Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the twelfth and final HTTYD drabble! Hope you enjoyed the last eleven drabbles and I hope you'll enjoy this one because it focuses on the Night Lights!
P.S. Because this story focuses on the dragons, I'll be highlighting their translated dialogue in bold just as I had done in my first fanfic, How to Live Without Dragons.
Title: Ruffrunner's Mission
Takes Place: Three years after the epilogue of HTTYD: THW
Summary: The teenaged Night Lights hope to go on some missions just as their father, Toothless had done with his human, Hiccup many times before they were born. They get their chance when Ruffrunner's Deadly Nadder friend goes missing. Can Ruffrunner find his friend before it's too late?
…
Ruffrunner the Night Light was lapping up some water in one of the Hidden World's pools, minding his own business when he heard the sound of feet landing hard on a rock formation.
The teenaged Night Light looked up from his drink and he saw him – standing on the rock formation emerging from the pool just a few feet away from him was a purple Deadly Nadder.
The pupils of the purple Nadder's yellow eyes were constricted and he curled his lips into a snarl and let out a soft growl. Ruffrunner's green eyes also constricted and he too snarled and growled a bit louder than his component. The Nadder proceeded to growl a little louder and lifted his tail to show the sharp spikes aligning it standing up straight.
Ruffrunner charged towards the Nadder but the Nadder leapt away from the rock before the Night Light could pin it. So Ruffrunner landed on his stomach against the top of the rock.
Ruffrunner looked around for his component. A growl from the Nadder let him know where he was – on the top of a stack of red coral beds.
Then Ruffrunner got an idea. He pretended to look defeated and proceeded to walk as far away as he could so the Nadder wouldn't see him turning towards where he wanted to go: to behind the stack of coral beds. His defeated expression changed into a devious one and he proceeded to climb up the stacks thinking his opponent wouldn't see him coming.
But he was wrong.
Before he knew it, the purple Nadder sprang out from the top of the stacks, pressed his clawed feet onto Ruffrunner's stomach and the Night Light was pinned against on top of the coral beds.
Ruffrunner glared at the purple Nadder. The Nadder glared back, reared his head back and then…
…licked Ruffrunner's face playfully.
Ruffrunner groaned in disgust and hung his tongue out as he tried to turn his head away from the Nadder as he kept licking. When the Nadder finished licking and stepped off his chest, Ruffrunner got to his feet, shook his head and turned to his friend.
"All right, Spike, you got me this time but someday I'm gonna surprise you," he said.
"Not if I surprise you again first," Spike teased.
"Well, I still come from the fastest family of dragons in the world," Ruffrunner bragged.
"Well, I still come from the second fastest family of dragons in the world," Spike shot back.
"We'll see about that," Ruffrunner said, spreading his wings.
Laughing their dragon laughs, Ruffrunner and Spike took off from the coral beds and began to fly side-by-side through their secret hidden home. Along the way, they passed by Ruffrunner's brother and sister, Dart and Pouncer who were standing atop a rock and keeping watch.
"What are your brother and sister doing?" Spike squawked curiously.
"Looking for missions just like my father and his best friend used to do," Ruffrunner replied.
He flapped over to his two siblings but they didn't seem to notice him.
"Hey, guys, Spike and I are having a race. You wanna join us?" he asked.
"No thanks, Ruffrunner," Pouncer replied.
"Yeah, we're still looking for a mission to do and we don't want to miss it," Dart added.
"But looking for missions is all you've been doing for these past few days," Ruffrunner protested. "Why don't you take a break?"
"Maybe later," Dart replied. "You and Spike have your race and we'll catch up later."
Ruffrunner bowed his head disappointedly but he warbled, "All right. But you don't know what you're missing."
"Hey, Ruffrunner," Spike called. "Stay still any longer and I'm gonna beat you!"
And with that, Ruffrunner flew off to catch up with his friend.
Dart and Pouncer remained where they were, swerving their heads and keeping a close watch on the dragon herds.
