reply right away, he said firmly, "I'm not leavin' 'til you start talkin'. So I suggest you start now."

It came out before I could stop myself. "Was I anyone before I was me? Was I ever something different?"

His green eyes met mine. "What's brought this on?"

"I dunno, I just feel like everything I do…none of it really matters in the end. I've tried to get my memories back, tried to get people to see me. Sandy gave me faith that it was possible, but now that he's gone…I want to give up. To go back to the way I was.

"That can't possibly be the quality of a Guardian. All I am is the 'invisible boy' who comes and goes with the seasons. I just ride around on the wind like nobody's business and that's all I'm ever going to do! It's not like I matter in the bigger picture. No one needs winter! No one cares about winter! I bet most people hate it anyway!"

I was shouting now, voice raw, almost in tears. Bunnymund seemed shocked by my outburst. He coughed nervously.

"What about those snow days ya keep braggin' about? Surely that's gotta count for somethin'?"

I sighed. "Maybe a bit, but not as much as dreams or memories. Probably not as much as whatever you've got as your center." I laughed brokenly. "Who cares if I'm alone for the rest of my miserable existence? I don't! I don't mind being alone, having fun or causing trouble wherever I go!"

"Then why are you complaining?"

"Because three hundred years is pushing it!" I couldn't stop it now; the floodgates burst. Tears coursed down my face without shame. "I'm done with this! With no purpose! With all these questions and no answers! It's silly that I just keep asking them, I know, but it's all I've got."

Bunny slapped me across my face. It stung. I put a hand over my burning cheek. Shocked.

The Auslandian Pooka scowled. "Then do something about it! It's about bloody time you take your own life in your own hands. Figure it out! Look inside yourself. That's what each and every one of us had to do to become who we are today. You might've been chosen to be the next Guardian, and MiM never said your road was gonna be easy, but he believes you can do it. We all do. And Sandy did too."

"Can't I just be useful once?" I asked horsely. "Needed, even?"

"That's the thing, Frostbite. We need you. For what, no one's sure yet except MiM." Bunny stood to leave. He glanced back at me. "I'm willin' to help you, but only if you stop moping and follow me. What d'ya say?"

In the end, I didn't say anything. I just stood up and followed him silently. We left my room and clambered up to the main deck. Bunny turned to me.

"Could ya give us a ride down to land? I'm trustin' you. Don't kill me."

I nodded. The wind was warm today. Full of sunlight. I almost wished it was cold and rainy, but the wind wasn't one to ask how I felt. It swirled around us, welcoming. I took Bunny's paw into my hand and flew slowly down to the nearest patch of land.

"Thanks mate." He tapped the ground with a foot. A hole opened up. "You coming? Or are ya too scared to see what's waitin'? It's just the Warren, in case you're wonderin'."

"As if I'd let myself be outrun by a rabbit."

It was the first and last thing I said before jumping in.

Part II – The Vikings

Berk: The Cove (Hiccup's POV)

It felt like half a morning before I was able to get Toothless to hold still. He bounded around like a hyperactive wolf pup that just saw its first rabbit to kill. I'm guessing it was part flying again and part the eel around my neck under my vest's hem that decided to peek out randomly.

"Will you settle down?" I finally snapped after chasing him in a complete circle for the umpteenth time. "I need to get proper measurements or I can't get your tail to balance correctly! Do you honestly not want to fly again?"

That made him stop. Toothless gave me a narrow-eyed glare before sighing and lying on his stomach obediently.

"Good. Now open you tailfin."

He did as he was told.

"See, that wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Toothless made an indignant sound. I could practically feel how annoyed he was.

"Roll your eyes at me all you want. I'm not going to let you fly off without a proper tailfin!"

He ignored me. I sighed and reached into my vest pocket. The coil of rope was still there. It was about seven þumal-ôln had a drawn line with every thumbs breadth or so. Unraveling the wet rope, I held it up and began measuring.

"Length: a bit over of an ôln and a half. Width: about two-third that from the smallest ray, a stika from the longest. Let's see…"

I began to measure each individual ray. There were five, and all of them were of varying lengths. However, they were almost precisely the same distance apart, which made it much easier. I scratched each number into my notebook in charcoal. It smeared everywhere; looks like I didn't let it dry long enough.

