Revelation

by Sandfire Kat

With the Night Furies gathered behind him, Hiccup has to return to Berk. But while the Viking tries to keep a hold on these new once-wild beasts, Berk, blinded by recent tragedy, is hunting them down like animals. Searching for vengeance and a form of justice, Stoick has ordered all Night Furies to be hunted and killed, and for Hiccup and Astrid to be found: at ANY cost.

22. Chapter 22

A/N: Just as a side note, my sister has been gone for camp all summer so far. But she's come home today, back with a deep tan line and a bunch of stories to tell. But I don't know how accessible the computer will be now, because, as you all know, she loves to kick me off the computer. But nevertheless, I tried to get this out quickly to you all! ;D

I can finally see…that you're right there beside me.

I am not my own. For I have been made new.

Please don't let me go. I desperately need you.

Meteor Shower — Owl City

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Nightflight was walking slowly, taking care to where she put her steps as she trailed closely behind Mistyeyes. Carefully, she kept her teeth retracted as she held onto the end of Mistyeyes' tail as a guide. The gray dragon was always a few steps ahead, her posture stiff with barely-contained stress as she kept herself lower to the ground, ducking underneath any cover that she could spot. Every so often, she would glance back and right Nightflight's own position, swiping her tail down lower and causing Nightflight to hunker down behind the brushes again when she got too tall.

When they heard rustling in the bushes, or when they could hear the telltale sign of footsteps coming from some other direction, Mistyeyes would immediately turn, pushing Nightflight down into the nearest hiding spot a little roughly, hunkering down awkwardly beside her as she listened intently with perked ears. They had done this about a million times over, some false alarms, some not. Nightflight was bruised and aching after a while, but she kept a firm hold on Mistyeyes' tail, not about to lose grip by opening her mouth for a snapping retort.

The only good thing about the rain was that with all the mud that was around them, her landings didn't hurt as much as they would have if it was regular dirt. But it did leave her shivering as the mess clung to her scales and molded around her frame. She was more mud than Night Fury by now. Bitterly, plunking after Mistyeyes and trying to fit her own feet into the prints that she left, she wondered if the Vikings would possibly end up mistaking her for Gronckle in due time.

Mistyeyes controlled where they went. Obviously, Nightflight could not do any such thing herself. She was merely a follower, and wherever Mistyeyes was attempting to go, she would trail behind. The gray dragoness had asked Shadowclaw and Leafdapple to go and try to make sure that things were alright from the beach, sending the pair off together and making them promise to keep each other safe and sound. At first, Nightflight and her had attempted to stay on the beach, so that they could be waiting for the Night Furies when the storm was over. But, after about half an hour of tense silence and excessive pacing from Mistyeyes, Nightflight had finally convinced the female to go out into the forest as well.

There'd been no word from Toothless. And, in turn, none from Hiccup. Nightflight dwelled on the thought as she plodded after Mistyeyes, letting her mind wander as she figured that the gray dragon was already keeping her safe enough. She wondered what could have happened to Hiccup, and what was going to happen to Toothless. She ducked her head a bit, sinking lower to the ground for an entirely different reason than to merely want to remain hidden. The plan was falling apart.

A pretty slow realization after the Night Furies had been forced to split up and hide like a bunch of prey. But it was true. She and the others had promised each and every dragon that came with them that they would be well cared for, and that there was nothing to worry about. And now they were losing grip of their vows. But what else were they supposed to do? What could they do from now on? It was hopeless the longer this went on. They should just turn back and return the Night Furies to their original home. It would be easier. Maybe there was a reason that the dragons hadn't joined Berk, after all. Why change it now?

She remembered what Hiccup had wanted to do from the beginning. The boy had asked her if she could go and make his father understand what she was saying, just like she had done to him so long ago. He'd wanted her, and in turn, the other Night Furies, to be able to explain themselves and apologize, to which the village would return the same grievances. But….she couldn't. The thought was a dismal one, and she shut her blinded eyes tightly. But it was true. She had tried it on Ludi, she had tried it on Astrid…either it didn't work or it had the opposite effect.

She didn't know why it wasn't working. Why she wasn't working. She tried to remember what she had done before, when she had first cornered Hiccup during one of the Raids. Although it was a painful memory to think back to, it was the last and only time she had managed to successfully establish communication with any human. She couldn't track down what she was thinking then, though. It was so muddled, so jumbled. She'd been so densely-minded back then, and she hadn't considered the fact that what she was doing was wrong. She used to think she could do anything back then. Ironic how she could see so much clearer now.