Toothless had often told them stories of missions he and his human friend, Hiccup had done to help other humans and dragons long before they were born. And now as the Alpha of the Hidden World, he was intent on following his current mission to protect the dragon herds. He had considered most of them a part of his family just as he did for his mate and offspring. These stories inspired Dart and Pouncer to look for missions of their own. If they could any dragon(s) having a problem, they'd arrived in the nick of time to help them. After all, they were next in line to lead and protect the dragons of the Hidden World.
"Look! I think I see something!" Dart chirped.
"What?" Pouncer responded.
Dart gestured to a herd of Monstrous Nightmares down below and Pouncer saw it – two of the Nightmares (a gold one and a green one) locking their long, black head horns and pushing and shoving at each other.
"They're probably fighting each other for dominance of their head," Pouncer guessed.
"What if it's not their herd they're trying to fight for?" Dart warbled. "What if they want to take control of Papa's place as Alpha of the Hidden World? Both Nightmares think they're the best and now they're having a fight about it. Only one will win the fight and when one does win…"
"He'll go for Papa next," Pouncer finished fearfully.
"We've got to stop them!" Dart grunted, the pupils of her blue eyes constricting.
"Let's go!" Pouncer snarled, the pupils of his green eyes also constricting.
The Night Light brother and sister took off from their perch and swooped down towards the Monstrous Nightmare herd. Some of the Nightmares (minus the quarreling ones) looked up in surprise as two of their Alpha's offspring headed towards them. Dart charged towards the gold Nightmare and Pouncer charged at the green Nightmare. These charges allowed both the Night Lights to separate the Nightmares from each other and pin them to the ground. Some Nightmares leapt out of the way, others were shoved in multiple directions.
Dart leapt off the gold Nightmare and arched her back and growled challengingly at the gold dragon. The gold Nightmare also did a defensive pose and growled in annoyance rather than defensively. As for Pouncer, he was slapping the confused and angry green Nightmare's body with his tail. He managed to duck out of the way when the green dragon tried to slash at him with the clawed tips of its wings. The other Nightmares were growling in confusion and angry as they watched the challenge.
BOOM!
A purple plasma blast exploded high above the herd which made everyone pause and look up.
Toothless and the Light Fury were flapping over them and they made their way down to the middle of the herd. All the Nightmares, including the gold and green one, calmly bowed before their King and Queen. Pouncer and Dart hung their heads in shame as their parents turned to them.
"Now what's all the fuss about? Dart, Pouncer, what do you think you're doing?" Toothless demanded.
"We were trying to protect you, Papa" Dart replied.
"What?" Toothless grunted.
Dart gestured to the green and gold Nightmares. "We saw these two fighting each other."
"They wanted to take your place as King and we stopped them," Pouncer added.
Toothless turned to the gold and green Nightmares whose pupils were dilated in embarrassment.
"Yes, we were fighting but not for your place as leader, my Alpha," the gold Nightmare chuffed.
"We were fighting to win the affection of her," the green Nightmare added, gesturing to a female blue-and-red Nightmare within the herd.
Toothless turned from the Nightmares to his son and daughter with a disapproving expression. Dart and Pouncer felt their faces grow warm with embarrassment.
"Come you two, we will go home," Toothless chuffed.
Dart and Pouncer nodded, took off and followed their parents. The four Furies flew away from the Monstrous Nightmare herd all the way back to their safe home. Once they arrived, Toothless and the Light Fury turned to their son and daughter again.
"What could have possibly have gotten into you to interfere with those Nightmares?" the Light Fury warbled disapprovingly. "You could've been killed."
"We didn't mean any harm," Dart warbled shamefully. "We were only looking for missions."
"Looking for missions?" Toothless echoed, his eyes lighting up with surprise.
"Yeah, like how you and your human friend, Hiccup went looking for missions," Pouncer chirped.
