Well, it's Saturday, so it's about that time for another update! I originally had this chapter and the next as one complete chapter, but it went on forever (16k words... yikes), so I'm splitting it up into two separate chapters. You'll get chapter 3 next saturday, as usual, so be sure to stay tuned for that! In the meantime, enjoy this chapter while you wait. Again, thank you all for taking your time to read this. I really do appreciate it!

Chapter 2: A Flight to Remember

~Lucina~

We had travelled the rest of the way to Hiccup's house after the sun had finally dipped below the sea, taking the colors with it and giving way to a sky that was filled with stars. Again, I was amazed. I hadn't seen the stars this clearly in a very long time. It just seemed like my time here was one pleasant surprise after the other. Although, I wasn't complaining. It was a nice change of pace compared to the hellish landscape she had come from.

Hiccup's house was big compared to the structures they had passed during their tour, but still nowhere near the size of Castle Ylisse. It stood tall atop the cliff side, overlooking the rest of the village. It was painted with shades of yellows and blues on the sides, and a design of two dragons looped over the door. An intricate sculpture of an unknown dragon's head was placed at the top, almost like a guardian that looked over the village, symbolic of who owned this house.

Hiccup cracked open the front door, walking inside with a smile on his face. "Well, this is the Haddock household, and it's where you'll be staying for the time being." He said, gesturing to the interior of the house. It was very… rustic, and homey. Toothless squeezed inside first, followed by myself. I grunted as my wings contorted at an uncomfortable angle when I walked through the doorway, the wood rubbing against my scales.

The house felt kind of cramped with two dragons and one person inside, but not to the point where it was uncomfortable. Just a little tight. A fireplace crackled off to the side, bringing warmth to the house, and a chair sat behind a small table that faced the fireplace. It reminded me of some of the towns I stayed in during our journey to find a way to the past, specifically Southtown.

"Thank you for your generous hospitality, Hiccup. I promise I will make it up to you somehow," I thanked the chieftain and his companion, nodding my head in respect.

Toothless snorted in reply, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. We want to help you, so you don't have to do a thing." He replied, walking over to a stone slab near the corner of the house and letting out a stream of fire in a circle onto the slab before lying down, the embers licking his midnight scales.

Hiccup seemed to agree with that sentiment, nodding to us before going to sit down onto the chair, removing his fake leg and inspecting it. Whatever he was looking at it for, I do not know. It was very intricately made, and I could tell that he was extremely talented in smithing. The best Smith we had in our army was Gerome, and only because he had to make the saddle and armor for Minerva himself, but even he couldn't make a working prosthetic leg.

He reattached the leg with a click, and turned to face me, his face one of curiosity. "Now, do you think you can talk to us about how you got here? We've been searching for ages for another one of Toothless's kind, and you're the first one we've ever come into contact with," He asked. Toothless perked up at the question, also looking very interested.

This was the conversation I had been dreading. How was I going to tell them that I wasn't of this time, maybe even of this world? I couldn't just say that I came from the future to save my world from a horrible fate… they would think I was crazy. Maybe… I could explain my past, just leave out the specifics. Mainly that I used to be human, and Grima…

Apparently I was silent for a beat too long, as Toothless spoke up to break it. "It's alright if you don't want to talk, we understand." He assured, nodding to his partner who mirrored him in agreement.

I sighed, taking a second to compose my thoughts, then shook my head. They deserved to hear this after being so kind to me. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I will tell you where I am from." I said, settling down on the ground to get comfortable. We could be here a while, after all. The two friends seemed taken aback at my answer, giving each other a surprised glance, before turning their attention to me, ready to listen. I took a deep breath. This would be the first time I told anyone about my family and my home. I would be lying if I didn't say I was a little nervous.

I began to speak. "I come from a land called Ylisse, a kingdom known for the peaceful exalt, Emmeryn. I lived among the… humans there, and even I looked up to her, her benevolence accepting of all, no matter their past or their beliefs," saying I looked up to aunt Emm… that was an understatement. I strived to be someone that would come close to being the leader she ever was, watching over her people with a kind smile and open arms. She was an inspiration to us all… until her life was abruptly snatched away from her people by a madman.

Hiccup's eyes widened in the middle of me speaking, but thankfully he waited until I finished that part before interrupting. It was the complete opposite of talking to Cynthia or Owain, who would just barge in whenever they pleased. "Wait, you lived with the humans? And they didn't try to kill you or capture you?..." He asked, sounding incredulous.

Trying to sound as convincing as possible, I nodded slowly. "Yes. In Ylisse, they viewed dragons as divine, and their God was the Divine Dragon Naga, the adversary of the Fell Dragon… Grima." I spat out the last line with more venom than I intended. I had never liked saying his… no, it's name. I had vowed that after I had arrived in the future, I would not once mention that monster's name unless absolutely necessary.

