Author's Note: Hello, hello, everyone! =D Welcome back to "Sleepless Nights on Dragon's Edge!" =D Ah, I'm so happy that it's the weekend...but I'm already dreading school on Monday even though it's only Sunday. X) I can't wait until summer break. =')

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! =D

Chapter Four: A Rather Eventful Night

Astrid wished that she had a pillow to sit on. The bushes were beginning to get uncomfortable.

The Dragon Riders had been hiding in the bushes for a while, but there had still been no sign of the Dreamcatcher. Astrid's legs were beginning to cramp, but she made no sign of her discomfort. Her eyes were focused on Hiccup's hut; her overall posture brave and confident, but her blue eyes worry-filled. Hiccup was putting himself in a dangerous position by being the bait to lure in the Dreamcatcher, which was unlike any other dragon that the Dragon Riders had discovered. There were a lot of unknowns—too many unknowns—about it, and Astrid worried for Hiccup's safety. She had only encountered the Dreamcatcher once, but she didn't want it hurting Hiccup or the other Riders. Herself included.

Having a dream sucked from your mind felt extremely painful. It felt as if something was being ripped away from you, and it hurt. Astrid remembered feeling a pinching sensation as if someone was squeezing her forehead before she snapped awake. Astrid didn't know what was scarier: the actual nightmare or the fact that a dragon had stripped it from her mind.

Astrid turned around and looked at the Dragon Riders behind her. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were leaning against Barf and Belch, bored expressions on their faces. Fishlegs was kindly feeding Meatlug rocks that he had brought with him in a satchel, but Astrid knew that he was still attentive and focused. Snotlout was snoring away, his helmet placed over his face as he slept on, and Astrid didn't make a move to wake him up. He had been irritating enough complaining about how cold it was outside when they had first stepped out, and he had practically begged Astrid if he could start a fire. Astrid had said no. "A blink of light or a tendril of smoke would expose us to the Dreamcatcher," Astrid had stated firmly.

Snotlout had whined, but shortly afterward, he had fallen asleep. Hookfang had plucked his helmet off of his face and began to chew on it absentmindedly. Snotlout didn't even notice his helmet's absence.

Astrid sighed and she turned back to Hiccup's hut. The net was still lying by her side as well as her axe. Astrid was itching to use it; she was rather bored herself. Stormfly chirped quietly from Astrid's side, and the blue-eyed girl gave her a scratch under her chin. Stormfly was getting antsy as well and she probably wanted to go on a flight. Since Astrid was tired that morning, the two weren't able to go on their usual, early morning flight around Dragon's Edge. Astrid smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, girl," said Astrid. "But don't worry, we'll go on a flight tomorrow morning."

Stormfly peeped, seemingly satisfied by that statement.

Fishlegs handed Meatlug another rock, which she chewed happily, and he turned to Astrid. "How long have we been out here?" he wondered out loud.

"Two hours, thirty minutes, and fifty-two seconds," answered Tuffnut nonchalantly. His calm expression didn't waver, even when Astrid, Fishlegs, and even Ruffnut gave him completely bewildered looks.

Tuffnut shrugged. "You asked how long we were out here, and I answered. You're welcome."

As impressed as Astrid was, she didn't show it. She was more focused on watching the area around Hiccup's hut and keeping an eye out for the Dreamcatcher, who could appear at any moment.

"Which dragon do you think is better?' Ruffnut asked suddenly. "The Changewing or the Dreamcatcher?"

Tuffnut tapped his chin. "Aw, man. That's a tough one. One spits acid and the other consumes dreams…I'd have to go with the Dreamcatcher."

"But the Changewing can not only spit acid, but turn invisible as well," added Ruffnut. "Also, it's out twenty-four seven, but the Dreamcatcher only comes out at night."

"Hey, the Dreamcatcher can turn invisible too!" exclaimed Tuffnut. "And Changewings have to blend into the night with their scales, while Dreamcatchers are already black, so they can go around the night as they please while Changewings stick out like sore tomatoes!'

