A/N: Takes place during the final scene of How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World, when Toothless and Hiccup are reunited. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Disclaimer: YES, IT'S ALL MINE! I OWN IT ALL, TOOTHLESS, HICCUP, EVERY LAST FIREWORM—Okay, okay, stop looking at me like that. No, I don't own How to Train your Dragon…
A gentle breeze was blowing, ruffling the shifting waves that rose and fell on the ocean's surface. A misty, white fog lay thick on the horizon, obstructing the delicate line between water and sky. Deep within the damp shroud laid a gaping hole, plunging down into the ocean for an incomprehensible distance, as if some great dragon had hollowed it out with a massive talon. Water roared as it cascaded over the edge, swiftly disappearing from view as it plummeted into the swirling haze below.
The entrance to the Hidden World, home of all dragons. His home.
The Night Fury extended his forelegs in a stretch, relishing the cool wetness of the rock beneath him. Sunshine poured down onto his black scales, providing a relaxing balance between the midday heat and the damp chill of the air as it absorbed the spray of the waterfall.
Something flickered on the edge of his vision, and the Night Fury turned lazily to look at the dragons that accompanied him. His mate, a beautiful, pure white Light Fury, was curled on her side not far from him, her crystal blue eyes following the movements of the three shapes squirming between them. The Night Fury followed her gaze, his heart swelling with pride as he watched his three young hatchlings roll and pounce on each other, squeaking happily.
They're perfect, he thought, gazing at them with a sort of awed admiration as they flopped about, small wings waving, tiny claws clicking on the rock. And they're ours.
As he watched, his youngest child, a mostly black little dragon with big green eyes that mirrored his own, lunged at his mother, grasping her tail between his teeth with a tiny growl.
"Don't bite so hard, little one," the Light Fury chortled, gently removing her tail from his mouth.
The Night Fury ducked his head, offering his mate a sympathetic glance. Their hatchlings were growing bigger every day, and being on the receiving end of their teeth was becoming less enjoyable.
Resting his chin on his paws, he shut his eyes, enjoying the tingly warmth of the sunlight cutting through the mist.
Creeeaaak.
Instantly, the Night Fury's head snapped up, his senses thrust into tense alertness by the sudden noise. What was that?
He glanced at the Light Fury to find her watching him with a taut expression. So she had heard it as well. Behind them, the hatchlings, unaware of the change in the atmosphere, continued to play.
The Night Fury narrowed his eyes, peering into the thick fog that shielded them from the open ocean. His gaze caught on a dark shape waiting just beyond the reaching tendrils of mist. The creaking sound again drifted toward him, louder this time.
Something flickered in the back of his mind. An old memory, long forgotten, so faded he couldn't remember exactly what it was. He blinked; there was no time for that now. His family was in danger.
"Guard the children," he rumbled to his mate, rolling fluidly to his paws, eyes fixed on the dark shape.
"What is it?" she growled softly, sweeping her tail around their hatchlings, who, finally noticing their parents' silence, had approached to watch.
"I…" He shook his head; there wasn't time to explain the deep feeling of a just-out-of-reach memory that had settled over him. "I don't know."
But I'm going to find out.
He didn't say it aloud, but he knew his mate understood.
The Night Fury spread his wings and launched himself skyward. Wind roared in his ears with nearly as much force as the waterfall, filling his wings and giving him a sudden sense of power. As he soared higher into the sky, the approaching shape materialized from the mist.
It was some sort of wooden vessel, rocking gently back and forth against the waves. He could pick out four distinct shapes standing on it, looking up at him.
Humans!
Tilting his wings, the Night Fury dove, narrowing his eyes as the floating object rushed up to meet him.
He landed with an audible thud, the wooden vessel bucking beneath his weight. He warily eyed the four humans: two adults and two children. The adult female was crouching with the two children in much the same way his own mate was doing with their hatchlings.
He swallowed a startled rumble; he had forgotten how dragon-like humans were.
The adult male, standing directly in front of him, made a tentative noise at him. The Night Fury looked deeply into the human's face. Another memory flickered, but he forced it away. Now was not the time; he had to protect his family. He stalked along the outer edge of the wooden vessel before stepping down into it to approach directly.
The human spoke again, his tone taking a hesitant note. The Night Fury paused, shifting his weight and drawing himself up on his hind legs. Behind the adult male, the two children cowered; the female continued to watch, wary. The Night Fury looked down at the human in front of him. He was reaching toward him with an outstretched hand, his expression uncertain, almost desperate.
The Night Fury swallowed another rumble, confused. This human acted as if they should know one another.
Something in his mind tugged again, harder this time. The Night Fury leaned toward the human's outstretched hand, nose twitching. A warm, long-forgotten scent filled his nostrils, and memory suddenly struck him with breathtaking force.
A young boy, trembling hand outstretched, desperately desiring a friend in a war-torn world.
Could it be?
"Hiccup!" the Night Fury roared, lunging forward to tackle his old best friend.
Hiccup, for indeed it was, and could never be anyone else, tumbled back against the wooden floor, laughing in an oh-so-familiar manner. The Night Fury bounded around him, excitement pulsing through him with such intensity that he simply couldn't remain still.
"You came!" he yelped, opening his jaws wide and offering his best friend several wet licks across the face. "You're really here!"
Hiccup continued to laugh and speak back to him, his voice such a familiar, wonderful sound that the Night Fury simultaneously couldn't hear it enough and was completely overwhelmed by it.
"I don't believe it!" the Night Fury—no, no Toothless, that was his name!—warbled, shifting from one paw to the other as he nudged and licked his long-lost friend. "You came!"
As his excitement finally settled into a more controllable level of intensity, Toothless once again noticed the three figures behind Hiccup, who had been watching the display with differing reactions. The adult female, who was smiling and laughing along with Hiccup, he instantly recognized.
Astrid! It was Astrid, how could he have forgotten?
The two children crouching beside her were watching Toothless with fearful expressions. Their scent was a subtle mixture of both Hiccup and Astrid, but with mingling uniqueness that made them entirely different.
My best friend is a father, too! Toothless thought joyously.
He tilted his head, purring welcomingly in an attempt to look less frightening. Hiccup beckoned gently to his children, and Astrid gave them an encouraging nudge, but they approached with their anxious expressions unchanged.
Toothless waited motionlessly as Hiccup spoke to them, demonstrating how to reach toward him. They did as they were told, the older one, a female with bright blue eyes, watching him fearfully, and the younger, a sandy-haired male, covering his face with one hand.
Smiling to himself, Toothless allowed a momentary pause, giving the world a chance to slow down around them. Then, closing his eyes, he leaned forward and pressed his snout against their small palms.
Hiccup's eldest child let out a delighted gasp, while her brother's mouth simply fell open. The tension was gone, the fear evaporated. Toothless looked down at them, instant affection blooming within him as the memories and adventures that he and Hiccup had shared flooded his mind.
He glanced up at his best friend, taking in his new appearance for the first time. A dark beard covered a good portion of his face now, but his eyes were the same, as was his smile.
So much had changed, and yet, it felt almost as if they had been flying laps around Berk together just that morning. Toothless shifted in place, a fresh pulse of energy erupting within him as he thought of the many hours they had spent in the sky.
And now, with his best friend beside him once more, they could soar together again.
"Come," he warbled, nudging Hiccup and lowering his wings to offer his back. He cast a glance over his shoulder at the rising mist, where he knew his mate and hatchlings waited. "Come and meet my family."