Stoick, Gobber, and the teens struggled to keep up with Hiccup as he raced through the woods dodging trees, shrubbery, logs, and low hanging branches. It was all basically downhill and he was avoiding everything so easily, they couldn't believe how very capable he was of handling himself out in the wilderness. Bursting through the trees he bobbed and wove through people to get to the forge, he even jumped over a sheep and slid under a cart to make it. Once in the forge he got it lit then started pulling a variety of metals, and other tools to his desk. He pulled his notebook out and flipped to the drawings of Toothless he'd done two years ago.

"Huh can't believe I never saw that in here..." Gobber blinked.

"You wouldn't. It was hidden so no one would know..." Hiccup stated as he found a good one of Toothless from a high up view to see his tail. He smiled, he would build Toothless a new tail and make it so he could fly again. The others watched as his got to work on pieces they'd never seen before and had no idea what he was doing. Hiccup heated up a rod and hammered it out, then cooled it off and laid it over a blueprint drawing he'd made for size purposes. Next he pulled bolts off a shied, then weighed a few things out.

Hiccup got a piece of leather and cut out the pattern of Toothless's tail, then he began putting everything together. Sliding poles in to fabric, then connecting them to the rest of the contraption. They'd never seen him move so fast or look so focused on anything. Hiccup walked out and held it out and to their surprise it very much looked like a tail fin. Hiccup grinned as he closed it the opened it again to make sure everything was moving properly.

"Wow...that's...just incredible that you built that in less than an hour..." Fishlegs piped up.

"Time to test it out..." Hiccup headed back towards the forest slower this time and they followed.

"Ca–can we watch?" Astrid asked him curiously.

"Whatever..." Hiccup shrugged as he kept walking towards the cove, it was a long walk too. An hour and 30 minutes at best, but running took maybe an hour. Hiccup reached the cove and jumped down to see Toothless waiting for him. "Hey bud! I'm back and look what I got for ya..." Hiccup said showing him the tail, Toothless sniffed it a few times before looking to his own tail where the fin was missing. "Yeah...I made you a new one, lets give it a shot..." Hiccup smiled.

Toothless crooned happily as Hiccup moved to his tail and hooked it on, fastening the belt to keep it in place he opened it up and checked the size against his right tail fin. "Not bad for guessing the size, right bud?" Hiccup chuckled. The others not arrived seeing it on Toothless who without warning shot up in to the sky forgetting Hiccup was still sitting on his tail checking everything. "Woah woah!" Hiccup yelled out crossing his legs and holding for dear life. "Toothless! I'm still back here!" Hiccup called to him.

"Oh Gods he's gonna die..." Astrid covered her eyes. Toothless began to fall and Hiccup noticed the tail wasn't opening on its own. If this were Toothless's real tail his bones would be controlling it, this tail wasn't attached by bone so he couldn't control it. Hiccup reached for the flapping tail and pulled it out just as they were about to crash down and swooped back up staying in the air.

"Aha! Its working!" Hiccup cheered triumphantly. "Yes! I DID IT!" Hiccup laughed now.

"Odin's ghost he actually built a working tail for a dragon..." Gobber and Stoick blinked in shock.

"Alright bud...lets land and get back to the village, I gotta make a few tweaks and I don't feel like running back and forth..." Hiccup called to him. Toothless snorted and whipped around landing outside the cove, "We're going in to the village. I gotta add a few things to make the tail stay open on its own since I can't very well be holding on to his tail while he flies..." Hiccup told the group. They began to climb out as Hiccup and Toothless walked beside one another back through the forest.

The walk was pretty quiet as Hiccup seemed like he was deep in thought about how to make the tail work. "So...how are you going to get it to stay open on its own?" Fishlegs asked him out of the blue.

"Honestly, I don't think there is a way to do it...His tail fin was connected to smaller bones that he could maneuver on his control...my tail is just an add on to where his used to be...I can't reconnect bones, he might never be able to fly without my help..." Hiccup remarked calmly.