The last time she had tried with Astrid, she had known for certain that something would go wrong. She hadn't wanted to try doing anything, but it was pressure from Mistyeyes, Toothless, and Hiccup that had caused her to do otherwise. And she hadn't even gotten anything out of it, no matter how hard she was trying and pushing for it. She had only managed to get anything done after she had let her mind break, not paying any more attention after Toothless had interrupted her hard work with his questions. Nightflight. Nightflight, why are you trying so hard? You see it too, right?

Her thoughts were broken as she was suddenly given a hard shove yet again, a barely-contained 'Oof' coming from her as she found herself ramming back down into the mud. Mistyeyes squashed herself down as well, nearly crushing Nightflight in the process as she ducked down, muttering a small curse underneath her breath. Her muscles were taut with tension, and Nightflight strained to hear what was causing such a sharp reaction from the dragoness. Sure enough, there was a small pattering of footsteps coming closer, and she forgot the mud and the awkward position as she felt a small spark of fear. What was it? Vikings? What kind of shelter did Mistyeyes manage to find? One at all? Or were they going to be found?

"…Mistyeyes?" A whisper suddenly sounded off to the side, and Nightflight released a small shiver of relief as Mistyeyes straightened off of her. The gray dragoness glanced down at her friend briefly, a small frown on her face. But then she turned and wriggled out from the small overhang that she had chosen for a (rather horrible) hiding spot. The lichen was longer in the rain, though, so she had to duck down underneath it on her way out. Her blue eyes were guarded as she stepped out. She thought that she recognized the voice, but she couldn't be too careful.

Her weariness was for naught though as she emerged to clash eyes with Clearsky, who had been the one to call out softly in the first place. She perked a bit at the sight of him, and did so even more as she realized that her father was behind the younger dragon. Talon's eyes filled with relief as he locked eyes with his daughter, and Mistyeyes allowed a small purr as she realized that her father was alright at least. But she shook her head quickly, gleaning around the wooded forest with extreme caution. "What's wrong?" She asked, having heard a small, panicked tone in Clearsky's voice as he called out to her. Behind her, Nightflight picked her way out of the lichen with a sour look. "Is anything the matter?"

"No." Clearsky answered quickly, snatching his gaze away from where he was looking curiously over to Nightflight. The female was sidling over to where they were speaking in hushed tones, going carefully and slipping a bit in the mud. "I mean yes." He fixed quickly, shaking his head. Mistyeyes glanced over her shoulder, reaching back with her tail and helping to draw Nightflight over to where they were standing with a sympathetic smile. But then she turned back to Clearsky, looking concerned.

Talon stepped forward, talking in a low voice as he surveyed his daughter. "The dragons split up into good enough groups." He said, ears flicking back and forth as he betrayed his nervousness. Mistyeyes sobered, tilting her head to the side as she waited for the bad part. "But the mothers wanted to stick together, so they could share the burden of the younglings. Not all, but most." Mistyeyes considered this for a moment, nodding reluctantly as she could see the logic behind the motive. But Talon shook his head. "The younglings are growing restless and scared." He whispered. "And the mothers have no idea what to do."

"They need to find a farther place away." Nightflight spoke up, sounding quizzical, as if the solution should have been an obvious one.

Talon dipped his head in her direction. "Yes, that's what I told them. But they're asking for you, Mistyeyes." He said, turning attention back to his daughter. She stilled at this, a frown flickering over her face at the detail. "I was attracted to them because they're making so much noise and fuss. And they asked me if I've seen you. Or Toothless, or Hiccup." Nightflight frowned a bit, a touch stung as the list did not include her. But she shook her head to clear it. Of course she wouldn't be included. "They'd really rather have you there to comfort them. If only for a little bit." Talon went on in a hiss, glancing around frequently.

Mistyeyes glanced back at Nightflight, a shadow crossing over her face. She turned back to her father and shook her head firmly. "I can't." She said flatly, Nightflight perking at the quick refusal. "I've got to stay with Nightflight. And she can't move that fast in all this wind and rain. She can't hide all that well either. And if you want me to cross paths with every couple with their younglings, then that means that we'll just be more likely to be spotted." She paused, considering one final time. But she refused again. "No, I can't do that."

"But the younglings will give themselves and their families away if you don't." Talon pressed, frowning deeply now with not only concern, but frustration. "Please." He pressed a little thinly, Mistyeyes' expression melting down into a more sterner frown now as she felt herself being hassled. "You could spend just a few moments with each of them. It would help in the long run. You're already maneuvering the island at this time, why can't you do it for the good of something in the mean time?"

