A/N: Alright. SO glad you brought that up, Kappus. It almost slipped my mind.
I WILL be doing more HTTYD stories. I have one trying its best to progress in my head. It's not official, but I'm pretty sure that this will not be my last HTTYD story. I'm almost positive that I will do more. It might not be the one I'm thinking right now, but I know that HTTYD isn't something that I can just pick up a leave : )
Just wanted to clear that up~
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Mistyeyes landed neatly down on the edge of Berk, ears flicking as she perked, blue orbs roving the land around her. The clouds that had hidden her from view had grown to a giant black mass in the sky. The sun that had shone earlier this morning was just a memory right now, the island now turned into a cold, dark place. She let out a cold shiver, watching as her breath furled into a little cloud as she exhaled. Looks like the rain would turn into snow, pretty soon. The dragoness took a once over the village, thanking their lucky stars that the Vikings were able to rebuild homes quickly. Being stuck in a snow storm without shelter would have driven the people over the edge.
It seems as though the Vikings had fled to coop themselves up inside the newly-made houses. Which would be the more sensible thing to do, rather than fly around at high altitudes like she was doing. She let out a short-tempered sigh, unsheathing her claws and digging a small hole in the ground. It didn't do much to release her anger, but it was enough for now. Her blue eyes sparked up once more as she glanced back over her shoulder from where she had come from.
She had to find Hiccup…for a number of reasons, by now. She had to know he was okay, that was the more pressing matter at hand. But she had to know more about Nightflight, and what had even happened to him in the first place. She had to know what she had do, she was completely at a loss by now. And that small squeak she had heard on her way out from being with Nightflight. She had tried to dismiss it as nothing, but the memory clawed at her mind, forcing its way into her thoughts. She couldn't ignore it, it would drive her crazy.
Even she had no idea what to do.
So what would she do if she had to try and explain it to someone?
What was Hiccup going to say to the Village, anyway?
Mistyeyes shook her head to clear it, taking in a sharp breath as she forced herself to concentrate and relax. She was creating a scene. Even if nobody was around to see it. She let out a loose sigh, picking herself up quickly and bounding forward. She hadn't been on Berk very long, she was going to be the first to admit that fact. The locations of the buildings sometimes tended to slip her mind, like right now. Now would be a perfect example. She was sure that the Elder's House was at the head of the Village…right? Or was that Stoick's house? But what if Hiccup was there?
"Mistyeyes!" A loud bark made the dragon freeze, eyes widening to be the size of the clouds overhead. The dragon's mind raced as she came to an abrupt halt, trying to think up excuses in a matter of seconds. Footsteps echoed up behind her, coming closer until they came to a stop. I was just flying by, I didn't even know that she was there! I didn't want to kill her or anything…that's why I let her go! I'm still on Berk's side, trust me! Everything is fine! A million different kind of things she could say flew through her mind, but they were going much too fast for her to try and pin down. "Mistyeyes?" The voice repeated, demanding her attention by now.
The gray dragon winced to herself, but turned, blinking rapidly. But she relaxed at once as she saw Stormfly, the Nadder looking at her oddly where she stood. "Are you alright?" The Nadder asked, tilting her head rather innocently as she examined Mistyeyes. The dragon's frayed wings were buffeted by the harsh winter wind, but she didn't seem to mind all that much. Or if she did, she was very good at not showing it. She stared at Mistyeyes oddly, the Night Fury jumping as she realized that she was supposed to give her friend an answer.
She'd been so fixed on trying to come up with excuses as to what she had been doing, she hadn't expected a friendly visit. And now that she was supposed to actually say something, she came up with a blank. She shook her head roughly to clear it, growling underneath her breath. But then she recovered, straightening noticeably as she grinned widely. "'Am I okay?'" She repeated, laughing nervously. "Of course I'm fine!" Her smile dashed away suddenly, the female leaning forward and looking anxiously at the dragon's broken wings. "It's you that I'm worried about."