"What you're saying...is that he'll never be able to fly on his own..." Stoick confirmed questioningly.

"Not alone he won't...but with me...with me there's a slight chance..." Hiccup said.

(Village-Forge)

Hiccup immediately got back to work in the forge, this time however he was working on something else. A saddle that took two hours to complete and by now it was lunch time, Hiccup had taken a break to eat and feed Toothless again. But afterwards he was right back to work with everyone watching him, Hiccup held up the saddle to Toothless who crooned jokingly and ran away. "He–hey! Get back here!" Hiccup chased him around.

"He's so...happy." Astrid pointed out.

"It appears that way...maybe the dragon does make him feel better, it understands him..." Fishlegs shrugged.

"But that doesn't mean he's forgiven us yet..." Snotlout sighed.

"He will in time...he seems calmer and happier with Toothless around so I guess as long as they are together...he'll come around." Astrid responded. They watched as Hiccup attached the saddle then tied a rope to the tail and then climbed in the saddle holding the other end of the rope.

"Alright bud...nice and easy..." Hiccup told him, Toothless grinned almost and took to the sky. Hiccup pulled the rope to let out the tail, the managed to keep straight a few seconds before Hiccup slid out of the saddle when Toothless turned and the rope pulled to hard and Hiccup fell to the ground with a loud grunt. "Okay...next addition...something to keep me in the saddle..." Hiccup twisted his back to crack it.

"Hiccup...take a break you've been at this for 4 hours..." Stoick asked.

"No...not until I get it right...I made a promise...and Hiccup Haddock doesn't go back on his word, ever." Hiccup said firmly as he entered the forge again and started working on something else, it looked like a belt with two clips on either side that stretched with an elastic like string. Hiccup got back in the saddle and connected the two strings from his belt to it, this time he tied the rope to his left foot and they started again . Hiccup managed to keep it going longer than the last time but still ended up with them crashing in to a field and Hiccup being thrown off.

"Are you alright?" Astrid asked him, Hiccup nodded as he walked back to Toothless to see him rolling around in the grass purring happily.

"Huh...its like cat nip...or in this case...dragon nip." Hiccup blinked a few times seeing Toothless trying to scratch an itch. "Hehe, come here bud. Let me help you out..." Hiccup said as Toothless wandered over and Hiccup began scratching just behind his head making him purr contently, Hiccup accidentally scratched the side of his neck, just under the chin and Toothless froze then plopped to the ground with his eyes closed.

"What did you do to him laddie?" Gobber blinked in surprise.

"I–I don't know...Must be...a pressure point or something..." Hiccup shrugged. "You alright bud?" Hiccup asked as Toothless lazily opened his eyes and licked his cheek before getting up. "Yeah yeah, I love you too." Hiccup rubbed his head as they moved back towards the forge and Hiccup got to work on a bunch of others things. "Okay okay...rope can't make the motions the tail needs to function in sync with the other tail fin...so I need something that lets me alter the tails position as if it were being controlled by the bones..." Hiccup began mumbling to himself.

(2 hours later)

The Hooligans stared at the contraption Hiccup had built. The tail has a large leather saddle pad running down a part Toothless's back. This pad is clipped to two loops of curved metal that runs down and around Toothless's shoulders and front legs in order to keep it attached, secured with wide leather straps. Four lengths of cable made from ropes, two running down each side, allowed Hiccup to adjust the prosthetic tail fin with control stirrups for his feet on either side of the saddle.

"Well...I think we got it bud, wanna give it a shot?" Toothless warbled happily jumping around. "Alright...lets take it over the water then...I don't know if my body can handle any more crash landings..." Hiccup chuckled as he jumped on Toothless's back and positioned his feet in the stirrups and pressed the pedal down checking that the tail was moving properly. Then he realized that didn't know the different positions Toothless used to fly, "Hm...going to need to figure out the positions before we try this...Think you can show me, Toothless?" Hiccup asked him.

