Hey yall! Remember that cliff hanger i left you with? Yes? Well... I got the rest here! Now, i know some of you know what's going to happen, so i hope your expectations are met. For those of you who don't know... ENJOY!

Ch. 11
A Dragons Tale

A boy. Yes, a boy. Just a simple boy standing directly were Toothless had been moments ago. Ignoring the fact that he had appeared out of nowhere(and the fact that Toothless had just disappeared) I quickly took note of his appearance, which was very interesting, to say the least. He was tall, probably a foot taller than me. And judging by the looks of him he was probably about my age, or maybe even a year older. He had the build of an unusually strong teenager, with a broad chest, muscular arms and legs, and a strong, confident posture. His skin tone was the color of ivory, his solid black hair was a wavy mess that ended just below his ears, and at a small glance I could see his eyes were bright green. But, those were the only human aspects of him. His whole arms, his neck, around his face, and the bit of chest I could see was all covered in faint smoky scales that were outlined in black. His ears were not that of a humans', but exactly like the ones Toothless had. And, if it wasn't obvious enough, he had a pair of large, bat-like wings on his back, and they were folded up behind him.

I stared at the boy, mesmerized by what I saw. I wanted to say something but nothing would come out. What was I suppose to say? Hi there, nice to meet you. Now where's my dragon? But it didn't matter because just as I was thinking about saying something, the boy spoke.

"It's me, Hicca."

I gasped in shock. That voice was Toothless' voice. The same voice I had been hearing and listening to since the first time we had ever talked to each other. I glanced up at the boys' face again, and received another shock. His eyes were not human either, but were entirely electric green(not a single bit of white in it), and they both had solid black orbs in the middle. They were looking down at me, a hopeful, yet scared expression written in them. And they looked so familiar…

"…T-Toothless?"

The boy smiled, and nodded. I inhaled slowly, my hand going to my chest.

"You… you're a…"

Toothless shrugged. "All dragons are shape-shifters."

"…Oh."

"I know, it's a little strange. I'm just glad we at least have our own cloths in this form."

As much as I was glad he was dressed, I was a little surprised. Toothless was, oddly enough, completely dressed in black. His pants were long and sleek, ending below his ankles. He had large boots, but they appeared to have more leather on them than the fur ones I had. His tunic, however, was very similar to mine, but he had no strings on the V-neck, so his chest was more exposed. And he was sleeveless. In fact, judging by the state of the tunic, it looked like the sleeves had been carelessly ripped off, but at the same time they were neat enough to stop evenly at his shoulders.

I swallowed hard, trying to stomach what I was witnessing. Okay, so dragons can change into dragon humanoid things. No big deal. Hold on… Feeling curious, I leaned to the side to look behind Toothless, and looked down. There was nothing there.

"No tail?" I asked.

"Nope."

"So, does that mean that… you can still fly on your own?"

Toothless nodded. "Yes, but I find it better to fly in my other form. Feels better; more free, you know?"

I nodded, not knowing what to say. I looked up at him, and I looked closely at him. As embarassed as I was to say it, Toothless looked…really handsome. Even with the dark scale surrounding his face. Suddenly a new curiosity had built up now. Taking a step closer I lifted my hand a little until it was level with my shoulder. Then I stopped.

"Umm… Could I, uh…"

Toothless looked at me for a second, one of his dark brows raised. Then he grinned, as though he actually understood. He bent over slightly so his face was somewhat level with mine.

"Go ahead."

I smiled, blushing slightly. Then I took another step forward, lifted my hand, and my palm cam into contact with Toothless' cheek. It was smooth, to say the least. It felt like normal human skin, except that when my fingers passed over the scales that surrounded his face they felt just like his normal scales, but with a thin layer of human skin over them. I continued touching his face until I lowered my hand to his neck, feeling the sales on the sides(only his small Adam's apple was scale-free). They felt the same, but they were clustered together more. I was so fascinated that I didn't realize what I was doing until I saw my fingers were touching the scales on the small bit of his exposed chest. I blushed furiously as I quickly broke contact, but didn't move away. I looked up at Toothless, and saw he was smirking slightly.

"Feeling curious, buddy?" he said teasingly.

"Sh-shut up!" I snapped, trying to sound less nervous than I actually was. "But, yes, I'm a little curious. I mean, no one else knows about this and… it's so fascinating!"

"Well, I'm glad I can be your source of admiration."