That definitely threw both Hiccup and Toothless for a loop. "Wait, dragon gods? And people worshipped them? This is…" he trailed off, seemingly in absolute shock.

"Only thing I've seen you hatchlings worship is a sharp metal stick..." Toothless added with a snort, nudging his rider.

I smiled slightly at the interaction between the two friends, before continuing. "And there was also the Manakete, a scarce race able to harness the power of the divine dragon, able to transform from a human to a dragon at will with a special stone."

Hiccup's mouth dropped to the floor, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. Toothless's head snapped to me so fast that I thought his neck might break, an immense surprise present in his acid green eyes. "I- you- What?! People that could turn into dragons?!" He exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. His expression was a mix between absolute shock and a growing excitement. "Oh, we've gotta find this place now!"

He turned to Toothless with these words, a wide grin on his face. "Just imagine… an entire kingdom where dragons can roam free, and even people that can turn into one!"

The Night Fury seemed to mirror his excitement, getting up to his paws and bouncing up and down lightly, though with his weight it still seemed to shake his house. "A whole kingdom! This is gonna be great!" Toothless said with a goofy, toothless grin on his face.

Normally, I would be a little upset about someone (namely Morgan or Cynthia) interrupting me, but the way the two kept talking about all the things they could do in such a place, the alliance they could form with my home… it was kind of cute, the amount of childish excitement they held together, and I would be lying if I said that Toothless didn't look absolutely adorable with that smile. 'Never thought I'd be saying that about a dragon,' I mused, laughing at their overly excited reactions.

They suddenly stopped talking amongst themselves after I laughed, their excited chatter and happy expressions replaced by ones of embarrassment, a silence now covering the room in its embrace. Hiccup coughed awkwardly, before walking back over to his chair, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry about that, got a little… carried away there," He apologized, shifting in his chair slightly as he did so. Toothless appeared more guilty than Hiccup did, finding the wood floorboards very interesting for some reason.

I simply smiled in response. "That's fine, Hiccup. I would be reacting the same way you are if I was in your position." I assured, before continuing with the explanation of how I got here. "As I was saying, the reason I came here… I…"

I paused. What could I say without saying I came from another timeline… oh! "Was looking for my brother." I finished, hoping that pause wasn't too suspicious. It was true, however. I initially came here against my will, but now Morgan was my top priority.

Hiccup's eyebrows raised towards his hairline. "You have siblings?"

I nodded, smiling softly at the thought of my brother. "Yes, just my brother, Morgan. He's a brilliant young mind, and I wouldn't trade the bond we have for anything." Talking about my brother brought the good memories I shared with him to the front of my mind. The first time we sparred, the cockroach in his tent, when he first held Falchion… it brought a warm smile to my muzzle. His boundless energy and drive to succeed is what kept our morale high each and every day, and his knowledge for tactics was unmatched.

We sat in silence for a moment. Toothless's brow furrowed, his previous lying spot forgotten. "... What happened to him?" He asked quietly, a flash of pity visible in his eyes.

I held back a grimace when he asked that. Damn… I could say that he was captured… no, that would be too specific. I have to make it vague so they wouldn't tell I was lying. "One day I woke up, and he was gone." I made up on the spot, silently patting myself on the back for the quick thinking. It was technically true, it just happened very recently. "I knew he was still alive, I could feel it in my soul, so I set out to find him. I…"

I paused for another second, wondering how I would explain how I got to Berk specifically. "I… must've pushed myself too hard, and crashed onto the island. I have travelled a long ways from home, after all." I finished, hoping that my explanation was believable enough. I hated lying to people, especially people that have been nothing but nice to me recently, but I didn't want them to think I was crazy.

They both grimaced after the last sentence, Toothless's wings reflexively shaking themselves out. "Ugh… I can imagine how sore your wings are," Hiccup said pitifully, his eyes subconsciously moving to the two new appendages on my back. I wanted to shrink back from his scrutinizing gaze, but I knew if I did so I would seem suspicious, so I tried my hardest to stay still.

Of course, it's hard to stay still when something wet and slimy suddenly comes into contact with your sensitive new appendage. I jumped back in shock, turning to look at whatever just touched me. Turns out it was just Toothless, who apparently was very sneaky when he wanted to be.

He stared at me with his tongue slightly hanging out of his mouth before lowering his head in apology, his ear fins flattening against his head. "Sorry, sorry! I was just trying to help your wings recover. Didn't mean to scare you," He said, once again looking embarrassed. Gods, he's more stealthy than Yarne… and he had teaching from the Sweet Thief himself!

