AN: Just an fyi, I've decided to change the names of Toothless and his parents so their no longer the Destiny cameo name things. Toothless is now Cadren - pronouced Ca-dren, His father is Zathergar, Zath-er-gar, and the mother is Iether, I-eth-er. I would go back to the previous document where their names were briefly mentioned but I don't have access to it anymore. This chapter is taking place during the same night as the previous chapter with Teneur.
"What? What do you mean his gone? Son! Son!" The distraught voice of a broken mother echoed in the darkness of the night, the female running out from her cave into the pitch black world beyond. "Son! Where are you?" She cried, her voice echoing on the wind. "Son!" The darkness of the night seemed to absord her cries, fading into weak whimpers under the intense storm. She stared out, preparing to take flight regardless of the weather, only to be knocked off balance by her mate.
"Are you insane? You can't fly in this storm!" He looked at her, his own eyes corrupted by the damage and pain, but unwilling to let her go. "You'll die!" As if nature wanted to prove his point, a strike of Lightning hit against the mountain, breaking part of the surface. She didn't heed him, overcome by the need to find the lost. Growling harshly at her mate, she pushed him aside and prepared once again to take flight.
The male once again rushed to her, knocking her onto her back and pinning her down. "You're going nowhere. It'll kill you." His ear's flattened against his head and thunder crashed, unnaturally loud compared to any past storm. Something had enraged the God's, and he didn't want his mate to test their patience or her luck in the storm. "I fear for him too, but what good would we do to find him if we're dead?" He shielded himself with his wings instinctively as the storm continued to rage on without signs of relenting.
"We can't just leave him out there to die!" She cried, attempting to push him off, but he remained firm, unmoving against her attempts. "His OUR son! We have to find him!"
"We can't in this storm!" Elements of frustration seeped into his voice, but anger not directed at her. He feared for their child as much as she did, but he knew the foolishness of searching for him on this island with the storm as violent as it was. Many, if not every Nightfury had retreated to the Haven caves deep beneath the surface, they were already taking a risk not following suite. Storm's like this were few and rare, but capable of breaking entire parts of the mountains off when fueled by the God's rage.
He didn't doubt his heir to the flock, for as young as Cadren was, he was wise and intelligent beyond his age. The young fury would know to seek out shelter. "Iether, please, just listen to me." His tone softened from the previous anger, but laced with dire need for her to listen and give her undivided attention. Reluctantly, she stayed her struggling to hear him out. "Please, I know you're worried about Cadren, I'm scared for him too." Lightning struct a nearby tree, causing their hearts to both jump in fear. "We can't risk our lives as well! I would give anything to have him safe with us."
"What sort of parent's sit back while their child is out there?! Missing? At risk of death!" She roared at him, patience not appearing. He briefly cut her off.
"Don't believe I don't care about his fate! I am thinking of you as well. Our son is smart, incredibly smart for one so young. He would know to seek out the most sercure shelter he can find. He may have headed for the Haven. We don't know! What good would it do him for us to die out here looking for him when his perfectly safe?" Under the rage of the storm, the dragons connection to the Fire-soul's were so serverly weakened, Zathergar could barely even feel his own mate's fire-soul, despite her being literally beneath him. Instead, the only comfort he found in Cadren's saftey was the fact his essence was still there, he couldn't sense anything from it, but it radiated unhindered from pain of injury, just waves of fear.
"I can't just leave him to die." Iether growled, pushing him off finally. The male tackled her again, reluctantly having to use a little extra force to push her into the nearest, safest cave, blocking her from leaving. "Get out of my way!"
"I will not let you go out there to die!" He had little choice but to show his power, flaring his wings out and displaying his Alpha status. He wanted to find Cadren just as much as she did, don't doubt his undying loyalty and love to his son, but he was thinking of her as well. No-one would survive the rage of the God's, Zathergar knew this, yet he knew that if, Draco and all the God's forbid, something did happen that took Cadren from them, neither he or Iether would EVER be able to forgive. It was a horrible risk they had no choice of taking, either risk and pray he is ok, or go searching and sign their immediate executions: for many, if not every, parent the choice would be obvious, risk their lives for their child - but take into account the responsiblity resting upon their shoulders, the responsibilty of leading an entire flock and ensuring they stay safe and alive.