"Oh." Stormfly craned her neck, giving a small grimace as she fluttered her wings experimentally. "…I'm good over here." She said brightly, turning and dipping her head to Mistyeyes. "It's just…I'm worried, I guess you could say." She sighed, suddenly sounding tired. Mistyeyes cocked her head to side, eyes widening with a hurt kind of concern. She threw a glance over her shoulder, feeling a flash of impatience as she did so. She had to get to Hiccup, now. She had to know what to do about…well…everything. But she snapped angrily at herself, shaking her head. Stormfly was much more important right now.
She turned back to the dragon, worry creasing her voice as she spoke up. "What's wrong?"
"It's…my wings." Stormfly mumbled softly, eyes flashing as she turned back to look at the ripped tissue. "They're not going to get any better, Mistyeyes. You and I both know that, just like everyone else does." Mistyeyes's ears flicked backwards sorrowfully, but she did not contradict her. The Nadder went on, as if expecting the Night Fury not to reply. "If I can't fly…Astrid might want to get another dragon. One that can be of use to her." She blinked slowly a heartbeat, turning to look anxiously over at Mistyeyes. The gray dragoness was shocked at the large amount of misery and anguish that were in her yellow orbs. "What if she wants to get rid of me? I have- I have nowhere else to go!"
"Oh, I'm sure she won't get rid of you." The dragon cooed softly, taking a few steps forward and pushing her head against Stormfly's shoulder gently. "Astrid isn't like that, and you know that. She would never let you go just because you can't fly!" She drew back, pasting a happy smile across her muzzle. "After all! Toothless couldn't fly and Hiccup worked around that! The good thing about Berk is that you create a bond with your human. Astrid would never break that bond, not in a million years. You have nothing to worry about, Stormfly."
"Toothless was completely different." Stormfly mumbled. But as Mistyeyes looked closer, she could see a flash of newfound hope in the Nadder's eyes. "He was just missing half of his tailfin. I'm missing all of my wings. There's no changing that." She paused a heartbeat, eyes flickering back and forth as if looking for an answer. Then she perked slightly, looking up at Mistyeyes almost shyly. "You really think she wont get rid of me?"
Mistyeyes straightened, eyes becoming much more darker as she caught sight of movement coming towards them. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" She asked, voice oddly choked as she watched Hiccup and Astrid make their way towards them. Stormfly started with surprise, scurrying over so that she was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the gray Night Fury. Her eyes dilated with nervousness, but she remained where she was bravely, extending her wings nervously, and showing off her new scars. Astrid quickened her pace as the Nadder did so, dragging Hiccup by the time they caught up to the pair.
The blonde beamed at the sight of them both, blue eyes lighting up like twin suns. "Stormfly! You're out and about!" She said, letting go of Hiccup's hand. She glanced back at him worriedly, making sure that he didn't capsize before she rushed into the embrace of her dragon. "I told you to stay at the house!" She scolded happily, voice breathy with relief at her condition. "I guess that means you're just getting better! That's such good news!" Her eyes flicked back and forth between Hiccup and Stormfly, voice oozing with happiness. "My two favorite people are going to be just fine."
But Hiccup's smile that he had been wearing previously did not increase at her words. Instead, it fell apart on his lips at the sight of Stormfly, emerald eyes widening a small fraction. "What happened?" He asked with surprise, eyes locked on the horizontal rips across the dragon's scales. He limped forward painfully, face creased with fatigue and agony. Mistyeyes dimly wondered how long he had been walking around for. And why he thought that walking around would be a good idea. His skin was so bruised, Mistyeyes had trouble remembering the color he was before. All she could see was black and blue. He had nasty gashes all over him, some fresh, and some looking like potential scars. His bad arm was splintered rightly against him, the boy unable to move it at all. And his leg bent at a funny angle whenever he put weight on top of it.
He looked terrible.
