A/N: Alright, after this chapter, I'm closing the poll~! So all y'all who haven't voted yet and are wanting their opinions made to me…better hurry up! ;)
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It was slow going, walking down these tunnels. She could have quickened her pace, she could have even broken into a brisk run at this point. After all, it didn't matter she couldn't see farther than her own nose; she knew these caverns like the back of her claw. She didn't need to think in order to weave through the long passageways. She merely let her feet guide her accordingly, nose wriggling fussily as she sniffed the air a little wearily. While she knew the tunnels themselves, she didn't know who was still inside of them. And considering that she had gotten a ways away from the others, she figured she might as well consider herself to be a little more careful.
Nightflight gave out a heavy sigh, ears flicking this way and that as she listened to the huff bounce back and forth on the cave walls. The groan echoed around her, filling the once-empty place with its reverberation. She was almost thankful as she listened to it start to fade, the growing silence had started to unnerve her. But soon enough, the interruption faded as well, and she was plunged back into the quiet once again. She twitched crossly, rolling her sightless eyes as she forced herself farther along.
Funny, she thought dryly. She'd journeyed away into the tunnels because she had wanted a sense of peace and quiet. The horde of Night Furies had been suffocating, especially when they made a point to come over and talk to her individually. Their words were always the same: how they were wrong about her, how they were excited for Berk, how they wished her a better life now that she'd changed. While the words were meant to be encouraging, Nightflight could only flinch away from them. While they were meant to be encouraging or friendly, it only did the opposite for her. She didn't have to be reminded that all this was her fault; so she had slipped away when nobody was looking.
And now, finally getting the much-needed peace and quiet…Nightflight found that she hated the feeling of being alone. She let out another sigh, just for the purpose of creating another noise. Creating yet another barrage of noise, she put her feet down on the stone a littler harder as she walked. The stomps did little to create a very soothing noise - she wouldn't be able to hear someone behind her as well- she didn't stop. Trailing her tail to the left, she felt the wall start to slope over to the side, the Night Fury turning accordingly so that she could follow the path she was thinking through in her mind.
As she proceeded down the tunnel, Nightflight gave an uneasy mummer to herself as she let her mind flash back to the past events. Running through her mind rapidly, the dragoness reflected over how fast things had picked up since they'd come back to the Night Fury island. Thinking back to it now, she realized that it was kind of easy to have changed the mind of the others in the Pack. Of course, back then, it felt like they had to do every single thing in order to get them to turn around. But really, all they had done was use common sense. All they really had to do was demonstrate what was possible with humans.
And the dragons that had come from Berk were obviously happy with most of the Pack deciding to come back and join them. Shadowclaw had rallied up a large group of younglings with him last night, leading them away and coaching them eagerly on the benefits, fun, usefulness, and overall cute way of smiling. He'd been very serious, Nightflight recalled with a flash of amusement. While she hadn't been able to watch him, she could hear the firmness in his voice as he paced back and forth among the group. He'd spent far too much time among the others, stalling by saying things like: "Too wide" or "You're trying way too hard." And while it might have just been for logical reasons like he said, Nightflight thought that he had just said those things so that he could spend more time with the others in the Pack.
Mistyeyes was no exception, Nightflight thought with a flash of indignant irritation. The dragoness hardly made time for herself anymore; she was always flocking this way and that with the other Night Furies. The dragons fawned over her like she was some kind of savoir now, and the dragon was usually crowded over by her followers. Though it had only been a short while since they decided to join, the Night Furies were acting as though Mistyeyes had never left. She was still the perfect Night Fury she'd always been, and she was obviously trying to regain her footing as leader.
Toothless was still a little weary about the newcomers. He'd never voiced his suspicious or his thoughts outwardly to her, but Nightflight could tell in the way that he walked or spoke. His voice was oddly curt as he spoke to the Night Furies, but he was never unfriendly. It was more like the male was dealing with a visitor that never seemed to leave him alone, like he would speak to Shadowclaw after the youngling had been yapping for over five minutes.
The side was odd for Toothless; Nightflight would have thought that he would be anxious to catch up with old friends. After all, once upon a time, he had lived here and had a life in the tunnels as well. But Toothless seemed far more comfortable around Hiccup or Astrid than he did with the others, and she couldn't blame him for it. Despite the way that he lived here for years and years, he must feel like an outcast. He probably thought himself a stranger. And Nightflight couldn't blame him at all for thinking that way.