Mistyeyes huffed shortly, ears flat against her head as she restated her stance. "I can't." She said firmly, her voice brittle as she repeated herself. "I'm staying with Nightflight, father, she can't handle herself without me helping her." Nightflight scowled, her wings stirring uncomfortably at her sides. Clearsky watched apprehensively, but Mistyeyes was unaware of the female's reaction, oblivious as she stared at her father.

"Mistyeyes-" Talon tried weakly, stiffened.

But Nightflight spoke up first, her tail lashing as she cleared her throat rather pointedly. "I think you should go, Mistyeyes." She said, the dragon in question turning with a rather surprised look. She paused a moment, swallowing. But then she shrugged. "Talon has a point. And if the others are asking for you, then you should go and help. Don't let yourself be burdened by me." She lowered her head deeply at this, her ears flicking side to side. "I would just slow you down. And we both know that they would rather have you there than me." She smiled weakly as she added this.

"You know that's not-" Mistyeyes tried to reason with her. But then she hesitated, breaking off and starting over as she shook her head. "I can't leave you alone, even if I wanted to." She pressed, ever as stubborn. Nightflight turned at this, blinking. "Something could happen and you wouldn't be able to leave or hide properly. And then you would be in trouble." There was another brief pause before she shook her head again. "No. Friends don't let friends put themselves in danger."

Nightflight went rigid at her words. Mistyeyes tilted her head at the sudden tense, looking concerned. She waited for Nightflight to say something, wondering if the dragoness had managed to hear any oncoming footsteps. But Nightflight just sat there dumbly, and Mistyeyes' gaze softened after a moment. "And we're friends, Nightflight." She strengthened with a tender look. "So I couldn't even think to let you fend for yourself."

There was a small pause. Nobody spoke. But then Clearsky cleared his throat. "…I could." Everyone turned to look at him, though Nightflight's gaze didn't exactly land on him. He coughed again, glancing at the female. "I could stay with her, if you'd like, Mistyeyes. Talon could go with you and keep you safe that way. And I could be Nightflight's eyes. You shouldn't worry; I would take good care of her. Obviously, I mean. Of course I would. So…you know…there's no trouble. I wouldn't mind. Staying with her."

Mistyeyes' ears flattened. She considered it, looking torn as she started to reply a little slowly. "I don't know…."

"Oh come on, Mistyeyes." Nightflight said, tail curling a little bit in concealed gratitude. "I'll be fine. Clearsky can help me move around." She said, though she knew for a fact that she wouldn't allow the same system of transportation as she and Mistyeyes had used. The thought was degrading enough with the female, she certainly wasn't going to do it with him. "You go and take care of the younglings, and we can make do until you come back. Clearsky can find a good hiding spot." She said, resigning herself to the fact that should was no help right now. Not if she couldn't work her powers like she used to.

Mistyeyes still paused. Clearsky looped around the daughter and father, going over and lingering a little closer to Nightflight and dipping his head to Mistyeyes. The gray dragon flattened her ears, looking uncomfortable. Her father reached over and nosed her ear. "They'll be fine, Mistyeyes." He whispered. "We need to get moving before any Vikings come by. Who knows how the parents are faring now, they might need you." Mistyeyes kept her gaze trained intently on Nightflight, but she gave a small nod, starting to follow her father as he started to retrace his steps back the way he'd come.

Nightflight offered a small smile, as if she knew that Mistyeyes would be looking at her still. "I'll be fine." She promised, wrapping her tail tightly over herself as she waited for their footsteps to fade into the rain. Mistyeyes was still frowning; she had already said goodbye to Toothless, to Shadowclaw, to Leafdapple, to Hiccup. And now the last of her friends was getting farther and farther away as she walked. She shook her head quickly, turning and forcing her to tear her gaze away.

She flattened herself down to the ground, moving much quicker than she had before as she followed her father closely. It wouldn't take long. Though the thought of leaving blinded Nightflight in the care of someone else when it was clear that she held a lot of resentments of others in Berk, she didn't have much of a choice. Nightflight didn't leave her much of a choice, in hindsight. But she tried to shake it off and concentrate on where she put her feet as she followed her father through the undergrowth. It would be fine; she was worrying over nothing.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Stoick stalked through the trees, having left the village in haste. He brought with him only his sword and Gobber, who had an axe in his hands. The Blacksmith trailed behind a little less willingly, his eyes worried as they trained themselves on his old friend. Stoick was oblivious to the shaded look, though. Or if he noticed, he did not show it. He merely plowed on as they had been doing for what seemed like ages. Neither of them had spoken, and neither of them had caught sight of a Night Fury yet.

