-Tuffnut-

Tuffnut stumbled out of the bar. He couldn't remember if it was the third or fourth bar he had been in that night. He couldn't even remember how many bars there were on Berk! But they had all thrown him out even though he had more than enough money to pay. No barkeeper wanted Loki, known for consistent mass destruction, in their bar. Especially not drunk.

He shook a fist an threw some incoherent insults at them. He wasn't sure what a "Son of a badgers pet cat" was, but the bar keeper certainly was one. The world was spinning and he felt sick. Yet no matter how drunk he got it didn't erase the soul crushing pain in his chest.

Wherever Tuffnut stumbled to, angry villagers would yell at him or threw things at him. Without Astrid at his side, they held nothing back. There were a few kicks and punches, but nothing that broke bones. The people that Tuffnut had Lokied in the past swarmed into a jumble of bodies, all screaming and yelling. Someone grabbed a torch and soon it was obvious the unwelcoming villagers had the potential to become an angry mob.

Knowing he was unwanted, Tuffnut decided the town was better off without him in it. Once again, he slipped into the shadows. When he was far enough out of the town that no one would notice, he began to run. He ran as fast as he could, wanting to feel the wind on his face. The world twisted violently, and it felt as though the ground was lurching up at him with every step. Blindly, he stumbled deep into the forest.

Without consciously planning to, Tuffnut's feet guided him to high ground, the same way they would wander to his favorite perches on the Edge. Soon he found himself on the edge of a steep cliff. He looked over the edge and the vertigo was enough to make him double over and throw up.

Tuffnut had been drinking for so long that most of the alcohol was already in his system, and throwing up did little to help his condition. In a spontaneous bout of fury Tuffnut screamed at the top of his lungs. Anything to release the pain that ripped away at his heart. But it was of little help.

He lay there for a long time and wept, self-pity flooding over him like a waterfall. He had spent countless years wishing for another friend to fill the empty gap that had been left in his soul, but he knew Astrid was better off with Hiccup. She could be the wife of a chief. She could have the whole of the village admiring her, raising kids who wanted to grow up to be like her.

Yet he had a sick hope that she would come back to him. That a few spats would drive her away from that future. He wanted her to do that more than he could ever express. He would give up everything, just to have her with him. He loved her, and he was becoming more aware of that as each day passed.

His tears dried on his face, and the dirt beneath his head caked into his hair. He lay there for a long time, drifting to sleep and thinking of nothing but his own dismal future without her. Without anyone. Alone.

A thought snapped Tuffnut's eyes open. What if she came back to me? The thought raced through his mind like a Nadder spine ripping through his skull. What if she came back? It filled him with excitement. It pulled him out of his drunken slumber. She could live with him on the Edge, and he would have a partner again.

Tuffnut imagined teaching Astrid how to make the best kinds of explosions, or demonstrating exactly how to best utilize the boor pit. Drinking tea on the cliff top every morning, and building until the entire island was filled with crazy contraptions.

As his mind wandered to what his own kids with Astrid would look and act like, he cut himself off. No. That thought couldn't be there. That hope couldn't be there. Because if he focused on that, his will would break and he would take her away from Hiccup.

Gritting his teeth, he knew what he had to do. He couldn't live without Astrid, and he couldn't risk Astrid leaving Hiccup for him because he would lack the will to push her away.

Tuffnut stepped away from the edge of the cliff. A little further… a little more… there. That should be enough room. Tuffnut ran as fast as his legs would take him to the edge of the cliff and lept into the early morning sunlight. Now both he and Astrid would be free of the burden of this decision. Forever.

A/N: Finally on a laptop again! FULL RESPONSE TIME!

The SkrillRider:

(CH 33) I know I shooould have kept them screaming for longer, but I hoped that the level of emotion in Astrid's voice would have caused it to go sooner. From my observation, its pretty easy to shout orders for long periods of time as shouting comes from deep in your chest... if your doing it right. But screaming from actual emotion can tear at your vocal chords pretty badly. Either way, I really hate writing for arguments. They put me in a foul mood.

(CH 34) MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA Wait and see!

(CH 35) She really has her own unique way of handling things! I modeled her after someone close to me, and I think it turned out quite well. Also, I really like you and I love the way you word things.

animalsarepeopletoo:

(CH 33) Your comments always make me smile so much!

(CH 34) Cliffhangers are my favorite! And this is rather ironic, because this chapter is a very literal cliffhanger! Heeheehee

(CH 35) Thank you! I guess I'll have to keep writing after this story so that you have more to read! For today... I guess you'll just have to worry about whats going to happen to Tuffnut. *evil grin*

DragonRider015: (CH 33) Nope, the Cheiftans Code is 100% made up by me. I'm glad it was at least a bit believable! And thank you! Astrid can have some pretty volatile emotions, and it makes her interactions with others quite interesting haha... Personally I'm still entertained by how much all of the characters can SEE yet still be blind to. It happens quite a lot in the TV show.

(CH 34) Thank you! I liked her so much I actually went ahead and built her into the book I'm writing! For being an OC, she's come a long way!

(CH 35) Thank you again! In her own story I plan to make Aryila accidental best friends with a Jin that looks like a demon from another dimension. But she's the only one who can see through the portal, and no one else believes he's real. His name is Burn and I plan to call the story Burn in the Shadows. You know those disconcerting shadow people you see in the corner of your eye, but when you look in that direction no one's there? Yeah, its about those.

I am Moonsong:

(Ch 35) Thank you! Hopefully you'll like the end as much as I do!