A/N: This is where you find out what the problem is.

Dead by Dawn

Chapter 9

When the Sun Sets

Snakebane shot out of the water and fluttered around like a bat out of hell. He was about 400 feet in the air, and still screaming bloody murder.

The second Snakebane had had his panic attack, Luna, Flameheart, Toothless- with Hiccup around his neck-, and Stormfly- with Camicazi on her back- shot out of the water too.

They all landed safely on dry land. Flameheart looked up at the speck that was Snakebane. He was now about a thousand feet up, and still going.

"I'd better go calm him down before he passes out," said Flameheart. He spread his wide, parachute-like wings. With just a slight jump, he was soaring.

Hiccup gasped. He had never seen the Drifter fly before, and now he was gazing up, watching the dragon soar higher into the cloudless evening sky. He understood why the dragon had gotten the nickname Drift. He was hardly flapping, using his parachute-shaped wings to catch thermals and drift upwards, quickly and steadily.

After a minute, the green speck met the purple speck, and they both started to descend. It was then that Hiccup looked back into the water. He just saw a long, dark, serpentine shape disappearing. The shape was attached to the very dark green spiked fin that had broken the surface. Whatever it was was gone now.

What was that? Hiccup wondered. He didn't really know of that many serpents that fit the description of what they had just encountered.

He couldn't identify the fin, even though he was sure he had seen it somewhere. The shape was vaguely familiar too, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. The water wasn't warm enough for it to be a Sharkworm. Those beasties only stayed in the Summer Currents.

Hiccup looked down at his right leg, the leg the creature bumped against. He knew it had to be a dragon, because he had felt the wing joint right afterward. The dragon's shoulder must have brushed him. The pant leg was cut, but not his actual leg.

"Did anybody catch a glimpse at what that was?" asked Hiccup.

Luna shook her head. "I only saw the fin. But I know I've seen a fin like that before..."

"That's what I was thinking," said Hiccup and Toothless at the exact same time. Toothless turned to Hiccup. "I know I've seen whatever that was somewhere!"

"Wait, do you know what kind of dragon that was?" asked Camicazi.

Hiccup shook his head. "It's body was too skinny for it to be a Scauldron, and the water's not exactly warm enough for Sharkworms." Camicazi, Hiccup, and Toothless all visibly shuddered at the thought of Sharkworms.

At that moment, Flameheart and Snakebane touched down. Snakebane was panting and shaking, still clearly terrified. Drift hadn't even broken a sweat.

"What... was... THAT?" gasped Snakebane. "And why did it go for me?"

"Maybe it's because you're the fattest," suggested Drift, even though Snakebane had the narrow build of a snake (again, no pun intended!).

"Shut up or I'll eat your face!" said Snakebane. Everyone was shocked. Normally, Snakebane would have come up with a really funny come-back, but this time, he was so scared that even his humor had stopped!

"We better take him home," said Luna.

"Let's go, little buddy," said Flameheart, nudging Snakebane along. Snakebane's eyes were wide and traumatized. He was still trembling.

Hiccup, Camicazi, and Toothless watched as Luna and Flameheart led Snakebane to his human's house.

"Hope he's okay," said Camicazi.

"Yeah," said Hiccup. He looked up at the darkening sky, then looked out over the sea. The sun was starting to set. Oh crap!

"Let's go Toothless," said Hiccup. "Camicazi, Stormfly, wanna come?"

"Where are you going?" asked Camicazi.

"My house," said Hiccup.

"Ohh," said Camicazi, remembering what Hiccup had told her earlier. "I'm in!"

"Stormfly?" asked Hiccup.

Stormfly didn't respond. She was sitting at the edge of the harbor, looking into the water, deep in thought.

Could it really be... No, no I haven't seen her in years! But then again... Maybe... Stormfly sighed. "Nah," she said out loud. "What are the odds that it would be-"

"STORMFLY!" yelled Camicazi. Stormfly jumped, almost falling back into the water.

"WHAT! WHAT?"

"Are you coming or not?" asked Camicazi, walking up beside her Mood Dragon. Stormfly's scales had been navy blue, which is the color they turn when she's deep in thought or concentrating.

"Oh, yeah sure. I'm coming." She turned her back to the water and started to follow Camicazi towards Hiccup's house, when she heard a small splash behind her.

Looking over her shoulder, Stormfly just saw the very same dark green spiked fin dip below the surface. A tail rose up from the water and whipped back and forth for a second before disappearing again. It had just waved.

Stormfly smiled. "I knew it."

xxx

"Alright, just wait here," said Hiccup excitedly. They were in his house. It was time for Hiccup to give Toothless his birthday present. The sun was setting now.

Toothless, Camicazi, and Stormfly sat in Hiccup's room, and Hiccup left to run up the stairs.

Stormfly was still staring out the window facing the west. Toothless padded over and stood next to her. Her scales were gold, and the reflected sunlight made her look like a goddess.

The temperature had finally dropped to 95 degrees outside, and there was a slight, cool breeze blowing in off the sea. The sun was half way below the horizon, and dropping fast.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Toothless.

"The other dragon in the water. The one that scared Snakebane out of his scales," said Stormfly. "I think I might know that dragon."

"Well," said Toothless, "who do you-"

He was cut off by Stormfly. "Oh look! I love watching the sun set." She looked out over the water as the sea, sky, and land seemed to turn orange, as if the whole world had been set alight. Stormfly leaned her head on Toothless's shoulder. "Happy birthday."

Toothless leaned over to Stormfly and gave her a gentle lick on the cheek. Stormfly's Mood Scales turned a little pink around the edges. Together they sat and watched the sun set.

Toothless wanted to capture this moment forever. He wanted to be with Stormfly. He loved her.

"Stormfly," whispered Toothless so that only she could hear him.

"Yes," she whispered back.

"I lo-" he was cut off by the crash of something falling. Gasping, he whipped around. Stormfly jumped to her feet too. But Camicazi was already at the door. She opened it and ran into the hall. The dragons heard her gasp.

Toothless sprinted to where Camicazi was standing. He gasped too, for lying pale and unconscious at the base of the stairs was Hiccup.

He had collapsed just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

A/N: I would have updated earlier, but it was my aunt's birthday, and we went out to dinner to celebrate. Here's my problem: the time span from the end of this story to the beginning of the next story is about half a year. If you have any suggestions for a short story I can write to fill that gap, by all means, let me know! R&R and nobody gets hurt! =)