I then measured the actual thing I built. Thankfully, the tailfin proved to be waterproof. And my measurements weren't completely off, which was an added bonus. There would be time for adjustments later.

"Toothless, could you let me hold your fin?"

He lowered it obligingly.

I held the tailfin in my hand, eyes closed. Being a blacksmith's apprentice helped when estimating length and weight, especially the later. "Quite light, but a bit less than a fjórðungr. I'll say… eight merkur six aurar?"

As if anyone could confirm this.

My fin, however, was considerably heavier. I swore a bit. Hopefully there'd be time for adjustments that afternoon.

Wait, afternoon?

I looked up; damn, it was much later than I thought it was. I began grabbing everything, shoving the makeshift prosthetic into the empty fish basket and hefting it onto my back. Toothless turned around and watched me. His head cocked to one side.

"I have to go to class," I explained. "I'm probably late already. Again."

He snorted.

I narrowed my eyes. "Hey, don't laugh at me! It's not like you understand the importance of this stuff! I still have to appear like a normal Viking. It's hard enough without your help."

His look was an obvious 'your choice'. Toothless stood up and nudged me towards the exit of the cove. I couldn't help but laugh a bit. "What, that eager to get rid of me?"

I didn't need to look to understand him. I turned and patted Toothless on the snout.

"I'll miss you too, bud. Now, I'll try to be back later this afternoon if I can sneak out. And yes, I promise to bring more fish."

His head fins perked up. Really?

I laughed some more. "Really. Now be a good dragon and stay put."

He rolled his eyes, but nodded and sat down before me. Stroking Toothless's head one last time, I ran out of the cove without a backwards glance. It didn't hit me until I reached town that Toothless had understood every word I'd said. I almost was tempted to turn around and ask him about it when Astrid ran into me.

"Hiccup!"

"Astrid?"

"Where in Odin's name have you been? Gobber's been looking all over for you and class started eternities ago!" She kicked me in the shin. Hard.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"That's for being late," Astrid snapped. "Let's go."

Berk: The Cove (Toothless's POV)

He left in a hurry.

The boy could be annoying, but I could already feel some form of attachment to him. Sympathetic, a bit worried even. Reflecting upon that strange feeling, I realized what it was. To be honest, it was quite shocking. I didn't think the soul bonding was this fast. I already trusted him.

Curious.

I snuck a glance back at the empty place on my tail. To the missing fin. I couldn't believe it. That human – my human, more specifically – had made one. He took it back with him babbling on something about adjusting "measurements." I did not care for these measurements, whatever they were. They prevented me from flying away.

But would I, given the chance? Fly away, I mean.

Two days ago, I would have. I would have flown away from this cursed, ancient land like no sun cycle. Now…now I wasn't so sure.

I looked back at the secret entrance to the cove. Hiccup said he would be back later. Perhaps he'd have my new fin, completing all these strange measurements he spoke of. Then I could fly again.

How I longed to fly. I wanted to feel the wind again, to see the land from above. A dragon was born to fly. Sure, we had claws and teeth and spit fire and other cool things other inferior creatures wished they had, but our calling was the sky. Just having a taste of it again was the most satisfying activity since my unfortunate crash.

Yet at the same time, I craved for more. I wanted to be up in the sky again. The feeling of euphoria, of being, was all I wanted.

I'd heard horror stories of other dragons how had lost their ability to fly. If they didn't bleed out or were able to flee from the hoard of blood-seeking humans, they would eventually die one way or another. Usually it was starvation; how can one hunt for elk if they cannot attack from the sky after all? Either that, or they would take their own lives, unable to survive without their purpose. That, or they'd curl up inside themselves, never to open their eyes again.

I absentmindedly shot a few flames at some swimming fish. Most swam away, but a few floated up. Dead. I was about to eat them when the sound of approaching wings stopped me.

I glanced up to the sky. Sure enough, there were a group of seven or so Terrors fluttering down into the cove. Filthy little scavengers. I eyed them unenthusiastically.

Freedom! one of them began to cry joyously. Finally, we are free!

Free! they chorused. We are free!

I scoffed a bit. They heard me and flinched.

Night Fury?

Indeed, I replied. What do you want? And will you please stop shouting? It's quite annoying.

