Tis a long one, enjoy.

Toothless flared his wings, gliding down to the bottom of the cove. He held no fear that he would be trapped, not like the first time he ever entered this place. The Fireworms let every dragon use their cave to traverse from the cove to the upper portions of the nest if need be. Ringfire even went through, fashioning tunnels so the Fireworms and the dragons did not have to climb to reach a higher section from a lower one. Toothless knew when he was ready, he had a way out.

While it did seem odd to be here without Hiccup now, Toothless needed this. Stoick and the younglings were trying his patience. He knew they meant well. He knew his adopted father wanted him happy. He knew his sons would love having a mother. He knew all of that. It did not make their meddling easy to deal with all the time though.

Toothless moved to the pond, dipping his head to get some water. He sighed, sitting down. Life had a funny way of flying it seemed. Stoick had been a human who had foolishly cast aside something Toothless knew was precious. It had long baffled, then angered Toothless that the human father to his brother would act as he did. The younglings had not been sired by Toothless, but he was their father nonetheless and only death would keep him from them or from doing all he could for them. Stoick had not done anything of that for Hiccup. Not that Toothless could see.

Now Stoick called him son. He had named Toothless' sons as his grandsons. Stoick had showed Hiccup, Toothless, and Sharpshot the records after they were finalized. Toothless and Sharpshot had no way to read human writing but Hiccup assured them the words were there for all to see. Stoick the Vast claimed two dragons as children and three dragons as grandchildren. Add to that, Stoick apparently made it a point to list Hiccup as his oldest and heir. Something Hiccup said meant a great deal after he finished hugging his father.

Stoick actively sought Toothless out now, dropping whispered hints about Moondust's valor and honor and how she would make a great mother for his new grandsons. The male had managed to convive Toothless' own sons into helping him. Toothless felt his sons watching him whenever he had cause to interact with Moondust. Toothless heard them scatter and knew they were reporting their observations to Stoick.

Toothless sighed again. It did not take much persuasion for his sons to aid Stoick. Toothless knew that. When he had first found them after happening upon the gruesome state of their parents left to die after the humans finished with them, the four had been huddled in the back of a dank cave. Toothless knew the only reason the humans who killed their parents had not found them had been because the cave's entrance was flooded.

It took a long time for them to trust Toothless much less follow him out of the cave and away from the small island they had once called home. All four had been barely able to fly so Toothless knew they had not been younglings long. They likely did not have solid memories of their parents.

Toothless knew they wanted a mother. He had seen them watching the mothers around the village and the nest as they interacted with their hatchlings and younglings. He saw them wilt each time they returned to the house and had no mother to do for them all they had witnessed. He saw the longing in their eyes whenever they spent time with Moondust.

Toothless was also honest enough to admit that he wanted Moondust to be their mother. He had been intrigued by her the first moment he had met her. She had flown into a nest she did not know, keeping watch over his sister-in-law, merely because the two had met and became friends. She had faced the invading Tail-stingers as if the nest she fought for was her own and not one she was just visiting. Even when she became a member of the nest, she had never shrugged off patrols or helping anyone in the nest. She even flew with them to gather a water worm and protected Hiccup when Toothless had been ill. Toothless did not know how anyone could not see her and admire her.

Yet, she had been through more than anyone should ever have. She had suffered at the paws of one who believed himself one of the alphas from before Civility Laws. Toothless did not want to push. He did not want to step beyond her boundaries. She did not deserve that. She deserved to be treated like a queen.

Toothless huffed to himself. He stepped away from the pond, heading for his tree. Maybe this time to himself would calm his nerves and give him the strength to endure his adopted father and his sons' meddling. To withstand the knowledge that not only did Hiccup and Sharpshot know about the entire affair but did nothing to stop it. And Hiccup was the alpha at that and had the authority to put an end to all of it.

Toothless paused. Moondust stood under his tree, staring at the ground. Toothless' sensing lobes twitched and flattened against his neck. He knew what the look on her muzzle meant. He had felt the same when his daughter had been eaten and he realized the torment he had just placed his sons in.

Toothless shoved aside every feeling he had for the dragoness and his own annoyance with everything. She may have been the focus of several dreams of his, but she still hurt and still blamed herself. She did not deserve to feel this guilt. Toothless frowned, wondering how he could cheer her up. His eyes widen.

He remembered back to when the nest took shelter from the snowstorm. Shadowfire could not sing due to the new humans in the great cave, but he could still dance for the young sheltering with the humans. Toothless remembered that all the young and many of the adults, Sharpshot included who did not like snowstorms anymore than he liked rainstorms that crackled with lighting, laughed at and enjoyed Shadowfire's antics.

Toothless purposively made a noise loud enough that she had to hear. He was rewarded with her looking up. Before she could speak or leave, Toothless stood on his hindlegs. He did not have Shadowfire's moves. For as big as that dragon was, the Tall-singer could dance. Toothless did have his own moves though. He had perfected them over time to keep his sons from having bad dreams after their sister was eaten.

Moondust stared at him, head titled. Toothless gave her his gummy smile. He proceeded to kick his hindlegs out in an alternating pattern, walking across the grass. He did this and spun in a circle then spun back around. He frowned. Moondust did not look as if she was happy though the guilt he saw in her expression had diminished. Toothless dropped to all fours. He curled his wings out and around. He began hopping from side to side, popping his head out the opening his wings made as their tips touched in front of his muzzle. He sighed. Moondust still looked unsure.