I took a couple seconds to compose myself, letting my breathing even itself out. "I-it's okay, just startled me, is all…"

My wings shifted subconsciously. That one touch… had felt kind of good against the more delicate scales there, if I was being honest. "...If you think it will help, then by all means, continue." I said, gently lowering myself to the ground. If he was going to release the tension in my wings (even though I didn't have any), then it would be easier for him if I was lying down.

He gave me a surprised look, as if he wasn't expecting that response, before shakily nodding, walking up behind me. I closed my eyes when the first touch hit my wings, the soft strokes like heaven against my scales. Apparently, there was more tension in my wings than I first thought, because every lick felt like it was just erasing the stress in that area. I didn't know if I should feel disgusted that he was using his tongue to do this, or relaxed because it just felt so good. Even Inigo, who actually took classes in massage because he thought it would help him with the ladies, wasn't this good.

I heard Hiccup say something and the metal clanking of his leg, but I paid no mind to it, simply enjoying the massage Toothless was giving me. My wings were completely limp at my sides now, no longer folded against my back. Every muscle felt like I had just taken a warm soak in the bathhouse after a particularly difficult battle or training session, like heaven.

… No, I was not purring. I was just enjoying it… a lot.

I yawned, my limbs growing heavy. I just didn't… want it… to end…

My eyes opened to fire. So much fire.

I gasped in shock, reflexively taking in a big gulp of air, only to start coughing, the smoke infiltrating my lungs and stinging my throat.

The Haddock house was ablaze, the fire dancing with eerily with an almost dark energy exuding from it.

This wasn't natural fire.

I burst out of the house as fast as my paws would allow, only to stop dead in my tracks.

The village of Berk was being torn to shreds, dragons and Risen dropping from above and crushing any and all opposition to them. The scent of blood overpowered my nose, and I gagged. My mind was racing a mile a minute and my heart had sunken into a deep pit in my chest as my eyes raked across the battlefield. I recognized that girl Astrid, her guts splayed across the grass and an arrow between her eyes. I threw my eyes away when I saw a Risen get the drop on a woman with a hand axe, an audible scream filling my sensitive ears. 'No… no, I… came here to prevent this!' My mind was in shambles as I tried to make sense of the vision before me.

Then a roar sounded across the sky. A roar I knew all too well.

"So, you've been hiding here, have you…?" A distorted voice called from above, pounding in my ears and in my head. I yelled out in anguish, the memories of all the pain and suffering that same voice had brought me rushing back into my head all at once. I couldn't think, I couldn't breath, my heart was pounding out of my chest as I desperately tried to dispel whatever curse had fallen over me. Anything to get me out of this horrible place.

A horrible laugh broke through my thoughts. "Oh, this is no curse, exalted one." My eyes were suddenly forced open, my pupils forced to focus on the monster that had taken my childhood away, those red eyes I knew all too well boring into my soul.

"You can't escape FATE!"

I awoke with a sharp inhale, and I shot up to my paws. 'Wh-what was…' I frantically looked around, my eyes wide and alert and my breathing quick and uneven. I sighed in relief when I saw that it was the same house that I fell asleep in, no ethereal flames to be found. Thank the Gods it was a dream. It all felt so real… The scent of blood, Astrid's dead body, the screams… Oh, Gods, the screams! "It was just a dream… it was just a dream…" I muttered to myself, repeating it until I began to calm down. I always had nightmares like this, visions of Grima and my family's deaths, so I was an expert on calming myself down after a particularly bad one. This one was different, however… it felt personal… it felt real.

After I made sure I wasn't going to pass out from hyperventilating, I glanced around the house again, although this time I was much more calm. 'Still night…' I noted, the fireplace having been put out what seemed like hours ago, the only light filtering through the windows being the moon's soft rays. Even with the lack of light, however, I could still see perfectly, like it wasn't even dark at the moment. I was able to spot Toothless in the corner, even though he was pitch black in the dark, shifting ever so slightly in his sleep. Perhaps Night Furies had stronger eyes than humans? It would make sense. I had stronger eyesight, hearing, smell… What else was this body better at doing?

When I felt my wings twitch ever so slightly, I had an answer to my self-imposed question almost immediately. I could fly. And I'll be damned if I wasn't going to try and get up in the air while I had the chance. Glancing at the door, then at Toothless's sleeping form, I hesitated. I would have to be silent, since I don't know how heavy Toothless or Hiccup sleep.

I slowly took a few light steps, making sure to keep my tail from hitting another or my wings from getting stuck on a wall or one of the pieces of furniture. I had plenty of sneaking experience from hiding away from the plentiful armadas of Risen that Grima controlled, but that was when I was smaller and more flexible. I wasn't entirely comfortable in this body yet, so I was still a little clumsy. Guess I found something that this body isn't as good at. Of course, that might just be because of my inexperience. Given my coloration and how sleek I'm built, this body was built for speed and stealth. With time, I'm sure I'll have no problem sneaking around.