A flurry of responses came.

Of course! We're sorry! No we're not! Yes we are! Pipe down you. Never! We found him, we found him! Now what? We should tell her! No we shouldn't! We found him! Shut up. No one cares what you have to say! We should tell her. Yes they do! Shut up! You shut up! I don't wanna go back! Can we stay here? Of course not. He'll eat us! No he won't. We dragons aren't cannibals! I don't want to go back! We heard you the first time! We found the Night Fury! I knew that aleardy! Can't we stay here? Why not? It's better than there! Me too, don't forget me too! SHUT UP! ORDER DAMMIT!

Typical Terror behavior. Ask them one question and there will be chaos. I let them argue it out until they finally remembered the reason they were arguing in the first place.

We must answer the questions! Answer!

Oh you don't say, I said sarcastically.

They all tucked their wings in, embarrassed. Good. Looks like Terrors still understand shame.

We are sorry, Night Fury. Very sorry. Oh so sorry. Forgive us please!

This was going too far. Just answer the question, I growled.

We were sent by the Queen!

Her? My anger was barely masked. I guess the Terrors sensed it because they all began to shy away. Don't you ever say her name in my presence again! Do you understand?

There was another flurry of apologies. During this time, none of us noticed one little Terror sneak away from the rest of the pack and fly away from the cove. If I had, it would've saved me a heck of a lot of trouble. But I didn't, and the fates decided to play their little game with us.

That one terror practically ruined my life.

Berk: Dragon Training Arena (Hiccup's POV)

"Today," said Gobber, "is about teamwork. Now, a wet dragon head can't light its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky. It has two heads: One that breathes the gas, and another that lights it. Your job is to determine which is which."

The Zippleback's gas began to surround us. We were all separated into pairs, each of us only equipped with a bucket of water. To say the least we were moving up in difficulty. Go figures the two left without partners was Fishlegs and myself.

Fishlegs, to help himself calm down, went off on all the killer attributions of a Zippleback. "Razor-sharp serrated teeth that inject venom for pre-digestion. Prefers ambush attacks, crushing its victims-"

"Will you please stop that," I hissed. The last thing I wanted to hear was about how one could die from a Zippleback.

I could hear Snotlout to my left somewhere. "If that dragon shows either of its faces, I'm gonna…there!"

There were a couple of grunts followed by the indignant cries from the girls. No doubt they were the victims of the water the boys threw.

"Hey!" said Ruffnut. "It's us, idiots."

Tuff scoffed. "Your butts are getting bigger. We thought you were a dragon."

"Not that there's anything wrong with a dragonesque figure." Real smooth Snot. Just a good way to try and woo the girls. As if it'd work.

My predictions were correct. I heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh; so he got punched. Nice. Then more splashing followed by a grunt from Tuffnut. I learned later that his sister threw a full bucket at his head before he was dragged into the clearing smoke with a shout.

I could make them out now. A tail came out and whipped the legs out from under the girls. Tuffnut was running out of the fog, retrieving his hat on the way out. "Oh, I'm hurt! I am very much hurt!"

As he ran by, Fishlegs murmured, "Chances of survival are dwindling into single digits now…"

I couldn't help but agree with him.

Then a single green, scaly, yellow-eyed head came weaving out of the mist. It was making the strange clicking throaty sound I'd heard Toothless make. It sniffed the air and barely glanced at me. In fact, it ignored me completely. Did I smell of the Night Fury?

The Zippleback head went to Fishlegs, who dodged it while wobbling backwards. He splashed it with the water. The Zippleback's eyes narrowed as green smoke began to pour out of its mouth.

"Oops," 'Legs laughed nervously. "Wrong head."

He ran screaming as he was engulfed in green. Even Gobber seemed concerned for out lack of ability. "Fishlegs!"

Now all the fog was gone. The second Zippleback head appeared. This one, though, didn't care what I smelled like. It began to spark from the back of its throat. I angled my body so I could throw the water most effectively.

"Now, Hiccup!" Gobber shouted.

I tried. I truly did. But my weak arms couldn't throw the water anywhere near as high as the Zippleback's head. All I had was an angry, two-headed dragon standing before me with nothing but an empty bucket to defend myself with. Not the most favorable of situations.