That made me blush even more, and I glared up at him. But he just smiled softly at me, and after a moment I smiled back. I reached my hand back up and touched the scales on his forearm. Still the same as his face and neck.

"How is this possible?" I asked, still looking his arm.

"I'm not entirely sure," he paused for a moment. "Well, there is this legend… But, you'll think it's silly."

"No I won't! I said quickly. "I want to know!"

"Well…"

"C'mon, please?"

I clasped my hands together and did the biggest pouting face I could muster, making small whimpers. Toothless looked at me for a moment, then sighed.

"Alright… I'll tell you…"

I smiled as I quickly sat down and crossed my legs. Toothless chuckled at my excitement and sat down in front of me, crossing his legs, as well. I leaned forward, waiting expectantly.

"There is a story, one that my mother told me when I was a hatchling," he started. "Long ago, when dragons were first created, the gods gave them certain abilities to help them survive in the world; incredible strength, fire power, and the ability to fly. But as much good as they knew these creatures would bring to the world, they also knew that dragons would probably never be accepted by humans, at least not for many, many years. So, they gave dragons the power to turn completely human; no scales, wings, or anything.

"And it worked. For the first few centuries of their existence dragons were able to live among humans in peace, as long as they stayed in their human form. Or course, they still changed into their original form when needed. But whenever they were around humans, they stayed human as well. The gods were very happy; they were pleased at how well the dragons were living. But, there was one god that wasn't happy with peace. Loki, the God of Mischief, didn't like the idea of powerful creatures such as us living in peace with humans. He had expected violence and chaos to follow our creation. So, one night while everyone was asleep, Loki used his powers to change all of the dragons' human form. He turned them all into half human, half dragon creatures. And so, when morning came and the humans saw what had happen to our form, all of the dragons were forced to confess the truth about what they really were.

"It didn't end well. Not one human was happy about creatures like us living with them, eating their food, or having our hatchlings near their own children. The moment the truth was out there was complete chaos. People betrayed their dragon friends, innocent hatchlings were left for dead, and mothering dragons were left to run with their children while their mates fended off the raging humans. After that dragons could no longer be near or live by any humans, and there was nothing the gods could do to help, because Loki's spell was too permanent to be fixed by them. The dragons had no choice but to live like animals in the wild. Sad from being abandoned, ashamed of how they were now mutated, the dragons stopped using their humanoid form. To this day there are some dragons who go their whole lives without changing their form, or even knowing about it. But despite everything, the gods still have hope. They still believe that some day, the humans will change and will soon accept dragons for the great creatures they are, and were always meant to be."

Toothless was finally silent, and he took a deep breath as though he were out of air. He looked up at me, a small grin on his face.

"I know it probably seems silly," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Some dragons think so, too. But most of us still believe its true. We want to believe it will, but the prospect of any humans accepting us is a feeble one. I believe the story, but the thought of all humans being okay with-"

But he was cut off as I lunged forward and threw my arms around him, holding him tightly. I couldn't help it. First his story was interesting, then it was fascinating, and then it was heartbreaking. After knowing so much now, and after years of learning to hate something I now cared for, I felt sick to my stomach. And as Toothless finally wrapped his arms around me I knew he understood.

"I believe you," I said quietly. "And I think it's possible for things to change, too."

"…What makes you say that?"

"Well, I'm your friend, aren't I? And I was before you even considered showing me you could shape-shift."

Toothless didn't say anything, but continued to hold me.

"But, why did you tell me?" I asked. "You didn't have to, and everything would've still been fine. Why?"

Toothless sighed. "Because… you trusted me with your secret, and you were scared. So, I figured that if you could trust me with yours, then I could trust you with mine."

I knew he was telling the truth. I didn't even have to look at him to know he was. I believed his word, but there was something different in his voice. Like there was still something he wasn't telling me.

"There's something else, isn't there?" I leaned back and looked up at him. "There's some other reason you changed. Go on, tell me."

Toothless stared at me, eyebrows raised. Then he chuckled slightly, and nodded.

"You can read me like a book," he said. "Yeah, alright, there's one other reason."

"…Well, go on!"

He smirked. "You really want to know?"

"Uh, yeah!" I said matter-of-factly. "I mean, I'm gonna find out anyway, right?"

"Yes, actually."

