A/N: Sorry for not posting last week! Been a busy time.
Albino circled through the Hidden World slowly, her pale pink eyes searching the luminescent hordes of underwater cave plant life in the impossible blue space. Other dragons swirled up in occasional packs in front of her, to frustrate her search by distracting her. Didn't they know she was searching for someone? Get out of the way! She stopped just short of their wings to avoid them and dove a different direction.
She drew closer to the floor, and her head flicked this way and that as an assortment of things caught her attention. Perhaps he was down here.
A scent caught her nose and she stopped suddenly again, following it. Glowing blue bubbles—spores—floated past her, undisturbed by her wings. With a grunt of effort, she powered herself up, having located the source of the scent. She spiraled upwards around one of the titan-sized spires of blue-glowing barnacles and fungus.
She was more than halfway up before she spotted Toothless. Her body flattened on its path and she barrel-rolled to dive at him.
He roared playfully and launched himself from the platform whose hanging moss and lights he was hiding amongst. She landed where he had been a second after he left it and pushed herself off again, keeping her momentum up.
Now, it was just who could get to the glowing stones first.
The Night Furies' figures darted around the spires and swirling golden-glowing dragons who were gathering food. As they got closer to the sunset pink and purple glow of the central rock bursting from the ground below, they burst through an entry tunnel into the cave and Albino rushed to cut Toothless off as his turn was too wide.
Other dragons, standing on the cave floor, raised their heads and watched the race. Albino's shortcut worked and she just caught Toothless's shoulder to flip him over in the air. As he spun to catch himself, however, her momentum carried her several lengths away from him, and the muscles in her wings' shoulders had to work to stop her and bring her closer again.
It didn't really matter.
Toothless hadn't regained his speed after the spin, and she was above him and so could dive for additional speed, and she caught him again easily, crowding him away from his destination and crashing them both onto a moss-covered fungal platform.
She landed on top, pinning him down with one paw and laughing brightly. I win! I win!
Toothless squirmed and threw her off, complaining as loudly and playfully as he could without using his Alpha's status.
You cheated!
I didn't! You're just not fast enough!
He gave an offended cry and she laughed again, wriggling her tail in case she needed to pounce again, if he decided to chase her. But instead something caught his eye on his tail, and he swept it around to his front, pawing at it carefully.
She tilted her head, coming forward to look at it. What's wrong with your tail?
Toothless flicked his good half out and in and flexed it for her to see that the prosthetic half was not designed for long-term solo flying. My friend usually helps me fly. It feels wrong if I'm on my own for too long.
Oh. Albino tried not to look too disappointed by this. It meant he couldn't stay. It would feel lonely again when he left, and now, she assumed he would. Her family all had, over and over. No Night Fury apart from her had ever stayed here too long.
We can go back up. She rubbed along his side to get his attention—if he could blush like she could, Toothless would have blushed at this—and tossed her head towards the surface as an offer. Toothless looked at her, blank, for a moment. And then—
He could see his friend again! His ear frills flared out with excitement. Hiccup would love hide and seek. And Albino would love Hiccup, once they met properly. He reared up and bounced on the moss. Let's go!
Albino nodded and took off, Toothless hot on her tail.
As they flew through the bioluminescence, though, something changed in the way she flew. She soured, somehow. He didn't know how he could tell. Toothless craned his neck around, trying to catch her eye, but she was faster, and not slowing down. He crooned and tried to catch up.
When they got to where the waterfalls poured down into the cavernous depths of the Hidden World, Albino let out an anxious scream and spun around, grabbing Toothless by his front legs and then shooting directly up, above where the sloping terraces led into the Waterfall Gorge and through the white water coming from the sea, where the roof of the Hidden World was craggy rocks holding the sea back. She flew them up over the half-crown circle of rocks on the edge of the Hidden World's entrance only just holding the ocean at bay.
She tossed Toothless down, using all four feet to kick him towards the rocks, and landed a little away from him.
What are you doing? Toothless questioningly crooned at her, tilting his head.
She stamped her foot on the ground, wings extended, breathing heavily and staring at him. And then, finally, she vocalized firmly, You can't leave.
Toothless recoiled his head in surprise.
You can't leave.
What? But I have to. I have to go home, to my flock.
No!
Confused, Toothless glanced towards the waterfalls, behind one of which he knew Hiccup was, and then back at angry Albino. I am their Alpha! I must protect them. There are dragons out there being caged and trapped, and my friend and I rescue them! We have to go back.
There are dragons to be protected here! She tossed her head towards the cave below them, glaring at him with desperate eyes.
Growing frustrated, Toothless wrinkled his nose. From what? There is nothing happening here! No one knows this place. Out there are dragon trappers. And we can stop them. It's what we're good at.
Albino and Toothless were the last two Night Furies left, and she knew this. He knew it too, but still he was not afraid of the world.
You must not leave!
I want to.
Albino's ear frills flattened in dismay. Have you a death wish?
No! I wish for life. Toothless really wanted to convince her of this. You aren't living a Night Fury's life here!
At least I am alive! She snarled, and barked towards the ocean that represented the loss of her family. Every Night Fury who has left here has died.
Alive is not enough! Toothless ground his feet into the ground and roared at her as the Alpha, his spines glowing blue angrily. You will not keep me here!
Her eyes widened in alarm and they stared at each other. Her expression darkened and she chuffed angrily, teeth extended. You are not my Alpha.
And you're not mine.
She wanted to rip his tail to pieces, the artificial one his human had made. That would make him stay. But it would make him angry at her, and it would be unbearable, even if he understood why she had done it later. So she stayed where she was.
Backs arched and teeth bared, they stared at each other until the anger dissipated. Slowly, they lowered their guards and searched each other. She crooned. Don't go. I'll be lonely.
Toothless stepped closer to her and looked deep into her eyes. Come with me.
I can't leave. I can't go out there.
Bitter disappointment claimed Toothless's whole face and he tossed his head trying to get rid of it. He offered, Then we'll visit.
She had to look away to compose herself and come up with something convincing so that whatever was between them would not be ruined. She huffed through her nose and raised a brow at him. You'd better.
Without warning, Toothless lurched forward and their noses tapped each other. She recoiled, ear flaps splayed out in surprise, and blushed. His neck recoiled too, and he whirled around to snarl at two small Light Furies, invisibility melting away. They cackled to each other, butting heads in their success, and launched away to soar down into the gorge.
After watching them fly away, the Night Furies glanced back at each other, and then at the stones at their feet, and then at each other again sheepishly, each hoping the other wasn't angry. Toothless pricked up his frills hopefully and nodded to the Gorge, sweeping his tail about. He rumbled a question in his throat.
She exhaled from her nose and nodded and he pushed off of the ledge, swooping down towards where they had left from days before. Albino followed closely, hoping to stay with him as long as possible.