But he didn't seem to give a care. He staggered over to Stormfly, green eyes filled with horror as he put his hand softly against the dragon's hide. It was marred with scars, just like Hiccup's skin, the teen slowly raising his arm until he came to the dragon's wings. Stormfly let out a soft moan at this, grimacing as she ducked her head close to her stomach. Hiccup immediately snatched his hand back, backtracking a little nervously. He looked over at Astrid, blinking slowly as he saw the girl's face fall. She looked immensely sad all of a sudden, blue eyes misting over as she looked down to the ground. "It happened in the battle…when the Night Furies attacked us." Astrid explained in a monotone voice. She turned slightly, hugging herself. "A dragon attacked her before any of us could do anything…he ripped her wings. She's not…going to be able to…" She swallowed thickly, letting out a small sigh. "fly anymore." He finished, as if it were painful.
"She can't-" Hiccup broke off, looking from Stormfly to Astrid. He suddenly looked very sick. "Because of the Night Furies." He said lamely, turning a small shade of green underneath all his bruises. Against herself, and the relief that she experienced as she saw that Hiccup was up once more, she felt a flash of annoyance. She snarled angrily, claws unsheathing and digging into the earth. Both Astrid and Hiccup turned to look at her, Hiccup biting his lower lip with an apologetic look at the dragon. But Mistyeyes was getting tired of this.
"It was all Nightflight's fault!" Mistyeyes snapped, Astrid's eyes getting a tad bigger at the sudden roar. But Hiccup could understand what she was talking about, the teen closing his eyes tightly as he looked away. "I don't understand what's going on, Hiccup! Why can't you just-" She broke off suddenly, ears slamming back against her head as she gasped sharply. "…Oh no…" She whispered fervently, blinking rapidly as she took a small step backwards.
Hiccup spun around quickly, looking confused. Astrid cleared her throat, blue eyes narrowing as she kept her hand against Stormfly's nose. She leaned to the side a little bit, looking around Hiccup so that she could see what was going on. She might not be able to listen to what dragons were saying, but she could understand their body language. Something was obviously wrong here. "What's…?" She trailed off, realizing that she probably wouldn't get an answer.
Her eyes went over to Hiccup, frowning at the sudden look of shock that was settling over the boy's face. She bit her lower lip, deciding that now would not be the best time to ask questions on what was happening. Hiccup was keeping a lot of things from her. But she wasn't going to let that get in her way. He was obviously very upset about something, and the most he needed right now was her. She leaned over quickly, planting a small kiss on Stormfly's nose before walking forward, standing beside Hiccup comfortingly and taking his hand in her own.
Green eyes flashed to blue, and Hiccup let a small smile grace his features.
But it disappeared as soon as he looked forward again, the boy swallowing thickly. Shadowclaw and Toothless were streaking forward, eyes narrowing against the cold wind as they ran straight for the group. Hiccup closed his eyes again, sighing slowly as he braced himself. Something was wrong. He turned back to Mistyeyes, a question on his lips as he looked at her a little accusingly. The dragon shrugged guiltily, a glum frown already on her face. She had known this was coming.
Toothless rushed right past Hiccup, not even pausing to glance over at him. The boy tripped backwards, nearly run over by the absent-minded Night Fury. A flash of hurt went through the teen at the thought of Toothless completely ignoring him, stumbling back into Astrid as he lost his footing. Shadowclaw looked a little bit more focused than Toothless was, turning and looking over sadly at Hiccup. His ears flicked back and forth, tail lashing forward and curling over his feet.
Toothless skidded to a harsh stop right in front of Mistyeyes, the two dragons nose-to-nose with one another. His green eyes were narrowed with fury, teeth grinding together as he let out a low snarl. Hiccup gave Mistyeyes credit; Hiccup knew first-hand how scary it was to be on the other end of the dragon when he was angered. The dragoness did not even flinch at the action, eyes narrowing a little bit as she met his gaze. For a heartbeat, nobody talked, Astrid's eyes round with fear and confusion. But finally, Mistyeyes was first to talk. "What?" She snapped.
