A/N: …I'm not dead. O-o

I am very much alive.

And still waiting for 600 reviews. ;D

ITACLIS MEAN THOUGHTS~!

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Mistyeyes sighed heavily where she sat on the large rock spire, blue eyes weighted down as she stared across the ocean. Nightflight sat silently behind her, eyes downcast as the dragoness refused to look up at the gray Night Fury. It had been silent for a long time, the deafening noise that pressed down on Mistyeyes's ears save for the pounding of the waves down below. Neither of the two had spoken for the length of time that she had been here. But suddenly the dragon's eyes suddenly narrowed, not turning around as she started to speak. "I don't know what you're trying to do." She said simply, Nightflight perking were she sat. "It's not like the people will forgive you for what you've done."

The dragoness's ears flicked back to her head, wincing slightly. "They might not recognize me." She offered, a poor excuse at best. Mistyeyes scoffed, turning and pointedly rolling her eyes at her. Nightflight couldn't see the rude movement, but seemed to catch the drift, shuffling her paws closer to herself nervously. "I know I can be better." She finally sighed, Mistyeyes blinking at the odd amount of tiredness in her voice. "I know I can be better, and I know that I can fix what I've wronged."

Mistyeyes pushed the flash of shock away. "That doesn't change anything." She said, voice barbed with anger. "You've destroyed nearly everything in Berk. They've had more funerals in these past few days than they usually do in a month." The black Night Fury turned away, shoulders hunching as if a great weight suddenly slammed down onto them. But Mistyeyes refused to let her guard down. "Hiccup was nearly killed about a million times because of you. The houses were all burned down, we're just now finishing them up. One of my friends can't even fly now because of your dumb army!" Her voice cracked slightly at this, the dragon choking back the lump that had formed in her throat. "…You broke Toothless's heart." Mistyeyes spat. "And his trust."

For a few minutes, it became silent once more. The waves swallowed up the silence, trying their best to fill it in. But it still pushed down heavily on the pair. Mistyeyes glared sharply over at Nightflight, stare boring into the dragoness's scales. No amount of apology could replace what she had created, Mistyeyes knew that. It would take a miracle for the island to come close to forgive her. And Stoick wasn't exactly the kind of person to 'forgive and forget.' Hiccup might have a reason to trust Nightflight, but the boy had a tendency to get ahead of himself sometimes. Even if he was forgiving to her, that didn't mean the rest of the island would be.

Or what was left of the island, anyway.

"I know." Nightflight said heavily, scarred eyes clouded with misery.

"…You know?" Mistyeyes echoed, voice skeptic.

"Yes." She clarified. "For the longest time, I thought that Toothless was in the wrong. That he left me with a broken heart and didn't even care. But…I realize now that it was the other way around. I was blinded, and I was stupid." She flashed a look over at Mistyeyes, who stared at her oddly. "If the island doesn't forgive me for my past actions, then I'll just have to find out what to do alone." She shrugged listlessly. "I can't count myself part of the Pack anymore. Not after what I've done to them. I've done terrible things to this place, as well. I can't count myself officially a part of Berk until I am forgiven. Until then…I suppose I'm a loner."

The words slipped out before Mistyeyes could stop them. "With good reason."

"I never said it wasn't." Nightflight flashed back, sounding more irritated by now.

Mistyeyes ran out of things to say, ducking her head as she looked away. "…I can't say that you're very safe here." She said finally, Nightflight straightening at this. "At least, not while Hiccup is asleep the way he is. He wont be able to protect you like he has been. If the village finds out you're here…I don't know what you think that you're prepared to do."

Nightflight only shook her head slowly, shrugging once more.

And that was when Mistyeyes realized her answer. If the village found her here, she would do absolutely nothing. Even if she didn't speak out loud, that much was more than certain. If they came at her with swords and cannons, she would just let herself be killed. Mistyeyes could see it now in the way she stood. She was stooped, tired and worn-out. And blind. If Hiccup was unable to protect her, she would lose all hope of surviving. The fight may have ended on Berk, but for her, it seemed to still be going on. She was fighting a losing battle.

