"Everything we thought about you…was wrong." How to train your dragon—Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III
Jack woke up with a lump on his head, and head ach that probably rivaled all others. "Uggg." He groaned. What had happened? He rubbed his head, "Ow." He tried to get up, rubbing his head. He looked around and could see islands and snow. The clock was on the ground a few feet away, it looked red hot. He reached out with the staff. Frost covered its surface in seconds and steam rose from its face.
He picked it up and looked at its face, bent and weird. Oh, no, the clock was broken how was he supposed to get back. He scowled and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Ow…" the voice behind him startled him and he turned around. Rapunzel lay on the ground but was now getting back up. Her skirt was ripped, and mud streaked her clothing. She stood up shaky for a moment before gaining her balance. Jack rushed to her side in seconds.
"Are you okay?"
"Yah, I'm fine." She said smiling at him, "What happened."
Jack frowned; he wasn't focused on that right now. Right now he was staring at a bleeding shoulder. A gash that would have been fatal for another person was healing right before his eyes, faster then anything he'd ever seen. But that wasn't the strangest part, the way it was healing that weird. It was as though her skin was made of gold liquid. Tiny webs of light bound together, filling up gaps and binding holes better then a sewing machine. In a few minutes it was as though she had never been scraped.
Jack must have stared longer then he thought because Rapunzel looked at him funny and said, "Uh, are you okay Jack?"
Jack looked up and nodded, "yah, great, never better." How could she heal so fast? Guardians healed fast but not that fast and certainly not that way. Was it because of how she was chosen? He shook the thought from his head. There was nothing wrong with healing fast. Besides she was okay and that was all that mattered at the moment.
"So, what happened?" she asked again.
"I don't know." He pulled out the clock again, "It just went crazy."
She took in her hand and flipped it over in her palm. She handed it back, "How are we going to get back?"
"I don't know, I'm hoping that Father Time with be able to figure something out." He placed it in his pocket.
"I think we were pretty lucky not to be killed." She said.
"Not really," he answered.
"What?" she asked.
"Its part of the Guardian bit, you're immortal so you can't die." He cocked his head, "Well, mostly."
"What does that mean?" she asked.
"Um, well." He hadn't really thought about this much, and the guardians never talked about either. According to North the Book of Guardians, holding there laws, and info told of a way a Guardian could die. Now he wasn't so sure if could tell Rapunzel how. Finally after thinking he said, "Well, in order for a guardian to die he has to give up his immortality. But he can't just give it up; you have to give it to someone else."
"Really?"
"Yah, but even then, you've just given up your immortality, not your life so you would have to be killed afterwards, of old age or something else." He frowned, "No one's ever done it before though, so no one really even knows how to do it."
"That's amazing." Rapunzel said.
"Not really." Jack said.
"Not that," she pointed, "That!" Jack turned and noticed a creature a short distance away. A long black tail with a red fin was attached a lean tiger like body. Huge wings, stretched over the land limply. It was completely black from head to toe, and covered in scales. The wings covered its head so he couldn't be seen. Jack stepped back, but Rapunzel stepped closer, "Is it alive?"
"I don't know, and I don't think we need to find out." Jack said.
"Oh, come on Jack." She said scowling at him, "It may be hurt." She stepped close enough that she was able to touch the wing. Jack stepped back even farther, he face turning a new shade of grey.
"Uh Rapunzel…" he whispered.
She touched the wing.
"Rapunzel…"
She pulled back the wing and gaped. Huge scaly black head with cat like ears and huge mouth was under those wings. She bent down, onto the ground. She let out a breath; she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She had never seen such a creature like this. It was amazing, its black scales shimmered like opals, claws as long as knives and sharp enough to cut apart trees stuck out under it. She petted its head, feeling its each and every heart beat.
"It's incredible." She said turning to Jack.
"Rapunzel!" She swirled around and saw the creatures eyes open. Jack grabbed her and pulled her away, at the same time it jumped to its feet. It was as quick as lightening, but Jack was just as quick. He pointed his staff threateningly at the creature. It didn't glow; he could feel his power diminishing. Another laps. He couldn't hurt this creature now. But it didn't know that. Or did it? It stared at Jacks staff, at Jack and jumped.