"They can still camouflage!" countered Ruffnut.

"Yeah, but the Dreamcatcher does it better!" Tuffnut shot back. "And it's rarer, so there."

"That's not a fair point!" argued Ruffnut.

"It is so a fair point," snapped Tuffnut.

Astrid whipped her head around to face the twins and she shushed them. "You guys need to be quiet!" she snapped. "Or else the Dreamcatcher will—"

Suddenly, a low, strange warbling sound filled the air. Astrid's eyes widened when she recognized it; she had heard it before when she had woken up from her nightmare. The blonde ducked and she motioned everyone else to do the same. Fishlegs pressed himself against the ground, keeping one arm wrapped around Meatlug. The twins held themselves up against the ground with their elbows, and Barf and Blech ducked their long necks to the floor. Astrid crouched behind the bush she was hiding behind, and Stormfly tucked herself away amongst the leaves.

That was when Snotlout decided to wake up. He yawned loudly, causing the Riders to tense. The Jorgenson sat up and he looked around in confusion. "Hey, where's my helmet? And why are you guys on the—"

Snotlout was cut off when Astrid violently yanked him to the ground. Snotlout held back a yelp and he glared daggers at Astrid.

"Ow! What was that for?" Snotlout hissed.

"It's here," Astrid whispered sharply. She pointed to the sky where a dark, long figure was weaving its way across the starry sky. The moon illuminated it briefly, and Astrid caught a glimpse of purple, blue, and dark pink feathers that sparkled against the moonlight. The Dreamcatcher was headed toward Hiccup's unguarded hut.

"Get ready to mount your dragons," ordered Astrid. "Once Hiccup gives the signal, grab the net."

The Dragon Riders all nodded in understanding, and Astrid turned around and watched as the Dreamcatcher came nearer and nearer to Hiccup's hut. Astrid's determined expression slipped and her rbwo creased with worry.

Please be okay, Dragon Boy…Please.

…

He was standing in a field. A beautiful, lush field.

Hiccup blinked against the bright sun rays that were pouring onto him. The young viking looked around, taking in the beautiful scenery that laid before him. He wasn't on Dragon's Edge, but even though he didn't recognize where he was, he found that he quite liked where he was standing. Flowers sprouted from the ground, colors brighter than the sun itself. Blades of grass swayed and danced in the light, cool breeze that kissed Hiccup's cheeks. Clouds thicker than cotton painted the sky, and a few butterflies were fluttering amongst the plant life, their wings only blurs of color as they flapped around. Hiccup breathed in and he smiled; he could get used to this…

But something about the place seemed…off. Hiccup looked around, finding that there was no sign of Toothless or the other Dragon Riders. Well, he wasn't on the Edge, so perhaps they weren't there?

But how did I get here if not on Toothless…? Hiccup thought to himself. He scanned his surroundings once again, his eyes only being met with the stunning field and stretching trees around him.

Hiccup didn't know if he should feel worried. Toothless couldn't fly without him, but it didn't seem as if there was any danger nearby. Hiccup sat down, suddenly feeling tired as he laid back on the green grass. It was soft like feathers, and Hiccup let out a blissful sigh watching the fluffy clouds pass by up above. It had been a long time since he had simply just relaxed and slowed down, and Hiccup decided that he would make the most of his extra time and do just that. Hiccup closed his eyes as his mind went adrift. No Dragon Hunters, no Viggo, no Ryker, no annoying Snotlout and the twins…

Suddenly, a sharp shriek sliced through the air, and Hiccup snapped his eyes open, looking around in terror. That scream sounded vaguely familiar. Too familiar. Another cry arose, and Hiccup found himself on his feet, eyes wide when he finally placed who that scream belonged to.

Toothless.

Hiccup ran. He ran as fast as he could. The young viking broke through the trees, not caring as the leaves slapped at him and the branches scratched at him like claws. His prosthetic clicked against the ground continuously as he thudded through the forest. Hiccup pushed himself to go faster. Toothless' screech was so sudden, and from the sound of it, Hiccup could tell that he was terrified.