Toothless crooned, "Wait what do you mean show you the positions?" Snotlout asked him.

"Unlike most dragons...Toothless has a very set pair of wings he uses to fly with. The tail...controls everything pertaining to turns, rolls, spins, and more...without the tail functioning properly, he can't do anything other than fly straight. But...if he shows me what each position does...I can match it on the left side." Hiccup replied.

"So you're actually...going to have to fly him. You're in charge of his tail movements, you and him have to be in sync when it comes to the tail." Fishlegs explained while Hiccup nodded getting a piece of paper and pencil, he clipped it under a metal piece on the saddle. Then he got a long piece of rope, "Now what are you doing?" Fishlegs asked.

"Well like I said, I don't want to crash anymore so...we're going to fly by staying in place and I'm going to watch his right tail for landings, take off, turns, glides...everything and write down the position so I can match him..." Hiccup answered. "We need good winds for this...The cliff on Raven Point should be good..." Hiccup began to think.

"Hiccup will you please stay off the cliffs...we've have enough scares to last us a life time." Astrid asked him.

"Then maybe you shouldn't of made me feel like I was so worthless and useless that I felt like death was my only option out of the pain...Thankfully...someone else has my back." Hiccup retorted coldly as he and Toothless started for the forest, a boom of thunder got them to stop. "Not safe to fly in a storm...metal attracts lightning, and you're wearing a lot bud. We'll have to wait to test it out for now." Hiccup told Toothless.

"Well lets be getting inside then." Stoick ordered, the rest began to leave but Hiccup continued to the forest. "Hiccup, I meant you too."

"No...I'm staying with Toothless, we'll hunker down in the cove for the duration of the storm." Hiccup told him.

"Hiccup, you have no shelter in the cove...please stay in the hall for now?" Stoick tried again.

"We can...sit around the fire and talk..." Astrid offered to him gently.

"I'd rather sit in the cove with Toothless than hang around in hall talking to a bunch of people who up until yesterday didn't give a damn about me...Lets go bud..." Hiccup said quietly as they continued in to the forest as it began to downpour and Toothless put his wing out to keep Hiccup dry. The group sighed as they made their way to the hall out of the rain.

"Its not going to come easy guys...you have to remember that. We hurt him...we drove him to want to kill himself and he's right...if Toothless hadn't come back, and saved him...he'd be dead right now." Fishlegs said while sitting at the table.

"And no matter how much we want him to stay or talk...if we push him before he's ready...he'll just push away and never forgive us...so we have to back off like he told us too..." Astrid added as they all nodded and sighed again.

(The Cove)

Thankfully the cove had a small cave big enough for him and Toothless to bunk down in, now it was just them with a small fire going to stay warm. "You have no idea how happy I am that you came back, Toothless...I've been so alone since you left..." Hiccup looked down slowly. Toothless crooned sadly and nudged his face. "I just couldn't take it anymore...I wanted to die to get away from them all...and even now they still have no idea how much it hurts me..." Hiccup closed his eyes trying not to cry.

Toothless purred with his wing over his friend as if to say that it was okay and to talk to him because he was here now and he wasn't going leave him again. "I appreciate you staying loyal bud...you're the only friend I have, the only one who cares...those guys don't...I know they want me to forgive them but I just don't know if I can right now...or ever for that matter. After you left...it was just terrible...Every day got worse for me..." Hiccup whimpered leaning against his draconic friend.

He warbled gently lifting a paw and patting his chest, "You want me to tell you about what happened when you were gone?" Hiccup asked, Toothless licked his cheek happily. "Well...it was just like what I told you when you were healing...they beat me, hurt me, teased me, called me names...and I started cutting myself...all those scars on my arm, they weren't injuries, I did them to myself to get rid of the pain...to feel numb, to feel nothing...But yesterday...Gobber, the blacksmith turned on me, told me I was a menace and I'll never be chief with how I was acting...And I just couldn't take it anymore...Gobber has always been like a father to me...but hearing him treat me like the rest of the village did...I didn't have anything left...and I never thought I'd see you again bud so I just...I cut myself deep and then tried to jump off the cliff..." Hiccup cried.