I stepped on a particularly squeaky part of the floor, cringing as the noise reverberated off of the walls. I silently cursed my heavy body, turning to stare at Toothless's comatose form. Thankfully, he made no signs of being awake other than a slight twitch in his wing, still lying with his paws straight up in the air with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. I silently chuckled at the crazy angle he slept in, his stance almost like a cat in it's sleep. The sight of his tongue sticking out in the open brought my mind back to the "massage" he gave me yesterday, and immediately my face flushed, and I'm sure that if I didn't have blue scales I would be as red as a tomato. Looking back on it, it was extremely… intimate, like something a married couple would do. Maybe my mind wasn't right from the absurdity of the situation, or I was caught up with just how damn good it felt, but either way, it was definitely something that I wouldn't normally allow somebody to do to me.

… It did feel really good, though.

I shook my head, growling silently to myself. 'Stop thinking these impure thoughts, Lucina,' I reprimanded myself, reminding myself I was up and about in the middle of the night for a reason. As carefully and quietly as I could, I slowly slinked across the floor, making sure to apply as little pressure as I could on the floor and throwing a glance every now and then at Toothless. With a little time on my side, I made it the rest of the way to the door with no problems. Of course, now I had to fit through the door.

Thankfully, it seemed easier than it did before to squeeze through the small frame, the wooden planks only partially rubbing against my scales this time. Didn't make it feel any less uncomfortable, however.

I sighed in relief when my scales met the cool ocean breeze, my wings instinctually folding out to their full length, airing themselves out after being scrunched up against my sides for so long.

It only fueled this instinctive desire to fly I had inside me even more. I couldn't wait to taste what it was like to be up in the air, only you and the breeze. I walked up to the edge of the cliff, smiling at the sight of a perfectly normal village, the nightmare I had still fresh on my mind. No Risen, no dragons, no screaming… just a couple Vikings wandering about, their forms illuminated by the fire of the torches. It was peaceful. It was relieving to see that my dream was just that; a dream.

I turned my attention away from the people to the surrounding area, looking for a spot where I could practice my flight uninterrupted. It would need to be an open area, with an elevated portion overlooking a lowered part. I could fly from the taller part to the lower with little issue, I just needed to find some place like that…

It took a few minutes of searching, but I spotted one particular area about five hundred yards to my left. A grassy knoll stood next to a large cliff side, which faced a large grassy plain that bled into another large cliff on one side and the entrance to the forest on the other. It's not perfect, but it will most certainly do. Deciding to forgo stealth since I was no longer in danger of waking up Toothless or Hiccup, I figured that I should test just how fast this body can fan on land. This sleek build seemed custom-made for speed, and I was eager to learn more about this dragonesque form.

I crouched low to the ground, the grass tickling the scales on my underbelly, before pushing with my hind legs, pumping all the force I could into my leap.

I greatly underestimated the amount of strength I had, and I was sent flying unevenly forward about ten feet in the air, and even further distance-wise. I sailed for about three seconds before colliding headfirst with the ground, getting a mouthful of grass for my stupidity. "Urgh… okay, not doing that again…" I muttered to myself, shaking my head out from the disorientation of unexpectedly soaring through the air and hitting my head. Maybe I'll test my speed later, but for now I just need to focus on learning how to fly.

I quietly walked the rest of the way, the breeze shaking the trees back and forth and my own soft footsteps filling the calming silence. When I was overly stressed from running my army or just needed some alone time, I liked to take a walk through the nearest forest. I found it calming to just be alone, only you and your thoughts as you wandered aimlessly, no clear goal in mind. It helped to set my thoughts straight when I was particularly stressed.

… which was pretty much always.

I was at my chosen spot before I knew it, too wrapped up in my own thoughts to pay attention to where exactly I was headed. The small hill was perfect for me to climb atop of easily, and it rose above a small plateau which bled into a taller cliff-like area. By the end of the night I hoped to be able to reach the top of the cliff, although I wasn't getting my hopes up. It seemed easy enough to glide through the air when we first entered Berk, what could be harder about flying?

I bounded up the hill, turning to face my new challenge with confidence.

By my tenth collision into the cliff face, I begrudgingly admitted that yes, flying was an entirely different beast compared to simply gliding. I growled to myself, my frustration from the continuous failures and the pain from my many new bruises starting to get to me. My attempts were all the same; I would have no problem in the liftoff and gliding part, it was the gaining altitude portion where I faltered. I just didn't understand what was going wrong. The way I used my wings felt right, but after two flaps I would veer off course and either plummet straight down or take a sharp turn into a rock, adding to my already throbbing headache. But I couldn't stop, my mind wouldn't let me. My instincts were screaming at me to fly, to just soar into the great beyond, where no Ylissean has gone before.