And for now, she was fighting it alone.

Because Mistyeyes didn't know how she could help her.

"Well. I brought you food." She sighed, turning and looking over at the half-eaten pile of fish that she had brought with her. "That's all Berk can spare right now." She said, the words barbed with a slight hint of anger. She waited for Nightflight to snap something back to her, but she just mumbled a small thank-you under her breath as she felt her way over to the food cautiously. Mistyeyes watched her, feeling a flash of sick pity for the dragon as she edged her way forward. Probably being on a large rock that was a good few feet above the ocean wasn't such a good place for the blind dragon.

But there wasn't really any other place that she could be without being seen.

"We'd better resolve this soon." Mistyeyes said flatly, wings stretching out at her sides. She paced away from the other dragon, going over and standing near the edge of the cliff. "The longer we wait, the worse off the result will be, in the end." Nightflight curled her tail tighter to herself, giving a small little shiver at the notion. But she remained quiet, staring at Mistyeyes so intently, that the dragon couldn't help but wonder if she really was blind now. A beat of silence went by, and Mistyeyes flicked her ear, growing restless. "Alright, then. I'll be back later, I guess."

"Thanks, Mistyeyes." Nightflight mumbled, stopping the dragoness right as she was about to lift off into the sky. "It means a lot to me. That you would help me…after everything I've done to you."

"You mean to Berk." Mistyeyes corrected frostily.

But Nightflight just shook her head. "No. Not just to Berk. I mean to you specifically. I never was nice to you. Not while we were growing up, not during this whole thing. I feel like I never took time to understand you. All I knew was that…Toothless liked you. And…I liked Toothless." She huffed, almost embarrassed. "You were always better than me, Mistyeyes. No matter what, it always seemed like you were the one that people paid attention to. You were faster than me, more sensible than me." She laughed sadly, shaking her head. "No matter what I did, I always paled in comparison to you."

"That's not true." Mistyeyes growled, voice closing in on itself. "Toothless doesn't love me. The only people his heart belongs to is Hiccup…and you." She blinked, shuffling. "You were always together, I was only there a couple of times. But it's alright. If everything clears up, Toothless will be able to be with you again, and…vice versa." Nightflight tilted her head at this, expression a mask. "Everyone will be happy." Mistyeyes concluded dryly.

"You wont be." Nightflight guessed, voice clipped.

Mistyeyes immediately flared up, blue eyes blazing angrily at once. "Since when do you care?"

Nightflight ducked, refusing to say anything more.

"That's what I thought." Mistyeyes said firmly, anger burning deeply underneath her scales. She huffed shortly, shaking her head from side to side. "You'd better get your thoughts together, Nightflight. We're all sticking out our neck to help you. We can't keep you safe if you don't know where you're supposed to be." She paused a moment, waiting for Nightflight to contradict her. But the Night Fury remained silent, a piteous expression of depression creased over her face. Mistyeyes shook her head, turning swiftly so she didn't have to waste more time.

The sun was starting to slip down underneath the horizon, she was going to be late. Dragons and people alike would start to know of her absence and wonder where she had gotten herself off to. Or worse, they would come out and start looking for her. That was that last thing that anybody needed. Just in case Nightflight didn't catch the hint, she tossed back over her shoulder: "I'm leaving. I'll come back later to check on you." The words were stiff, and a little angry. But she couldn't seem to control her anger by now. She was too confused to watch herself.

Instead, she turned swiftly, pushing off from the rock face and shooting into the air. The freezing cold wind blasted into her like a wall, trying to blow her back down onto the cliff. But Mistyeyes strained, narrowing her eyes as she pushed on through the heavy winds. She left Nightflight behind as fast as she could manage with the gusts, heading back to Berk with a small frown plastered on her face.

A small squeak echoed behind her, the dragon skidding to an abrupt stop. Her eyes widened at the miniscule yelp, whipping around as her eyes scanned the area behind her. Nothing was there. It was completely empty. "…Hello?" She called out, voice being snatched away by the wind. She waited for an answer, heart beating painfully against her ribs. Nobody could see her out here, the whole thing could fall apart if there were any kind of suspicions raised.