Now the Light Fury was shooting a disapproving look at Toothless and now Toothless' face was growing warm with embarrassment. He looked at his children, his green eyes gentle but serious.
"Yes, Hiccup and I did go on many missions," Toothless admitted. "But we didn't go looking for missions. The missions came to us when we least expected it."
"The missions came to you?" Dart and Pouncer chirped.
Toothless nodded. "Exactly. So instead of you two looking for missions, you should let the mission come to you."
"But how will we know when the mission comes to us?" Pouncer warbled questioningly.
"You'll know," the Light Fury responded. "But for now, just be patient."
"Yeah, why don't you go play with your brother?" Toothless suggested. "Where is he by the way?"
"Having another race with Spike," Dart answered.
"They sure love having those races, don't they?" Toothless asked, thinking about the races he and Hiccup had with Astrid and Stormfly.
"Yes, but they really shouldn't be racing too far from home," the Light Fury responded worriedly.
"Maybe I should go look for them while you and the young ones stick around," Toothless offered.
"We're not young ones anymore, Papa," Dart protested. "We're practically as big as you and Mama now."
"That may be, but you're still younger than your mama and me," Toothless pointed out. "Now stay out of trouble while I go fetch your brother and Spike."
Toothless was just about to take off when two familiar cries rung out across the coral walls of the Hidden World. The Fury family looked up to see two small specks above them getting bigger as they came down towards them. It was Ruffruner and Spike.
"Here they are now," Pouncer chirped.
"Hi, Mama, Papa, Dart, Pouncer," Ruffrunner greeted.
"My King and Queen," Spike squawked softly, bowing before Toothless and the Light Fury. He looked up slightly as he greeted his friend's siblings. "Hi, Dart, hi, Pouncer."
"Hi, Spike," Dart and Pouncer greeted.
"So who won the race?" Pouncer asked.
"I did," Ruffrunner announced.
"Again," Spike grumbled. "You should've seen how far he was going ahead of me."
Ruffrunner couldn't help but nod proudly. "I must've flown farther than we did the last race."
"I still think I can go a lot farther than you," Spike piped up.
"I'd like to see you try," Ruffrunner taunted playfully.
"I wish you two wouldn't have these races so far from home," the Light Fury warbled worriedly. "You might end up getting lost someday."
"We're not hatchlings anymore, Mama," Ruffrunner warbled.
"We're old enough to travel far from home," Spike added.
"Dragons should always stick to their herds no matter how old they are," the Light Fury insisted. "I should know."
"The Queen is right, you two," Toothless chirped seriously. "Spike, I suggest you head back to your herd before your mother gets too worried."
The purple Deadly Nadder nodded, knowing the Alpha Night Fury was right. He turned around and took off. But he hovered for a short while as he cried out, "I'm still sure I can fly a lot farther than you, Ruffrunner."
And then he flew off.
"Well, now that he's gone, how about a little scuffle?" Pouncer purred as he approached Ruffrunner from behind and carefully tugged on his brother's white-tipped ear with his teeth.
"Hey!" Ruffrunner let out a playful growl as he batted Pouncer's face with his white paw.
Soon the two brothers were play-fighting and rolling along the ground, nearly bumping into Toothless, the Light Fury and Dart.
Toothless couldn't help laughing his dragon laugh. "Careful, you overgrown hatchlings!"
"Dragon pile!" Dart squealed as she pounced after her tumbling brothers and joined in the scuffle.
Toothless and the Light Fury looked at each other with kids-will-be-kids looks.
Dart, Pouncer and Ruffrunner play-fighted for a good, long while until they all decided they needed a little water and a little rest. As they lay on their stomachs by the edge of a pool, Ruffrunner turned to his siblings.
"Did you find a mission while Spike and I had our race?" he asked.
"Yeah, but we ended up getting in trouble," Dart purred with embarrassment.
"And almost killed," Pouncer added.
"Then Papa said we shouldn't look for missions but we should let the missions come to us instead," Dart continued.