The atmosphere slowly darkened around the auburn-haired boy, but he didn't notice it right away. The trees lost their emerald leaves. Black bark like the Loki trees on Outcast Island replaced the majestic, deep brown bark that wrapped around the trees. The sunlight flickered and went out like a candle. The sky turned midnight, and the comforting clouds had vanished into nothing.

Hiccup's attention wasn't on his now eerie surroundings, but the screeches and screams of his dragon ahead of him. Hiccup's chest burned with effort as he ran, ran, ran. Only darkness laid ahead of him, but Hiccup broke through the ominous blackness and suddenly found himself on the deck of a burning ship. Hiccup's bright green eyes flashed around the deck as he tried to locate Toothless and then…There!

The Night Fury was bound in tight, heavy chains that squeezed him like a snake did to its prey. The Hunters didn't muzzle him, so Toothless fired plasma blasts at those who came too close. Eventually, Hiccup realized grimly, he would run out of blasts.

Hiccup ran toward his dragon, unsure of what he was going to do once he reached him when he suddenly felt himself being thrown to the ground. Hiccup moaned as his head throbbed with pain, feeling as if he had just been whacked with a hammer. In a short instant, Hiccup found himself face to face with Ryker Grimborn, who had him pinned to the ground with his large, heavy boot. Hiccup gasped for air as he felt his ribs crack and lungs scream for oxygen.

"You think you can save your dragon, eh?" said Ryker maliciously. He yanked Hiccup's hair, forcing him to watch as Toothless finally ran out of plasma blasts. Toothless wriggled and writhed, screeching and screaming with fury and fear. Then, he silenced, and he stopped moving all together.

A Dragon Hunter had shot an arrow straight into his chest.

Toothless eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fell limp against the deck of the ship. Blood pooled around Toothless' lifeless form, and Hiccup's eyes widened in shock. He struggled against Ryker's weight, tears stinging at the corners of his eyes.

"N-No, NO!" cried Hiccup. He fidgeted and moved, but he suddenly felt the feeling of a sword being pressed to his neck. Hiccup's breath caught in his throat.

"First was your Night Fury," growled Ryker. "And now you." Then, he lifted the sword over his head, and brought it down.

…

Hiccup's scream pierced through the night. That was the signal. Astrid took note that it didn't sound forced.

Astrid and the rest of the Dragon Riders had watched as the Dreamcatcher perched itself outside of Hiccup's window; it was even more breathtaking in real life. The dragon was long and slinky, but it was armed with claws longer than tree branches and teeth sharper than knives, so Astrid knew that this dragon had no trouble defending itself.

Unlike Bork's rather sloppy drawing, the Dreamcatcher was strangely beautiful. Its scales were as black as night, but there were deep blue hints that made its scales sparkle. At the end of its tail, deep purple, pink and blue feathers protruded, and at its forehead, the same colored feathers poked out like a crown. Two thin horns decorated with what looked like gemstones sparkled from the top of its head. Astrid was stunned; the Dreamcatcher was far less scary than she had imagined it. Why, it looked like it was ready to attend a dance rather than steal people's dreams!

Glittering amber eyes peeked inside of Hiccup's hut, the same hypnotic croon rumbled at the back of the Dreamcatcher's throat over and over again. Its feathers vibrated, and its eyes dilated into slits as it concentrated. Sometime later, Hiccup had screamed, and the Dreamcatcher quickly fanned out its feather-tipped wings, ready to take flight.

But it would have to get through Astrid and the Dragon Riders first! They sprung into action and burst from the bushes, their dragons holding the thickly made net in their claws as they flew toward the Dreamcatcher. The dragon was caught completely off guard, but before it could cloak into the night, the Riders' dragons had tossed the next of the black dragon's head, successfully trapping it!

The victory was short lived, however, when the Dreamcatcher let out a shrill, high-pitched screech that surely would've broken glass. Astrid winced and covered her ears. The other Riders did the same. The dragons grew disoriented, and they began to shake their heads in a frenzy.