She guessed that was just another way she could relate to the male. In these masses of dragons, she should have been overjoyed. She should be yowling her happiness up into the air considering that nearly everybody had forgiven her completely for the mistakes she had made. But the triumph that she should feel was running dry. She had felt her brief flash of happiness, and she had momentarily forgotten everything that had taken place, letting the sun shine on her scales blissfully in the warm feeling of kinship. She'd forgotten the feeling of friendship, at least, she had ever since Hiccup had come back to Toothless in these very caves so long ago. Wouldn't it make sense to revel in it for as long as she could?
But she pushed the thought away quickly, closing her sightless eyes tightly as she took in a slow breath. She couldn't let herself feel happy…she wouldn't let herself feel relief. She didn't deserve anything like that. This was all her fault after all. What would be happening right now if she hadn't gone to Berk in pursuit of Toothless?
Hiccup would be back home with his friends and family, and his bond with the Night Fury wouldn't be so complicated as it was now. Mistyeyes would still reign true over all the Night Furies; she would still be looked up to and idolized because of her strength, power, and wisdom. Shadowclaw would be back with his mother, who he was avoiding at all costs right now. The youngling wouldn't need to hide away from his old family like he was some kind of outcast, clamming himself up whenever they came close. He could even be closer to Leafdapple, considering the way that he would have grown up alongside her. Astrid would be able to fly with her Nadder like she used to, and Toothless wouldn't be so worried about…well, everything.
Lives would be so much easier if she hadn't decided to stick her nose into everything.
She plodded on wearily, trying to focus on where she was heading but not really tracking herself as carefully she as had before. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts right now; the longer she took in getting back to the others, the longer time she would have to calm down. And she guessed that with her whole dilemma going on right now with her confusion over her powers, Nightflight figured the more controlled she could get herself, the better off everyone could be.
But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, a mummer of voices met the female's sharpened ears. She stiffened at once, raising her head as she listened hard. Sure enough, a patter of footsteps were making their way over in her direction, steadily getting louder and louder as whoever it was came closer. Hastily, Nightflight started to backtrack, nerves immediately spiking at the thought of interaction. She had wanted to be alone, and this wasn't at all what she had been planning. The tunnels had sounded like they were empty for the longest time; she must not have been trying listening out as well as she thought she had.
She considered doubling back to escape the prying eyes, but she didn't have nearly enough time to do anything but stand there and listen. And as the footsteps came closer, Nightflight felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she realized there was no way out. Standing stiff as a board, the dragoness winced as she heard the steps falter. And by the sound of their footsteps, Nightflight could guess that whoever it was was just a few feet ahead of her. If she remembered the tunnels right, they would have just emerged from one of the branching passageways.
A tense beat of silence passed, and Nightflight swallowed nervously as she tried to figure out who it was that had barged in on her. She sniffed the air wearily, trying to concentrate. But the dragons' smells seemed to fade away in the clear atmosphere of the cave around them. And besides, even Nightflight had started to take on the airy sort of smell that the cave home offered to them. She doubted that she would be able to discern one smell from another anyway; she had been gone far too long to be able to do anything like that.
Finally, confirming her fears of who it might be, one of the dragons spoke up. "What're you doing all the way out here, Nightflight?" Mistyeyes's voice was kind enough, the dragon making it clear that she wasn't being harsh as she took care in softening her voice. Nightflight heard the dragoness swipe her tail neatly through the air, and she could just imagine the gray female sitting down neatly, wrapping her tail over her paws.
Despite the fact that the female was obviously trying to make friends, Nightflight scowled angrily at the comment. She lashed her tail, claws slipping out of their sheathes as she felt irritation burn through her scales. "You think just because I can't see, I'm helpless?" She snapped, thought her voice lacked her old kind of fury that it used to hold. Toothless, who stood awkwardly on Mistyeyes's right side, twitched oddly at the female's tone. It was like Nightflight was wishing to be angry, but just didn't have the strength anymore to convey her feelings. It was hollowly angry, like a roar that didn't have an echo to it.