"But when will the mission come to us?" Ruffrunner asked.
"We don't know but Papa says we have to be patient," Dart grumbled.
A playful, devious look came to Ruffrunner's green eyes. "Well, until the mission does come to us, how about another dragon pile?"
And with that, he proceeded to pounce against his brother and sister and the Night Light hatchlings resumed their play-fighting until it got dark.
…..
The following morning, Toothless, the Light Fury, Dart, Pouncer and Ruffrunner were all snuggled up, still asleep when they were awakened to the sound of frantic squawks.
"Spike!"
"Where are you, Spike?!"
"Spike! Come on out!"
Ruffrunner was the first to lift his head up in alert to the sound of his friend being called. The rest of his family lifted their heads as well. A herd of Deadly Nadders were hovering in all different directions. Stormfly was among them along with Spike's mother whose scales were purple like his.
Toothless took off from his sleeping spot and flapped over to the Nadder herd. Ruffrunner followed him with the rest of the Fury family not far behind. At the sight of the Furies, the Nadders bowed their heads.
"Stormfly, what's going on?" Toothless demanded.
"Spike went missing during the night and we've been looking all morning for him," Stormfly explained.
"We've followed his scent and it led us to here," Spike's mother added.
"Then he must've made a quick stop right here while we were sleeping," Toothless said, turning to the Light Fury.
"We thought maybe he would come to where you were to ask Ruffrunner for a race," Spike's mother continued. "I know how much you two love your races."
"But if he wanted to race, he would've asked me," Ruffrunner pointed out. "Why would he make a quick stop here if he didn't want to race? It doesn't make any sense."
The other Furies and Nadders looked just as baffled.
"Have you searched all around your home and around the places he might like going?" Toothless asked.
"Yes, but we haven't been able to find him," Spike's mother squawked worriedly. "When we followed his scent to where you live, we were hopeful he might be close but…"
"He's not here," Toothless finished gravely.
"Or anywhere around here," the Light Fury added, looking around.
The realization hit Ruffrunner like a Gronckle's tail. Spike had wondered away from his home and family to prove that he could travel just as far as his best friend could. The Light Fury was obviously thinking the same thing because she was looking at her son with concern and disapproval.
"I knew one of you would get lost if you raced too far from home," she grunted.
Ruffrunner could only look away ashamedly.
"Well, I'll help you to find him," Toothless warbled to Spike's mother.
"No," Ruffrunner suddenly piped up.
"What?"
All the Nadders and Furies turned to Ruffrunner.
"This whole thing is my fault," Ruffrunner continued. "Spike and I kept debating over which one of us could race the farthest and now he's lost because of me. I should be the one to help look for him."
Toothless looked at his son with an expression of pride and worry. "Ruffrunner."
The Light Fury also looked impressed and worried. "It's too dangerous, son. We don't know where Spike might've gone and what kind of trouble he could be in. Don't forget what could've happened to you and your siblings the last time you wondered too far."
"Mama, that was back when were little," Ruffrunner growled firmly. "At that age, it was reckless of us but at the same time it was also incredible and rare for three young ones to travel so far. But now we are no longer hatchlings. I say we're big enough now to make our own choices. And I choose not to sit around and do nothing. I choose to find my best friend and bring him home."
The more Ruffrunner went on with his speech, the more impressed his family and the Nadders looked. It was then that Pouncer and Dart piped in.
"And I choose to help my brother look for Spike," Pouncer declared.
"And I choose to accompany my brothers on this mission to protect them at all costs," Dart added.
Toothless and the Light Fury looked at each other for a moment then turned back to their son and nodded.
"Very well, my children," Toothless said. "You may help to find Spike. But I'll be having Stormfly keep an eye on all of you so stick close to her."
"Yes, Papa," the three young Night Lights chirped.
As the Nadders and Night Lights started to fly off, Ruffrunner turned to Spike's mother.
"Don't worry. I'll find your son."
