A/N: I had to go to the dentist today and get spacers in my teeth. Ouch. I also had to do those icky-tasting impressions. But I was such of a baby, they used the kid flavors on me and made it taste like Strawberries and Watermelons. :3
On another note, I'm aware now that I've been focusing more on the dragons in the past chapter than the humans. So I wanted to fix that right here. Let me screw on my creative helmet right now…
Who here has seen Doctor Horrible's Sing-A-Long blog? :D
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"I cannot believe this!" Hiccup whispered harshly to himself, a frown weighing down his face glumly. The group of teenagers that he usually hung out with had moved their table, not even looking up as he came into the mess hall. "…What's wrong with everybody?" Hiccup asked himself, standing in the doorway like an idiot. "I didn't even do anything wrong. Why is everybody freaking out at me?" Looking down dejectedly, he scuffed the tip of his boot in the dirt, suddenly not all that hungry anymore. If the other people in the village saw him sitting alone at his old table, they would know for sure something was wrong. At least, that's what Hiccup figured.
Blowing out his cheeks, Hiccup watched for a moment more, stomach churning as he watched the back of Astrid's head hopefully, waiting for her to turn around. But as if she sensed his gaze, her shoulders hunched, refusing to turn and meet his eyes. Ruffnut, who was sitting across from her, saw Hiccup looking, the girl blinking as she straightened. Hiccup started, looking at her questioningly, but if Ruffnut was in on Astrid's anger, she wasn't showing it as obviously as her friend was. The blonde just shook herself, looking back down and starting to eat her dinner.
Huffing softly, Hiccup turned, walking the opposite direction of the other villagers arriving for dinner. Weaving through the crowd, Hiccup started down the hill aimlessly. Even the other dragons were trotting off to eat, pretty soon he was going to be the only person still out here. Wincing, Hiccup got out of the way of the others, stepping aside and watching them go. Foot tapping slowly, Hiccup's prediction became true, the village was deserted. A few sheep were still mulling about, braying to one another and chewing up grass with loud smacks. Looking around, Hiccup tried to think of something else he could do than just standing here.
A small noise behind him made him jump a foot into the air. Whirling around, Hiccup started, tense. But he relaxed at once as he saw Ludi standing a ways away from him, eyes shining as she bounded over to him, tail raised in the air. Her blue eyes searched his own as she came to a stop at his feet, plopping down on the ground and kneading the grass excitedly. "Oh!" Hiccup said, slightly caught off-guard. Leaning over, he knelt down on the grass in front of her, reaching over and stroking his hand across her fluffy fur. "There you are! I've been wondering what you've been up to!"
The cat didn't seem to mind the long pause between their relationship, her purr loud enough for Hiccup to hear it a mile away. Worries washing away at once, Hiccup breathed out a small laugh, smiling wide as he felt affection rush up in his throat. "Sorry I haven't been around." He added, glancing over his shoulder. "It's been crazy around here." Pausing he went on, more angrily now. "And now everybody is mad at me for no reason, so there's that again."
Ludi flicked her tail, as if to say: 'Well that doesn't matter now. Keep petting me.' The thought made a smile twitch across Hiccup's face. "Anyway, we have a lot to catch up on now, don't we?" He asked, reaching over and scooping Ludi up to hold her tightly in his arms. "Let's go back to the house, I don't want to-" He broke off, mouth snapping closed as he saw forms rushing up to him. Recognizing the shapes, Hiccup shifted Ludi, trying to organize her somewhere that was comfortable for him to hold her.
But old habits died hard. Ludi's claws slid out at once, the cat clawing her way painfully up to Hiccup's shoulder, tail lashing back and forth happily. Hiccup gasped at once, twisting and almost buckling under the now-grown cat's weight. Wincing, Hiccup stretched his neck awkwardly to the side, quite painful actually. But Ludi was satisfied, the cat's nose tilted to the sky triumphantly, claws sticking and burning into Hiccup's skin. "Sure." Hiccup grimaced, shooting a glare at the cat, who was oblivious.
Mistyeyes and Toothless rushed up to Hiccup, hopping to a stop in front of him. Looking at the two, Hiccup felt a flash of jealousy as he saw that they were standing close together, the argument they had had before seeming to have disappeared from their mind. But looking at Mistyeyes, Hiccup realized with a jolt that he had been avoiding her before now. That option was gone now.
"Hiccup!" Mistyeyes puffed, eyes sparkling. Toothless blinked, looking between the two skeptically, ear twitching.
"Look at the time!" Hiccup yelled, looking up at the cloudy sky rapidly. "I've got to get to dinner, what am I doing just sitting around here, I've gotta go…" Pausing for a moment, he jerked into motion spinning around and retracing his steps back to the mess hall. Ludi squealed, crouching down and clinging to Hiccup's shoulder with a startled expression. It was obvious she figured out the reason she hadn't gotten on Hiccup's shoulder for a long time. "You're too big." He said, glancing over at her, neck still bent. "You could do this when you were little, but not anymore."
