Hiccup finally tries to be a rebellious child. It goes just as well as you would expect it to.


In the sky, a human boy and a Nightfury flew.

Their course was slow, almost lazy, as the two tracked a ship that had been found in the outreaches of Drago Bludvist's territory, and was now headed towards the southern waters. It might have been interesting, but their following had only led to severe boredom.

There was very little entertainment of watching a ship sail, even in treacherous waters that hide ice floe from view. Once upon a time, Hiccup might have been interested to see how humans navigated drift ice, but the maneuver had long since lost its appeal. It wasn't as though Hiccup himself needed to know such things, not when he could simply fly above it.

For perhaps the hundredth time since they had happened upon the ship, Hiccup complained about the idiocy of humanity. How could trappers deal with the boredom of sailing? It was so slow in comparison to riding on a dragon's back! Hiccup was sure he had seen grass grow faster in length than a ship moved. What had humans been thinking when they had strapped planks of wood together and declared it their way of passage? Humans were so odd.

The boy was lying belly-first on Toothless' back, peering down at the ship over a shoulder. It was quite comfortable, really. Despite the frigid cold that could seep through the thickest of furs and settle into bones, his close proximity to Toothless allowed the dragon's body heat keep the boy from freezing. His mask, similar to that of his mother and brother save for the coloring, prevented the wind from hurting his eyes during flight.

And, when he got bored of watching the ship, Hiccup would let Toothless keep watch and he would try to memorize every luminous pitch-black scale on Toothless' back. Watching how the different rays of light reflected off each scale was breathtaking in its beauty for Hiccup. He could spend hours just admiring his best friend's sleek scales.

Eret had once told him that he had heard a rumor spread amongst the humans that the three vigilantes actually rode in saddles, which, according to Eret, was something like a leather harness but with a seat instead. Hiccup couldn't understand why. It was such an odd thing to be spread about. Tying up the back with strips of leather seemed uncomfortable for the dragon, and it wasn't like any of the three needed something as silly as a saddle to stay seated on dragonback.

Maybe it was just one of those bizarre things humans thought up…

Hiccup yawned tiredly, the sound oddly muffled by his mask. "This is boring…" He bemoaned.

They had been following the ship for over a day now. They hadn't done much but watch. There had been hope that the ship would meet up with another ship on its journey home, which would result in the destruction of both ships and consequentially remove more threats. But, alas, the ship had remained alone on its journey, save for the Night Fury and vigilante that stalked it from high above.

There weren't any dragons on the ship; Toothless and Hiccup had checked and double-checked on that. They had done a few stealthy fly bys during the middle of the night to see what was aboard. The Vikings hadn't even noticed. Something about being on open water always made humans think themselves safe from prying eyes.

There had been empty cages, but no dragons. Hiccup had even scaled the side of the ship and peered into the tiny little windows to see if they had been keeping the smaller dragon species underneath, but all Hiccup could see were barrels of salted meats and timber. Boring things! Nothing interesting for the boy and dragon.

"What do you think, bud?" Hiccup asked his dragon companion. "How should we go about this?"

Hiccup considered himself to have a creative mind, so surely some idea to attack will come. Waiting for an idea was one of the reasons why Hiccup hadn't had Toothless blow the ship to smithereens just yet.

Maybe Toothless could shoot a few holes in the ship, blast it to splinters and watch it sink. There was no sign of land masses anywhere. Hiccup idly wondered how long the Vikings could swim, or hold their breath…

A sudden thought popped into Hiccup's head that made him sit up, spine rigid. Hiccup quickly began to look around, searching the ocean. All he saw was the ocean. No islands, no protruding rocks, no distant land on the horizon. Nothing but the ocean. His skin began to prickle as uncertainty settled.

"Er, Toothless? Do you know where we are?"

Toothless warbled lowly, which made Hiccup hum in consideration.

