Remember

Chapter 1

Pain. Anger. Loss. But not the kind he is supposed to feel, more like forced, or artificial. His icy blue eye hurts like nothing before, but he doesn't mind. His every body movement is forced, but he soon loses his energy and accepts his end. There is a beautiful blue dragoness just in his peripheral vision, and he tries to send his silent thanks, hoping she accepts them. At last he rejoices, for he is freed of his agony.

Or so he thinks. There is an enormous burst of dragon-magic which signifies the end of his imprisonment, but it does more than just its purpose: it sends him deeply into the spirit realm, his soul ripped apart from his body in a painful instant.

He is now in an egg again somehow. The dragon-magic is somehow connected to this, but he doesn't know how. He still has his given name, Shruikan, but his true name has changed. Maybe it's for the better.

He pushes outward, but he feels different. There is something on his tail, something he can move. His skin is softer, and he doesn't have horns, or spines.

There is time to think about it later. For now, he pushes outward again, feeling his fire and electrical tingles, certain he will succeed, and...

In front of him is a massacre, a descending slope ending with a clearing of dead dragons of many shapes and colors, but what he notices the most are the smells of his murdered sire and dam. They are completely black in color, just like himself. A dark storm, flashing lightning every few seconds rages above him, but it feels like the only thing with a semblance of comfort. He is alone.

Still, it's better than having a ruthless captor like Galbatorix hanging over his head, monitoring his every move.

He can't fly, not yet, but he smells fish, tasty fish, and soon there is nothing else on his mind, his hunger is insatiable. He feels someone else's hunger in the distance, but he pays it no mind.

He spends a few years alone, devastated by the death of his parents he never got to meet, fishing, hunting, growing, building up his strength and agility, determined to be the best flier. The tail fins are a huge help in his control. He still doesn't have his fire for some reason, but his dark scales make him invisible in the night. His ear flaps are sensitive to all sounds, and he is aware of everything that goes on around him.

He meets his first dragon in his seventh year, and finds out that dragons stop growing! Oh well, he is still far superior in the air to anyone, so he can make do.

When he stops growing in his twelfth year he finds out he is smaller than most of the dragons he meets.

He has been sick before, but he has never had such an explosive sneeze! He ripped a tree right out of his roots with his fireball. Wait, fireball! He starts building up his gas, and releases an unearthly screech before blasting a nearby cliff apart. He now has two screeches: one that sounds when he is flying very fast and the one that preceeds his fireball. He is very proud of the sound, and imagines people running in terror from it, but the image doesn't bring such satisfaction as he though it would have.

When he first found out he couldn't reach out with his mind he was scared, but relieved because he never has to feel its effects on him. So he thought.

He was wrong.

His thirteenth year is a tragic one. He stumbles upon a nest with an abhorrent and utterly evil she-dragon. Just when he started to truly recover from mind-abuse and make peace with himself, she trapped him with her mind, forcing him once again to do someone else's bidding. She forced him to attack human settlements just as his old master once had. The only good thing was sneaking through the villages and picking up bits and pieces of the language. For example, he knew what "Night Fury! Get down!" means, but he didn't learn that one by sneaking.

He didn't know how much time has passed while he was in her control, but one blessed, or cursed night, he was shot down from the very night sky he thought gave him cover and lost his tail fin, which was extremely painful (that he could deal with, he's felt pain before), and was sure to completely mess up his flight, but freed him from her mind. He didn't know whether to be vengeful or grateful. He overhead other dragons speaking that 'a human will always go for the kill', but he came from a place where that wasn't true.

Than this scrawny boy who the nets smell off - he was the one who shot him down! - cuts the ropes and spares his life, going against the beliefs of his people. This boy - Hiccup, of all names - redeemed himself and gave him back his flight! There was one problem though. He couldn't reach him with his mind to introduce himself, so he was stuck with the name Toothless. Vikings and their bad naming habits.

Contrary to everything he said, he liked that name, and he loved Hiccup more and more with every adventure, and battle and lost limb, he loved when he petted him and scratched all the places he couldn't reach, and he loved when he radiated satisfaction and the feeling of safety when he would wrap him up with his wings.

Smashing the automatic tail fin was a bad idea, in hindsight, because there were too many situations Hiccup couldn't get out of on his own! Well, he was rescued by his mate and his friends a lot, but it was just so good to have the little human on his back, to have that comforting weight on his shoulders.