Mistyeyes blinked, turning to Toothless. "You should go eat." When Toothless looked as though he would object, she added. "I'll meet you up there, alright? Calm down, I'll make sure Hiccup gets to the hall as well." Looking slightly wounded, Toothless turned, rushing forward and making for the dining hall. Watching him for a moment, Mistyeyes bounded after Hiccup, calling his name once more.
Stifling a sigh, Hiccup turned around, waiting almost-patiently as Mistyeyes started for him. Looking over at Ludi with an irritated expression, he muttered under his breath. "Toothless never bothered me as much as she does right now." Though the comment was a little uncalled for, Hiccup realized he had been neglecting Toothless just as much as Ludi. Something that made him feel guilty as he watched Toothless disappear over the hill. He hadn't been himself lately, that much was certain.
"Hiccup!" Mistyeyes gasped, finally reaching him. "You're fast." She puffed.
"There's a first." Hiccup mumbled to himself.
"Anyway! Did you talk to your father yet?" Mistyeyes smiled eagerly at him. "I really think that if both sides of us are working together, we can beat the other Night Furies, wouldn't that be great?" She broke off, narrowing her eyes in concern as she saw his expression. "Hiccup, what's the matter? He did say he would help us, right?"
Her words sounded muted, like Hiccup was underwater. Pushing it away, Hiccup squinted, straining in order for him to make sense of what she was saying. "Uh- right." He said, straightening. "No, I'm fine. The thing is. It's really funny." He started gesturing with his hands, as he always did when he got nervous. "…I don't KNOW where my dad is right now…he's gone…"
Mistyeyes looked miffed. "Isn't he just in the Hall?" She asked, looking at him like he was stupid.
"He doesn't eat dinner on Tuesdays." Hiccup said bluntly.
"…Huh." Mistyeyes murmured, looking confused. "That's a little weird."
"Yup, gotta go!" Hiccup turned and broke into a clumsy run, rushing away before she could say anything else.
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The next day was cloudy and the air smelled distinctly like rain. Hiccup woke up just as the sun was making a small pink streak across the sky. Getting dressed, Hiccup immediately turned around, looking in the corner that Toothless usually slept in. The Night Fury was currently curled up into a tight ball, even he wasn't up at this hour yet. The thought made Hiccup grimace. The last time the boy had taken Toothless out for a flying session was when they first found the female Night Fury. Hiccup didn't count the time that Toothless got mad at him.
Well, he wasn't going to let his buddy get even more neglected. Marching forward, Hiccup crouched down, reaching over and poking his head softly. "Toothless." He whispered, pausing as he waited for the dragon to react. But the dragon remained asleep, his paw tucked over his nose comfortably. The sight made Hiccup even more aware of his heavy eyelids, but he shook himself roughly. "Toothless!" He yelled in the dragon's ear, now understanding why the Night Fury sometimes needed to use force to get him up in the morning. It's harder to wake somebody up than it looked.
Toothless jerked, bristling and lashing his tail back and forth rapidly. His green eyes were panicked until he mat gazes with Toothless. Panic turned to irritation, and Hiccup was almost expecting the cross flick of Toothless's tail across his chest. Wincing slightly, Hiccup brushed it away, immediately smiling one again. "C'mon, Toothless!" He said, reaching over and bopping the dragon on the head. "I thought that today we could go out and fly! What do you say?" He chirped, getting to his feet and smiling at the happy gleam in the dragon's eye.
"We should go before Ludi-" He broke off, spotting the cat out of the corner of his eye. The small thing uncurled, stretching with a wide yawn as she sat up. Ears flicking, the cat looked up at him expectantly, purring. Eyes flickering over to Toothless, he walked forward, patting the cat's head. "C'mon, Ludi." He said encouragingly. "You hate flying. We'll be right back, why don't you just-" He stiffened as the smaller cat hissed loudly at him. She then proceeded to jump up onto Hiccup's shoulder and nest herself comfortably down. There wasn't any say in this, she was obviously coming whether Hiccup wanted it or not. "Oh well." He sighed. "One more passenger, Toothless."
Seeming unbothered by it, Toothless hopped to his feet, pelting in front of Hiccup and rushing out of the house in the blink of an eye. After months of learning, Toothless could now sneak out of the house without so much as making a small bump to wake people. Considering the way he hops up and down on the roof to wake him up, Hiccup wasn't all that sure why that skill would be needed. Shrugging it off, Hiccup trailed after Toothless, pushing open the door and stepping outside.
Looking up, Hiccup saw that the clouds were slowly rolling in, thunder rumbling a tale of rain in the distance. It would wash away the last remains of the attack, that much was certain. Toothless had his nose lifted to the air, clearly thinking the same thing as his eyes became slightly clouded. "Alright!" Hiccup said, snapping the dragon out of his thoughts. "Let's get going, right?" Toothless purred, nodding affirmatively. Seeing it made Hiccup smile. It was just like going out in the old times, no more confusion or other people to get-
"Toothless! What are you doing up?" Hiccup jumped, turning around and seeing Mistyeyes bouncing towards the Night Fury. She spoke merrily, her eyes sparkling. She showed no sign of being tired, despite the fact that the sun wasn't even up yet. Toothless looked her up and down, glancing over at Hiccup questioningly. The boy wiped away his emotions, making himself look blank and normal.