Mistyeyes started at the response, eyes widening a fraction at the harsh words. "Of course I don't." She said, tilting her head to the side and looking at Nightflight curiously. "I just meant that it surprised me, that's all. I thought you were told by Hiccup that you should go and talk to everyone in the crowd." She inclined her head to the tunnel that Nightflight had come from, realizing only a moment later that she wouldn't have been able to see the gesture. Fumbling with embarrassment, and hoping that Nightflight didn't catch her blunder, she swept on quickly. "I guess you finished?" The question had an awkward sort of ring to it, Mistyeyes wincing a little as Nightflight soured at it.
"Yes, I did." She said stiffly, still bristling. "I came out here to get some peace and quiet."
Mistyeyes shuffled her paws, glancing over at Toothless a little desperately. But the Night Fury only shook his head, not wanting to get in the middle of them two. He only stood a little closer to the gray-scaled dragon, flashing Nightflight a slightly reproachful look, as if she could see it. Casting Toothless a slightly frustrated look, Mistyeyes cleared her throat before turning back to the black dragoness in front of her. "Well…you must have some other reason for coming out here." She mumbled. "After all - we're going to leave soon. Why risk being left behind just for some kind of calm moment that you're obviously not going to get?"
Nightflight's eyes hardened, but she grumbled out after a heartbeat: "I'm looking for someone."
At this, Mistyeyes straightened. "Really?" She asked suddenly, blue eyes lighting up with a small spark of interest.
Toothless looked over at her quickly, trying to shush her with the expression he shot her way. It wasn't like he didn't like Nightflight…okay, it wasn't the whole reason. He wanted to be alone with Mistyeyes for a while, just like Nightflight wanted to be alone with herself. Pretty soon, they would leave the island for Berk, and then they would be forced to be with all the other dragons all the time. They would have to go around the crowd looking for injuries or problems, they'd have to crowd together at night and sleep with the others, and they might even have to go and answer questions ,or be with the Pack members one-on-one sometimes.
When they left this island, there would be little chance for personal moments. And while the thought was a little off-topic considering that they had a big issue at hand right now…Toothless just wanted to take opportunities while they were here. They might not get any more. Or whatever ones would come there way, it'd only be for a short while. Responsibilities and duties would stand in their way, and while Toothless wasn't complaining about that part, he knew it would be tough going. He wanted to make sure that Mistyeyes was okay before they had to get moving.
He couldn't do that if the gray dragon was so intent on talking to Nightflight.
The dragon in question gave a hesitant nod in Mistyeyes's general direction. "Yeah." She said, voice a little clipped. She shifted, wings twitching a little uneasily at her side. "The ones that rejected our offer when we all voted." She clarified after a moment, Mistyeyes tilting her head to the side with confusion at the statement. "I think they should get another chance to think it over. I wanna make sure no dragon regrets the choice they made. Better to ask one more time and get rejected rather than leave and…never know." Her voice tapered off a little at the end, the dragoness wilting somewhat as her shoulders drooped.
Mistyeyes blinked thoughtfully for a moment or two, mulling it over in her head. "I see." She said finally, blinking rapidly as she straightened. She turned over to Toothless, a hint of determination settling in her eyes. "Nightflight's got the right idea, I think." She said, confirming Toothless's inward dreading as she nodded firmly to herself. But before the male could reply, Mistyeyes turned back to Nightflight, hesitating for a moment before branching out. "Er…could we come with you?" She asked.
Immediately, Nightflight went rigid once more. She looked like she was about to consider clawing off the female's ears, but Mistyeyes pressed forward quickly. "Hiccup told us to take role before we gave the all-clear to leave." She said, voice harder now as she narrowed her eyes. Toothless eyed her with slight disbelief; why was she so fixed on being with Nightflight? It was more than obvious she'd rather not have their company. "And besides, if they get hostile, you'll need more people with you."
Nightflight fumed angrily, glowering in their direction as she didn't reply. But then she growled, stalking past them expertly as she started back into the tunnel behind the two. "Fine." She growled over her shoulder, not even glancing back at the two Night Furies as she plunged down the corridor. Mistyeyes leapt to her feet, turning around swiftly as she tried to catch up to dragon.