Toothless and the Light Fury hovered in mid-air as they watched their daughter and sons leave with the Nadders.
"Our young ones certainly have inherited your protectiveness and determination," the Light Fury told her mate.
"And yours," Toothless replied.
…
For the last hour, Ruffrunner, Dart and Pouncer led the Nadder herd through the series of mazes and trails of the Hidden World. Stormfly stuck close behind the Night Lights. Her friend, Toothelss had ordered her to keep an eye on his offspring and she was determined not to let them get hurt. Spike's mother flew in front of the herd as well, continually looking for any sign of her missing son. The Night Lights and the other Nadders were also swerving their heads in all directions and constantly sniffing in hope that Spike's scent would enter their nostrils.
Before long, Stormfly's yellow eyes lit up and she squawked in alert. "I think I've got something."
Spike's mother and the other Nadders turned to her expectantly.
Ruffrunner's ears perked up. "I'm hearing something too."
The Nadders and Night Lights listened carefully. The sound Ruffrunner had picked up was faint but they recognized it as calls of distress.
Stormfly sniffed again and gestured her head in a direction as she squawked, "This way!"
The Night Lights and dragons headed for the direction the blue Nadder was gesturing. As they flew, the calls grew louder and louder. Then Ruffrunner picked up two scents. He recognized the first scent that belonged to none other than his best friend, Spike. The second scent was somewhat new to him and it didn't smell pleasant. He thought this scent smelled very similar to blood.
Blood?
Ruffrunner began to pick up the pace a little fearing the worst. So much so that he was a little far away from his siblings and the Nadders.
"Ruffrunner?!" his siblings called.
"Ruffrunner, come back!" Stormfly called.
But Ruffrunner was too worried about Spike to listen to his sibings and his father's friend. He just had to find Spike, wherever he was, before it was too late.
It was then that he arrived at a very different part of the Hidden World.
This part was made entirely out of rocks. It looked like a good place for Gronckles to hang out and dine if not for all these holes dug into the rocky surface. This rocky area was carrying the blood-like scent that Ruffrunner had picked up. Actually this new scent smelled like a mixture of blood, dirt and pebbles.
Ruffrunner had a hunch of what made this holes and what was carrying the sickly scent. His father had told him stories about these creatures. They were the creatures that made deadly enemies to most dragons but especially Furies.
Whispering Deaths.
Soon, Dart, Pouncer and Stormfly arrived right beside him along with Spike's mother and the other Nadders. They too looked all around the rocky area full of holes. A lot of the Nadders squawked defensively as their pupils constricted. A few of them already had their tail spikes standing up straight. Ruffrunner knew that they weren't particularly fond of Whispering Deaths either.
"Spike must be down in one of these holes," Ruffrunner warbled determinedly.
Stormfly also looked determined and squawked to Spike's mother. "We'll search every one of these holes if we have to…for your son's sake."
"No," Ruffrunner said firmly. "I must search these holes alone."
"Are you crazy?!" Dart cried.
"You'll be killed!" Pouncer protested.
"Your siblings are right, Ruffrunner," Stormfly added. "And I promised your parents I'd keep an eye on you."
"If I do get hurt, better me than Spike," Ruffrunner gurgled.
He could tell that Stormfly didn't like it but she nodded her head. "Very well. But just the same, be careful."
"And let me come with you at least," Spike's mother insisted. "He's my son and I have every right to help you find him."
Ruffrunner could see the worry in the female purple Nadder's yellow eyes and he couldn't bring himself to say no.
"All right, let's go find him," Ruffrunner said.
Ruffrunner and Spike's mother flew away from the group and hovered over the series of holes, careful not to get too close in case any Whispering Deaths came popping out.
"Spike!" Spike's mother called.
"Where are you, Spike?" Ruffrunner also called.
"It's your mother!"
"And Ruffrunner too!"
An echoing squawk from somewhere within the holes replied. "Mom? Ruffrunner?"