"Shadowclaw told me!" Toothless exploded, as if by talking, Mistyeyes had just loaded his cannon. "He told me that you're sheltering Nightflight!" Mistyeyes broke at this, sighing under her breath as she looked away. Her ears flicked guiltily, and Hiccup tried to make a move forward. He had to say something. Now was the time if there ever was one. But as he started forward, Astrid's grip on his hand tightened, causing a shoot of pain to flare up across his side. He let out a small gasp through his teeth, turning back and looking at Astrid accusingly.
But the blonde looked scared.
"Don't." She said, eyes flashing over to the angered Toothless.
"If I had the other half of my tail, I would have gone out there and looked for myself." Toothless spat. "But I can't." Suddenly, that was when Hiccup saw what was wrong with the dragon. Or what was different. The golden switch on his tail wasn't catching what little sunlight was leaking through the dreary clouds. Because there wasn't one. Somehow Toothless's old equipment was back on; somebody else other than Hiccup must have strapped it on the dragon. His red tail with the white skull was back in its normal place. Like nothing had ever happened.
Like it was just like old times.
Hiccup was so overcome, he realized with a shock that his eyes were starting to prick and burn. A stupid smile was on his face, Astrid blinking as she looked at him with a large expression of worry. But Hiccup took a shaky breath, snatching his arm away and taking a few steps forward. "Everybody stop." He said firmly, shoving everything that his father used into his voice. He tried to put as much power as he could into the words, enough firmness. He could see that Toothless's claws were outstretched, the dragon snarling and snapping at Mistyeyes dangerously. The gray Night Fury jumped backwards, hissing threateningly were she perched. Shadowclaw whimpered in fear, shrinking backwards and pressing up against Ludi. Somehow the cat had managed to get herself into this mess.
Again.
It seemed like things weren't an official problem unless Ludi was involved in some way.
"You'd better explain yourself!" Toothless shouted, ignoring Hiccup still. The teen fumed silently, fisting his hands together at his sides as he tried to get the dragon's attention. But the male wasn't going to be stopped easily. "You can't possibly want to have anything do with her!" He blustered, stumbling over his words. "Look at all the problems that she's caused! She was close to killing Hiccup!" He growled, stalking forward slowly. "I can't lose Hiccup again! Do you not care about the island? Do you not care about Hiccup?" His voice broke slightly at this part.
"Shut up!" Hiccup screamed, deciding that it was the best he could do.
Toothless started with surprise, turning and looking at Hiccup like the boy had just fell from the sky. He opened his mouth to say something, but the teen cut him off shortly. His green eyes flashed, trying to cross his arms. When he realized that he only had one free arm. So he ended up just slapping his hand against his chest a little stupidly. The others stared at him with wide eyes, Astrid making a move to go towards him. But Hiccup swept on before she could do anything.
"I just got up!" He snapped, as if the others had woken him up from a nap. "Can I not get an hour to gather my thoughts before everything starts up again?" Ludi sprang to her paws, letting out a sharp yowl, amber eyes glaring daggers at Toothless. But Hiccup's lip puckered out, shooting a sharp look over to the cat and silencing her quickly. She sat down, flashing an irritated look over to her human. But the teen's eyes were already sweeping over the people gathered in front of him. "I have a lot of things to explain." He said finally.
"That's an understatement." Mistyeyes grumbled bad-temperedly.
"And I'll explain everything." He promised. "But all of you need to calm down and keep an open mind!" He gave a pointed look over to Toothless, the dragon ducking his head away as he looked to the ground. Stormfly shifted uneasily where she stood beside her human, having backed up rapidly when Toothless had first stormed up to Mistyeyes. She pushed her head against Astrid's back, whining sadly as she seemed to get the message. They were going to go off and fly somewhere. Where she couldn't follow them.