Jack shouted he couldn't attack; he just burst out into a shout of horror and tried to fly away. Rapunzel stepped in front of it shouting, "NO!" The creature stopped in its tracks. Rapunzel calmed toothless. She spoke in quiet tones, much like a mother to a child, reaching out a calm hand. Something seemed to come to the dragon's memories when he saw that calm hand and he relaxed.
"Easy Now." Rapunzel whispered, the creature turned to Jack. Then back at her. "Easy." The creature sat down.
"What?" Jack said.
"That's a good creature." Rapunzel petting him as though he was a dog.
"What!" Jack shouted. Rapunzel giggled like a child. The creature seemed to enjoy the scratching but all Jack could do was stare. Jack stepped back still pointing his staff in its direction. "Stay away from that monster Rapunzel." He said.
The creature shot a side long glance at Jack. "He's not a monster Jack." Rapunzel said still petting him. "He's nothing but a big sweet heart." She giggled again as she scratched him and he fell to the ground rolling around like a cat. Suddenly he sneezed a blue shot of fire flew from his mouth. Jack let out a shout and jumped out of the way of the flaming blue ball. It hit a tree a few feet away making it burst into flames.
"You see?" Jack said after recovering from his shock. "It blows fire, I do ice. He's dangerous!"
"Oh, stop, it was just an accident." The creature got up and actually looked like he was smiling for a moment. But Jack couldn't see any teeth. No teeth? But before...Suddenly the creature jumped and landed on Jack. Jack shouted, his staff flew out of his hands. Toothless was above him, eyes wide.
Jack sure he was about to be blasted into the next life. Even if he healed quick there was no way this wouldn't be painful. But instead The Creature took out a big pink tongue and licked Jack from head to toe. Rapunzel burst out laughing, grabbing her stomach. Her bright eyes flashed violet. Jack scowled, "Get off!" he shouted finally pushing out from underneath him. He looked at his slime covered jacket. He shook his hands of the smelly slime. "Ewww, uggg, what is this stuff?" The creature made a gurgle noise which must have been his idea of laugh.
"I think he likes you." Rapunzel said through fits of laughter.
"Sure he does." Jack said still scowling, but the Creature sat down like a dog and smiled another toothless grin. That was when Jack noticed the straps. Leather straps that went up to a leather saddle. Jack had never seen such beautiful leather work. The measurements were so precise and the feel of it was well worn, but well taken care of as well. Where a foot must have had to rest was a series of metal gears and straps leading to strings that wound through a complicated level of hoops and bars leading up to the red tail fin. Now Jack could see that the red tail fin was nothing but metal and leather mixed together. "What happened to you tail?" Jack asked laying a hand on the creatures shoulder.
His eyes fell on the saddle again and words burned into the leather. Jack had never been able to read until Jamie taught him how. And he still had some difficulty reading, but Jack could make out the words clearly, even in the Norse writing. It was as though the words made themselves. "Toothless?"
The creature let out another one of its laughs.
"Is that your name?" Jack asked turning to creature, "Toothless?"
It made the laugh again and gave Jack another lick.
"See?" Rapunzel said smiling, "He's really nice, and he really likes you."
Jack smiled, maybe Rapunzel was right. He patted its head and turned to her. "What do you think happened to his owner?" Jack asked.
"I don't know…" she thought for a second, "We should bring him back home."
Jack frowned, he looked at Toothless. Toothless looked at him. "I don't know if we can."
"What do you mean?" Rapunzel asked.
"Look at the tail and his saddle." Jack said, "There's no way we could figure out how this all works."
"We have to try." Rapunzel said.
Jack sighed, she was right. He could tell that Toothless's owner really cared about him. But how could they ever figure out how to fly toothless. Toothless nudged Jack with his wing toward the saddle. "What is it?" Jack asked.
Toothless smiled at him and Rapunzel again. Rapunzel walked up to the two of them, "I think he wants to teach you." She said.
And Toothless nodded.