"Spike? Where are you?" the mother Nadder called.
"Down here!" came the reply.
"There!" Ruffrunner said, gesturing to a hole straight down below them.
The mother Nadder nodded and she and Ruffrunner dived down towards the hole. They both landed on their feet on the ground and looked around. Although it was dark, they could make out the series of tunnels around them.
Spike's mother lifted her snout and began to sniff out for her son. Ruffrunner opened his mouth wide open and let out a high-pitched, echoing sound and a series of purple waves emitted from his mouth. This ability, which he had inherited from his father, would be able to help him find any object in the dark.
Nothing yet.
"Spike!" Ruffrunner called.
"I'm down here!" Spike's squawk echoed through the tunnels.
Spike's mother sniffed again and gestured to the tunnel to their left. "This way."
As Ruffrunner and the mother Nadder made their way down the tunnel, Ruffrunner opened his mouth again and released the purple waves. They traveled down the tunnel until it bounced against something and traveled right back to him.
"There!"
As the two dragons picked up the pace, Ruffrunner noticed a dark figure against the darkness. He could make out a spike-covered head with a horn at the top of its snout.
Spike!
"Spike!" Ruffrunner and Spike's mother both called.
"Mom! Ruffrunner!"
Ruffrunner and the mother Nadder both stopped in front of the purple Nadder who was lying on his side. Spike and his mother nuzzled affectionately.
"What are you doing all the way down here?" Spike's mother grunted.
"I'll explain later, Mom, but you've got to help me. I'm stuck," Spike replied.
Ruffrunner opened his mouth and ignited a low purple flame at his throat. It helped him to see that Spike's tail was trapped under a small pile of rocks.
"Don't worry, we'll get you out of there," Ruffrunner warbled after he extinguished the flame. He turned to Spike's mother. "Help me out."
Spike's mother nodded and picked up a rock with her teeth. Ruffrunner placed his paw on top of another rock and pushed it away from Spike's tail.
Just then there was a distant sound of rocks clattering and rumbling.
The dragons looked up in alarm at the sound.
Danger!
"Hurry!" Spike's mother squawked.
She and Ruffrunner worked even faster to remove the rest of the rocks with their teeth and/or paws to free Spike's tail.
As they did so, the clattering and rumbling was coming closer.
Soon all the rocks had been removed and Spike's tail was free.
"You two get out of here! I'll hold him off!" Ruffrunner ordered.
Without hesitation or protests, the two purple Nadders hurried out of the tunnel. Ruffrunner stayed where he was.
Just a few feet in front of him, a force burst out of the rocky walls, sending a shower of dirt and rocks which Ruffrunner had to dodge.
The dust cleared revealing a dragon with a large round head and a long, snake-like body lined with sharp spikes. The dragon turned its head to Ruffrunner and the teenaged Night Light stared into the dragon's white, pupil-less eyes. Below its eyes were two small but flaring nostrils and a large mouth full of six rows of sharp, drilling teeth.
The Whispering Death's horrific appearance made Ruffrunner frozen with fear but he narrowed his eyes courageously.
The Whispering Death let out a high-pitched shriek. "What are you doing here?!"
"Protecting my friend, that's what!" Ruffrunner replied firmly.
"You mean the little Nadder who dared to trespass my home as you do now?!"
"He didn't trespass, he just got lost!"
"Lost or not, no one enters my home uninvited!"
"You have a lot of nerve refusing to help lost dragons like my father does!"
"Get out of my tunnel or I will make you leave!"
"Then make me leave!"
And with that, the Whispering Death let out golden rings of fiery which Ruffrunner successfully ducked. Then he released a plasma blast straight at its chest which sent the Whispering Death flying backwards until it crashed to the ground.
The Whispering Death lifted itself up and let out a blood-curling shriek at the Night Light. Ruffrunner let out his own shriek but the Whispering Death didn't dare back down. It lifted its tail and circled it around at Ruffrunner.
