Love

His breathing turned ragged, heart pumping painfully as the liquid dripped over his hands, sticky and warm. For a moment, his shocked eyes widened in horror at his own flesh before moving to the maroon puddle growing larger and larger after each passing moment.

She was beautiful, even with dark bruises marring her fair skin, her mouth opened slightly, half lidded eyes staring at the night sky gradually fleeing from the hungry flames eating their way towards the stars. Her blonde hair was clotted with dirt, sweat, and blood; the braids having fallen out a while ago, when they had—together, as always—blown apart the former Kill Arena. Faintly, he could feel the blood stop trying to push through his hands, her body settling at last.

"NO!"

The wrenched scream reached his ears a few seconds after it burst through his lips. His muscles trembled with fatigued and desperation. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" Another cry—more like a wail—surfaced over the greedy fire and an explosion rocked the world as a house crumbled beneath a flash of blue light. His form sagged forward under the shockwave, torn between exhaustion and sorrow, until two firm arms wrapped around his waist.

"C'mon man—we gotta get out of here!" Snotlout's voice made its way over the din of war cries and furious roars.

"N-no… she—"

The bigger boy grunted. "She's gone. Dead." The word was brutal and his flesh crawled. "Live. Now. Stoick says we need to go!"

For a moment, his lips opened soundlessly, a choking sob tearing through him instead and he realized that her body was getting colder. "She's—I can't just leave her!"

"You have to." Snotlout ordered, but he guided the man to his feet. "I'm sorry."

His pewter gaze narrowed in hatred. "No you're not." He hissed. "You don't know—"

"Oh for the love of—" Snotlout hit him harshly in the cheek, scowling, knocking the boy back. "Did that pull your head out of your ass? She wouldn't want you sitting here waiting for some moron to stab your own spear through your heart, would she?!"

Sighing in resignation, the young man turned his gaze away from her mangled body, and a rage worse than anything he had ever experienced rushed through his body. It empowered him, it terrified him, but his bloodied hand picked the spear off the ground anyway. The anger reared its terrible head as he ran; everyone he didn't recognize was slain beneath his fingers, and when his weapon broke, he jumped into the fray with only his fists, beating the enemy down

At one point, someone had forced him upon a Zippleback, sending him off over the sea as his body shook with the lust for blood, for death. He ignored his own wounds, guiding the dragon beneath him with unmatched skill.

His gaze flashed when a pile of blonde hair flashed in the moonlight, riding upon a monstrous black creature carrying Hiccup. For a moment, he felt an unadulterated hatred for them, before it was squashed by guilt. Licking his dried lips, the man looked back to see Berk lit up like daylight, only it was as though the sun it self had crashed into the village.

Frantically, his eyes skewered the town, looking for any sign, anything that even resembled his sister.

And when he couldn't, Tuffnut wondered if it was horrible that he felt a sick sense of relief.

I wrote this a few days ago when I started it, but now that I see it here, I can't help but feel a bit relieved. Why? I don't know. I did not kill off Ruffnut because I hate her (quite the opposite, actually) but rather to show the love that is between these two.

Review, really, because I want to know what you think about this as I work on "White" the companion to "Black"—That is, by the way, going to be a bit… different from "Black" (that is, if I can get all my thoughts down on paper…).

As always; Happy Reading!

Grim

(P.S. Thanks to all the people who reviewed over the last few chapters that I can't get in contact with (Either your PM is off or you're anonymous) so thanks so much)

(P.P.S. For all those people who want to know who Hiccup lost his virginity to… I don't know. Anyone can have the rights to come up with someone. That part in Pain was just to add a bit of 'WTF???'. If I, however, do come up with something, I will defiantly write it. But now… it's just not getting enough plot bunny poop to get more than two-hundred words and a sketch.)