"Oh, come on!" I groaned. The Zippleback stepped forward, heads roaring hoarsely and wings spread in an attack stance. I tripped and fell flat on my backside.

"Hiccup!" Gobber shouted. I heard his peg leg clacking against the stone floor, but stop. As did any concern anyone might've had.

I stood as the Zippleback began to back away in fear. Why did it? All that happened when I fell was my vest falling open and…

Oh. I still had that eel from the morning. So they were all afraid of this! Using this new knowledge, I decided to show off a little. You can't blame me for wanting to do that, can you? I haven't had a chance to show off anything except my undeniable lameness for the last almost-sixteen years of my life.

"Back, back, back!" I shouted, shoving my hands as threateningly as possible in front of me. "Now, don't you make me tell you again! Yes, that's right. Back into your cage. Now think about what you've done."

I threw the eel into the cage for good measure. The Zippleback backed against the wall as far away from the offending object. Once they were there, I closed the cage's doors and wiped my hands on the front of my vest. Then I turned around.

Everyone was staring at me in shock. Fishlegs, who still had his bucket clutched tightly to his chest, dropped it.

I cleared my throat. "Okay, so…are we done? 'Cause I've got some things I need to…um, yep. I'll, uh, see you tomorrow."

I ran out of the arena without a backwards glance. I had some research to do and some fish to catch. Toothless was no doubt waiting for me.

The Sea: Dragon Raiding Party

Stoick looked to the dismal horizon. The dragon attacks had finally subsided and he was taking the time to analyze the situation. So far things looked bleak. It seemed the spirit of the party was slowly deteriorating the longer they were out to sea. It didn't help that the last attack had been a bloody one. The moans of the injured were the only sound aside from the ever-constant rocking of the sea.

Stoick turned to his brother, Spitelout. "How are the conditions?"

"We've lost one of the boats, and at least ten men and women. The food's good, but we're running low on water. I'd say we can only last another week before things become critical."

"I see." The news wasn't good. At this rate, there'd be no chance in finding the Nest and returning safely.

Sensing his brother's hesitation, Spitelout asked his brother, "What do you plan to do?"

"We'll stay out sailing for another two days," he decided. "If there is no sight of the Nest, we'll turn around. Make sure all the injured are taken care of. Make sure the word gets to everyone."

Spitelout stood to attention and left. Stoick sighed. He couldn't face another defeat, to give up again, but there was no choice. He had to put the welfare of the village and all of its Vikings first.

The Viking chief allowed himself a moment to sit alone on the prow and pray. He prayed to every god he could think of for everything he could think to pray for. He prayed for the safety and recovery of the remaining crew. He prayed for their safe return. He prayed for the souls of the ten who'd lost their lives that day, that they would all feast in the halls of Valhalla. But most of all, Stoick the Vast prayed for his son. He prayed that Hiccup was doing well, that he wasn't in pain from the expectations placed on his scrawny little shoulders.

Stoick could feel tears pushing for release. He almost let them out then and there when a shout came from the other ship.

"Dragons! Dragons to portside!"

Wiping his eyes and drawing his blade, Stoick stood and roared, "Leave none alive! Stand and fight! Fight for out future! Fight for our children, both lost and alive! Fight for out ancestors!"

A rumble of voices chorused his. Stoick brandished his sword for all to see as they cheered. Yes, this was the Stoick they knew. This was their chief. The ruler of the Vikings. And he still had this duty to fulfill. And he would until Hiccup truly was ready for it to become his own duty.

Berk: The Hall of Records (Hiccup's POV)

"Hey Hiccup."

I looked up, surprised to see Fishlegs standing before me. He shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot. I frowned. "Can I help you, Fish?"

"Um…" he hesitated, then blurted out, "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

"Not at all."

"Really?" His face lit up. Relieved.

"Yeah, no problem. Wait, let me clear a spot for you."

Considering the hall of records was empty spare the two of us and a mountain of parchment it wasn't that hard. Pushing a stack of scrolls aside I offered him my seat and sat on the other side on the table. We sat there in silence for a few moments.

"So…" he said after a while. "Were you able to find anything on Night Furies?"

"How did you know I was looking for-"

"Stuff on Night Furies? I heard you asking Gobber about them during training yesterday." Go figures. Was I really that obvious? Fishlegs didn't seem to care. In fact, he seemed quite interested too. "I was going though some old journals last year and I stumbled across this. This way."

