DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING

Author's note:

Man, it is sooo good to finally write Toothless. The whole "The Dragon" thing was starting to get on my nerves. It was so confusing too, especially when I was trying to compare "The Dragon" to other dragons. I mean, I'll still use the words "the dragon," but without capitals and not as a name.

Hiccup, on the other hand, is another story (Gah, I don't mean I'm writing another story about Hiccup yet. I mean that his case is different, okay?). Recognition of his name will come later, so we'll stick with "boy," "human," "viking," and "child" for now.

Also, I extended the scenes a bit more, once again trying to fill some holes. I hope that doesn't bother you guys too much.

Well, as always, it is my sincere hope that you enjoy the following chapter! (Also, is it just me, or does the story seem much cuter when Toothless's name is actually used?)

The next time the boy returned, Toothless was in a particularly playful mood. His body was energized by the fish he had eaten, and his last flight had renewed his hopes again. Moreover, he had slept for the first time in days-the dreams of flight were no longer bothersome to him. His body needed some activity-and since flying was out of the question, he decided that running was his next best option, and he wanted the boy to join him.

Toothless had never played with other dragons before, let alone a human. He didn't know how to do either. But he suspected that it involved things like racing and pouncing. That's what he had seen other dragons do, anyway. Maybe he could teach the boy to do the same.

As the child entered the ravine, Toothless ran toward him, looking eager.

It was strange how this boy had gone from a threat to his best friend in a matter of days. He felt good about it too. After all, this person wanted to spend time with him-to do things with him to escape the boredom. Plus, he didn't really want anything from Toothless in return-no ulterior motive. It was nice to feel genuinely wanted, even for a dragon.

Especially if that dragon had been alone since birth.

Toothless leapt around the boy, inviting him to join the fun. Of course, the boy did not. The Viking wasn't really one for running and jumping, as Toothless had recently learned.

But the boy was carrying something...another Viking contraption, perhaps? It was flat and smooth-probably made of some sort of livestock skin. It didn't look anything like his tailfin, so Toothless couldn't imagine what the device was for. To him, it didn't appear to help his flying, and therefore, it didn't interest him.

But the boy obviously wanted him to use it, considering that he kept holding it out to him.

No, no, no. That was not how things worked. If the boy wasn't going to cooperate with Toothless, then Toothless was not going to cooperate with the boy.

As the Viking moved toward him, carrying the new invention, Toothless lowered himself to the ground, then romped off sportively. He knew that the boy would have to follow him, which is exactly what Toothless wanted.

The chase lasted for a full half-hour. It only ended when the Viking put his hands on his knees, overcome with exhaustion. Worried, Toothless walked over to him, nuzzling his friend to see if he was alright. Of course, the boy was fine, and he managed to wrestle Toothless into that new device he had brought.

The Viking creation was certainly peculiar. It rested flatly on his back and fastened along his stomach. For a few moments, Toothless sat confused, wondering what its purpose might be. That question was quickly answered, though, when the boy started struggling to climb onto the dragon's back.

At first, Toothless reacted horribly to that realization, trying to buck the child off. Humans couldn't fly, and therefore, shouldn't fly. It went against everything natural and traditional.

But then again...didn't their friendship?

Still, Toothless wasn't accustomed to the feeling, so when he managed to shake the Viking off, relief filled his heart. That should teach him! Humans had hands and dragons had wings. This was the way the world worked.

As a result of the dragon's efforts, the boy toppled to the ground, the wind having been effectively knocked out of his lungs. Knowing that he had injured his friend, guilt soon replaced Toothless's relief. He never wanted to hurt the boy-not at all. It was just that the child had a very confused sense of boundaries.

Concerned, Toothless stood over his friend's fallen form, staring down expectantly. Surprisingly, irritated eyes met his own. He had never seen that sort of emotion coming out of his friend, and it shocked him.

"Toothless!" the boy began indignantly, and the dragon unhappily realized that the child's negative emotions were directed toward him. That had never happened before."Could you please just help me out here?"

Of course, Toothless didn't understand any of the latter words, but the Viking's curt phrases seemed to express some sort of aggravation. In truth, he wasn't accustomed nor inclined to catering to other things' needs, but he supposed that if he wanted to keep his friend's company, he would have to make some sacrifices. At the end of the day, the boy had helped him a lot, and he deserved Toothless's help instead of his antagonism.

So the dragon stood still and patient as the boy climbed onto his back. The feeling of the child's weight, no matter how slight, was still very strange to Toothless. Both fidgeted a bit, trying to acclimate to their new arrangement. In fact, the dragon was still confused about why the boy wanted to ride him in the first place. However, despite his initial rejection, the feeling of the boy on his back soon felt...natural. But that couldn't be right. It wasn't supposed to feel natural because it was unnatural. Boys weren't meant to ride dragons, and Toothless was foolish to let his friend do so.

Soon enough, he felt something pull at his artificial tail-fin, stiffening it. The change made him want to fly, but he was very reluctant to move with a Viking on his back. But the boy urged him to take off with his foreign Viking words, and eventually, Toothless couldn't help himself. He flapped his wings, rising from the ravine's floor, and enjoying flight once again.

He didn't dare try any of his normal stunts given the human riding on his back. He wondered what his friend felt. Terror? Envy? Both? That's what Toothless would have felt if the situation was reversed.

But instead of screaming like the dragon had expected, the boy was focused and quiet. It seemed that the Viking was using a string to move Toothless's prosthetic tailfin. It suddenly made sense why the boy wanted to ride him-the fin had to be moved manually, and the human was the only one able to do so.

Or give it his best shot, as the dragon soon found out.

It wasn't long before his friend pulled the string the wrong way, and Toothless was flung out of the sky, back onto the ground. His rider, meanwhile, was thrown off to the side.

The dragon hit the ground hard, and the fall stung pretty badly. However, Toothless had become rather experienced in the art of falling lately, and he was mostly concerned about his companion. He rushed over to the pond, which is where his friend had presumably fallen.

The boy surfaced, coughing up water, and relief once again filled the dragon's heart. To him, this experience was only further proof of why humans shouldn't fly, but the child looked more eager than ever. His face seemed excited as he staggered out of the pond, making his way toward the dragon.

"You okay, bud?" he said, his tone indicating worry. He petted Toothless briefly before examining the contraption on his back with a thoughtful expression. Unfortunately for the dragon, the Viking's interest probably signified an intent to fly again.

Exhaling heavily, Toothless began to wonder if the boy had hit his head too hard. Why the human hadn't learned from his two previous falls, the dragon didn't know or understand.

Vikings were just stubborn, he supposed.