I think my writing has improved since I started this story, so if you think I should go back and rewrite the first few chapters, please tell me.

This chapter... well, you already know I'm evil, so let's carry on!

Hiccup felt the grimora snag something in his mind and twist it, then an enormous, suffocating weight lifted, and he was the only one in his head. Hiccup could have cried in relief. He was free! No more focusing every single second to stay in control. No more battering himself against springy walls that never broke. No more watching as his dragon refused to attack a threat because it wore his face.

"It's gone, Toothless!" he grinned. "The grimora's gone!"

Toothless stayed still, hanging by his claws on the steep cliff.

"Bud? Are you okay?"

Still nothing. He never ignored Hiccup like this, at least, not if he wasn't annoyed. Worried, Hiccup reached out and stroked Toothless' tail, trying to provoke a reaction. There was nothing, no movement apart from the slow, steady motion of his breathing. Then the ribs stuttered, heaving for air that wouldn't come, something slipped, and they fell to the grassy ledge, far below them. Hiccup felt something crack when he hit the rocky projection, and fire streaked up his side. Toothless was crumpled next to him.

"Toothless?"

When he didn't respond, Hiccup wildly pushed the black tail off himself, and crawled over to Toothless. His black sides were still, he wasn't breathing. Hiccup couldn't breathe either. He reached out and cradled Toothless' head.

"Talk to me, bud."

No, this couldn't be happening. Toothless couldn't, wouldn't do this to him. At least, not by choice…

"TOOTHLESS!"

Nothing. The black scales wouldn't move, even when Hiccup screamed as if he were in agony. Hiccup directed his next cry at the universe, screaming his denial to the skies.

"NO! NOT TOOTHLESS!"

The echoes died away softly. Silence pressed itself around Hiccup, reminding him just how alone he was.

"Please…" Hiccup whimpered. "Please…" He didn't know who he was talking to, he just wanted to go home with Toothless, get punched by Astrid, know that everyone he cared about was safe. Tears fell onto the ground in a steady stream. He just wanted it all to be back to normal.

Hiccup found himself craving Astrid, her arms around him would make everything more bearable. She'd walk up, attack him as a cover for her worry, and then hug him or maybe kiss him if he was lucky. Her hair would smell clean and fresh, and he could let her take over and shoulder the responsibility.

A tendril of something caught on his thoughts, and Hiccup grasped it in desperation, letting it pull him to a place that didn't exist. Maybe this would let him escape reality, if only for a while.

It twisted and turned, doubling back on itself a few times, but eventually the strand of something pulled Hiccup to a yellow tunnel. It was made of something Hiccup didn't recognise, something that looked like metal, but it was soft and springy. Pushing a finger into the side of it, Hiccup flinched as it stretched, just like the walls the grimora had made. A wind whistled through the tunnel, playing with his hair before moving on. Numbly, Hiccup crawled along behind the wind, letting it lead him on. He didn't have anything better to do.

The tunnel twisted and turned, toying with Hiccup, before it dropped away into thin air. This was the end. Hiccup rocked back and forth on his heels, sobbing. Even this tunnel had abandoned him. But no, there was a glint of yellow ahead of him, twinkling cruelly. How could there be anything as cheerful as twinkling in a world without Toothless? Everything should be dark and grey, reflecting his grief. Hiccup mopped his face with his sleeve, and peered through the gloom. It didn't look too far away, not more than seven feet. If he had a running start, that would be nothing. But the tunnel was too small to even stand up in, let alone run in.

Hiccup stared at the gap, torn with indecision. He didn't even know how to get back to his body, but he might be able to, if he tried. It was very likely he would plummet, and kill himself on whatever was down there, or he might end up falling forever. Whatever happened, he would probably die anyway. Even if he made it back to reality, he was still halfway up a cliff. He would either fall, or die of thirst after a few days, all alone in his final moments. That thought tipped the balance, he would conquer this tunnel, or die trying.

Setting his foot against the lip of the tunnel, Hiccup leaned out over the chasm and gripped the yellow roof tightly. Horror filled him when the edge stretched out, leaving him suspended over empty space. His foot slipped, leaving him swinging precariously through the air.

"Toothl–"

There was no Toothless. Not anymore. He felt something with sharp teeth tearing at his chest, and Hiccup roared his pain to the world, pouring out his grief and loneliness in a wordless cry. Tears started tracing his cheeks faster, forming two small, salty waterfalls on his face. A deep moan drifted from the other end of the tunnel, and it sounded like Toothless had when Hiccup's hand had plunged the knife into his ear lobe. Hiccup's fingers burned and his shoulders ached, but it was nothing compared to the pain he felt when he remembered how he had hurt Toothless. Because it was him, no matter how much he'd love to blame the grimora. He should have been stronger, fought harder, and this would never have happened. Toothless wouldn't be ⸺ Hiccup sobbed harder.

Another low whine. Hiccup had lost count of how many he had heard, this could be the third or the fiftieth for all he knew. The bleak suffering in the sound matched his own heart, it sounded like they were being tortured. Hiccup's head jolted up. How long had he been hanging there, feeling sorry for something that couldn't be changed, while there was someone in desperate need of help so near him?

Finding something, a goal to work towards, deadened the pain slightly. Hiccup considered his situation. The other end wasn't very far away, maybe he could reach it if he swung? Not seeing any other options, Hiccup started to swing back and forth, kicking his leg to gain momentum. Within a few moments he was brushing the other side every swing, but he never felt confident enough to let go.

He was on the far side, just starting to fall forwards, when a particularly pain filled cry rang out. Startled, Hiccup accidentally let go of his side of the tunnel and flew into the mouth of the other side. The wind flew out of him as he slammed into the floor of the tunnel, and it sent sharp, shooting pain up his ribs. The floor was cool against his cheek. Up ahead a small light shone, and Hiccup crawled towards it. The world shrank down to him and the next step ahead, nothing else mattered.

Gasping, Hiccup finally made it to a larger cavern, but what he saw made him flinch away. The universe was truly cruel, the place he found himself in was identical to Toothless' mindworld.

"Why? Why does everything have to remind me of him?"

There was a large orange stormcutter on a protrusion below him, crouched low over a small, curled up dragon. From what he could make out through a wall of tears, it looked like a red night fury. Normally, Hiccup would have been dancing for joy at finding another night fury, but it only reminded him more of what he'd lost.

"Toothless…"

The dragon slowly turned its head towards his voice, green eyes suddenly hopeful.

'Hiccup?'

It was weak, so very weak, but Hiccup heard it. Then, the stormcutter reached down and sliced through its side, releasing deep red blood, and Toothless' strange colouring suddenly made sense to Hiccup. He stormed down the slope to the ledge, eyes blazing.

"Stay AWAY from him!"