It wasn't a simple question of how much he loved Cadren, it was a question of whether he could willingly and knowingly put the lives of hundreds of Nightfuries of all ages, some only days old and their Birth-home in danger of collapse upon his and Iether's death.
~...~
Tiny, glowing green eyes scanned the world around him, land coated in thick levels of water from the downpour, midnight blackness lighting up violently with each strike of lightning, and heavy rainfall broken by the thunderous roar of, well, thunder. The young fury felt his heart jump, practically wanting to burst from his chest and run as far away as it could from the storm. He should've heeded his parents warning, now, he was stuck in the middle of nowhere, not a clue of where on the island he was. The rain flooded over his scales, vision hindering admist the violent waves of falling water.
A bolt of lightning crashed down close to him, the ground cracking beneath the force. Cadren stepped closer to the edge, his back paw falling off and dangling uselessly for a second before finding it's footing. Tail curled around himself, Cadren cast his eyes out behind him, seeing nothing but miles and miles of ocean, rough waves and the furthest from smooth water's he had ever witnessed.
Yet land infront of him appeared no more promising. Bolt after bolt of lightning travelled from the sky, the power of the plasmatic energy cracking the ground as it impacted. Cadren had no doubt the Thunder and Lightning twins were angry, and his island just so happened to be the first thing they decided to take said anger out on. Let's just ignore the fact the lightning seemed to actually be getting closer to him. The absolute terror in the small figures eyes could be seen miles off, the small, hunched over dragonling doing everything in his power to not have a panic attack or anything of the like.
When the storm first arrived, his immediate instinct was to follow his mother's warnings and run directly for the Haven Caves near the heart of the island, and he wasted no time in doing so. The only issue was that between him and the Haven Caves entrance stood a massive mountain range that was already besieged by the raging weather. Every attempt to climb over and navigate the mountains nearly got the dragonling killed.
Once the mountains were no option, he attempted to run for his life to the edges of the range and move around them; evidenced by the fact he was now stuck at the edge of island, that didn't work out too well - the sheer downpour had got the dragonling turned in the complete wrong direction, and now this is where he ended up. The storm grew only stronger as time progressed, circling him at the edge; with violent waves crashing up against the island edge, the water flooding onto the land and coating his scales, and with bolts of lightning closing in around him from infront, Cadren could feel his heart pumping like he had raced and thousand races.
"Mommy. Daddy.." He whimpered, cowering under the vexed weather, "Please... Where are you?" He searched frantically for them, hoping to see them rushing through the storm to him, but instead he was met with only the desolation of the storm. In such a young mind, the fact they weren't even looking for him only caused cracks on his heart - he didn't understand the real dangers they faced, or the concept of responsibilty, all he 'understood' was that they had abandoned him to the Rage of the God's. "I love... you."
Lightning crashed right infront of his face, startling the dragonling into falling off the edge of the island into the roaring waters below. "I'm s-so sorry. I love you." He felt himself be thrown around roughly beneath the water as he tried desperately to gain a breath. He lost track of direction and time to stay alive, and, after many hours he had grown exhausted as the storm seemed to move on away, leaving the very distant island of Nïghtheart behind, out of reach; Cadren was now at the water's mercy, drifting for who knows how long over the water until he finally washed up at the shores of the nest.
~Present Time~
The night was still fairly young when Toothless awoke, confused with the strange dream he had just endured. Sure, it wasn't the first of these weird dreams of a young dragon known as Cadren, but he never saw reason to them, they were weird, some were unsettling, some reminded him of himself, but he had no clue who Cadren even was, so he payed them no attention. He wasn't the only dragon awake though, out of the corner of his vision he saw the faintest shapes of two Nightfuries conversing, cloaked by the young night's shadow, he watched for a few seconds before noticing one take off to the sky, then he rested his head back upon his forelegs.
It was then he realised Eclipse was also awake. "Can't sleep either?" She whispered, not wanting to wake up the others who slept in the cave.