I followed as he led me to the back of the cramped hall. It was dark; I lit a few lanterns and stared up. The ceiling had to be at least four faðmr high.

Now let me explain the Hall of Records for a moment. This was a basement room that was about ten rows of shelves from floor to ceiling crammed with every potentially legibly (and even not so) written piece of paper, book, scroll, recipe, map, and whatever else anyone would store there stored there. It was a place of absolute chaos. It was also the place Fishlegs and I used to hang out and talk. That was, before I became an apprentice blacksmith and he was accepted by Astrid and the others.

Back to the story.

"Um, Fishlegs? Care to explain?"

"Right." He smiled eagerly. Great, here was his inner bookworm. Not that I really minded. "Last year I decided it was about time that someone had all of our history documented and filed properly. This place has been a mess for all three hundred years it's been around and I mean to end that. But then I found something hidden in the back of the top shelf. Hold up, let me grab it for you."

He went over to one of the shelves and climbed up a ladder to the tallest level. Burying his arm as far as it could go Fishlegs managed to yank out what appeared to be a leather-bound notebook quite similar to mine. He was climbing down when one of the rungs gave under his foot and he toppled on top of me.

It hurt a lot, but I remained impassive. More for his sake than anything. 'Legs seemed to take it hard.

Once the customary apologies were out of the way we made out way back to the table. Fishlegs placed the notebook on the table between out seats (after seeing how easily the ladder gave, I felt sitting on this ancient table probably wasn't the best idea). Up close, I could see this journal was old; almost all of the pages were worn and thin, the pages more yellow than their original parchment hue. Fishlegs pointed to it dramatically.

"This is the last recorded journal of Bork the Brave. I managed to unearth it some time ago!"

Fascinating. Though why was it forgotten? Bork the Brave was one of the most famous people in our Viking history. He was the writer of the book of dragons.

"Why didn't anyone else notice it before?" I asked.

Fishlegs gestured pointedly at all the information stored around us. I nodded.

"Okay, that's a start."

He smiled and relaxed a bit. "This journal was also signed by Bork the Very Very Unfortunate, before he was dubbed 'brave.' Only a few know which name to look for."

I thought I remembered Gobber saying something about a Very Very Unfortunate as his distant ancestor, a great-great grandfather or something. I began to flip through the pages. Most of the information I recognized from by brief reading of the book of dragons, minus the 'extremely dangerous' and 'kill on sight' bits. I guess Bork wasn't a killer by nature.

"This is really fascinating, Fish, but what's this got to do with Night Furies?"

"I was about to get to that. Okay, so you know how the book of dragons doesn't have much of anything in it on Night Furies?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, the last few pages explain why." Fishlegs reached over and flipped to it. "They cap the one and only encounter with the Night Fury. It also explains how Bork came to the conclusion that a Night Fury is born from lighting and death itself. You see, one day during a storm he wa-"

"Okay, Fish, I think I'll just read it now."

"Oh, okay," he said. "I'll let you do that."

I turned back to the pages and began to read. "Today I saw a sight no man was meant to see…"

. . . HTTYD . . .

Today I was a sight that no man was meant to see.

Though no one knows where or even when a dragon is conceived, my suspicions lie in the hatching from an egg, for a dragon is a reptilian creature. Yet no one has ever witnessed the creation of a dragon. But I have. It was a sight truly to behold and one that filled me with the most uncharacteristic fear.

It was nighttime; Thor was brewing a mighty storm from the heavens. I was out in this storm gathering the last of the kindling to store indoors when the unthinkable happened.

From the shadows of the forest came a man. I would not dare call him an ordinary man, for he only had the shape of one. This manlike creature materialized from the shadows; he wore robes of black that seemed to flow around him, and around every surrounding tree from what I could gather. Though he never looked me in the eye, I saw them glint amber in the light.

He turned his back to me and faced a ditch in the forest. What was in this I could not see, but I feel my eyes deceived me as I watched the shadows flowed into this crevice and form the figure of a dragon. He said something to it in a tongue I have never heard, but it sounded cold. My blood froze I heard him speak, as though death had come to take my life in the most unholy of ways.