Neither of them had seen any recognizing landmarks for most of their journey; the ship they were tracking had been on a steadfast course across open water. Aside from the ice flow and the occasional glacier, there wasn't anything out here but the ocean.

"We haven't… crossed the border, do you think?" Hiccup asked the dragon nervously.

How far south had they gone? Had they somehow entered the Barbaric Archipelago by simple ignorance? Stomach curling itself into knots, Hiccup began to worry.

And yet… Hiccup couldn't deny the thrill of excitement that was creeping up on him. Hiccup loved exploring the unknown, charting undiscovered lands atop dragonback, seeing new things. It was his passion. There was nothing greater than discovering the undiscovered.

"Gah, bad thoughts. Bad thoughts." Hiccup mumbled, shaking his head violently as though he could rid himself of the temptation that way. But the temptation was still there, sinking its claws into him like fishing hooks. It felt oddly ticklish.

Perhaps… Hiccup mused.

Immediately he berated himself. No! Mother forbade it!

But… a small part of him whispered back.

Mother had said to never go into the Archipelago, and Hiccup didn't see any landmasses anywhere. They were completely out on the open sea. There wasn't any danger.

Surely going a little bit further wouldn't hurt…

We're already here, Hiccup reasoned, heart hammering in his chest at just the mere idea of treachery. What's wrong with a teeny, little peek?

"Yeah, just a peek…" he mumbled.

If they saw an island, or even another ship, they'd turn around and leave. Yes, that seems reasonable.

A nervous excitement overcame Hiccup. He had never disobeyed his mother before, nor would he ever dream of it, but… but, this wasn't a complete betrayal. Mother had told them to deal with any ships that had come near their territory or belonged to Drago, and they had been following it to see if they could find more allied ships.

It just so happened that when they were tracking, they went on a bit further than they realized… of course, once they realized it, they destroyed the ship and headed right back! Right, that sounded right. Surely mother would believe that.

"Mother wouldn't have to know all of it…" he reasoned. "It'll turn out fine…"

And since they had already broken the rules… where was the harm in staying for a little bit?

Just one look. One single fly by and then we'll would be off back to the Nest by the time its supper.

Pleased with himself, and seeing no harm in that plan, Hiccup settled back down. Toothless shot him a reproachful glare from the corner of his eyes; it appeared the Night Fury wasn't as enthusiastic as the young rider. "Come on, Toothless, it'll be fun!" He was so giddy that his head felt fuzzy.

All Hiccup got for an answer was a tired, but overall positive grumble. Grinning from ear to ear, Hiccup lowered himself, belly flat against Toothless' back, hands grasping the protruding spine spikes, toes hooked onto the joints of Toothless' hindquarters.

"We'll come back for the ship. It's not going anywhere."

With but a few rapid flapping wingbeats, the two went from a calm glide to a breakneck rush that blurred the ocean and sky until Hiccup couldn't differentiate the two.

The experience of flight was a constant in his life, but Hiccup doubted he would never not feel the toe-tingling, gut-clenching thrill of speeding through the sky, guided by the wind thermals and Toothless' innate sense of direction. The rush of blended sky and land flashing before his eyes, the sharp cold bite of wind, the euphoria of rushing speed was something that could never become old.

It was, to put it simply, amazing.

The ship they had been tracking was soon a small blur on the ocean horizon, but still close enough to easily find again.

Toothless hissed loudly, and suddenly unfurled his wings and flapped, slowing them down. Had Hiccup not been holding on securely, the sudden stop from such immense speed would have surely thrown him off of Toothless' back. However, that was not the case. Aside from his stomach lurching forward at the stop, the boy barely jostled in place.

"Toothless, are you okay?" Toothless was hissing, shaking his head left and right as though he were trying to shake off a persistent bug that lingered too close to the ear. Hiccup sat up, leaning forward to place both palms lying flat on the base of the dragon's skull.