Toothless shook his head. "No, just a dream."
"You dirty boy." She giggled, "I didn't know you saw me like that after the night on the Serpents island." She playfully winked at him while smirking softly. Toothless blushed, suddenly embarrassed.
"N-n-no." He stuttered, then tried to compose himself before continuing. "N-not one of THOSE k-kind of dreams."
She laughed softly, comtinuing to taunt him. "Oh come on.. I know you're lying. Don't think I don't see you when you check me out. I know I'm just irresistable."
Toothless laughed softly, "Maybe so, but it wasn't one of those dreams, not yet atleast." He winked playfully at her, catching her off guard, she blushed a deep red hue in embarrassment.
"T-Toothless.." She mumbled shyly, ears flattened against her head. She really wasn't expecting him to say something like that, it really threw her off. Toothless shifted closer to the blushing female. "Toothless?" She questioned.
"Yeah?"
"I have to ask you something."
"What?" He raised his sensors in curiousity.
"What's it like the have a crush on someone? I don't trust asking Falcon because his not the most reliable at advice, and Lea and Autumn would taunt me forever about it." She was blushing a light red hue, darting her eyes between him and the floor.
Toothless shrugged. "I don't really know, I guess you feel happier around them?" It sounded more like a question than a statement. "I've never really had feelings for any dragon myself." Though he was probably starting to develop some. Eclipse simply hummed in understanding, looking away from Toothless. "Why?"
It was her turn to shrug. "Honestly, I don't know, I was just curious, I guess." After silence ensued for some time, Toothless decided to restart the conversation.
"Say, how'd you feel about going on a late-night flight? Just you and me, seeing as how neither of us can sleep?"
"I don't know, what about these guys?" She gestured with her head at the sleeping three, though Toothless knew her main concern was with Lea. "Do you think Lea will be ok with it? You know what his like.. I don't wanna end up causing you pair to fall out after you've only just started being friends."
"We can tell Lea now if you want, that way he'll know and I won't have to worry about losing my wings... Or worse." He shuddered. Eclipse nodded somewhat hesistantly, turning to wake up Lea while Toothless made his way to the front, preparing to take off once joined by the female. It took only a few seconds before a relieved Eclipse bounded up beside him.
"He said as long as we're back before sunrise, his ok with it." Spreading her wings, she darted into the sky, the male close on her tail as they flew through the night. Swimming between the few clouds that adorned the black ocean in a comfortable silence, the two Nightfuries enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the darkness, the glow of the stars and moon upon the waters and rocks below.
Toothless flew closer to Eclipse's side, gliding over the land. "I love flying at night." Was all he whispered, breaking the comfortable silence.
"It's beautiful, ain't it?" She responded, her eyes down on the island of Nïghtheart; it truly was under the starlight and moonlight glow, perhaps more beautiful in the dark than in the day. The island, as dark and desolate as it looked from a distance, when up close the land was welcoming.
"Yeah, reminds me a little of my island." He sighed.
"Do you know the way back to your island? I mean, if you're an Alpha then surely you'd need to go back to it at some point, right?"
"Honestly, I don't know, I wasn't exactly the best Alpha, to be honest I had no idea what I was doing, my Beta, Cloudjumper ended up taking over alot. I'm not much of a leader, just a warrior."
"Are you planning on going back?" Her voice had gotten a little quieter as she asked that. Toothless hesistated before answering.
"Honestly? I don't really know... I miss my flock, my friends, but... I've spent so long looking for other Nightfuries, and I've found you lot. Honestly, I don't know whether I can go back. I want to, but I don't want to leave." He was genuinely uncertain about the decision, about whether he should go back to Berk, or whether he should stay with his kind.
AN: So, Toothless doesn't know about going home or not, there's dragons and humans preparing for war against both Berk and Nïghtheart, and there's still problems on this island that need sorting, questions need answering. Toothless can only be in one place when the War comes, but where is he going to make his stand: Berk, with Hiccup and his family, or Nïghtheart, with the last of the Nightfuries. Reviews and thoughts are always appreciated, until next time we Reunite."