"C'mon!" She called back to Toothless. The Night Fury was beside himself with irritation, fuming underneath his scales as he wore a frustrated grimace. But as Mistyeyes slapped him on shoulder with her tail, he turned with a small sigh. Following after the two females with a resigned expression on his face, already hearing Mistyeyes before he caught up to them.
The gray dragoness had fallen into step beside Nightflight, blue eyes inquisitive as she looked the girl up and down. Nightflight was obviously more than aware of the gaze trained on her, twitching every so often as she gave another bad-tempered scowl. But the moodiness obviously did little to put off Mistyeyes, and not for the first time did Toothless wonder what was in her head.
Obviously, Nightflight was wondering the same thing. "What?" She spat crossly.
Toothless drew himself up quickly, eyes narrowing as he readied to spring to Mistyeyes's defense. But his friend spoke up before he could, reaching out and placing her tail comfortingly on his side before he could say anything. She flicked her ears dismissively, letting go of her hostility as she calmed down before replying. "Nothing." She said, voice easy as she went on after a moment's pause. "I was just thinking about how impressive you are." Nightflight perked at this, shooting her a look between anger and surprise. "It must not have been easy, after all. Loosing your sight and everything." She paused, hissing lowly as she swerved around a rock that was jutting out of the cave wall. Toothless bumped into her as he tried to avoid the obstruction as well, and it took a while for the female to right herself. "…But you seem to have adjusted really well." She concluded, a little breathless by now.
Nightflight flicked an ear, sightless eyes going over and training so squarely on her, that Mistyeyes had to stop and remind herself that she couldn't really see. The dragon took her time in replying, mulling over her response before she did anything else. And when she replied, her voice was low and muffled. Mistyeyes would have to strain to hear the emotion that lied underneath. "Thank you." She said curtly, mumbling as she looked straight forward once again.
"…How'd you do it?" She pressed, looking at her curiously.
Nightflight sighed silently at the question, closing her eyes and shaking her head. Feeling as though she had struck a nerve with that last one, Mistyeyes's ears flattened to her head as she opened her mouth to apologize. But before she could even manage to get a single word out, Nightflight cleared her throat thickly. "It's not all that different." She said, voice still carefully guarded as she answered. "I just…adjusted." She paused, thinking, before: "The hardest part was when it first happened. It really hurt."
"I'd imagine." Mistyeyes said, eyes sympathetic.
Nightflight suddenly turned sharply, veering off to the right as she chose a different tunnel. Mistyeyes stopped, stunned as she looked doubtfully over at Toothless. But the Night Fury only shrugged; even if she was just wandering around aimlessly, they couldn't just let her go off alone. They had to follow her either way. Mistyeyes threw him an exasperated look before heading after Nightflight, realizing that the female was still talking. "But it's not like I can complain about it." She said heavily. "After all, considering all this is my fault, I deserved something like this."
"You shouldn't think so lowly of yourself." To her surprise, Toothless was the one to speak.
The female only shook her head. "You did. Why can't I?"
"That was a little different." He explained uncomfortably.
"And besides," Mistyeyes said swiftly. "everything has changed now. Nobody blames you anymore, so you shouldn't either. And just think: we're going to get back to Berk soon!" She pushed forward, bumping her shoulder against Nightflight's almost affectionately as she tried to cheer up the other. "You shouldn't feel so down, Nightflight! We've got a lot going for us right now! We'll get back to Berk and have the humans welcome us with open arms! We'll show all the other Night Furies that are willing to change how great it can be there, and everything will work out."
"You seem awfully sure of yourself." Nightflight commented, choosing out another tunnel mid-sentence.
Mistyeyes paused, watching the female skeptically before following her a little reluctantly. "…well…yeah." She agreed, glancing over her shoulder as they left the passageway for another. She pushed the thought away quickly though, deciding that them wandering around wouldn't be too much of a speed bump. After all, they probably had plenty of time before they were supposed to leave for Berk. And it wasn't like Hiccup would leave without them. "Someone has to be. And it's not just for show, either." She went on firmly, eyes narrowing. "I'll do anything it takes to make sure that we succeed with what we're trying to do."
Nightflight wasn't impressed. "Sometimes 'anything' doesn't cut it." She murmured softly.