I blinked. Didn't expect that… But before I could respond Toothless started leaning forward slightly, and I was so startled I moved back. My hands went back behind me and landed on the ground to keep me from falling. Toothless leaned forward more, and his hands landed on the ground, both of them only an inch from my own. He was now towering over me, looking even taller then before. I was suddenly starting to feel weird again. Only this time I felt like I was having a minor seizer or something. My face was on fire, my breathing was shallow, and my heart was beating like I had been running for miles. I gulped hard, trying to calm down. It didn't work.

"Wh-what is it?" I stammered, my voice somewhere between afraid and excited.

Toothless smiled. "Mind if I answer that with another question?"

"N-no…"

He then closed his eyes, and his chest expanded as he inhaled, then shrunk as he exhaled. He opened his eyes, and there was something in them that I, for once, could not read.

"Hicca, do you think… Is it possible for a dragon to…fall for a human?"

It was as though all the air disappeared from my lungs. I was completely frozen, but my heart was now going crazy. I felt like even the slightest movement would ruin this, and I would wake up from this crazy dream. This can't be real… Did he really just say…

"I-I… I don't know…"

Toothless smiled, his expression suddenly very soft and sweet. He lifted his left hand up to my face, and moved my bangs over until they were tucked behind my right ear. I expected him to then lower it, but he didn't move. His fingers smoothed against my skin, and I felt his hand cup my cheek.

"Well, I do," he breathed. "Because I already did."

Before I could respond he had already started leaning forward, moving my head up as well. I felt something warm close on my left and, and I realized Toothless was holding it. I didn't know what to do, but I definitely didn't want him to stop. So, not knowing what else to do, I closed my eyes and waited for something. I was just able to smell the sent of surprisingly fresh breath before something smooth pressed against my lips.

If I was able to, I probably would have gasped, but there was something blocking my way. I was brave enough to open one of my eyes ever so slightly, but it was enough see. And what I saw, I was not ready for. Toothless was…kissing me… He was actually kissing me! Oh, sweet Thor! What do I do?! But as soon as I asked myself this Toothless' lips started to move against my own. It was as though something just suddenly sparked inside me, and all thought was completely wiped from my mind. My head was completely blank, except for a tiny voice telling me to kiss him back. I obeyed without question, and I moved my lips with his. This was the first time I had ever been kissed or had ever kissed back, and…it was…wonderful. Ooh, no words could describe what I was feeling, but it was pure, undeniable bliss. That was all I could think of.

Hours seemed to pass by before the need for air finally caught up to me, and I had to push on Toothless' chest slightly before I was released. The second my lips were free I opened them and nearly gasped for air. I looked up and was a little glad to see I wasn't alone. Toothless was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling slightly. I swallowed as he looked at me, and he smiled softly. And I, feeling more happy now then ever, smiled right back up at him.

"Thanks for leaving the stall open for a bit, Gobber. I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Hicca. Oh, and by the way, next time yah want tah go on a little camp trip in the forest, yah let me know first. Got it?"

"Sure thing! I'll remember!"

Gobber waved as he turned and walked away, I waved slightly, grabbing the door from behind me. I turned as I opened the door. I quickly went in, shut the door, and looked around. Still no one, just its suppose to be. I took in a deep breath and let out a slow, airy sight, a smiled widening on my face. I leaned up and started to walk lazily around the room. Not because I was tired or anything, but because I felt…light. Very light. And also very happy. In fact, I can't remember the last time I was ever this happy. This had to be one of the best days of my life, and I didn't have a lot of those.

As I walked to my desk I glanced over at the slab of metal hanging on the wall, and it was clear enough for me to see my reflection. I could see my whole face, still holding the biggest smile I ever had in my life. Now that I could see myself, I realized that I actually looked good with a smile like that. In fact, I almost looked…pretty. That says a lot, since I never thought of myself as being pretty. Ever. I was short and boney compared to the rest of the village, who were all tall, big, and very muscular. My hair was unusually shorter than any of the other girls', but it was still long enough for the small, simple braid I always had. And my bangs weren't held back, but hung at an angle at the right side. Plus, other girls all had fair, clear skin and gorgeous doe eyes, whose colors were usually dark blue or brown. Mine were slightly rounder than normal, and were a bright, forest green, and my skin was slightly tanned and covered in freckles. I looked closely at my reflection, moving the ends of my bangs behind my ear. For years I had always thought these things were major flaws that made me even less perfect than I already was. That these things made me more of what I didn't like to be; a hiccup. But now, seeing myself like this- it was like I was seeing myself for the very first time. Yes, I was a hiccup, but in that moment, for some reason, I didn't care anymore. All I could see was the smart, happy young girl I grew into. And, I looked…beautiful.