Turning back, Toothless shrugged. "I could ask you the same thing." He said lightly.
"Oh, I've been fishing for eels for a long time now. Since before you even thought of waking up."
Toothless's eyes flew open. "Eels!" He repeated. "Why would you do that!"
"Oh, we're going to line the island with them in an effort to keep the Night Furies out." Mistyeyes explained, laughter hidden in her voice. "It's the best thing we could think of to keep them out. We're just going to line the village with a bunch of eels."
"There's not enough eels to go around." Toothless said fairly.
"Maybe, but it's the best we can do." Changing the subject, she went on. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going flying with Hiccup." Toothless said, jerking his head back to gesture back at his human. "We haven't gone out together alone for a long time." He put emphasis on We, looking at her differently to make sure she didn't get any ideas. Mistyeyes blinked, smiling as a sign that she got what he meant. Nodding once, Mistyeyes tried to catch Hiccup's eye, but the boy busied himself by latching on Toothless's saddle, watching his hands working intently.
"Alright." Mistyeyes said happily, unfazed. "I'll let you get to it then. Those eels wont catch themselves." At this, she shivered slightly, making as face. "It's difficult to fish without biting into them, after this I'll have to wash my paws thoroughly, right? Have fun, Toothless, hope you don't get rained out." Toothless pricked his ears, as if trying to decide if she was being sarcastic. But the female only dipped her head, spinning around and charging back away in direction of the forest.
Hiccup moved to stand beside Toothless's head, craning his neck as he spotted a growing-pile of eels stacked up in the middle of the village. "She's made progress, you have to admit it." Toothless grunted in acknowledgment, shuffling his paws on the ground impatiently. Glancing up at the sky, Hiccup felt a little nervous at the clouds hanging over the village darkly. Humidity weighed heavily in the air, Hiccup's shirt sticking to him even now. It was early, he didn't want to see what would happen later in the day. "Maybe we shouldn't go out." He said hesitantly.
Toothless looked over at him pleadingly. "It's only for a little while!" He objected.
Hiccup blinked, weighing his options in his mind. "…Alright." He said finally. "After all, I guess it wont take that long, right?" When Toothless nodded vigorously, Hiccup grabbed Toothless's saddle, hoisting himself up clumsily. Gritting his teeth together, Hiccup didn't bother to strap himself in, he never did when he went flying with Toothless anymore. They always tried to master the trick of jumping off and back on, if he was strapped in, he wouldn't be able to jump off. But suddenly, he remembered something.
Looking down, Hiccup almost unconsciously pushed his foot into the holder. But the holder was gone, Toothless didn't have his red tail anymore, he had kept it this time. Sighing lightly, Hiccup turned back, muttering softly to himself. "I guess the trick wont be as special now…" He had meant to say it so Toothless wouldn't hear, but Hiccup saw the dragon's ears lie flat against his head. Looking back down dejectedly, he inhaled largely. It would be weird for him not to control Toothless anymore, to let the dragon do whatever he wanted.
"Go." He said quietly, eyes downcast now. Ludi shuffled forward to sit in between Hiccup's lap and Toothless's head, gripping the leather saddle tightly. When Toothless didn't move, Hiccup spoke up. "Go!" He yelled, feeling the wind stir up an emotion in him. He felt light, like he always did when he went flying. Toothless picked up on it as well, shooting into the air and swooping up into the sky like a hawk. Ludi immediately squealed, clinging for life onto the dragon.
Why did she even want to come anyway?
Hiccup held onto Toothless with one hand, onto Ludi with the other. Juggling his two friends, Hiccup felt frazzled, teeth grinding together and eyes wide. Toothless's wings were like a blur, the dragon spinning and twirling in midair, obviously not conscious of Hiccup's struggle. But Hiccup could not ignore the happy fluttering in his chest, something he hadn't felt in a while. He left all his worries on the ground, in the sky, nothing could go wrong.
Toothless gave a high chirp, the dragon halting in his spins and twists as he looked back to Hiccup with a smile. Blinking, Hiccup smirked back, looking down and picking up Ludi in his arms. The cat yowled with surprise, claws sticking out and clawing into Hiccup's shirt in an effort to cling on to her human. Getting up, Hiccup balanced shakily on the dragon, Ludi yowling and spitting with rage. Toothless bucked, giving Hiccup an extra boost as the boy launched himself up into the air.
Ludi went completely still, probably watching her life flash in front of her eyes. Hiccup laughed, holding her against his chest tightly as he started to fall. Toothless folded his wings, following Hiccup down as the two rocketed to the ground. Humid wind slapping against his face, Hiccup smiled, green eyes closing. Ludi perked, blinking as she looked back and forth at Hiccup and Toothless. She leaned forward slightly, looking down to the sea, which was getting closer and closer. Looking back, she glared at the two with daggers, her eyes obviously saying: "You guys are idiots."
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A/N: I'm sorry. I don't like the ending either. But I really have to leave right this second.
Please review! I thought the last few chapters were too sad, so here is my gift of happiness!