Ruffrunner tried to dodge but the Whispering Death's tail got close enough for some of the spikes lining it to slash across his front left leg.
Ruffrunner howled and squeezed his eyes shut tight as he crouched down to the ground. He opened his eyes in slits as the searing pain from his legs pulsed through his body.
Although his eyes weren't fully opened, he could still see the flames igniting in the back of Whispering Death's open mouth. He lowered himself further and rolled on the ground just as the Whispering Death released his flames. He rolled himself on the ground right towards the Whispering Death and slashed his own claws against his component's chest.
As the Whispering Death reared back and howled, Ruffrunner began to run for it despite the painful slashes on his leg. His legs were throbbing and with the Whispering Death now chasing him, Ruffrunner knew he wouldn't make it out of the tunnels fast enough.
Then suddenly, something zoomed right over Ruffrunner and headbutted right into the Whispering Death.
Ruffrunner stopped and looked around.
Stormfly!
She had the Whispering Death pinned to the ground with her clawed feet.
"Nobody hurts my friend's son and gets away with it, nobody!" she screeched.
Suddenly, Ruffrunner heard more noises coming right towards them. At first he was afraid it would be more Whispering Deaths. But the next thing he knew, the Nadders who accompanied him on the search for Spike all came whizzing down. Even Spike and his mother and Dart and Pouncer had arrived.
The Nadders released streams of white-hot fire or spikes from their tails at the Whispering Death. Even the three Night Lights joined in by blasting out plasma blasts at their enemies (Ruffrunner's plasma blasts were a bit on the weak side due to his wounds). The Nadders and Night Lights let out fierce cries, daring the Whispering Death to go away.
Finally, the Whispering Death, having enough of being blasted and screeched at, let out its own angry shriek and slithered away down the tunnel.
The dragons let out cries of victory.
Ruffrunner smiled weakly over their success over the Whispering Death.
Then his vision blurred.
As his feet collapsed from beneath him, he was greeted by total darkness.
….
"Ruffrunner?"
"Can you hear us, little one?"
The familiar calls of his parents echoed in Ruffrunner's ears as he forced his eyes open. Lifting his head, he could make out his father's dark shape and green eyes and right beside him, the white shape and blue eyes of his mother.
"Mama, Papa, you're here," Ruffrunner groaned.
"We're here too, Ruffy," came Dart's call.
"Yeah, right back where we belong," Pouncer called.
Ruffrunner looked at his siblings who stood on either side of him. Then he looked up and realized that they were indeed back in their part of the Hidden World, far away from the Whispering Death's area.
Ruffrunner tried to stand up but a searing pain from his leg made him groan again and forced him to lie back down.
"You'd better stay off that foot of yours if you want to feel better," the Light Fury instructed as she lowered her head to lick his wounds.
Ruffrunner grimaced as the wounds stung as his mother's wet, pink tongue ran across his foot.
"That makes two of us."
That was Spike's call.
Ruffrunner looked around again and saw Spike laying a little ways from him, his tail curled around him. His mother and Stormfly stood on either side of him.
"Spike! Are you all right?" Ruffrunner gurgled worriedly.
"I will be once my tail isn't aching anymore," Spike answered.
"I guess we both paid the price for being so reckless with our races," Ruffrunner admitted, looking at his wounded leg.
"Indeed," the Light Fury gurgled, glancing over at Spike's mother who nodded in agreement.
"But how did you end up having your tail trapped by all those rocks?" Ruffrunner asked.
"Well, after I went back to my herd after our race, all I could think about was trying to outdo you by going a lot farther than we've traveled," Spike started. He glanced up at his mother before turning back to his friend. "So after my mother and the other Nadders went to bed, I snuck away to do just that."
"Your mother and herd followed your scent all the way back to our part so we figured you made a stop here," Toothless said.
"I did," Spike said. "I wanted to make sure you and Ruffrunner and everyone were asleep so you wouldn't come following me. So I took off from there and flew for a good long time until…"
"Until you came to the Whispering Death's home," Toothless finished grimly.
