Today's chapter comes with a confession. I didn't originally mean to have Toothless run away, but one thing led to another and you got the past three chapters as a bonus. I've decided that I'll just call this section part 1 and use it as background for the rest of the story.

When awareness returned, it did so gradually. The first thing he noticed was that there was a lot less light. Either he was inside a building or the sun was setting. A square of light in the far left corner of his vision caught his eye. A building then. Toothless turned his head and started. There was a little old lady sitting in a chair next to him. She must have fallen asleep and slumped over, because her face was mere inches from his own. She looked slightly familiar and Toothless wracked his brains. She was… an elder? She certainly looked old enough. A terrible terror was perched on her staff in the corner, who kept terrible terrors? A name floated to the surface of his mind. Pokey? No, Gokey? Wait, Gothi! Toothless hummed, happy that he knew who she was. The terrible terror in the corner bolted upright at the noise and stared at him for a second. Then, bounding across the room, he started shrieking in a piercingly high voice.

'Gothi. Gothigothigothi! He'sawake! Toothlessopenedhiseyes! Heopenedhiseyes! Hiseyesareopen! Wakeupwakeupwakeup!'

Gothi jolted awake with a start. She didn't say anything, but she definitely looked annoyed. She stared at the terrible terror for a few seconds and he visibly wilted, his ears drooped and he looked down at his toes.

'Sorry Gothi. I forgot. I'll remember next time. I promise.'

Gothi kept looking at the terror.

'I really do mean it this time. Honest.'

Gothi seemed satisfied for the time being and turned to Toothless.

Let's get you sorted then.

Toothless jumped. Had she just - no, it was impossible. He shook his head to clear it. No human could do what he just thought she had done. It was rare even in dragons! He must have imagined it.

Come on, I haven't got all day. You have to roll over, I've done all I can for your back.

There it was again; Gothi had spoken without moving her mouth.

'What - How?'

Just roll over, I need to check your legs and belly.

Toothless rolled over obediently and Gothi ran her hands across his belly scales. She turned around and grabbed a strange jar off a shelf, then stuck her fingers in and spread a purple goop across the scratches. It felt cold, and when she started rubbing it in it tickled like crazy!

Hold still!

Toothless tried, he really did, but he couldn't stop himself writhing every now and then, when she reached an especially ticklish spot. When she finally finished Toothless was so breathless with laughter that he didn't notice her reaching for his leg. Her fingers lightly brushed against his scales and he shrieked. Gothi immediately reached round and scratched him under the chin.

Sweet dreams.

Toothless faded into sleep, sent directly into a dream journey by the touch of Gothi's calloused fingers on his chin.

He was flying in the skies above Berk in the golden light of dusk. The sun was half peeking out from the curved horizon and was sinking as he watched, peacefully falling after a day well spent. There was no noise as he slid through the sky, the wind firm under his wings and fluffy clouds trying to keep pace with him. He was the only dragon in the sky, all alone in a peaceful bowl of blue.

A helmeted head poked out of a cloud in front of him. Snotlout stood in front of him, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"He's waiting for you on the ground. Why didn't you come back to him? It's been weeks, and every day you haven't come to him he's grown thinner and more withdrawn."

He didn't care about this 'he' who was waiting for him, he was free in the sky, why would he give it up? He turned and flew away from Snotlout, away from responsibilities and expectations. He flew his fastest, revelling in the power of his body, when Astrid grew out of another cloud in front of him.

"You have to come down, Toothless. Hiccup will die if you both carry on like this."

So 'he' was 'Hiccup' now. Maybe… but no, why would he renounce his wings, become a mere beast of burden? He turned from Astrid as well and flew away from both of them. But then he gradually became aware of an aching loneliness, a longing for one who was his reflection, the one who would complete him. Was this 'Hiccup' the one? He turned and dived, caught by curiosity like a fish by a hook. There was a figure on the very top of the tallest cliff. Was this Hiccup? He landed in front of the viking and looked at him. No, this was Stoick the Vast, Hiccup's sire.

"He's down in the cove. Please, bring him back, Toothless. He doesn't listen to anybody anymore. He's like a walking shell..."

He sprang off the cliff and glided to a small cove. Next to the lake there was a slight boy, all skin and bones, staring away from him. He silently padded towards the boy and crooned to him. The boy looked at him.

"No. I won't. Not anymore. You're not real. He's never coming back."

He walked slowly forwards. The boy's face transformed, from despair to anger.

"Get away from me! I don't want false hope anymore! It's all too much! Leave me alone!"

The boy turned away and stared off into the distance again.

"Was it even real to begin with?"

Toothless fell out of the dream with a jolt. He crossed the black nothingness in a split second and found himself back in Gothi's house, disoriented and upset. How could he have felt such indifference to his Hiccup? To cause him such pain?

Gothi was suddenly perched by his shoulder. First he jumped, then warbled curiously at her.

You have been a very lucky night fury. You almost ran yourself into a crisppaw, unique to night furies, where your leg muscles become brittle and snap. Don't do it again. You must rest your legs for at least another three days. No moving at all. Then I'll come and check on you. Also, Hiccup is waiting to see you outside.

Toothless whipped his head round to look at the door. Why hadn't she told him that first!? Gothi hobbled over and opened the door with a creak. The moment it was wide enough, Hiccup squeezed through and walked quickly over to Toothless. Gothi shook her head in annoyance before walking outside, leaving the two in private.