But the area looked empty.

A jitter of nerves lanced up her spine, the gray dragon spinning around like a top. She shot away, the renewed sense of fear giving her a flying boost as she shot back towards the direction of Berk. "Hiccup!" She thought fiercely, screaming inside her head as she raced along the ocean. "I really hope you know what you're doing! Because I sure don't!"

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"Come on, you gotta at least try to eat." Astrid urged, blue eyes seeming somewhat pained as she looked at Hiccup. The boy had managed to make it to the Mess Hall with her help, wounds lacing up and down his body stinging with fire as he sat beside the girl. A plate of food lay untouched in front of him, the sight of the meal making his stomach do somersaults. Ludi sat curled up next to him, rubbing her head tenderly against his side every once and a while, the movement making a lash of pain whip around his torso. But he tried not to show it, gritting his teeth together tightly as he held back a cry of pain. He didn't push away Ludi, either. The cat deserved to get back at him for what he had put her through.

Toothless sat with them also. His green eyes bored into Hiccup, but he had stopped pressing the boy for answers. Now all he had in his big eyes was worry and concern. He looked at him human anxiously, letting out a small coo every once in a while. Hiccup flashed the dragon a wide grin, trying to reassure him that he wasn't going to die spontaneously. But when he looked back down at the food, his smile vanished, the boy reaching up and drawing a hand through his hair roughly, mussing it up.

"I guess I'm just not hungry." He mumbled.

"You've been missing for days." Astrid went on, reaching over and putting her hand gently on his own. "You must be at least a little hungry." Hiccup shook his head, feeling slightly dizzy from the movement. He had to find Mistyeyes. He had to see what was happening with Nightflight. The worry was driving him insane, the boy fidgeting uncomfortably in his chair. Astrid took that the wrong way, snatching her hand back quickly. "Oh, I'm sorry." She said in a rush. "Are you okay? Do you want to go back to the Elder's?" She asked.

Hiccup swallowed a lump in his throat, shaking his head. The Elder wasn't even aware that the two had left. She was probably tearing the whole village apart right now, trying to locate Hiccup. The longer he could stay out and try to find Mistyeyes, the better. But he wasn't going to last all that long, it was looking like. His stomach did flips, his shoulder burning with a wild inferno. "I wanna go for a walk." He decided, immediately regretting his words. But Astrid smiled softly at this, so he figured he was stuck now. His eyes flashed over to Toothless, smiling. The dragon hesitated a heartbeat before returning the gesture with his sloppy beam.

"You sure?" Astrid asked, already getting up.

"Positive. Don't I just look the part of an early-morning jogger?" Hiccup asked sarcastically. Astrid rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips as she stood anxiously beside the Viking. He planted his good arm down tightly against the wooden bench, pushing up with a small gasp of surprise. Pain lanced down his side quickly, the teen wincing as he doubled over on himself, almost getting winded by the flash. He'd gotten so comfortable sitting here, he wasn't prepared for the pain for when he got up.

"Hey! You gotta take it easy!" Astrid interjected, reaching over and grabbing Hiccup's good hand tightly in her own. "We don't have to walk if you don't want to. You need to sleep some more." She said, pulling up gently. "Here, Scatterbrain. I'll help you up." Hiccup smiled at the name, changing into a grimace as he forced himself up to his feet. Toothless rushed forward, getting behind Hiccup's back and helping to prop him up. Ludi let out a shrill meow, refusing to be left out as she jumped forward, lancing on Toothless's back expertly. She curled her tail in triumph, grinning smugly as she settled more comfortably on the reptile's scales.

Good job, Ludi.

"You okay?" Astrid asked softly, still clasping his hand in her own by the time he regained his balance. Hiccup sighed, finally finding his footing. He gave a small nod, eye still twitching as his skin pulled uncomfortably. Astrid's eyes roved over his state skeptically, lips pursed. But then she shook her head. "You want to walk around?" She repeated. Hiccup nodded once. She laughed in a huff, "Fine." She giggled. "But let's just take it slow, then. Okay?"

