Sunlight crept over the small cottage in the wood. Most occupants sleeping soundly on the fact that it was last night, last day and then the nightmares over. Except for one. Gothi paced her room quietly, pausing every once and a while to listen for the occupant next door. The silence caused her to pace even faster, or at least try to. A nauseating feeling crawled in her stomach. Normally, their little boy could be heard by her, tossing and turning in a nightmare he never remembers. That was why she was placed next to his room. Gothi always managed to bring him back before it got too far.

And it was the boy's birthday, the night when his nightmares are the worst. She should have heard something by now. Heaving a silent sigh, the elder carefully opened her door. One peek shouldn't hurt. She hobbled over to Hiccup's bedroom.

A soft curse caused her to pause at the door. She pressed her ear closer.

"Darn it Toothless. Did you have to push me so hard?" A happy trill answered him. "Hush bud. We don't want to wake up Daant. Or the others."

She assumed he sat on his bed when a soft thump came through the door. Another trill came through, this time in a questioning tone. "Yeah, I'm alright bud. Last night's nightmare was just a bit stronger than usual, that's all."

Gothi gasped, moving away from the door and hobbling downstairs. Stronger nightmare wasn't a good sign. Hiccup sneaking out wasn't either but it was a habit of his to take a walk to clear his mind. That would make the most sense. Either way, the others need to know, quickly.

In a few minutes, all the adults gathered in the living room. Gobber rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with a large yawn. "What are you up to Gothi?"

Black marks quickly formed on the paper in front of her.

"Trouble with Hiccup?" Tooth scratched her head. "What kind of trouble? Did Sandy sense something?"

The golden man smiled brightly, attempting to weave an answer but Gothi's scribbling interrupted. Gobber raised an eyebrow. "He snuck out last night. Do you know why?"

Again Sandy tried to answer but all eyes staid on the elder. She shook her head. More scribblings appeared. "He mentioned his nightmare was worse last night. How did you…"

Gothi cupped a hand around her ear, miming her listening in. "Oh, you overheard him."

Tooth unconsciously hovered a few inches in the air. "But if his nightmare is worse that means HE's getting strong right? And if HE's getting stronger that means the curse is getting stronger. Which means if Hiccup went out last night"

"I was just taking a walk." Everyone jerked around, spotting Hiccup and Toothless hovering at the bottom of the stairs. Sandy noted that the boy's hand gripped the railing slightly tighter. "Who is this 'he' you're talking about?"

The adults, minus Sandy, shared a glance. Gobber sighed and stood up. "Come on lad. Join me at the forge and I'll tell you everything. You're not gonna like it though."

Hiccup bit his lip as he followed. Tooth and Gothi glanced at each other before standing up to start packing. Sandy slammed his palm against his head. He took a deep breath and joined the two women. Lunch had come and gone. Sandy drummed his fingers against his chair. The time to leave was fast approaching and he felt that Hiccup will need to talk to him. A voiceless sigh escaped him.

Gothi and Tooth had left the cottage earlier. They needed to get their stuff back to the castle before them; today was not a day to have time wasted. Sandy jerked to attention when the back door slammed. He briefly spotted green and brown, followed by a black, blur rushing across the house. Another door slammed above him as Gobber appeared in the back door.

"Daft lad ran off on me. I just finished explaining about the arranged marriage when he just"

Sandy abruptly stood up, cutting the blacksmith off. Golden sand blew out of his ears. Gobber lifted both hand and hammer in apology. "What? I thought the lad should know everything. After all it is the last day, and well…"

Sandy rolled his eyes before floating up the stairs. Landing in front of Hiccup's room, Sandy heard the gentle gasps of someone trying to cry quietly. He knocked on the door twice and walked inside. Toothless spotted him, crooning softly. Hiccup laid on his bed, covering his head with a pillow.

Sandy carefully unfurled the boy's hands from the pillow. Placing it to the side, he sat on the bed and began running his fingers through auburn strands. Silence blanketed them for a few minutes. Toothless curled next to his brother, nudging his nose into the boy's ear. Hiccup gave a watery laugh before stretching out a hand, scratching him under the chin.

"Sendi?"

Sandy paused his movements to tapped Hiccup's shoulder to show he's listening. Hiccup sat up to face him. "Wha…What's your real name?"

A smile crept on the healer's face. Feeling no need to hide now, he weaved his sands together to spell it out. Hiccup gave a shallow smile as he read it. "Sandy. I guess that's not too different from Sendi."

Hiccup pulled his legs closer toward himself. "And—are you really some form of fairy?"

Sandy nodded, weaving another message in his sands. Are you doubting our love for you? Another sigh at the slight flinch. The sands mixed together in a different order. Our concern, and love was real. We simple didn't want to have you live your life in fear.