Then came Dagur the Deranged and the Grimborn brothers. He felt pity for all those who lost their respect toward the dragons and all they could do, even if there are much more of us here than in Alagaësia.

He came so close to killing people again, but his precious little Hiccup saved him from going down that dark road again.

He hates Dragon Root. He really does. It appears to have a brutal effect on Night Furies. Maybe this is it... He finally knew what it was to have a real bond with a human and it's all going away.

Dagur the Deranged? What is he doing here? He... appears to have no more malevolent intentions even if he still needs to whack his brain vessels in place.

Viggo is really intelligent, and knows how to confuse his opponents, but that intelligence gave him the power to realize he has been wrong and has been doing wrong. The humans are confused because their senses are underdeveloped, but that's what they have us for, right? It's sad that he had to die for realizing his mistakes too late.

The dragons don't go near the land they call Berserker's Island because there is a protecting plea from an Alpha, and most dragons respect it. Rotten humans like that Johann or Krogan on the other hand, don't. Thankfully, the Alpha is kind enough to save my Hiccup and protect him to return the favor. He was curious and opened Toothless' mind to him. He instinctively protected his knowledge of magic, but he made sure to thank him many times. He went away shortly afterwards, but Toothless will always be grateful to him.

The first time he hears the name Drago Bludvist, his blood freezes, and he can't determine why. He forgets about him soon enough, but he will always be in the back of his mind, like a parasite he can't get rid of.

Someone took away his rider from my back, and Toothless can't fly! "Someone please come help! Water dwellers, I know you're here. I can't fly on my own, please..."

He is dropped off in a cavern, but there is a female human dragon-friend nearby. He can't take any chances with Hiccup, though. But there is a familiar smell on her hand, but he cant see it... There it is! The gedwëy ignasia! He barely hears her whisper 'slytha' before his world goes dark...

She explains everything afterwards. She was a student of the Mourning Sage, and was put of by Shruikan's identity at first, but the dragons sent her here to end the human-dragon war, so she got over it. She then failed, only to fall in love and have a kid - Hiccup, of all people! - who actually succeeds in her mission. Well, mostly. Her mind was also cut off from the world, but the Alpha found her! Toothless bowed to him in thanks once again, and He said He liked his human! Well, rider, but Toothless can't figure why he doesn't have the Silver Hand yet, like Valka.

Someone is attacking them and the Kind King's nest! That is when he hears Drago's name again, accompanied by a growing sense of dread. The battle mostly went well, but then they had to land, because Hiccup, bless his overgrown heart, wants to 'talk to Drago'. Toothless froze, recognizing his face immediately, even if it was marred with new scars. He was a new and improved, probably a lot more insane, 'King' Galbatorix. He clearly didn't remember his old life or Shruikan, but in his new one he is even worse, and he had to choose that moment to shock him even more and introduce ANOTHER BEWILDERBEAST, whose mind was wide open, at least to Toothless. Poor guy, he was abused from hatching, trained exclusively in combat and mind control. The Kind King didn't stand a chance, and he had to watch hundreds of dragons suddenly becoming narrow-eyed and lifeless, with Drago gloating to Hiccup. But Toothless still felt hope, something he has been deprived of for nearly one hundred and fifty years. The Kind Icy King gave him one last parting gift. A connection to a Hidden World, which could bring him closer to Alagaësia. Toothless didn't know if he would ever need it, and he was completely sure he would never leave Hiccup behind if he ever went... that was the last coherent thought he had before a mind power slammed against his rusted walls, and all it bought him were a measly few seconds of consciousness.

He felt the time skip, just like when the Red Death was alive, but this time he had no memories of what passed at all. He tasted plasma blast... and Hiccup's sire smelled like his plasma blast... what had he done? He didn't even hear Hiccup's next words, he didn't pay attention to his horrified and disbelieving tone, or look at the broken expression on his face. It was all his fault. He did this. He was once Galbatorix' puppet. Is this all that's going to be? For ever?

And then... Hiccup, bless his overgrown heart, forgives him, tells him just what he needed to hear: it wasn't his fault, even if he took time to accept it, and that he's still his best friend.