It was this thought that kept the smile on my face as I finally moved. I sat down at my desk, looking down at a picture of Toothless in my sketchbook. I chuckled. Well, whatever he sees in me, he must really like it. I sighed, leaning my head down on the surface of the wooden desk, thinking. What would happen now, after tonight? Would Toothless treat me differently? Or would he act the same way that he had been? Did he kiss me because he really liked me? Or was it just an in-the-moment sort of thing? Maybe I should ask him…

"Hicca."

My head snapped up and I gasped. My dad was standing in the doorway, looking down at me. At once I jumped to my feet and my hand scrambled around, gathering all the pictures of Toothless to hid them from sight.

"Dad! Y-you're back!" I stuttered. "Uh, Gobber's not here, so…"

"I know," my dad grunted as he roughly pushed himself through the door. "I came looking for you."

"Y-you did?" I asked, closing my sketchbook.

"You've been keeping secrets."

"I, uh… I-I have?"

"Just how long did you think you could hide it from me?"

"I… I-I don't know what you're-"

"Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it."

"Oh?"

"So," my dad took another step towards me. "Lets talk… about that dragon."

All the feeling seemed to have left my body in that moment. I nearly fell on the ground and I caught myself on my desk, but my book slid and fell to the floor. He knows about Toothless… But how? Did he see him? Oh gods, did he see us kiss?!

"Oh gods… Dad, I'm so sorry. I swear, I was going to tell you, but I didn't know how…"

Before I could even finish my dad reared his head back and roared with laughter. I blinked, staring at him. Then I calmed down slightly as I laughed nervously.

"You're not…upset?"

"What?! I was hoping for this!"

"Uhh, you were?" I asked, feeling confused. We're talking about the same thing, right?

"And believe me, it only gets better!" my dad beamed. "Just wait 'til you spill a Nadders' guts for the first time! And mount your first Gronkle head on a spear- What a feelin'!"

Ooh, I get it… I sighed slightly, relieved he didn't know about Toothless. Then suddenly he shoved me backwards(probably playfully) and I fell back into a barrel. I grunted as I tried to lift myself out, but my dad just laughed.

"HA! You really had me going there, lass!" he bellowed. "All those years of the worst Viking Berk has ever seen- Odin, it was rough, I almost gave up on you…"

Wow. Ouch.

"…And all the while you were holding out on me! Oh, Thor, ole mighty!" he pulled up a chair and sat in front of me. "With you doing so well in the ring… we finally have something to talk about."

I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. Then I closed it, and cleared my throat.

"Well, there's not much to tell," I said, rubbing my arm. "It's just, well… it's…"

But I couldn't say anything else. My dad noticed nothing, and moved his chair up more, a brilliant smile on his face. Okay, now this was getting really weird. Me and my dad had never been on good speaking terms about anything, and whenever he did talk… Well, I don't think I need to do another demonstration. Now, one of the few things I wanted in this world was to have at least one good conversation with my dad. But now that he apparently wanted to talk, his subject was the last thing I wanted to talk about. There was quite a few things I wanted to say, but I still didn't know how to say them. Hey dad, everything I've done in the ring for the pass two months has been a bunch of tricks I leaned while befriending a dragon. Oh, and by the way, he kissed me, so I'm pretty sure I'm dating him now, too. Yeah, that would end perfectly.

"Oh, I, uh… I brought you something."

I blinked as I snapped out of my thoughts. My dad reached behind him and pulled out a large Viking helmet. He held it out to me.

"To keep you safe in the ring."

I stared for a moment before slowly lifting my hands to grab it. It looked to be just my size, with large, curved horns on each side.

"Thanks, dad," I said, placing my hand on the top.

"Aye, your mother would've wanted you to have it," he added. "It's half of her breastplate."

Ew, ew, ew, ew, EWW! I grimaced slightly as I quickly removed my hand, trying very hard not to look too disgusted. My dad nodded, pointing to his own helmet on his head.

"Matching set. Keeps her- keeps her close, yah know?" he looked up at me seriously. "Wear it proudly. You deserve it. You've held up your end of the deal."