Hiccup gave a half smile at the words before looking down at his feet. He looked back up at a gentle touch on his knee. His jaw dropped as Sandy briefly removed his disguise. With a smile of his own, he wrote a new message. I will not hide any more secrets then. Aunt Dannt's true name is Toothania though most call her Tooth. She's the queen of the fairies and I'm her advisor. When you were born, I came to help your mother and we were also there the day you were presented to court. He placed a grainy hand against his own heart before placing it on Hiccup's. Though we are not related by blood, you became our nephew, just as Toothless became your brother. That is no lie.

Hiccup nodded. Sandy tilted his head and continued. But I don't think that's the real reason you are upset, is it?

A gulp and a quick shielding of the eyes confirmed that suspicion. Sandy reached over and rubbed the boy's back. Waiting patiently as he always does, Sandy waited for the boy to find the words. "I think that"

"Sandy? Hiccup?" Tooth rushed in, unaware of the golden man's glare. She placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "It's time to leave now. The others are waiting."

Robotically, Hiccup returned the hug. The four joined Gothi and Gobber outside before leaving the cottage. Sandy stayed by the boy's side. The normally exited boy stayed inside a shell, answering only direct questions. Even Toothless remain subdued by staying only on Hiccup's shoulder throughout the trip. Even when they reach the castle, Sandy glanced over in hopes for a familiar fire of adventure only to spot…nothing.

Just like when they left, the small group entered the back door. Only two servants, Snotlout and Jamie, waited for them. Sandy motioned for the other three to follow Snotlout into the ballroom. Taking an arm, He led the boy with Jamie up the second staircase.

Jamie showed them Hiccup's new room—on the third floor next to the library—unlocked it, gave them a short bow and left. Hiccup placed a hand on the wood but the freckled hand refused to move further. His silent guardian wait a few more minutes before gently placing his own on top, nudging the door open. In many ways, the new room was the same as his old one. His books organized exactly as he liked, a small desk littered with drawing utensils, a nice view of the forest, even the small snow globe that he claimed to have found in the woods waited for him by his bed.

Sandy patted Hiccup's head and picked up the regal outfit laid out on the bed. He carefully signed Would you like me to stay and help? Or do you wish to be alone?

Two fingers came up. Sandy smiled knowingly before kissing the boy on his forehead. I'll be back soon to take you down to the ballroom.

Floating out the door, Sandy closed it gently with a sad sigh. Maybe Toothless will help where he cannot. Inside the room, Hiccup slowly changed his outfit while Toothless watched from the bed's canopy. A flicker of fire flared in his chest once he finished. He moved toward the mirror, his eyes falling down to the crown sitting there. Hiccup bit his lip as he placed it on top of his head.

Hiccup sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. The emerald tunic hung loosely on his shoulders, exposing the freckles that run down his neck. His worn breeches were replaced by stiff, formal ones. A cloak wrapped around him, tied underneath the light green collar of his tunic. "At least the colors are similar."

His eyes darted up to the simple, gold crown on his head. He stretched one trembling hand up to touch it before flopping down on the nearby chair. Toothless whined softly as Hiccup's hands covered his face. Flying over, he circled in front of him.

Hiccup slowly sat up, green eyes tinged red, as he patted his leg. He softly scratched the dragonling's head once he landed. "I guess we've got a new place to discover, right bud?"

Toothless nuzzled his face into his brother's chest with a quiet cry. Hiccup bit his lip, giving him a hug. "Yeah, I know. I miss home too."

The two brothers stayed like that for a moment before separating. Toothless licked Hiccup on the nose before flying out to the balcony. Hiccup gave a short laugh as he perched himself on the white railing. "What, you think we should run away?"

Toothless tilted his head as he stared at him. His wings curled around himself, blocking off all vision. Hiccup shook his head. "Whatever suits you buddy."

He turned his body around to face the mirror again. This time, his vision didn't see what the mirror showed. Leaning against one arm, Hiccup thought back on his promise to Jack, made just yesterday. He closed his eyes as the gentle breeze flowed through. Jack's infectious laugh ghosted through the room as well as his icy sent. Tomorrow night, I'll head over to your house to celebrate your birthday.

Hiccup felt his bottom lip begin to tremble. He took a deep breath, exhaling shakily. Water started to build up behind his eyes and Hiccup furiously rubbed them. "Okay, clam down now. We have to go meet….a lot of people soon. You can't have a melt-down right now."

Cold, invisible arms wrapped around his shoulders as Jack's voice echoed in his ears. It's okay to cry if you're hurting.

His last wall finally broke, letting out the emotions that were built up. Hiccup allowed his face to fall into his hands, his tears falling hard but silent. Toothless slowly peeked his head out from his wings. Seeing his brother finally crying, he paced along the railing. After a few minutes passed, Toothless prepared to fly off to cheer him up.