First I needed to figure out what I was doing wrong…

I sat on my haunches, trying to connect the dots between all of my flights. It was clearly the same thing that was causing me to lose control mid-flight, so I just needed to figure out what that one thing was. My body was telling me that I was flapping correctly, but I still always veered off course after a couple wingbeats. Was I missing something?

I sat there for a good five minutes before my answer presented itself in the form of my tail subconsciously swooping into my view, the fins flashing themselves at me. I blinked, my thoughtful gaze looking over the small wing-like protrusions at the end of my tail. They almost looked like smaller versions of my actual wings, and I compared the two when I looked back and forth between them. Actually, didn't Toothless mention something about these fins earlier today?

"You could say that again. Without him, I would've been flightless," Toothless said, drawing my gaze again to his tail. Where it looked like two fins once were, there was now one natural fin and one fin made out what looked like a high quality cloth of some kind, reinforced with leather and attached to a sort of pulley system on his side that connected to a latch on the saddle. 'That must be the click I heard earlier when Hiccup flew on Toothless,' I noted, admiring the obvious care that went into the prosthetic.

My brow furrowed as I thought of his words. He said without Hiccup, he would be flightless, so then…

My eyes widened in realization, my tail once again moving in front of my face instinctively. I've been going about this all wrong! I've been focusing on my wings, when it was my tail that I should've paid attention to! I examined the fins in more detail, noting that they seemed to have a thinner membrane than my wings. They didn't seem like much… Maybe these fins provide stability, while the wings provide power? I glanced between my wings and the tail fins once more. Only one way to find out.

Finding the muscles in my tail fins wasn't necessarily hard, but it was an extremely strange and foreign feeling to me. I never would have guessed this is what it would feel like to have a tail. 'Is this what Nah has to do in her dragon form?' I wondered absentmindedly, getting used to the feeling of my new muscles as I flipped the fins in and out. It kind of felt like flexing your arms, just arms attached to a very long appendage on your lower half.

Once I was confident that I could open and close the fins with ease, I rose from my position on the ground, once again taking the trot up the hill for what seemed like the fiftieth time. But this time was different. I don't know why, but I could feel that, somehow, this time I would succeed. I couldn't help but feel a tad giddy when I got into position on top of the knoll, my legs crouched in anticipation. 'Three,' I counted to myself, the same as every other attempt. 'Two,' My wings tensed, the powerful muscles hidden underneath making themselves known. 'One,' I took a deep breath, calming my nerves. It was now or never.

Without hesitation, I leapt forward, pushing with my much stronger legs. I had discovered after a few attempts of flying that almost all of my muscles were intensely strengthened in my new draconic form, which, in any other situation, would be a good thing, but now I had to learn how to control my own strength, as evidenced by earlier when I attempted to test my speed. My mother once told me that strength is nothing if you can't control it… I never thought that advice would carry over to a situation like this one.

My wings shot open on instinct, the same as the last attempts, but now my tail was aligned with my body, my fins spread wide. I flapped once, letting the wind flow underneath me. A strong gust of wind was sent around the area from my wings, a couple small rocks that I knocked from the cliff after hitting my head into it were blown back from the force. Doubt filled my mind when I didn't feel any different. It just felt like every other attempt before this one, the only difference was that I had control of my tail this time around.

Then… everything clicked.

It was like a switch had been flipped in my brain, lifting some sort of fog that was covering the natural instincts I had in this body. My wings, my tail, the air… I understand now. With a powerful flap I pushed myself upwards, my tail fins responding in tune and angling slightly inward. I shot up into the sky, missing my target of the upper cliff but hitting a much better goal; I was in the sky. I was flying.

I rose, higher and higher into the great beyond, my wings pumping in unison and my legs tucked into my body so I could go even faster. I couldn't help but smile gleefully, the wind beating against my scales and finally satisfying the need I had felt since I had first entered the village. It was intoxicating, better than anything I have ever felt in my life. The wind I had felt under my wings back when I first glided into the village was nothing compared to what I felt right now. For as long as I have been alive, I've felt oppressed by Grima. By an evil greater than I had ever known. But now I was free. I could fly wherever I pleased, the only thing holding me back being my own fatigue. I've never held such freedom in the palm of my paw before.