For the first time in twenty years, he could use magic again. His mind cracked open to the outside world from whatever was keeping it confined, just like he broke through that ice. His rage and anger from Galbatorix' days returned, and he assaulted and broke through the huge dragon's mind like his best plasma blast through a paper sheet... or that left tusk... Well, oops. Sorry, but you won't be fighting any other Bewilderbeasts any time soon. He almost didn't notice he was giving off an ethereal blue glow.

And Drago is nowhere to be seen. If he died, good riddance.

Berk is covered in ice. Toothless hopes it melts soon, along with all the other bad memories of Drago Bludvist.

He had a few years of peace since then (except for Hiccup getting the brilliant idea of using dragon scales for armor and testing it on missions of breaking out dragons out of traps).

Toothless has the worst luck ever. Dragons have soulmates, and he met his just at the time he was approximately fully matured. His mind was in a haze as soon as he laid eyes on her, and he's made some awfully stupid decisions. Hiccup probably didn't even realize just how much he relied on Toothless for his plans, and then he goes and builds him a new automatic tail fin. Now, if his thoughts were actually coherent, he wouldn't have run off with Ms. Lady Of The Moon and waste time in the hidden world, he would actually take time to meet her properly (dragons can still control themselves, get your mind out of the gutter) and help her get over her distrust of humans, taking her back to New Berk to meet Hiccup and his friends. Stormfly was very nice, and very smart, for example, and she took time to cheer him up when he was down. It would have been better for everyone. Instead, he got them all captured. It made him so angry he started reaching for his magic, but it was not the time yet, for Hiccup had broken them out once again.

Grimmel the Asshole injected Luna with Deathgripper venom, and Toothless was so angry he fried four Deathgrippers who were bullying him out of the air. Then he got shot by a sedative. Then, just as he thought everything was going to be fine, Hiccup took a leap of faith with Grimmel. Without his flight suit. Well. At least Luna had some sense. But she was right after all, some humans are just as aggressive and stupid as dragons, some even more so, and their time to live together has not yet come. He was really going to miss Hiccup and his friends.

As Toothless' and Luna's mind-haze wore off, the first thing they did was bang their heads against the wall for how stupid they were. Figuratively, of course.

Then they introduced themselves, sharing names, pasts and achievements. Luna was the first person he told about his life as Shruikan, and she helped him really heal and put it behind him. They explored the Hidden world, went on quite a few adventures on their own, bonded and opened their minds. They never saw another Night Fury. They did, however, encounter the broken-tusk Bewilderbeast. It wasn't easy to forgive him, but at least they can talk to each other instead of try to kill on sight.

Then they properly got to know each other.

The eggs took six years to hatch.

At least Luna's parents gave her the Talk, because Toothless would just keep them warm for three months and forget about them, because that's normally when they would be gifted to humans or elves. After half a year their Fury protective instincts kicked in. Sure, they still cuddled and slept in a pile, but the eggs were never out of sight.

The hatchlings were just so cute! They were a mix of black and white, as indicated by the coloration od the eggs, so they were quite an oddity. Our Screaming Death friend was very fond of them.

They did run away once, but it enabled Toothless to save Hiccups life once again, not to mention the theater show.

The hidden world was as beautiful as always, and Stormfly was kind enough to keep everyone in order.

Something was different. Something important was going on near the Waterfall. Nobody sensed any danger, so Luna took the hatchlings to see what was happening.

Is that... Hiccup? With a beard? Thor almighty, Toothless didn't see that one coming. Astrid looks very nice too! And those two little buggers, are they their kids? They are! Do they want to go for a flight? He hasn't been this excited since Ruffrunner, Dart and Pouncer hatched! He sent Dart to fetch Stormfly, Astrid will be very happy to see her.

Hiccup and his family visited every year after that, and it was always very nice to see them. He even taught him how to put the fake tail fin on and off, and how to repair it, if needed. Toothless was doubtful that a dragon with his short but harp claws could do it, but Hiccup believed in him, and in the end, he was right to, after all.

Dart found another Night Fury, and they are soulmates! Welcome to the family, Dances-With-Shadows! Hey, don't judge, he grew up alone without anyone to give him his name. Besides, Dart likes it.