"Slow is good." Hiccup decided, grinning sloppily as he shifted towards the exit of the Mess Hall. Not a lot of Vikings were in the Hall yet, which was good. Hiccup was too worn-out to try and explain his story to anybody. If his father saw him, he would demand answers from Hiccup that he didn't know fully himself. If he couldn't even explain it to Astrid, who he knew wouldn't judge him all that much, how could he even think about trying to communicating it to his father?

His father.

Hiccup closed his eyes, starting to limp towards the exit of the Hall. He was going to be mad. He was going to be furious. He'd gone missing for so long, he couldn't take care of himself very well. He wasn't a good Viking, much less a son of the Chief. The thoughts rained down like hard blows against his heart, making his chest ache even more than it had before. Astrid walked closely to him, acting as a safeguard in case he tripped. Her fingers intertwined with his warmly, the girl casting nervous looks over in his direction. Toothless took up the other side, taking the role as a prop as he brushed up against Hiccup. Ludi observed the scene through half-lidded eyes, looking tired and worn-out all of a sudden.

"You're very brave, you know." Astrid murmured, turning and looking over at him. Her blue eyes were raw with sadness as she took in Hiccup's state. "Even if you don't want to talk about what happened yet…you shouldn't feel bad about whatever it was." Her words surprised Hiccup, the boy blinking rapidly as he searched for something to say. "Whatever is was, you must have been strong to get through it. And you're back now. Nothing else matters."

They were outside now, the sun hidden behind thick gray clouds like it normally was. The air was freezing, the teen's breath furling into little clouds in front of them. It looked like another dreary day in Berk. Go figure. Hiccup crumbled, obviously not comforted by her words as he looked away. He closed his eyes, jaw locking backwards. She wont think the same way when Nightflight was brought into the equation. None of the villagers would.

"Hey!" Astrid snapped, voice tarter than normal. Hiccup perked, turning back and facing her with startled green eyes. The blonde looked at him a little desperately, stopping in her walk as she pulled Hiccup backwards. The boy stopped, dropping his hand from her's and looking at her oddly. Astrid crossed her arms, glaring sharply over at him. "Do you really want me to say it all? Do you still not get it?" She spat, becoming angry. Toothless bristled a little, making a move like he was going to get in between the two. But Ludi, ever the wiser one, let out a sharp hiss, halting the dragon firmly in his steps. Hiccup backtracked a little, bumping nervously into Toothless.

What did he do wrong now?

Astrid was staring at him expectantly. Hiccup realized he was supposed to be answering her question. "Oh. Uh…I guess not?" He tried, wincing.

Astrid's glare deepened. Her eyes glistened angrily. And that's when Hiccup realized she was crying.

Come on, Thor! Really?!

"You don't get it!" Astrid yelled loudly. Hiccup looked around anxiously, thanking his lucky stars that no other Vikings were outside right now. They were all cooped up inside their new houses, shielding from the weather. Just like Hiccup wished he could do right now. "You don't get that not everything is your fault, okay?" Astrid snapped, getting closer and closer as she went on. Hiccup tried to back up, but Toothless was blocking his way. But suddenly, Astrid stopped, eyes widening a fraction as the anger seemed to melt off. "Hiccup…I know that before…you and me…" She trailed off a moment, wringing her hands together worriedly. She closed her eyes. "I wish that I could take back those years when I was so mean to you." She sighed. "If I could change one thing in my life, it would be that. You know that, right?"

"You weren't that mean." Hiccup said in a rush, voice small as he tried to back up again. But that wasn't really true. He remembered one time he had tried to give Astrid a flower that he had picked from the forest. She had, in turn, grabbed it from his hand, threw it on the ground, and jumped up and down on it repeatedly.

So, in a way, he could see where she was coming from.