Once Berk was far below me, I leveled out in the sky, my tailfins going from slightly angled to flat. I laughed boisterously, still on a high from the shot of adrenaline running through my veins. "That was… wow, what a rush" I said breathlessly to myself, a huge smile on my face. I was always hesitant to ride a wyvern or pegasus, the sky a little intimidating to me back in Ylisse. I had never understood why Cynthia and Gerome enjoyed riding their mounts so much, but now I questioned why I had ever been so clueless as to how this was absolutely incredible. The cool night air gently brushed my scales from all directions as I slowly flew, Berk nothing more than the size of a small bullion, the ocean stretching far beyond my eyes could see… It was beautiful, exciting, and calming all at the same time.

My eyes lingered on the ocean for a second, my gaze softening slightly. 'Morgan… I promise, wherever you are… I'll find you.' Somewhere out there beyond the horizon, my brother was dealing with his own problems… alone.

I was one step closer to reuniting with him.

The lull in speed during my flight had caused my adrenaline to wash away, giving way to just how damn tired I felt. The soreness and pain from crashing on every previous attempt was just now beginning to catch up with my body, and my wings were immensely tired. I yawned loudly, my eyelids beginning to droop. 'Well, I can't search for anything while I'm exhausted…' I mused. I looked down once more at the village of Berk, my enhanced eyes easily picking out Hiccup's house.

Suddenly, an idea came to me. A crazy and incredibly dangerous idea. I hadn't gotten to test out my speed on the ground… so what about in the air?

I smirked silently to myself, before angling tail fins inward at a much sharper angle, and suddenly plummeting towards the ground. I folded my wings against my body so I was almost cutting through the air at intense speeds, the wind howling as I shot downwards. The adrenaline was back with a vengeance, my heart pumping excitedly in my ears as the ground grew closer and closer as I travelled faster and faster.

When I was a scant few yards above the ground, I flung my wings open, angling my body to add to the wind resistance. My muscles screamed at the sudden pressure dumped onto them, and I grit my teeth in pain. My wings felt like they were going to come out of their sockets, definitely not used to such sudden stops at high speeds. This probably wasn't a good idea, but I was too far in to turn back now. With a strong wingbeat, I stopped my momentum, grunting in pain and discomfort as my paws touched the grassy earth.

My wings almost immediately folded to my sides, and I grimaced at how sore they were. My muscles were screaming, telling me that I had pushed myself too hard. I huffed in exhaustion. 'Good Gods, what was I thinking?' I wondered to myself. Perhaps I was too caught up in the moment to realize the consequences of my decisions. But even as I slowly plodded towards my place of temporary residence, my bruises hurting and my wings burning, I couldn't help but want to get back up in the sky.

Because now that I had a taste of what flying actually felt like… I don't know if I want to go back.

I didn't dwell on what that meant for me and my future, because when I entered Hiccup's house, I was too tired to think straight. So I simply walked over to my original sleeping spot, making sure to keep quiet so Toothless or Hiccup didn't wake up and wonder what I was doing up and about.

Sleep took it's hold on me as soon as my body collapsed onto the wooden floor. My rest, for the first time in a very long time, was dreamless.

And, for the first time in a very long time, I woke up feeling rested.

No shooting awake from a nightmare I had, no abrupt awakenings due to a Risen attack, my mind simply and slowly regained consciousness, my sense returning to me. I could hear some dragons crooning softly in the distance, the occasional gust of wind that lightly brushed my scales… it was peaceful. Sure, I still felt extremely sore from last night, but I was content to just lie here and rest, letting my aches and worries wash away. Who knows, maybe I could formulate a plan for finding Morgan? 'Perhaps I'll go back to sleep first… it's been ages since I last got to sleep in.' I thought to myself, shifting slightly to get into a more comfortable position on the floor.

Then something nudged my snout, causing me to flinch back and grimace, not expecting the sudden contact. My eyelids slowly fluttered open, allowing the first light of day to filter through my azure orbs, still half-mast from my drowsiness.

A pair of acid green eyes greeted me, staring at me with a mischievous glint in them.

I stared back with a deadpan expression.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," Toothless said, grinning goofily at me. He was scant inches from the tip of my muzzle, our warm breaths mingling with each other.

I responded by huffing in annoyance, rolling my eyes. "Was that really necessary?" I never thought I would say this, but it was too early for me to get up right now, especially after what had transpired last night.

Normally I was the first one awake, always ready to get some early training in before the rest of my family decided to wake up, but with how Godsdamned sore I was, I wanted nothing more than to head back to sleep.

That insufferable reptile simply shrugged, or at least he did what I thought was the dragon equivalent of a shrug, backing away from my face and sitting on his haunches. "No, but it worked, didn't it?" He said innocently, cocking his head slightly to the side.

I sighed, exasperated. "Yes, it did. Now I would like to get a little bit more rest in, please…" I replied, shutting my eyes and letting my body relax again as I did so. Yes, I have enjoyed Toothless's company so far during my stay, but I would like to rest a little longer so I don't collapse from exhaustion in the middle of the day.