Astrid frowned, but couldn't very well pay attention. She was focused on Hiccup, eyes clouded with worry and concern as the boy staggered the longer he stood upright. "It might not seem very realistic." Hiccup went on coldly. "And it might seem a little odd. Because…well, because it is." He looked forward, green eyes suddenly turning sad as he let his gaze rest on each person in front of him. "I don't know what I'm doing to do. I need…I need help. I already got some." He added, smiling over towards Mistyeyes, who shuffled her paws, embarrassed. "The Village wont believe me if I'm alone. You all are the only people in the village who could help me."
"Help you with what?" Astrid asked. She rushed forward, breaking apart from Stormfly as the dragon soured slightly. She dashed over, grabbing Hiccup's hand worriedly and meeting his troubled eyes with her own. "Are you in trouble?" She asked in a flood of concern. "Hiccup, you know that I'll support you in any way. You believe in that, right?"
Hiccup grinned, the smile not meeting his eyes. "Yes." He said steadily. "But…this is much different." He managed, taking his hand away from her and tucking it behind his back. "Just get on Mistyeyes, Astrid." His eyes went over to Toothless's old tail, heart racing a little at the sight of it. He hadn't flown Toothless like that in such a long time, would he remember how it all worked? He shook his head mentally. Of course he would remember. "Shadowclaw, you'll follow." Hiccup instructed.
The youngling still looked a tad overwhelmed, tucking his feet tighter to himself with nervousness. His eyes were wide with fright. "Why would we go back to her?" Shadowclaw squeaked with surprise that almost matched Hiccup's own. How did he know about Nightflight? His eyes went over to Toothless. How did either of them know, for that matter?
Mistyeyes grimaced. "Shadowclaw must have caught me on my way back from her." She explained sadly. "I was being careful enough when I took food to her last." Her eyes hardened, turning and glowering over at Toothless. "I guess he told him." She huffed impatiently. "And I guess Toothless was stupid enough to-"
"Okay, we don't need this." Hiccup said shortly. "Astrid, get on." He said firmly, gesturing over to Mistyeyes.
Astrid looked surprised. "I've never maneuvered a Night Fury before…" She said, taking a small step to the side, closer to Hiccup.
"It's the same as a Nadder. Except maybe a little faster." Hiccup assured her, breaking apart and going over towards Toothless. The Night Fury was still growling in Mistyeyes's direction, Hiccup reached over and poking the dragon's nose firmly. Toothless started at the odd touch, nose wriggling as he went cross-eyed a moment. "It's easier than you think it is. Mistyeyes, go easy on her, will you?" Hiccup said sternly, not giving room for objections.
Mistyeyes rolled her eyes, as if she thought the words to be obvious. She flattened herself down to the ground, blue eyes watching Astrid intently as the girl hoisted herself up. The blonde fidgeted uncomfortably, looking unsure as she settled down onto the scaly back. Mistyeyes's blue orbs flickered over to Toothless as she stood, jaw locking backwards angrily. "Maybe now you'll see that I'm not so much of a traitor." She growled in his direction.
Hiccup strapped himself onto Toothless's saddle, relishing in the familiar feeling as he snapped his metal leg into its familiar clasp. It felt so right, it was like he had just shaken off a ten-pound weight that had been resting on his shoulders. As soon as he got situated, it lifted considerably, a small grin working its way onto his face, despite their situation. He looked around at the saddle, back towards the red tailfin. A surge of affection went up and choked itself in his throat.
He was home.
"You're impossible."
"You're not trusting!"
"Have I ever told you how annoying you are? Well I'll say it again!"
"I'M annoying? Have you listened to yourself?"
Astrid shot Hiccup a crazed look, looking much more than worried as the two Night Furies shot insults back towards one another. The boy deadpanned, his smile vanishing in an instant. "Stop it!" He snapped, feeling like a father as he whirled around painfully, voice cracking as he let out the yell. "So help me, I will put you both on opposite sides of the island if you don't stop yelling at one another!" Mistyeyes fumed silently, glaring holes into Toothless's scales. The male snorted, rolling his eyes furiously as he jerked his head away.
"Come on, Shadowclaw!" Hiccup yelled, turning to see the brown dragon still curled up.