But just as he spread out his wings, strange, black sand swallowed him. Toothless attempted to cry a warning but the sand circled his jaw, silencing him. He spun his head around, spotting and glaring at a large man sitting on the railing with him. A gray finger tapped his mouth. The golden staff sitting next to him started to glow and a small, green orb drifted over to Hiccup.

Hiccup felt an uncanny calm wash over him. Unnoticed by him, a light greenish, black glow radiated from his skin as he sat up. His eyes caught sight of the orb and they slowly went blank. A low growl came from Toothless's throat as the light flashed, causing Hiccup to stand up. His head turned slightly, like he almost heard something and was trying to hear it better, but it returned straight back to the orb.

His hand moved toward the orb, drawn to its glow, but it danced away. Hiccup, hand stuck in the same position, walked forward. Any questions that came to his head disappeared too fast for him to process it as the orb lead him across the room. They both stopped in front of the fireplace.

Pitch chuckled as he flicked his fingers toward the orb. "What an incredibly obedient child you are. If only you knew what was going on."

The glow infected the back of the fireplace, making the wall disappear. "Now, be a good boy and follow the pretty light."

Toothless whined as the man, the orb, and Hiccup walked through the wall. The sands tighten their grip around him as the dragonling hopped off the railing, landing harshly on the ground. He rolled around, trying to get closer to Hiccup and remove the sand. Soft knocking on the door interrupted him. The door opened at his whimper, allowing Sandy to float inside.

Grainy alarm bells danced above his head when he spotted Toothless on the ground. Sandy waved a hand toward him, forcing the black sand to let go. He then created a sand prince with a question mark. Toothless answered his question with a cry and a figure-eight in front of the fireplace.

Hiccup, now halfway up the stairs in the hidden room, barely noticed the moss hanging on the walls. Still captivated by the orb, he blindly followed up into a small room. His footsteps echoed slightly on the marble flooring. In the corner, summoned by Pitch, stood a black, walnut spinning wheel. The orb hovered over to it and merged with the spindle.

Hiccup felt his hand stretched toward the spindle. But just before he touched it, a grainy light burst in front of him. He heard a loud cry from behind him. "Tooth—less?"

His hand drifted away from the spindle as he looked around. But as Hiccup moved to look for his dragon brother, a massive headache smashed into him. He gripped his head, feeling his breathing go out of pattern. Harsh laughter rung around him as his pain increased. One hand reached out like a puppet on a string. Toothless cries grew louder, but since it bounced off the walls Hiccup couldn't tell where he was.

A single finger brushed against the metal spindle. The world around Hiccup began to dissolve and his mind grew fuzzy. His legs gave way beneath him as he saw a black figure draw close to him. Just before the darkness took over, Hiccup felt cold hands pat his head. "What a good boy."

Sandy and Toothless burst through the open doorway. The dragonling shrieked as he attacked the kneeling man. A ball of sand followed him, both slamming into Pitch and tossed him away from Hiccup. Toothless landed next to Hiccup and brushed his nose against him.

Pitch laughed wildly as he stood up. He turned to look at Sandy, eyes glowing like a hungry tiger. "You're too late, I've won."

A blast of purple fire hit him in the face. Toothless spread out his wings with a low growl as Pitch brushed off the ash. He grinned at the helpless dragonling before letting his sands swallow him. His laugh reverberated around the room. Only when silence settled did Sandy hovered over to Hiccup.

Softly patting Toothless, Sandy knelt down to brush his fingers against Hiccup's forehead. Bright, cheerful fireworks burst in the night sky, unaware of the still figures in the room. Sandy scooped Hiccup into his arms and transferred him into the nearby bed. Sand wove into the air, symbols hanging in the air as Sandy preformed his magic. As expected, the spell didn't wake the boy but the sands did form into an image. Sandy laughed silently as he recognized both Hiccup and Jack sleeping together. Tomorrow night I'll visit you.

His face morphed into curiosity and horror when Sandy heard those words. He assumed Jack was at the castle, hiding probably but nearby. But if he actually attempted to keep his promise and went into the woods... Sandy motioned Toothless closer, pulling off the small bag on his neck. He wove his sands into a message and tied the spell on the bag.

The bag was slipped over Toothless's neck, who cried in question. Golden sand lit the room as Sandy talked. Find Jack. Bring him here. I keep others safe.

Green eyes blinked slowly in understanding before Toothless glided out the window. No one notice a black dot streaking over the stars. Sandy waited for the dragonling to gain some distance before weaving another spell. The golden sand swirled around him gently like a spider-web. Crowds of people below him subtly rubbed their eyes while others attempted to cover yawns. Those sitting at the edges of the circle fell victim first, heads dropping onto tables. Slowly the spell started to infect its way into the center of the room.

Stoick, Valka, and North succumbed last, unaware of the glittering sand, all that was left of Sandy. In his current state, he watched black thorns curled over the palace walls, stopped by his circle of protection, North snoring rather loudly on his table, and the black smudge against the dark night fly away from him.