Toothless put his head on Hiccup's and tried to rub his back with a paw but failed because of the cramped space. But Hiccup understood what he was trying to do and smiled a little, "I'm glad you're here now...don't leave me again...please don't leave me again, Toothless...I wouldn't be able to take it." Hiccup closed his eyes yawning. It was only about 5:30 at night, they'd already eaten and he was tired after all that work in the forge perfecting the saddle. Tomorrow they'd test it out, Toothless nudged him a little and adjusted his body so Hiccup could lay against him. "Thanks Toothless...you're the best." Hiccup laid against him and pulled the blanket over his body before soon falling to sleep. Toothless closed his eyes and put his wing over Hiccup before falling asleep himself.

(The Next morning)

Everyone woke up same time is always and sundered towards the hall for breakfast tiredly until they heard someone yell, bringing their eyes to Raven Point they say Hiccup sitting on Toothless with a rope tied to a stump, the other end was attached to Toothless as they were using the strong winds to practice with the tail position. "How early do you think he was up?" Gobber asked elbowing Stoick now.

"Its Hiccup, he was probably up as soon as the rain stopped..." Snotlout chuckled. They saw Hiccup and Toothless land as Hiccup would write something down then they'd start again. The group decided to leave him be and go eat. Meanwhile Hiccup smiled as he looked over the chart that now had 6 positions drawn on it for where the left tail fin had to be while flying for different things.

"Alright bud...I think we got it. Wanna give it a test?" Hiccup asked him. Toothless crooned softly, "Yeah we'll eat first then fly. Today is the day bud, I just feel it." Hiccup rubbed the top of his head and untied the rope so they could get to the cove to eat their breakfast. An hour later they were on the cliff where Hiccup tried to jump off of, the others had come out and noticed this.

"Guys check it out, he's testing out the rig!" Tuffnut pointed to him.

"Hiccup! Please for the love of Thor be careful..." Stoick called to him.

"Yeah yeah, I got it. Toothless won't let anything happen to me, its why we're doing it over the water." Hiccup called back.

"That water is freezing, you're body will go in to shock!" Fishlegs yelled now.

"How about you stop worrying about me! Two days hasn't changed a thing, leave me alone..." Hiccup glared. He took a breath and looked down, they were 50 feet up give or take a few inches. "Alright there bud...we're gonna take this nice and slow..." Hiccup patted Toothless's neck a few times as Toothless leapt off the cliff and leveled himself out in the winds to a basic glide.

"You think he can do it?" Astrid asked now.

"I guess we'll find out...Lot of failed attempts yesterday...All this rides on Hiccup's positioning of Toothless's tail like he said. He has to match Toothless for him to fly." Stoick mentioned while their eyes were watching every move. Hiccup looked down to the paper hooked to the saddle clip.

"Okay here we go...here we go. Position 3...no 4." Hiccup said as he looked to his left leg and pressed the pedal down with his heel and let out the tail, he looked back to check it. Seeing it worked he then checked his straps hooking him to the saddle before Toothless smiled a toothy grin and picked up speed. Hiccup checked the tail again as he took a deep breath looking forward.

"Okay okay its go time bud." Hiccup said as Toothless then pulled his wings in slightly while they dove straight down towards the water making the others gasp, it was actually working. They leveled out flying towards an arched sea stack. "Come on buddy, come on buddy!" Hiccup urged as Toothless's wing tipped the water then he balance while they flew under it perfectly. "Yes it worked!" Hiccup cheered out.

"I can't...believe its working he's actually...flying, they are flying!" Fishlegs threw his fist in the air excitedly. Hiccup smiled wide, the feeling was incredible. This is what it felt like to be free...to fly. Hiccup twisted a bit as they began climbing higher up. Hiccup leaned to avoid another sea stack but they hit once.