She turned once again, picking out yet another tunnel. By now, Toothless lost his patience. "Do you even know where you're going?" He demanded, voice filled to the brim with anxious irritation. "We can't afford to get lost now, Hiccup was just starting to call everyone together when we left!" Mistyeyes looked back at him, eyes growing considerably larger as she realized he was right. They hadn't had a lot of time to begin with when they left. How much did they have left now?
But the dragon in question barely even twitched at the question. She flicked her tail dismissively at the question. "Of course I know where I'm going, fire-brain!" She snapped, proving her point as she started to quicken her pace. "I don't need to see to know where I'm going! I've lived in these tunnels my entire life, I know them like the back of my claw." She drew herself up, looking very confident as she changed directions yet again. Mistyeyes and Toothless were struggling to keep up by now. "I know exactly where I'm going." Nightflight growled touchily.
Mistyeyes was even more shocked by this. "That's amazing!" She gasped.
"Not really." Nightflight replied shortly. "It's just memory."
The pale dragon became quiet for a moment, taking to plodding along in silence. Toothless walked closely by her side, scales brushing her own as their legs moved together like a mirror image. She softened at this, a ghost of a smile flitting over her features as she glanced at him. But she shook herself out of the haze, tearing her gaze away and fitting it back on Nightflight. She was really anxious to make sure that there were no hard feelings between them; now that Nightflight showed no other hints that her behavior might be fake, Mistyeyes was determined to become much more friendly with her. After all, none of what they had done would have been possible without the female's determination and sacrifice.
And after all she'd been through, Mistyeyes could think of nobody else in the entire world who deserved a friend more than Nightflight did right now.
"So…where're we off to?" She asked brightly.
Nightflight hesitated, once again reluctant to speak. "If I remember right, there's a tunnel right up ahead here." She explained thoughtfully, sightless eyes narrowed with concentration. "Fleetfoot really liked it when we were growing up. I wasn't as close friends with him as I was with…" She trailed off uncomfortably, blanching for a moment as she floundered. Mistyeyes grimaced a little as she glanced at Toothless, wondering if Nightflight would get too upset to speak. But the Night Fury picked up her speech before too long. "But he always liked to spend time here. I never really followed him in…actually, I think I made fun of him for being of on his own so often." Her eyes softened at this, voice becoming much more distant as she remembered the old days. "But he always told me that it was a good place to be. That it was a long way off, and that nobody ever really went there. Apparently there's a big hole in the cave roof. It was a huge space that showed the stars up above. Mind you, I think he just liked the place so he could sneak out through the gap."
Mistyeyes blinked, surprised. Nightflight must have fallen deep into her memories if she was going to start joking with her. Intentional or not, the tease warmed Mistyeyes from ears to tail-tip. The thought of Nightflight starting to warm up to her little by little was enough for now. And so was the relaxed tone that the female seemed to have adopted. Though she was still hostile and snapping, it seemed to be a different kind of hostility. Maybe a more stubborn one, one that wasn't really meant to harm. Or maybe Mistyeyes was just over-thinking it. "Sounds like you two were good enough friends." She hedged out.
Nightflight was roused out of her thoughts, blinking rapidly as she turned towards Mistyeyes. At first, her face was blank. Expressionless as a plank of wood. But then her eyes flashed, and Mistyeyes could have sworn that there was a hint of smile in her features. "More like accomplices." She commented a little dryly.
Toothless snorted with amusement. "You can say that again." He teased. Nightflight drew herself up, almost like she was offended at the laugh. But as Toothless went on, she relaxed, caught off-guard. "It's coming back to me." The dragon laughed. "I think you were the two that were always pulling pranks. Didn't you put a thistle in my nest that one time?" Mistyeyes bubbled over with laughter at the mental image, and Nightflight's eyes cleared somewhat. "Yeah, I think that was you!" He flicked the tip of his tail. "You were always teasing everyone, Nightflight. Especially me." Toothless added.
"I couldn't help it when you made it so easy." Nightflight replied, step becoming lighter as she joked along.
"Oh come on." Toothless said swiftly. "Mistyeyes was a much easier target than I was to make fun of."
