Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own any part of How to Train your Dragon
Toothless leapt from the cliff side, letting the cool, evening wind fill his wings. Flapping hard, he started after the thousands of dragons that flew ahead of him. The sky above was a delicate swirl of pink and orange, thin clouds offering stripes of deeper color here and there. It was a beautiful evening for a flight, but Toothless's mind was far from the scenery.
Behind him, standing on the cliff amidst a crowd of others, a young man silently watched him go. Hiccup Haddock, Toothless's closest friend.
The Night Fury trailed behind the other dragons, watching the gentle lapping of the water below as he skimmed over it. It had been many years since Toothless had flown away from somewhere with the intention of never returning. Flown away without a rider, that is. Yet here he was, rider-less, his brand new prosthetic tail fin whistling merrily in the wind.
He had had many adventures with Hiccup. From the first day they met, it seemed both their lives would be packed with action. Before he knew Hiccup, Toothless had never thought about humans having enemies the way dragons did. Yet one battle after another had followed them, from the dragon hunters, to Drago Bludfist, then finally Grimmel.
Years, six, to be exact, of adventures floated fondly through Toothless's mind, and he stared at the dragons in front in him without truly seeing them. To be quite honest, Toothless had never thought about returning to the wild; his life had been on Berk for so long, he saw no need to return.
Until he met her.
Instinctively, Toothless's eyes were drawn to the Light Fury, his mate, who flew a bit ahead of him. Her pure white scales shimmered in the dimming sunlight, and her blue eyes were distant, as if she too were lost in thought.
She had reminded him what it was like to be truly free, and with Hiccup's gift of his new tail fin, Toothless had the opportunity to taste that freedom again.
Toothless finally allowed himself a glance over his shoulder. The cliff side was fading into the gathering mist, and any figures left standing there were invisible, even to a Night Fury's eye. But he knew Hiccup was still there.
It would be strange for a while, he knew, being completely on his own. But he knew he was making the right decision, not only for himself and his mate, but for all the dragons. And the Vikings.
It was time to move on.
Toothless pulled his gaze from the cliff, fixing it instead on the Light Fury. One chapter of his life was coming to a close, but a new chapter was beginning, one that he had never expected.
Would he see Hiccup again? Toothless didn't know for sure, but something deep within him told him he would. He closed his eyes, picturing his best friend in his mind as clearly as if he were looking at him.
Thank you, he thought, and not just for the tail fin that granted his freedom. Thank you for the adventure of a lifetime.