"Sorry..." Hiccup told Toothless, then they hit another. "That was my fault..." Hiccup said again, Toothless smacked him with his ear. "Yeah yeah, I'm on it...Position 4...I mean 3..." Hiccup adjusted the stirrup as they headed straight up . "Yeah! Go baby! Oh this is amazing!" Hiccup yelled out happily. "The wind in my–..." Suddenly the paper with his tail positions on it broke off the saddle and flew past Hiccup. "Cheat sheet...stop!" He yelled reaching for it, Toothless's wings stopped beating as the clips holding Hiccup to the saddle lifted and the two separated and began to fall down towards the water, it was a 200 foot drop from where they had been.

"Oh gods..." Astrid covered her mouth in fear.

"Hiccup!" Stoick yelled with worry.

"Oh gosh! Oh gods!" Hiccup yelled while they fell. Toothless was spinning all around out on control and Hiccup was still falling down as they were nearing the waters below which were filled with sea stacks, a maze of them. "Okay, you gotta...kind'a angle yourself..." Hiccup told Toothless as he was spinning and whacked Hiccup in the face with his wing by accident. "OW!" Hiccup held his face but then Hiccup got over Toothless and reached for the saddle. He grabbed it and pulled himself back, he put his feet in the stirrups and hooked himself back in place.

"Look, he's back on!" Ruffnut said pointing down. Hiccup pulled back so Toothless would fix himself, he now spread his wings to slow the descent down but they were faced with the sea stacks and they didn't have time to fly out over them. Hiccup grabbed the paper from his mouth and looked at it then the maze ahead a few times before tossing it and pressing the peddle down opening the tail and leaning forward against Toothless to make himself more streamlined. The hooligans watched as Hiccup and Toothless wove in and out of the maze perfectly, Hiccup nailing every position he needed to avoid crashing at that speed. They rolled once and made it out, both panting.

As they got higher up and Toothless leveled out, Hiccup let go of the saddle and threw both fists in the air. "YEAH!" He cheered, Toothless in his excitement shot a blast that exploded in front of them and were now headed to fly right through it. "Oh come on..." Hiccup's arms dropped down in defeat as they went right through the fire.

"Is he crazy!" Gobber yelled, they watched while Hiccup and Toothless flew through the blast and whipped around landing a few inches and front of them, Hiccup had a few burns on his as well his hair was burnt back and stays in place, he blinked a few times to get the feeling back in his face before getting off Toothless and facing him.

"We did it...holy fucking Thor we did it bud! You can fly...we can fly!" Hiccup cheered as Toothless tackled him down and licked his face happily.

"Hiccup that was amazing!" Astrid exclaimed smiling.

"Oh gods you have no idea how good it feels to be able to up there...the feeling of flying is...indescribable..." Hiccup breathed out as Toothless finally let him up.

"Forget that...you built a working dragon tail cuz, that's something be damn proud of. You built him a tail!" Snotlout said excitedly. Hiccup looked at Toothless and the tail he'd made. He had made it, his creation and with it...he was able to give his best friend his flight back. Toothless stared at him with a gummy smile as Hiccup understood what he was saying, it was a thank you for what he'd done for him.

"You're welcome, Toothless." Hiccup pressed his forehead to his friend's, both of their eyes closed.

"That bond you have is really something..." Astrid said softly.

"Having a friend who won't abandon you, who'll protect you, be your shelter, you shoulder to cry on, the only person in the world you can trust with your life. The feeling of never being alone but always safe. That's the strength of the bond Toothless and I have...and its forever." Hiccup replied as he jumped on Toothless's back and they sped off without another word leaving everyone in shock, but also guilt. Toothless was the one person who had been there for him and what was worse. Toothless wasn't a person...he was a dragon and Hiccup trusted him more than anyone else. This dragon had been there for him when they weren't, and now they needed to show Hiccup they could be there for him too.