Upon contact, the Night Fury visibly calmed beneath Hiccup's touch. The hissing died down, warping into a confused mewl.

With one hand holding onto a spike, and the other pressed against his forehead to shield his eyes from the sunlight, Hiccup looked about curiously in every direction for danger. He didn't see anything yet. Nothing but the sky and the water below. No ships, no islands, no villages. Just an endless blue that stretched to the horizon.

Disappointment carved itself a home comfortably in his gut. Then he remembered Toothless, and a cold unease settled by the disappointment.

Something felt wrong.

Hiccup shivered as he felt something crawl up the base of his spine. His ears tingled behind the mask, as though they were being pricked by a hundred needle-points.

Toothless shifted uneasily.

All Hiccup could think to relate the sensation was of a pond with water that was dark and murky. A dark pond with a surface like smoothed metal, without a single ripple to disturb it.

That was the only way to explain the feeling, though Hiccup didn't understand why. It was an instinctual thought made in the far corners of his mind.

"Toothless, did you feel that?"

The crawling continued upwards, now creeping his neck, sticking up against the inside of his throat. The strange sensation's mark left his skin feeling oddly tingly.

Hiccup blinked, feeling his eyes glaze over just a bit. He swayed a bit in his seat. "My head feels fuzzy…"

Something beneath the still waters stirred to life and began to slowly surface. Something ancient and terrible.

The crawling sensation began to twist, tightening around his head. Hiccup raised his fingers to his temple, fingernails scratching at the wooden mask, as though he could physically remove the terrible feeling away.

Toothless began to warble something, only to cut off mid-way, his body tensing.

"Toothless?" The youngest of Valka's riders leaned forward, angling his head to look at Toothless in the eye.

The pupils were mere slits, like a viper. Terrifying and alien.

"T-Toothless?"

The constriction around the fuzzy edges of his mind squeezed until Hiccup thought his skull would pop. Unfathomable rage burned through his body, making him reel in agony at the burning sensation. A presence that had lingered was suddenly there, crushing his mind with its sheer size and intensity. He screamed at the sudden pain, pressing his face against Toothless' back. But his cry was overshadowed by Toothless' greater bellow of pain. It took all of his willpower to look up with watery eyes, blinded from pain, to gap at his best friend, who was shaking his head violently side to side, shrieking in absolute agony.

A slow, rolling shudder ran down the dragon's head to the tip of his tail. Then, the Night Fury seemed to freeze in mid-air, as though every muscle had tensed and every joint locked. It was unnatural and terrifying.

There was no warning.

Toothless suddenly closed his wings, twisted his torso and flicked his tailfin to do a sudden roll. Hiccup was thrown off.

Hiccup dropped.

Wind whipped past him, rushing through the slits of his mask against his sensitive eyes, practically blinding him.

It took Hiccup several long moments to realize what had happened. Toothless had… had thrown him off. For a moment, reality seemed to slip away at the stunning realization. He stared at the blue mass below that was beginning to fill up his vision with ever second passing.

It took another moment for him to realize that he was falling.

He was falling without anyone to catch him.

All he could hear was the shrieking of the wind. All he could feel was the weightlessness as he fell. All he could see was the water, getting closer and closer. Impact at this height meant certain death.

And he couldn't see Toothless.

For the very first time in his life, Hiccup feared the fall.

"T-Toothless!" He screamed out, only for the shrieking wind to smother his plea. "T-TOOTHLESS!" He screamed again, as loud as he could.

There was no answer. All he could hear was the air screaming in his ears. All he could feel was the terrible presence that reared about in his mind, making his very essence quiver and shudder. It terrified him.

"TOOOOTHLESS!"

Hiccup flailed about in a desperate panic. The sudden movement caused his body to spin and spin. Flipping over and over. The world blurred around him, the dark blues of the ocean and the lighter blues of the sky switching back and forth so quickly he felt sick. Soon he couldn't even tell the difference; he was moving too fast.