Down below, Toothless roared from the window. Hiccup stood beside him, covering his ears to block out the scream. It was extremely loud…perhaps even louder than the Screaming Death, whose name practically had scream in it!

The Dreamcatcher snapped free from its net using its claws, and with one loud roar, it launched itself upon the Dragon Riders. Its sharp teeth were sharp and ready, and they glittered menacingly in the moonlight.

"Fall back!" shouted Astrid, and the other Dragon Riders immediately obeyed. The Dreamcatcher didn't retreat unfortunately. Revenge sounded so sweet, and it attacked whoever was closest to it. The midnight dragon swiped at Snotlout and Hookfang with its long, sharp claws, snapped at the twins and their Zippleback…It even managed to swat its tail at Astrid and Stormfly, and the viking girl briefly lost balance in her saddle.

Fishlegs and Meatlug were the slowest, which proved to be more than unfortunate when the Dreamcatcher made a dive toward them. Fishlegs screamed and he urged Meatlug to go faster, but the Gronckle was already flying at her fastest pace.

"Stormfly, spineshot!" yelled Astrid. The Nadder squawked determinedly and she whipped out her tail, flinging tree, perfectly sharp barbs toward the Dreamcatcher. Two missed, but one of them stabbed itself into the Dreamcatcher's leg. It screeched in pain and flew away, leaving only the echo of its horrific cry in the air.

The Dragon Riders landed and Hiccup and Toothless quickly walked out to meet them. Both of them looked shaken, and Hiccup's skin was pale, but Astrid assumed that was because of the Dream Deprivation.

"Are you okay?" asked Astrid, laying a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. Hiccup nodded, but he seemed rather startled.

"Uh, what about us?" asked Snotlout. He frowned. "We're the ones who almost died!"

Hiccup sighed. "Are you guys—"

"No!" shouted Snotlout. Hiccup deadpanned.

Fishlegs shakily climbed off of Meatlug. "Thanks, Astrid. If you and Stormfly didn't come through in time, we would've been ripped to pieces." Meatlug growled happily, and she nudged Astrid's hands in her version of thanks.

Astrid nodded, a small smile on her face. "No problem, Fishlegs."

"I hate to be the party pooper here," Tuffnut spoke up. Everyone turned to face him, and the male Thorston crossed his arms. "But we lost the Dreamcatcher. What are we gonna do now?"

"Continue looking for it probably," said Ruffnut. "Although, I don't know why. That thing's been messing with our heads. Why would we want to get close to it?"

"Ah, actually, it was just Hiccup and Astrid's heads," corrected Fishlegs. "The rest of us haven't been hit yet."

"Huh…I guess Hiccup and Astrid's dreams are tastier, then," said Tuffnut with a small shrug. Everyone rolled their eyes.

"Okay…that was disgusting," griped Astrid. She shook her head. "Anyway, I don't think the Dreamcatcher will be coming back here any time soon after what just happened." Astrid turned to Hiccup. "Maybe it'll leave on its own?"

Hiccup shook his head. "Six Dragon Riders, six minds to eat dreams or nightmares from. It's too enticing, and until the summer's over…" Hiccup looked out into the night. "The Dreamcatcher's staying here."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Snotlout. "We all saw which direction it was going. Let's go out there and find it!"

Astrid turned to Hiccup. "Are you up for a night trip?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Well, I physically can't sleep, so why not?" He patted Toothless' head, eyes burning with determination.

"Let's catch us a Dreamcatcher."

Author's Note: Dreamcatcher hunting timeeeeeeeeee! =D I wonder if the Dragon Riders will manage to catch this dragon...

Hiccup: Moon, we've tracked down several dragons. I'm sure we can handle this one.

Prove it.

Hiccup: I can't until chapter five.

Oh, right. X) Well, I guess you guys are just going to have to wait until tomorrow to find out if Hiccup and the Riders find the Dreamcatcher. =) Maybe they'll catch it. Maybe they won't. *Shrugs* Who knows? I'm not spoiling. XD

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see ya in the next one! =D

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203