There was a beat of silence.

"...Alright, I guess you don't want any food then?" Toothless's voice asked rhetorically. I wanted to sigh in annoyance, but elected to stay silent. Hopefully, he would get the hint that I wanted to sleep and would leave me alone.

Then my stomach grumbled rather loudly.

My eyes opened once more at the sound, and I shot a glare down at my abdomen. Toothless's laugh filled my ears, and I wanted nothing more than to curse my own body for betraying my wishes. Instead I just sighed angrily, slowly getting to my paws. 'I suppose there's no fighting it anymore,' I admitted, now fully awake and alert.

I crooned softly as I stretched my body out, my wings extending themselves out. 'Still sore…' I grimaced, feeling the now sensitive muscles strain from that simple movement.

Toothless must have noticed my expression, because he was on me in an instant, a worried look on his face. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" He asked, already looking over me for injuries.

I blinked in surprise at his protectiveness, not expecting him to be so worried over someone he had just met yesterday. It… felt kind of nice, to have somebody worry about my wellbeing.

"I'm, uh, fine, Toothless. Just sore, is all." I assured him, folding my wings onto my back and holding back a scowl of pain as I did so.

His gaze met mine for a second, the worried look never leaving his muzzle, before he sighed in resignation. "Alright… if you say so. At the very least, could you have something to eat? I don't need you starving on me," He asked, the hint of a pleading undertone to his voice.

My stomach growled once more, as if reminding me that I hadn't had a good meal in months. Back in my time, the amount of wildlife was scarce, and vegetation was almost impossible to grow since we had to move so much, so most of the time we went hungry, scrounging up whatever scraps we could find. There was a time where I went a week without food. I had never felt so helpless and weak in my life.

I nodded in reply. "Of course. Lead the way," I said, nodding my head towards the door. He smiled softly before turning and walking out the door, his larger body slipping effortlessly through the comparably tiny doorframe. I followed shortly after, although with far less grace, still not used to how big and clunky this body felt compared to my human one. 'Of course, when I was human I couldn't fly,' I reminded myself, remembering the exhilaration of accelerating further and further into the sky.

Hiccup was waiting for us outside, flashing me a smile when he noticed me. "Good to see you awake, Lucina. Never thought I'd meet anybody that slept harder than Toothless here, but you proved me wrong this morning." He joked, gesturing to said dragon as he did so, who rolled his eyes in annoyance.

My face heated up in embarrassment, not realizing that they had woken up far before me. "S-sorry, I must've been more tired than I thought," I apologized, the flaps that functioned as my ears subconsciously flattening themselves against my skull.

Hiccup gave me a strange look, one of his eyebrows raising slightly. "Er… you don't have to apologize, Lucina. I was just joking…" He clarified, waving me off before standing up from where he was sitting.

I blinked. Oh. That made more sense, I never was one for jokes…

"Well, anyway," Hiccup continued, dispelling the awkwardness from the situation. "I brought you and Toothless some breakfast!" He said, gesturing to the baskets before him. They seemed like normal baskets, but for some reason they smelled absolutely delicious. Saliva started to flow into my mouth at the scent, and it took almost all of my willpower to not just pounce on the basket and devour whatever was inside.

"You look hungry," Toothless chuckled by my side.

I nodded slowly, still staring at the baskets with an almost feral gleam in my eyes. "I haven't had a good meal in months…" I murmured, my attention solely on whatever was in those baskets.

I could feel Toothless's eyes linger on me for a moment, but they eventually turned away.

Hiccup proceeded to tip over the basket on his immediate left, the material contacting the ground and knocking off the lid, spilling its contents everywhere.

I resisted the urge to look away in disgust.

It was raw fish. That's what I was smelling.

I was never the biggest fan of fish, but if that's what we had then I would choke it down. That's just how it was in my time. But raw fish? No. That was something I refused to eat. I would at least cook it first, but eating something like a fish raw just… disgusted me.

But something inside of me was telling me that this was exactly what I wanted. That I couldn't ask for a better meal to start off the day. The more I stared at the slimy skin of the fish, the sun's rays glistening off of it's slick surface, the more I wanted to devour them like some… wild animal.

I was so caught up in my feelings and just staring at the fish that I didn't notice Toothless walk up to the other tipped over basket and begin eating, although at a much slower pace than what I was imagining myself doing right now. Hiccup, seeing me linger above my fish, walked over, a confused look on his face. "Uh… Lucina? You can eat. I didn't poison the fish or anything,"

That was all the incentive I needed.