Hiccup kept flipping, over and over and over again. He wanted to scream. Maybe he was screaming, and he just couldn't hear it. He might have vomited, but his throat was clenched too tight from terror.

I'm going to die. Hiccup realized with horror. I am going to die…

He kept falling.

Death was getting closer with every second passed. If only he could fly away to safety. But Hiccup couldn't fly. Only dragons could fly, and he wasn't a real dragon. He was going to die.

And I'll never know what caused Toothless to do this.

Was this what his mother had been so afraid of!?

Mother.

She wouldn't know what happened to him. Eret wouldn't know either. His mother and brother were going to think he had run off and gotten himself killed in the process. They would never find out what happened. They would never find his body.

I'm so sorry…

Hiccup couldn't breathe. Already he was beginning to feel faint; bright, fuzzy lights flickered across his vision. Going too fast. Too fast!

"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup howled with all of his remaining strength, willing his fear and desperation for life to fling the single word that might very well be his last. The most precious name he held closest to his heart.

A piercing, whistling shriek was heard even through the winds. A black shape blurred into form before him and a wall of darkness overcame his senses, blotting out the terrifying blues of the sky and sea. Something grabbed him, plucking him up with sharp claws around his torso.

Hiccup cried out in pain as his body jerked painfully at the sudden stop. Pain blossomed around at his joints, aching enough to nearly make him sob. He might have, had he not still been screaming. It took him several moments to actually realize that his situation had radically changed.

The winds had died down. He felt warm. Safe, even. He wasn't falling anymore.

Hiccup looked up.

"T-Toothless!" Never before had he ever uttered the single name with such love and terror. Hiccup's best friend whined worriedly, nuzzling him and holding the boy close

A massive tongue overcame his vision, swiping over his body over and over, head to toe. He couldn't feel it behind all the armor, but he was aware enough for it to register in his panicked mind. The tongue kept licking him, over and over, in a desperate act to both comfort Hiccup himself, and to comfort the dragon that his best friend was there.

Hiccup dared to look up high enough to check the eyes.

The eerie slit pupils were gone. Instead Hiccup was comforted by the sight of the familiar orb-like pupils. They were so dilated, with only the very rim sporting the familiar vibrant green, that he could see his own terrified reflection thrown back at him.

It was, without a doubt, Toothless.

Hiccup pressed himself against the warm black scales, weeping hysterically. Wails erupted from his chest, even as he nuzzled his masked face close to the crook of Toothless' neck for comfort. His body wouldn't stop shaking.

"L-Let's never come back here a-again," Hiccup managed through his violent sobs. He felt as though his heart were about to pop. Hiccup had seen rabbits die from fear, their little hearts unable to keep up with its fear. He wondered if that was happening to him right now.

Toothless shifted, changing directions. A straight, homeward shot back to the Icelands. The Icelands might be boringly dull in regard to exploration, but at least it was safe from whatever… that thing Hiccup had felt in his head was.

He could still feel the sensation in the back of his head. A vicious, unsuitable hunger burned like an iron-hot brand, dark and angry and powerful.

It scared him.

They didn't head back to the ship. They didn't bother for even a quick fly by to blast it to bits, even though that had been the plan in the beginning. Suddenly, dragon trappers and Vikings were not the biggest threat. There was something else out there, hidden somewhere in the Archipelago.

The tickling presence lingered in the back of his head. It stuck there with him, despite Toothless' desperate speed towards the safe border of the Icelands. Distant, but not gone.

It was only after the two returned to their home land, far back in the north, did the sensation finally ebb away. As they passed familiar landmarks, flying as fast as they could, Hiccup shivered as he felt the last traces fade away. It felt like something untangling itself from the crooks in his mind like claws loosening their grip, leaving his head empty for all but what he himself thought and felt. The feeling was gone.

Hiccup hoped he would never have to endure such a presence ever again.