"Don't I know it!" Mistyeyes exclaimed, rolling her eyes. She leaned over, ramming her side against Toothless's as she threw him a mock-glare. "Don't play so innocent. I still remember the times when you and Nightflight would gang up on me. I remember a couple of times when Talon had to step in and save me! You two were like the bane of my existence."
"Hang on, I think we deserve a little bit more credit than that." Toothless said critically. He turned, craning his neck so that he could see Nightflight over Mistyeyes's back. "I still think we're doing a pretty good job now. We're still keeping up that title, aren't we Nightflight?" The prompt came a little more quieter than his last statement, and his green eyes held a small trace of apprehension.
Mistyeyes turned as well, looking over at Nightflight and waiting for her reaction. It was obvious that Toothless had started this because he was taking Mistyeyes's lead. Whether or not he truly wanted to be friendly with Nightflight was beyond Mistyeyes, but she was glad that he was tying to lay off being so angry towards her. Being hostile and abrasive towards the female wasn't helping at all with the way that she felt about herself, and if they were always fighting, how would they ever learn to work together?
Nightflight never got the chance to reply. A yowl rang out around them, and the trio turned towards the voice, alarm flashing in their eyes. Aggressive eyes gleamed off to the side, and Mistyeyes immediately recognized the large, circular hole in the roof above them. Nightflight's hunch had been right after all. "What're you doing here?" The snarl came from the corner, and Mistyeyes turned to look angrily in the direction of Frost. As usual, the male was lashing out in hopes for a fight.
Nightflight stiffened angrily, but when she spoke, her words were calm. "Frost." She greeted coolly. Around them, Mistyeyes could see more dragons stepping out of the shadows, eyes weary as they looked at the group, Fleetfoot among them. Mistyeyes thought back to the way that Nightflight told her Fleetfoot had felt about this place. Did he tell the others that weren't coming about this place? After all, Nightflight had said he'd liked this place because it was so out-of-the-way. Maybe they were all hiding out here while they waited for the other dragons to leave.
"I asked you a question." Frost snarled. "What do you want?"
Nightflight bristled at his tone, but still, her voice remained under control. "We're here to make sure that there isn't anybody being left behind. We haven't left yet, and there might be dragons here they regret rejecting our offer. We came by to make sure that your choices were still set in stone. We're waiting to leave for Berk, and we would welcome anyone who decided to come along with us." Her voice was raised hopefully at this, Mistyeyes noticed. And she could see that Nightflight was searching oddly, as if she wanted nothing more than to see who was in front of her.
And that was when Mistyeyes realized why Nightflight must have wanted to come here in the first place. Connecting her frustration with the way she had talked so highly of Fleetfoot before, Mistyeyes came to the conclusion that he was precisely the dragon that she was wanting to come with them. He was the last friend that she had in the Pack, the last real friend, that is. And he was the last dragon she had on her list to try and make up her recent actions to. To leave him behind would be tragic for her.
Deciding that she wasn't going to sit by and let Nightflight handle it alone, Mistyeyes stepped forward. Her blue eyes flashed as she searched the crowd, and she turned over to Fleetfoot. Digging her claws into the stone and choosing her words carefully, the pale Night Fury spoke out to him. Looking around at all the dragons around them, Mistyeyes realized that there was a pattern to who was gathered here. They were either too young, too old, or maybe a handful of families that were expecting new hatchlings. Excluding the small group of people that were just sitting here for spite, most dragons were just incapable of following the group. And for a long time Mistyeyes had figured that Fleetfoot was among that small group of aggressors.
But her mind flew back to the scene that had exchanged between Fleetfoot and Nightflight at the Voting, and she realized that he was much like Nightflight. He was sensible, if you drew back the shades of lies that clouded his vision. He could make a change, just like Nightflight could. And Mistyeyes knew that was the reason why Nightflight wished him to join with Berk. Because she knew how easily he could be swayed, and she believed in him. And Mistyeyes trusted the dragoness's judgment.
"Fleetfoot, come back with us." She urged quickly, ignoring Frost's anger openly as she turned to look at the male. He straightened with a small flash of surprise at this, looking caught off-guard as the pale dragon dressed him straight out. But she swept on before he could interrupt her, determined to at least try and help Nightflight's cause. "I can see there's a pattern here of who can't go and who just doesn't want to. But I can tell that you're different from these ones." She jerked her head over to indicate Frost and his group of lackeys, who glared sharply at the female's words.