As this deathly figure muttered his evil incantation, a single bolt of lightning struck it. Thor had intervened. Yet it did no good.

From the shadows rose the dragon. The shadows writhed and dissipated from its form. I had naught a clear view, nor an inkling as to why the gods chose me to witness this. I saw that the lighting Thor had blasted at this creature did not kill it.

I could feel the frustration of the god. His storm became more violent. The deathly figure laughed, his voice rising with exhilaration. It terrified me to the core, but not as much as this next scene I shall describe in sparse detail.

In the flash of lightning, with its wings spread, it looked as tall as the tallest trees. It shot fire as purple as lightning Thor shot at it. Was this his godly creature, or was it corrupted by darkness? I could not answer it if I indeed had to.

I was backing away when a branch snapped under my foot. The beast's glowing green as it found mine.

I ran.

The one and only Night Fury screeched as he went to pursue it. The unholy offspring of lightning and Death itself. Just that one glance with its eyes told me that I should never engage this dragon. I ran until I had no more energy left to run. All I did, all I could do in that forest was hide. Hide and pray to the gods that it wouldn't find me.

. . . HTTYD . . .

I exhaled slowly after I finished reading this passage. There was no way this could be Toothless…could it? Could it? I thought for a moment. I had no idea how old he was, or what power he was capable of. In fact, no one knows how many Night Furies there are. There was ever only one attacking at once.

Was this shadow of a monster Toothless? Was that person in the cloak Death? Was the lightning a gift or a curse from Thor?

Gods, if only I could find out.

Fishlegs let me sit there alone for a moment in my own thoughts before excusing himself. Yet still I sat there until my candle had burned down to nothing but a glowing stub. Finally getting up, I pocketed the thing and went home.

It was so empty. I went upstairs to my bed, longing for some company.

I wanted to see Toothless again.

I thought about his fin for a moment. There was no way I could design something that would hold it open, let alone control it. I couldn't think of a way. Unless…unless…

No, it was crazy! There was no way I could manually do it for Toothless! Not unless I rode him… Could I get him to let me ride him? To control his flight? Granted, it would take a lot of practice, not to mention a lot of work and experimenting. But if I could do it…

Just the thought of it made me more excited than anything had ever before. Just the thought of flying free through the sky made goosebumps rise on my arms. Oh gods, how the view was from the sky! How much fresher the wind was up there! How I longed for more!

I ran to the forge. A new idea was brewing, and this one involved a lot of metal and a saddle.

One all-nighter later, I decided to quit doing all-nighters. However, despite my exhaustion, my saddle came out looking quite sharp. Hopefully Toothless would think so too!

North of Berk: The Nest

The Queen heard the approach of tiny wings fluttering towards her. The dragon that those wings belonged to flew in, exhausted, and landed on a nearby rock. Based on the weight of the landing, it was a smaller creature. Most probably a Terror. The Queen shifted slightly from the volcanic pit she lay upon.

Terror?

Yes, my lady?

So it was one of the ones she sent on the search party. She smiled on the inside. I presume you have promising news for me, my creature?

Well…

Speak!

We found the Night Fury, your highness, but he is beyond the reach of your powers. As for us, we were out of your control as well. I returned to serve you, but the others have left. The Terror hesitated before adding, And I believe, if I'm not mistaken, that the Night Fury attempted a soul bond. Whether it was a success of not I have no idea.

I see. This is troubling indeed. She thought for a second, then said, Very well, I must get the creature back using my ally. Pitch Black will know what to do with the Night Fury situation. As for you, a reward for your services. You are no longer needed with the gathering party. Allow yourself some rest.

Thank you, my lady. 'Twas most thoughtful of you!

The Green Death sighed. This was troubling indeed.

Well, I'm exhausted! Friday was my first college visit (holy sh*t! I'm growing up!). That was fun and tiring all at the same time.

If anyone really wants to know where I got these measurements Hiccup used, you can find them at:
www. vikinganswerlady measurement .shtml

Good thing is is that I get to sleep in for the rest of this week (state standardized testing for sophomores) so perhaps I'll hit the next chapter soon. As for Phil, he'll show up more. My friend convinced me enough to make him a regular.

Okay, that's enough from me. Hasta la pasta~

-Sushi