Toothless decided to do the last dance had had ever came up with. It had been after a particularly dismal, and failed, raid where that monster had the entire nest out to see her eat seven adult dragons and ten younglings. Since Toothless had not been tasked to guard that raiding flock as he had guarded another who did succeed, his own sons had not been chosen to die. Still, the three had not wanted to sleep that night, certain they would be eaten before morning came. This dance seemed to have calmed them and had them slightly giggling. Toothless hoped it would do the same for Moondust.

He flared his wings. His tail curled so that his good tailfin stood up from his skull like some strange crest. The original dance had both his tailfins extended but the one Hiccup made did not work unless Hiccup or Astrid was in the saddle. A saddle that was pinching him in this position but he ignored that.

He began hopping like he had when his wings were curled in front of him, but this time he stopped and barked out a weird noise that had his sons burying their muzzles into the soft sand of their sleeping den in an effort to keep their giggles quiet. He continued until he realized he had hopped to close to Moondust and she batted his muzzle with her paw.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Toothless sighed, letting his wings and his tail drop. "Trying to cheer you up. I saw your expression just now. You still feel guilty over that worthless lizard's actions."

Moondust sighed. "He came here for me. You were hurt because I chose to live here."

"No," Toothless stated. "You are free to make choices. We all are free to make choices. You chose to live here because you like this nest. He chose to be a flameless coward. You are not at fault for his choices."

"It still remains that had I not been here, he would have never insulted Alpha or fought you."

Toothless grunted. "I am glad he came here. His beliefs were wrong and he needed someone to remind him what honor truly was." Toothless spread the wing that had been torn. "And I am well. My wing is mended. The gashes and cuts healed due to Elder Gothi and Lady Alpha's care. But both are prices I would gladly pay again if it meant you were safe."

"Well, you are Nest Protector-"

Toothless sighed. "My brother is a wonderful human and a great alpha, but he's not always correct."

Moondust stared at him, blinking. "Excuse me?"

"It is true that I would defend any member of this nest, but I did not fight that coward just because a nest member was in danger and not just because that fool insulted my brother. I fought for you. You trusted me with your honor when you stepped under my wing. I would not let anyone else fight that battle. Anyone else in the nest and I would have left the entire nest join me in killing the coward."

Moondust grunted. "I'm sorry for putting you in that position."

"Don't be. Moondust, you are free now. That male is gone. You can live your life with no shadow tailing your flight. I would endure many more wounds to ensure that. You deserve it."

"Thank you."

Toothless nodded. "Don't feel guilt over what happened. No one blames you." He glanced up, noting the position of the sun. "I best get back. My sons will probably be wondering where I am. Hiccup will probably need to fly a patrol with Astrid and Stormfly just so the two can find some sea stack to do that suffocating lip action of theirs."

Moondust giggled. "Gyda said that was kissing and that humans who are courting each other love to perform such actions."

"Still looks like they are trying to suffocate each other," Toothless shook himself in an effort to rid himself of the images. He saw it enough to not what to see it in his mind right now. "If you want to remain here longer, I can tell Gyda where you are so she does not worry."

Moondust did not say anything at first. She just stared at him. "I came out here because Alpha's father stopped me again to whisper how great you are."

Toothless sighed. "I'm sorry. I will ask him to leave you alone."

"Don't be sorry and don't stop him."

Toothless blinked. "Don't you want him to stop annoying you?"

"I never said I was annoyed. I just needed to step out of the village before all I heard when I slept tonight was every praiseworthy thing about you."

"Ah, okay," Toothless said, now completely confused.

If Stoick bothered her to the point she came out here, why would she not want him to stop? It made no sense. His eyes widen when Moondust nuzzled her cheek against his.

"He is right though, you are a great male."

Toothless blinked. "Thank you," he said, slowly.

Moondust set back and tilted her head. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why don't your sons have a mother?"

Toothless' eyes widen. "Uh..well..trying to keep them alive in that monster's nest didn't..uh..didn't leave time for…for..courting."

"And now? I can see they want one."

"Uh..uh..there…I….Why are you asking this?"

Moondust sighed, looking down. "I..I.." She grunted. "I have realized many things since coming here. I once thought my old alpha was wise and honorable until he did nothing to stop that male. I thought my parents would stand for me, but that male said my father gave him permission. Your sister-in-law found me almost walking right into a nest of humans, uncaring what they would do with me."

Toothless flinched. He had not known how his sister-in-law and Moondust met. He had not expected that.

"She convinced me that her mate's nest held the honor and safety I thought my old one did. She convinced me to try again. When we came here..you allowed a human on your back. That humans defended everyone from those who tried to take the nest. He did not force his touch upon me. He let me choose to touch him. He did not call for that Tiny-fang to die and instead gave mercy. And you called that human brother."

Moondust sighed. "And you show the same honor your brother does. All of your brothers. You stood to fight for me instead of letting that male take me. You brother, my alpha, rejected that male's claims and you did not reject me placing myself under your protection. Then you willingly got injured to defend my honor." She tossed her head. "Oh, your brother was so right all those moons ago."

"Moondust, what are you trying to say?"

In answer, she placed the top of her head against Toothless' chest.

"I made my choice," she whispered.

Kirika: Hehe, Stoick wants more grandkids. Sometimes the judgement of children is a good thing. Sometimes.