"But sometimes I think when things like this happen," She gestured around at the rebuilt Village around them. "that all you remember is the time when things were like that. But it's not, Hiccup. Nobody blames you for this, and nobody blames you for whatever happened to you. I might not know what it is, and I might not know why you're so upset over it. And I might never know. But that's okay, because you know what? I don't need to." She reached up, brushing aside her bangs. "Because all I need to know is that you're okay. That's all I care about, Hiccup. Nothing else."

Hiccup blinked, not knowing what else to do besides smile a little it.

Astrid went over, wrapping her arms around him in a soft embrace. She buried her head in his good shoulder, drinking in his presence like her life depended on it. "Nothing else matters except you and me, okay?" She asked. "Don't worry about it. I may not show my feeling a lot of times, Hiccup, but I love you. And seeing you upset makes me feel terrible." Her voice cracked slightly at this, a small tear tracing its way down her cheek.

"Hey." Hiccup said easily, ducking out of her hug and making it so that she was facing him. He reached over, wiping away the watermark on her face. "I'm fine. Look, all smiles, okay?" He prompted, the girl giving him a small smile through her blonde hair. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but Hiccup's eyes softened. "I know." He said, all his bitter feelings washing away like they were in water. He leaned forward, pushing his lips tightly into Astrid's own and ignoring the burn of pain that went through him. Like Astrid said, it didn't matter. Not right now.

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Toothless broke away from the two, coming to the subtle conclusion that they wanted to be alone. Ludi glared sourly at him, as if saying: 'Come on, man. It was just getting good.' But the dragon ignored her rudely, walking over and sitting down near the edge of the island. The silence was comforting. At least his ears weren't filled with battle cries and screaming. For once, it was perfectly still. All the Vikings and dragons had retired away from the oncoming storm, taking shelter in their homes and curling out for a well-deserved sleep.

He was just debating on whether or not to do that himself, when the silence was broken suddenly.

Shadowclaw tore through the grass, eyes crazy and wild as he skidded to a clumsy halt in front of Toothless. He puffed for air, gasping like a fish out of water. He looked like he had just flown around the Earth twice without pausing for a break. "Shadowclaw?" Toothless asked, tilting his head to the side. He hadn't even noticed the youngling's absence. "How long have you been gone? Hiccup is awake now! You missed him!" Toothless said, a surge of affection washing up inside him as he mentioned the fact that his human was going to be alright.

But Shadowclaw rushed through in his words, not even bothering to ask about Hiccup. "Mistyeyes…." He huffed, staggering and stumbling as he tried to speak. "…Saw her leave…" He gasped. "I wanted to figure out where she was going. She looked like she was…in a big hurry." Toothless narrowed his eyes with confusion, Ludi's eyes widening with a sort of clarity. She started shaking her head rapidly at the younger dragon, but Shadowclaw didn't catch the movement. "I followed her. She went out over there!" He said, nodding over in the direction of some of the cliffs on the edge of Berk. "She didn't see me the whole way."

"What happened?" Toothless demanded, already standing up once more.

"She…she suddenly stopped." Shadowclaw said, eyes round and wide. "She landed on one of the cliffs and started talking. She had a bundle of food that she was carrying, she put it down near the edge." Shadowclaw paused, glancing around hurriedly. Whatever it was, he looked pretty worked up. "There was somebody else there." He said, voice dropping. Toothless stiffened at once, eyes widening as he leaned forward. "She talked to them for a long time, I couldn't really hear what they were saying. I got closer, but she was already starting to leave. She said: 'I'll be back later.' and then left. She's coming back here, back to Berk."

"Who was she with?" Toothless asked.

Shadowclaw didn't answer, only staring at him, confused.

"Shadowclaw, who was she with!" Toothless yelled, voice hardening.

Shadowclaw's eyes bulged. "Nightflight."

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A/N: When I see your smile

Tears run down my face…

I can't, replace.

Guardian Angel - Red Jumpsuits

Such a good song, go search it up~!

Long chapter to make up for the other short one! Hope you like! And I hope you all will review tons too! My goal is meeting the minimum of 600 reviews! Please help! I'd be SO happy if I could reach that number~!