I pounced on the pile of fish, paying no mind to Hiccup's surprised shout or Toothless pausing in his meal to stare at me with surprise. I didn't even register that the texture of the fish was less than ideal, only paying attention to how godsdamned delicious it was. Oh, Gods, nothing I've ever eaten has ever compared to this. The meat was savory and melted in my mouth, the bones crushed into a fine dust under the strength of my jaws. The blood of the fish made it juicier, the liquid starting to coat the ground around me and around my mouth.

To me, a dragon who hasn't had a full meal in months, this was the most fulfilling meal I've ever had, and I made sure to get every last morsel, demolishing the fish on the grass then moving on to whatever was left in the basket, sticking my head inside so I could reach whatever fish was left.

I only stopped my hunger based frenzy when my jaws snapped at air, snapping me out of my stupor. I blinked in surprise, not expecting all of the fish to have been eaten already. 'I must have been hungrier than I thought,' I thought to myself, shaking the basket off of my head while licking the blood off of my muzzle. Who knew that raw fish could taste so… so decadent? It must have something to do with my new body. Whatever the case was, I felt satisfied with my meal for the first time in a very long while. I wish there was a bit more, but one can't be a chooser where I was from. Besides, I was plenty satisfied with the portion I received.

I felt two pairs of eyes on me, and I turned to see Hiccup and Toothless both staring at me with what looked like a mixture of shock and confusion. I felt my face heat up under their gaze, and I glanced away, embarrassed that I lost control of myself so easily in front of them. "I… I-I'm sorry, I was just… hungry," I muttered bashfully, running my tongue over the edges of my mouth again, making sure that I got all of the fish blood off.

Hiccup glanced between me and the now empty fish basket, before smirking softly. "At least I know you enjoyed your food. I don't think I've ever seen anyone eat that fast, and I've known Toothless for five years. Trust me, he can eat." He teased, crossing his arms in front of him.

Normally, Toothless would respond with huff and a roll of his eyes, before going back to whatever he was doing, but he didn't. He just stood there and stared at me with an unreadable expression on his face, and what looked like worry in his eyes. "Lucina…" He began, walking up to me, his fish forgotten. "When was the last time you actually ate a full meal?" He asked, his eyes brimming with concern.

I was slightly taken aback from the sudden question, not anticipating such worry from him. "I…" What was I supposed to say? I couldn't lie to him, that would only make him more worried.

I sighed, seemingly finding no way out of this conversation. "...Honestly, I don't remember…" I admitted, looking away as hot shame burned my face. A meal for me consisted of any small portion of bread we had and maybe a few lizards that I managed to hunt down. It was a miracle that my body hasn't shut down from the lack of nutrients yet.

I felt Toothless's nose nudge me, making me look back over to him. He gestured over to his pile of barely touched fish, the concerned look never leaving his muzzle. "Why don't you come and share my fish? You probably need it more than me," He offered.

I was definitely taken aback by his gesture of absolute kindness. I tried to show this kind of empathy to my troops and my family, but to have it replicated back at me… it threw me for a loop. And yes, I would greatly appreciate more fish, considering how I was still hungry, even after eating an entire basketful.

"Toothless, I… Th-Thank you. Really." I thanked sincerely, trying my hardest to keep any tears from surfacing. I didn't want to worry him more than he already was.

"On one condition," He said abruptly. I blinked in surprise. What condition could he be talking about? I'll gladly do whatever condition he puts on, but it still took me by surprise.

What shocked even further was when he walked up to me and rubbed against my neck, nuzzling me. Our scales rubbed together intimately, and I couldn't help but stand there, frozen in surprise. "Take better care of yourself from here on out, alright? If we're gonna go find your brother, then I don't want you collapsing from exhaustion… it'd worry me too much." He said, still resting his snout on my neck. I struggled to keep from getting choked up, sucking down a shaky breath. He truly cared, didn't he?

"O-of course, you have my word." I managed to say, nodding numbly. I felt his sigh softly, his warm breath tingling against my scales, before stepping back a couple feet. I briefly lamented the loss of warmth, although I didn't understand why. We stood there silently for a couple moments, my brain still trying to wrap around what just happened.

Toothless broke me out of my thoughts when he gestured towards the fish again, a small smirk on his scaly muzzle. "This cod isn't gonna eat itself, you know."

I could feel my face heat up once more, before I nodded rapidly. "R-right…"

As we ate, I couldn't help but notice that these fish tasted better than the ones I had eaten alone.

And there we have it. Chapter two is officially in the books for you guys. Mostly fluff in this one, but the next chapter will have some plot in it, and then we will finally find out what in the world happened to Morgan... in chapter 4. So, if you liked this story enough, leave me a follow so you don't miss the upcoming updates in the coming weeks, and while you're at it, why don't you leave a review? Again, thanks for taking the time to read this far, and I'll see you guys next Saturday!