"I don't want to!" The younger one wailed.
"Shadowclaw…" Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose, willing himself patience.
"If you would just use your head once in a while!" Toothless roared suddenly, turning back to Mistyeyes.
"I'm helping Hiccup, you idiot!" She screeched.
"Helping to get him killed! Don't you think he's had enough? Do you care at all?"
"I care more than you do!"
"Oh, that's a laugh!" He roared. "I've known him much longer than you have!"
"That doesn't matter!"
"I just wanna stay here." Shadowclaw sighed, getting to his feet.
Hiccup ducked his head, grinding his teeth together as hard as he could.
Astrid was overwhelmed by now, blue eyes big as the moon as she was jostled back and forth on Mistyeyes's back. They were getting nowhere with this. And the more than everybody yelled, their cover would be blown. The other Vikings would come outside to see what was the matter. And as soon as Hiccup was spotted, he'd be yanked off from Toothless. They'd lose their chance of leaving the island, and Hiccup wouldn't be able to explain what was going on properly.
Suddenly, there was a loud yowl. Ludi jumped up to Shadowclaw's back, amber eyes shards of ice as she shrieked. Mistyeyes and Toothless quieted at this, swiveling around to stare at the cat oddly. She scrunched up her nose, looking from one dragon to another. She perched on top of Shadowclaw's back, looking high and mighty on her perch. Her eyes held a clear warning in them, a deadly threat hidden in the depths of her gaze. It said all she didn't. "Y'all better stop it, or I'm going to have to have a talk with you." Astrid and Hiccup exchanged looks, but didn't say anything.
The two dragons stopped yelling back and forth, looking at the cat as if she had pulled off her own tail and ate it. She gave a firm nod, settling down more comfortably on to Shadowclaw's back. She leaned over, slapping her paw in rapid bursts onto the youngling's back. As if saying: "Hurry up, Chauffer. I'm getting tired of this."
Before there could be any other distractions, Hiccup forced himself to talk. "C'mon! We're wasting time! This is important!" He tightened his hold on Toothless, the way he always did before a take-off. The Night Fury's wings shot outwards as he recovered from the odd situation, the dragon flattening himself down as he jumped into the air. Like a miracle, the maneuvers for working the tail rushed into Hiccup's mind as soon as they leapt forward. It was like they were stored neatly in the back of his mind, waiting for the right moment to show themselves once more.
His foot snapped back and forth accordingly as Toothless climbed higher in the sky. The feeling of the familiar movements sent a thrill of happiness up inside of Hiccup. He didn't even register as the others flew up behind him, falling into reluctant ranks as they followed him away from the island. He didn't even register Astrid's glance back at the island, the sadness that poured off the girl in waves as she watched Stormfly get farther and farther away. He didn't notice that Vikings were poking their heads out from their homes.
Nor did he notice the way that his name was suddenly called from down below.
All he could feel was the wind in his hair, the way that his and Toothless's mind seemed to become one as they swiped through the air.
And the painful wracking of nerves in his mind. He knew this was dangerous. It was SO much more than dangerous, actually. He was treading on glass, and if he missed one step, he could start to bleed out. One wrong move…and everything could fall through his fingers. He narrowed his eyes fixedly, a small knot appearing in his stomach as he caught sight of the landmark up ahead. That was the cliff where he had left her.
The dark bulge of the dragon started to show through the clouds overhead, thunder ripping through their silence at the exact moment. Astrid let out a sudden gasp at the noise, Shadowclaw faltering in his strides as he winced away. Toothless growled sharply, trying to put on more speed. But Hiccup locked his foot backwards, cutting him off before the dragon could do so. "Stop." He said in a small mumble, just barely being heard by the others. He turned back to Astrid, green eyes boring into her own. "You said you would be with me." He reminded her.