Okay… Awkward… I placed the helmet on my desk and folded my hands together. I fiddled with my fingers, trying to think of what to say or do. Then, having no other options, I stretched my arms out and let out a long, clearly fake yawn.

"Wow, I should really get to bed, right about now…"

"Yes! Uh- Good talk!"

"Uh-huh. I'll see you at the house, thanks for stopping by…"

"Hope you like the hat…"

"Thanks for the, uh…breast hat," but I muttered that last part so he couldn't hear it.

My dad turned to look at me as he walked outside. "Well, uh… Good night!"

I wave slightly as he squeezed himself through the door. I turned around and sighed stressfully. Things just got a whole lot harder…

It's been a whole week since the day my dad came back. I was in the ring again, only this time, things were different. Today was the last test in training; the one that would decide who would be the one to kill the Monstrous Nightmare. Of course, I didn't want any of that, so I was doing my best to stay out of sight and away from the dragon(today's test was with the Gronkle). Right now, I was currently hiding behind a small wooden board, hiding from the dragon. Suddenly Austen fell beside me, panting slightly. He turned and when he saw me he grabbed my shield and pulled me forward roughly.

"Stay out of my way!" he snapped. "I'm wining this thing."

"Please! By all means…"

He let go of my shield and ran off. I rolled my eyes as I stood up from my hiding spot. I turned to look up at the huge crowed gathered around the outside of the gates. My dad was standing there, smiling at me. I straightened the helmet on my head, trying to smile up at him, but I knew it probably looked forced. I groaned as I slowly turned around. The Gronkle was staring right at me from the other side of the ring. It gave a low growl as it started charging towards me. I took several steps back, not sure what to do.

'Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you,' she said calmly. 'Just nudge me with your shield when I get up there.'

I raised my brow in confusion, but I had no time to argue. The dragon was coming in faster and faster, looking like it was going to attack me. But, for some reason, I trusted her word. So, when she slowed down so she was right up to me, I nudged her with my shield; not hard enough to hurt, but enough to look convincing. The second I touched her she gave a loud growl and then fell on her side, looking as though I had knocked her out. I blinked and stared, so shocked that I had dropped my shield and my ax, and when I ran my fingers through my hair I knocked off my helmet. I saw someone standing in front of me from the corner of my eye and glanced up. Austen was standing there, his ax in the air, and a defeated look on his face. I spluttered, waving my hands around frantically, and yet, no words were said. Suddenly Austen's face fell into a look of rage.

"NO! NO, SON OF A HALF-TROLL, RAT-EATING, MUNGE BUCKET!"

I stared in disbelief. Who knew Austen had could cuss like a sailor. I mean, I swear from time to time, but…damn! I rolled my eyes as I glanced around, looking for an escape route. Maybe if I go this way…

"So, later…" I said, not really talking to anybody.

But just as I started walking something hooked under my collar(Again? Really?!) and hoist me up. It was Gobber.

"Uh-uh, not so fast," he said as he set me down.

"Uh, I'm kinda late for-"

"WHAT?!" Austen hissed angrily as he lifted his ax so it was up to my throat. "Late for what, exactly?!"

Gods! This guy's crazy! I can't believe I used to actually like him.

"Okay, quiet down!" I heard my dad call out. "The elder has decided."

Gobber walked up and stood between me and Austen(thank Thor, he looked like he was ready to kill me!). He held up his hooked hand, gesturing to Austen. The elder shook her head, and the crowed made a slightly disappointing sound. Slowly, Gobber lifted his normal hand and pointed down at me. The elder smiled, and nodded. There was instant reaction as the whole crowd started cheering and clapping. I winced. Then I glanced over at Austen, and I swear to Odin, if looks could kill…

"You've done it! You've don it, Hicca!" Gobber cheered. "You get to kill the dragon!"

Oh no… No, please, no! Suddenly all the other teen ran up to me, clapping and cheering along with the rest of the village. Snotlout slapped my back, the Twins cheered around me, and Fishlegs even picked me up and placed me right on his shoulder.

"That's my girl!" I heard my dad shout happily.

Trying not to grimace I forced up a smile, raising my fist in the air as Fishlegs led me away with the other teens.

"Yeah! Yes, I can't wait!" I said, and I could practically feel my sarcasm radiating off me. "Yes, I am… so…"

So what? SO WHAT? Haha, kidding! We all know what happens next. Or do we...? You're just going to have to find out next time. PEACE!