Toothless hasn't thought of Alagaësia in a long time, so he is startled when it comes to his mind. It isn't exactly a goldmine of pleasant memories, but if Galbatorix is gone, it should be a better place to live in, right? He certainly hopes so. He has no wish to return anyway, but a thought was brewing in the back of his mind. Where is their Rider-dragon bond? Hiccup's gedwëy ignasia? Maybe he somehow has to initiate it, because the magic fell asleep during his years with Galbatorix. He didn't pervert the bond, because Shruikan never saw a second gedwëy ignasia, but created some kind of new one with dark magic. He is happy to be away from his influence.

He never could control his magic in Alagaësia because of how dragons used it there, but here in the Hidden World, he could feel it, just under his skin, waiting to be released, caressed, and cared for.

Invisibility was the easiest trick. He would call upon lightning to heat up his scales and help them bend the light around his body. After a few tries, all it took was a few sparks from his back nubs, and it would look as effortless as when Luna does it with a fireball. He would somehow have to awaken the elves' magic, and quickly, because Hiccup will be coming soon, and Toothless really didn't want to wait another year. It did tire him out if done too much, because it still used energy from his body. Luna was intrigued and volunteered to help.

Toothless has a theory. All the dragons here are bits and pieces of dragons from Alagaësia, and all of them have magic, to some extent. Gronckles make metal. Nadders have their throwing spines and the hottest fire. Dramillions are glued-together dragons, kind of. Nightmares' gel that couldn't possibly burn that long or consistently without magic. Bewilderbeasts freeze the air and use their minds. Night Furies, obviously, have the most magic of all. Well, at least that's what Toothless hopes. He doesn't feel the magic in those examples, so it can probably be explained in some other way. At least he feels his own magic. He will try harder. He showed Luna what the Kind Icy King gave him as a last gift: how to get to Alagaësia, and they realized that only a Fury has enough potential for using magic to do so.

It didn't work. For years he tried, but it would never work. Hiccup's and Astrid's hair went gray, and Berk was accustoming to their new chieftess Zephyr. For all of Toothless' skills as the Alpha, he could not mentally communicate with humans.

Hiccup and Astrid are soulmates! They are born together, and they will die together! Well, approximately, it shouldn't be more than a few months apart, as is the case with dragons. How did Toothless not see this sooner? Maybe it's because they hung out with Furies so much that the magical perk activated, but dragon-magic works in very weird ways. Does that mean they will be able to do magic and speak the Ancient language?

Dragons live much longer than humans here. That is a fact, and it is a sad one. That fact did not register in Toothless' mind until Hiccup and Astrid came to the Hidden World, alone, without their children and grandchildren, to die peacefully, with smiles on their faces, because they have done so much in their lifetimes, and are very satisfied with the legacy they left behind. The only thing that made them sad, Hiccup said, was that they didn't see humans reunited with dragons once more. That sentence pushed Toothless over his edge as he began to shake with sorrow, and he begun to glow the brightest, most brilliant and fluorescent blue yet, and for the last time, pressed his snout to Hiccup's hand. He held it there, feeling his magic flowing out of him, until he felt his mind barrier shatter again. He reached out, searching for whatever he sensed, but at only one presence he stopped.

On Hiccup's right hand's palm, shining bright, was the gedwëy ignasia.

Toothless' last gift.

And he spoke, not through sound, but through mind, in a breathy, rich baritone voice: You are the best thing that could have happened to me. I hope I somehow see you again. I love you, Hiccup, and you will be in my heart forever.

Only then did he close his wide-pupiled, acid green eyes again, laying his head on the lap of a bewildered Hiccup, demanding one last cuddle. And Hiccup did not disappoint, even if Toothless had harder skin, tougher scales and more spikes and nubs than when they had first met. He felt every finger, every caress and every muscle he pressed into. He reached for the spot where his head connects to his neck, and Toothless' dorsal spines split open in bliss. Then he scratched behind his ear plates where he couldn't reach. Then he felt his hands on that spot on his neck, and he collapsed, no longer able to hold his weight with his legs. Astrid joined too, and he was able to make peace that he was leaving behind this part of his life. They cried, together, in sorrow and joy, for they are leaving, though not prematurely. This will always be a day they all will remember. Remember who they are.

Well, hello everyone, let me introduce myself. I am the Lone Dragon, dragon freak extraordinaire. I hope you enjoy this story, even if the updates are mostly random. Oh, and I don't own HTTYD or the Inheritance Cycle. They belong to Dreamworks and Cristopher Paolini, respectively.