Snotlout met back up with the twins after 5 hours of searching.

"It's been 5 hours - and we still haven't found him. Oh Thor" Snotlout groaned "How are we gonna tell Hiccup?" he added after a few deep breaths.

Tuffnut looked to his twin sister - both fully understanding the severity of the current situation. Barf and Belch meanwhile were communicating with Hookfang.

"We couldn't... Couldn't sense him anywhere..." Barf whispered.

"I couldn't either, and there is no way we could've bypassed him - I think he may be, oh Draco" Hookfang couldn't finish his sentence, but both heads of the Zippleback knew what he was silently saying. "We need to tell Stormfly still... Oh god you know how she felt about him... Draco it's gonna break her heart."

Both head's of the Zippleback nodded, while their rider's appeared to have finished the conversation they were having.

"We should head back - we're gonna have to be ready to support Hiccup when we pass on this news" Snotlout said.

"Snotlout - your gonna have to ready to run the village as well - until Hiccup's back on his feet" Ruffnut pointed out.

Snotlout nodded - albeit nervously. "What's up 'lout?" Tuffnut asked him.

"Well it's just - oh man I've always said that I would make a good chief, but well you know, Hiccup was just born to lead - I can't lead the village the way he does, Thor I can barely handle being the leader of the dragon rider's whenever he and Astrid aren't able to lead - and I've only gotta look after you and Fishlegs" Snotlout responded.

"You can handle it 'lout, you'll be able to lead the village - you've been doing a good job as Hiccup's second in command." Tuffnut encouraged him.

Snotlout took a deep breath and nodded - he knew Tuffnut was right, and if he was really struggling he had his dad and Gobber who could help him out.

"Let's head back to Berk guys"

The two dragons and their rider's turned in the direction of Berk, both bracing themselves for the moment they would have to pass on the news.

At Berk - Nightfall:

Snotlout and the twins had just arrived back at Berk, wasting no time in dismounting their dragons and rushing to the chiefs house. Valka greeted them as she opened the door, and the quietly walked up to where Hiccup was resting. Gobber and Gothi stood their, watching over him as Valka walked beside them. Astrid sat against the bed, holding Hiccup's hand to her chest, while Fishlegs stood next to her. Snotlout approached, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she just leaned into it. He looked towards Gobber and the other's, sighing and shaking his head - answering their unasked questions.

"Oh gods" Astrid whispered, as what Snotlout silently said sunk in to her.

"Gothi - how long until he comes through?" Tuffnut asked.

The village elder wrote some rune's in the portable sandbox, and Gobber translated. "She reckons he'll wake up at sometime next week, but when exactly she doesn't know"

"How are we gonna tell him about Toothless?" Fishlegs asked the group, who were all unsure. Gobber came up with the answer - despite it being only a temporarily decision.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, right now - Snotlout, your gonna have to take up Hiccup's place as acting chief - your his cousin, you need to be acting chief. Don't worry, I'll lend a hand whenever I can" he said, before walking downstairs and leaving the house, followed by Gothi and the twins. Fishlegs left shortly afterwards, and soon only Astrid and Snotlout stood with Hiccup - while Valka was leaving to help Gobber and Spitelout handle the dragons.

"Astrid..." Snotlout started, trying to gain her attention to distract her from the situation in some way. he stopped trying, instead just grabbing her and shaking her, snapping her out of her trance.

"oh god Snotlout" she whispered, leaping into Snotlouts comforting embrace. The chief's cousin held her close - constantly re-assuring her that he will always be with her to help her whenever she need's it. "Astrid, I'm here. I promise - If you ever need me - I'll be waiting you have my word" he comforted her.

Astrid nodded in understanding, silently thanking Snotlout.

.

Hookfang approached the arena, ready to pass on the news about Toothless to Stormfly and the other's. He walked inside, spotting the Beta Council as Toothless called them. Stormfly, Meatlug, Barf and Belch, Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper. He braced himself, this news was gonna affect all of them - but he feared the effect it would have on Stormfly. "Hookfang, Barf told us you had some news you wanted to tell us?" Cloudjumper stated as the nightmare arrived.

"Yea... it's about... Toothless..." he started.

"Please.. stop holding back.. What's wrong Hookfang?" Stormfly pleaded.

"We couldn't sense him, his firesoul - we just couldn't sense it... no matter how long we searched, no matter how far we searched - it just... wasn't there." he explained.

Cloudjumper soon understood what Hookfang was trying to say, and he looked towards Skullcrusher. The Rumblehorn nodded to confirm Cloudjumper's fears. Realisation sunk into Stormfly a few seconds later, and she backed away from everyone. "Please... Hookfang, tell me this aint true. He can't be... He can't be... no Draco, it's not true.." she pleaded, praying to the dragon god that Hookfang hadn't told them everything - that Toothless was still alive.

"It's true... Stormfly I'm so sorry." Hookfang explained.

The young dragoness felt her heart breaking apart at this news. Her eye's filled with tears that began falling freely soon after. She rushed out of the arena, flying to the furthest side of the island, and resting in the cove, the same cove where Toothless met Hiccup, and also the same cove where Stormfly first realised her feeling's towards the jet-black dragon. The cove brought back so many happy memories, of the two of them playing and laughing, both with and without the other dragons and rider's in the cove.

She looked towards the night sky, noticing constellation Draco shining brightly in the sky. "Toothless!" She cried to the star's, somehow hoping he would hear her. A star near the heart of Draco shone the tiniest bit brighter on that cry, and the Nadder continued speaking to him, as he looked back to her from the heavens. "Toothless... please you can't be dead... please tell me your still out there somewhere..." the star's didn't change. "Toothless. please... I love you! I need you here... Please Toothless! I love you - DONT LEAVE ME PLEASE!" she cried out. feeling her heart shattering into a million pieces as the star's began to fade. "I love you... Toothless" she looked down to the ground as the stars disappeared completely in the darkness. Her tears rolled down her face, and she stood there, alone, crying long into the night, and even as the sun began to rise on the horizon