She ignored their glowers as best she could, but she could feel Toothless stiffen with anger at her side. "I know that you can have sense if you come back with us, and trust Nightflight when she tells you that you'll be welcomed in our group, no matter what you did before." Fleetfoot's eyes started to narrow, and Mistyeyes realized with a pang that she was losing ground fast. "We'll give you a second chance, Fleetfoot. Don't you ever look back on your past and wish that you could fix the mistakes you've made? Our group is all about second chances! You don't have to-"
"I don't want a second chance." Fleetfoot said frostily, eyes flashing as he took a small step forward. "There's nothing to make up for. Humans and dragons don't mix, no matter what anybody says." There was a hint of a snarl in his voice, and Nightflight's ears went down at the sign of anger, shoulders hunching forward already in a form of disappointment. Catching the movement, Fleetfoot turned towards her, giving a small sigh as he forced himself to stop bristling. "I don't want to go. Night Furies belong on this island."
"Night Furies belong wherever they find family!" Nightflight objected, voice somewhat higher than normal as she tried to plead with the male.
But Fleetfoot still shook his head. "Generations upon generations have stayed here, and I won't be the one of many to leave. We've always been here, and there's nothing wrong with that. Besides, there are a lot of unfit dragons here. Expecting…elderly…the much too young…" He paused, glancing back at the ragtag group behind him. "They all need dragons to hunt for them and provide for them. And I'm going to be one of those dragons." His eyes hardened. "I am a dragon. Not a pet. And I refuse to become anything of the sort."
Nightflight paced forward. "If you just listen-"
"Nightflight, stop." His voice was tired now, and he took a step back, righting the distance between them. "You have your choices…and I have mine." He blinked, eyes sliding over to rest on Toothless. The male tilted his head in confusion at the sight, and Mistyeyes made the connection with a drop of her stomach as she looked from Nightflight to Toothless, same as Fleetfoot. She opened her mouth to object to the thought, but the male was already turning away. "I gave you a choice a long time ago, after all." He said, Nightflight letting out a hurt noise at the memory. "You chose Berk, not me." He stopped short, glancing back at her ruefully. "I let you make the choice…now you let me make mine."
"…but…" Nightflight tried.
"It's okay." Mistyeyes murmured, knowing that she was probably making it worse by bringing up the situation. But when Nightflight looked up at her, her eyes were round with sadness, not anger. Mistyeyes glanced over after Fleetfoot, blue eyes hardening as the dragon turned his back on them. How could he look at this dragoness, who had nearly lost everything, and reject her last offer of friendship? Raising her voice, Mistyeyes called over, hoping that her next words would reach the male. "He'll realize he was wrong." Fleetfoot's ears perked at this, but he didn't stop walking away.
Nightflight only ducked her head, letting out a slow sigh as she closed her eyes. Not saying anything more in this cavern, the female got to her feet, turning around and walking heavily back the way she had come. Frost and his friend yelled out insults to them as they left, and Mistyeyes tried her best to shoo away the anger that boiled in the back of her throat. Toothless let out a low growl as he stalked after the pair, and Mistyeyes pressed comfortingly against his side, trying her best to calm him down.
"It'll be okay." She said, once they were well away from their taunts and jibs. "He'll come around."
"No, he won't." Nightflight sighed, pain and regret thick in every syllable. "And even if he will…it'll be too late."
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A/N: Kay! My sister is being a ((insert proper name for a donkey here)) and kicking me off the computer! I wanted to make this more detailed, and I tried my hardest to type fast but make no mistakes at the same time! I hope I did better than I thought, and I hope that you won't be mad at me! ((puppy dog eyes)) Totally not my fault for this, Kay.
This chapter was mainly so that you could see different relationships going on. Between Nightflight and Mistyeyes, Mistyeyes and Toothless, Toothless and Nightflight, and Nightflight and Fleetfoot. Next chapter things will pick up, and you all have to give me props because I just thought up a really awesome plot point that will come into play REALLY soon! ;)
PLEASE REVIEW TONS AND TONS AND I SHALL UPDATE FASTER THAN YOU CAN SAY:
…I dunno what you can say, you can improvise. Just review please XDD