"…I know." Astrid said uneasily. "…but-" She didn't finish, clamping her mouth together with a guilty look. Instead of answering, she turned her eyes back to the front, fright shining in her eyes the closer they got. Toothless snarled, claws gripping at the air, as if trying to attack some unknown enemy. Hiccup leaned forward, pressing his forehead against his dragon's neck, trying his best to be comforting. He wrapped his one arm awkwardly around Toothless's neck, his bad arm pressed irritatingly up against the dragon's scales.
Toothless cooed sadly, torn between anger and sadness. "Relax, Bud." Hiccup urged, sitting back up with a grumble of pain. "Please. Just trust me on this one. I promise. It's more than you think it is." He tried his best to calm his dragon down. Toothless fidgeted, coming to a hover as the group met the edge of the cliff. He glanced back at Hiccup, not speaking a word. But he relaxed as best he could, going forward and landing on the very edge of the stone. The others followed his example, Mistyeyes and Toothless standing as far away as possible from one another. Shadowclaw took up the space in between them, eyes wide with fear and concern as he looked from one adult to another.
Hiccup snapped his leg back out of its hold, turning and slipping off of his Night Fury, starting forward slowly. "Hiccup." Toothless said, voice laced with pain. The boy started, turning around and blinking slowly as green eyes met with green. The dragon looked over Hiccup, looking just as much hurt as if Hiccup's wounds were his own. His bad arm, his wounds, the bruises, the long gash across the boy's forehead…they all seemed to smack the black dragon right in the face. "…Please…?" He tried, taking a small step forward.
But Hiccup only replied by taking a step back.
Toothless froze, looking hurt as he drew his leg back. The Night Fury that was curled up across from them jerked awake at the sound of voices, head shooting up as eyes lit up with surprise. Toothless started at the sudden movement, but Mistyeyes only closed her eyes. "Hiccup knows what he's doing, Toothless." She said firmly. Her blue eyes flashed, turning and shooting a look in the dragon's direction, making sure that Shadowclaw got a piece of the expression as well. "Are you going to trust him?"
The two blinked, changing their gazes so that they looked at Nightflight.
The dragon had gotten to her feet, eyes troubled as they flickered around wildly, trying to figure out what was going on. Astrid slipped down from Mistyeyes's back, looking a little fazed by the joyride they had gone on. They'd gotten all the way here in less than two minutes; the girl's blonde bangs were blown backwards by the face-full of winds she had gotten. She walked forward slowly, blue eyes narrowed as she stared intently at the dragon in front of them. "…She…"
"She's the one that started all of this." Hiccup said slowly, green eyes heavy as he looked over to Astrid. The blonde started, immediately backtracking. Memories seemed to fly through her eyes. The way that the dragon had turned Toothless against him, the way that they two had fought her in the cove with rocks. But the boy shook his head quickly, still facing Astrid as he walked backwards, towards Nightflight. "She's the dragon I found so long ago." Hiccup clarified.
"But then…then she's….why?" Astrid fumbled for her words, stumbling mentally as she grasped for words.
"She's changed." Hiccup said firmly, turning around and realizing that he was standing right in front of him. Nightflight was involuntarily shrinking behind him, scarred eyes wide with fright. Her tail rested against Hiccup's leg, as if needed something to hang onto. She looked scared and unsure, she had no idea what was going on. And when Hiccup let his hand rest against her shoulder, he could feel a small tremor go through her. "She helped me get back to Berk." Hiccup said, turning and looking back at the group. "We were attacked by another Night Fury on the way over here. She saved me, Astrid. She wants to be a part of Berk. And I know that she can fit right in. I just have to get people to believe in me." His words shook slightly as he finished, already feeling the skeptical looks on him, and slightly angered ones
Astrid shook her head. "Hiccup…you can't just forget everything she has done."
"I'm not. I'm just saying she deserves another chance."