"I didn't even know those holes were made by a Whispering Death at first but I was curious to know what made them and what might be in there."
Spike's mother shook her head good-naturedly. "I've warned you too many times how curiosity getting the better of you would get you into trouble."
"And you were right, Mom," Spike admitted. "From the moment I entered those tunnels, I got into a lot of trouble. No sooner had I entered the tunnel than that Whispering Death attacked me. I managed to escape him but his digging through those rocks caused a few to land on top of my tail."
"And you've been stuck and calling for help ever since," Ruffrunner concluded.
"Until you arrived and helped me out," Spike continued.
"When Spike and his mother emerged out of the tunnels without you and said it was because it was because you were distracting the Whispering Death, I just knew that we all had to go in there and help you whether you wanted it or not," Stormfly snorted.
"Good thing you went in there to help our son just in time," the Light Fury crooned gratefully.
"I'll say," Ruffrunner murmured, looking at his scratched leg.
"After you passed out, Dart and I lifted you onto our backs and carried you all the way home," Pouncer said, lying down beside his brother.
"Thanks for helping me out guys," Ruffrunner said gratefully.
"No problem, bro," Dart purred, nuzzling the top of her black-and-white brother's head.
Toothless approached his three children.
"In spite of a few mishaps that happened today, I can't tell you how proud I am of you youngsters," he purred proudly. "You completed a mission even though your mother and I were worried about what might happen to you."
"And instead of us finding that misson, the mission came to us," Ruffrunner added.
"Well, it mainly came to you, Ruffrunner," Toothless pointed out.
"But Dart and Pouncer helped," Ruffrunner insisted.
"Papa's right, Ruffrunner," Dart purred humbly. "True we helped, but it really was your mission."
"Indeed," the Light Fury added. "Spike is your friend and you saved him just as a true friend would do."
Ruffrunner couldn't help but feel a little proud and lifted his chin.
Then the Light Fury furrowed her brow. "But from now on, when you two resume your races, you should have them closer to home."
Spike's mother nodded indignantly. "I agree."
"Don't worry, Mama, we will," Ruffrunner replied, bowing his head.
"Yes, we've learned our lesson," Spike added, also bowing his head.
"Then it's all settled," Toothless warbled.
"Now that it is all settled, can we go fishing?" Pouncer piped up. "This mission has made me hungry."
"Too bad I can't join you guys fishing with this leg," Ruffrunner grumbled.
"Your siblings and I will bring you back some," Toothless crooned.
"And we'll look after you boys," the Light Fury declared, glancing over at Spike's mother who nodded.
As Toothless, Dart, Pouncer and Stormfly took off to find some fish, the two mother dragons laid down beside their injured boys.
Ruffrunner watched as Spike rested his head against the nape of his mother's neck relaxingly. And in spite of not being a hatchling anymore, Ruffrunner showed no embarrassment as he also rested his head against the nape of the Light Fury's neck.
….
A few days later, after Ruffrunner's leg and Spike's tail had fully healed, the two friends were ready for another race. But this time, they were doing it close to home and they had their parents keeping a close eye on them to make sure they didn't go too far again.
"Hey, Ruffrunner, mind if Dart and I joined you and Spike?" Pouncer asked.
"Whatever happened to looking for missions?" Ruffrunner asked.
"After what almost happened to you and Spike, we've decided to take a break from looking for or going on missions," Dart admitted.
"Then you're welcome to join us," Spike said.
"That's a good idea," the Light Fury said. "Then you can all look after each other."
Spike's mother nodded in agreement.
And so, the three Night Lights and their Nadder friend stood in a straight line and crouched down.
"On your mark…" Toothless declared slowly. "Get set…"
Then he lifted his head and released a violet plasma blast which blasted into the air.
And with that, Ruffrunner, Dart, Pouncer and Spike took off.
The End