"You're talking crazy." She snapped. "Vikings aren't exactly the kind of people to take things lightly." She paused a moment, eyes softening. "I know you mean well, Hiccup. But…people have died. People have died from the multiple attacks on Berk, and my dragon can't even fly anymore." Her eyes went over to rest on Nightflight, the girl closing her eyes and sighing. "Hiccup…no…"
"Please, Astrid. Please! I'm begging you to listen to me!" Hiccup pleaded, eyes growing huge. He looked over at Toothless and Shadowclaw, shoulders starting to heave as he caught sight of their expressions. Nobody was agreeing with him on the this. "Please!" He said in a rush. "You guys are the only people in the village that could possibly be with me on this! If you aren't…" He trailed off, drawing a blank. He gritted his teeth, inhaling sharply. "I owe her my life! I can't just leave her! She's blind! She can't see! She needs me!"
Astrid shook her head slowly, biting her lower lip. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "I've been with you for a lot of things, Hiccup." She said. "But I just can't see this. I can't believe it, and I won't." Mistyeyes's ears flattened to her head, looking down dejectedly at the ground. Ludi snuffed with disappointment, hunching over with a sullen expression. Astrid started to turn around. "Take me back to the village." She said softly. "I don't want to even see that dragon. Ever again."
"Astrid, don't." Hiccup said, vision blurring as desperation clawed inside his stomach.
The blonde looked at him sadly. "I can't believe you would forget everything she's done to you." She paused a heartbeat, suddenly looking hurt. "And me. And everybody. Do I not matter to you anymore?" She glanced around at the others. "Do none of us matter?"
"Of course you do!" Hiccup pressed. "You're my best friends!"
"Then come back with us!" Astrid yelled suddenly. "Leave her! She's not-"
"I can't." Hiccup said firmly. "You don't understand! If you would just listen to me-"
"No!" Astrid snapped. She jabbed a finger over at Nightflight, the dragon stiffening at once. "I refuse to believe that she's changed! You gave her a chance before, Hiccup! And look what happened because of that!" She threw her arms out around her, gesturing to everything around her with a fuming look. Even Mistyeyes nodded slowly at this, blue eyes sorrowful as she looked apologetically at Hiccup.
…Was he completely alone here?
Hiccup looked back at Nightflight, swallowing thickly.
Don't do it again….unless I tell you to.
The words rang in his head, and Hiccup knew that he had to do it. "Nightflight, show them." He said in a rush. The dragon perked, looking over at Hiccup with confusion. "Show them!" He urged, Astrid's eyes widening as she started back over to Mistyeyes. "I know I said not to, but I'm giving you permission!" Astrid started to turn, Hiccup's eyes getting big as she did so. If she wasn't facing Nightflight… "Now!" He yelled in a panic.
Nightflight snapped around to the group in front of her, the dragon narrowing her eyes as she stared straight forward. Astrid's footsteps slowed, as if she suddenly realized something. She slowed down until she wasn't moving at all, body locked up as she stared wide-eyed at Nightflight. The only movement from the girl was the occasional twitch of her hand. Toothless had started to rush forward, the dragon now frozen mid-step. His green eyes were locked with Nightflight's, wide, as if he had realized what the dragon was doing a heartbeat before it was too late to move. Shadowclaw sat on the ground, petrified where he perched.
Only Ludi, Mistyeyes, and Hiccup were untouched. The three exchanged a slow look, as if unsure of what to do.
"You think it will work?" Mistyeyes asked.
Ludi flicked her ear, tail twitching at her sides. She looked pretty hopeful.
That was sarcastic.
"I hope so." Hiccup sighed. "Otherwise we're in a whole bunch of trouble."
The boy turned, shuffling backwards slightly. He leaned down painfully, putting his back against Nightflight's side.
He sat down neatly on the ground.
And he waited.
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
A/N: SORRY IF THIS IS RUSHED I GOTTA GO LIKE RIGHT NOW!
GOODBYE I LOVE YOU ALL!
MAYBE THIS CHAPTER DESERVES 600 REVIEWS!?
SORRY FOR ANY TYPOS. IM IN A BIG-BUTT RUSH RIGHT NOW.
MY ARMS HURT FROM TYPING SO FAST.