Gobber could have sworn that he'd nearly seen some, though. Rustles in the background made it seem like there was something there, but whenever he turned, the space was barren and empty. And while he thought he heard small snuffles or thuds, it was most likely the thunder and the rain. Or maybe other Viking parties that were scattered around the island. They hadn't seen any of those, either. It was all a mystery and a shaded one at that. He was starting to come under the impression that he was hearing things, and that wasn't at all the best kind of comfort to him.

"Stoick." Gobber hissed, breaking the silence that had established itself between the pair of them for the longest time. Stoick didn't glance back at his name, but Gobber was under the impression that he was listening."Stoick, how long are you going to look out here?" He asked, reminding himself for the millionth time that he was soaked to the bone. "How will you even know which dragon is which?" Though he did remember the way that Hiccup had reacted when Spitelout demanded for the locations of the dragons. "What if they've left already?"

"They haven't." Stoick growled in response. Any other situation, and Gobber would have jabbed at him about how he wasn't as smart with dragons as his son was. But he knew that if he did that, it probably wouldn't evoke the reaction that he was hoping for, so he kept his mouth shut wisely. "And besides." His friend went on, Gobber looking up with a small frown. "Hiccup said that the dragon is blind now. We find the blind one, we find the one we're looking for." He growled in a grim tone, eyes narrowing to slits through the rain.

Blind? How could that have happened? "…I see." Gobber said softly. "But-"

He was suddenly cut off by a loud shout of: "Stoick!" Both of the men turned to look in the direction of the voice, and their hearts plummeted. Heading fast towards them was Spitelout, Mulch, and Speedifist. All armed and all aggressive, they looked even more aggravated at the sight that met them, and even Gobber found his blood coming to a boil as they stopped a few yards away. Spitelout, the one who had cried out, glared hotly through the rain to his relative. "What are you going out here?" He growled.

Stoick met the glare just as harshly. "I could ask you the same thing." He snapped, Gobber's glare burning holes through the man's clothes. All he could think of was the scene back at the square, of Spitelout knocking Hiccup to the ground repeatedly while the boy pleaded to be heard. Stoick hadn't seen. The man locked his jaw backwards tightly, his grip on the weapon tightening as Stoick went on. "I'm settling an old score. It's got nothing to do with you."

Spitelout's mouth twitched up into a sneer as his eyes flashed. "This isn't time for you to suddenly make a comeback." He retorted. "When you were in charge, all we did was spend days looking for your son and some lost dragons that were all traitors in the first place." He shook his head. "Now that I'm in charge, there are Vikings all over the island, tracking down the Night Furies and making sure they won't return again. That's more than you've ever done." He paused, blinking a few times before giving a scoff. "Didn't you hear we found your son, Stoick? Isn't that all you wanted in the first place? And you're not even-"

"Spitelout, why don't you just stop right there?" Gobber snarled, taking a few steps over to glare furiously at him, silencing the man with his look. Spitelout scowled instead, though there was a hint of amusement in there as well. The blonde shook his head. "You've made your point, now you can just go along and-"

"You've got no right." Stoick said suddenly, Gobber stopping short with surprise at the amount of venom that was in the man's voice. The Chief stepped forward as well, surpassing Gobber and pacing forward all the way until he was nose-to-nose with Spitelout. And he glared daggers through the man's armor. Mulch and Speedifist stiffened, each making a move to rush forward. But Stoick paid them no mind. "You've got no right to talk about Hiccup. Not you or any of your followers."

Mulch twisted his head oddly to the side, leaning out and peering around them into the foliage beyond.

Spitelout took the challenge without a second thought as he refused to back down. Instead he only clashed their gazes. "As soon as your son left Berk he was a traitor. And now we're treating him just as such. You should have expected the consequences, Stoick, it isn't my fault. Your son brought these monsters here in the first place, and now he's done it again. You might have forgotten the lives we lost, but I haven't. And all of them rest on his shoulders. So I can talk about him any way that I want to talk about him."

"He's not in the right set of mind-"

Mulch turned and drew an arrow in his bow.

"Neither are you." Spitelout spat. "So get away from me."

He let it fly.

There was a loud squeal that followed the strike. The entire group of Viking whirled at the sudden noise, all eyes widening at the scurrying in the leaves that followed the yelp. Stoick and Gobber immediately looked to one another, Gobber a little more anxious than Stoick appeared to be. But Spitelout and the others rushed at once, dropping the heated argument between bloodlines at the new advancement. Spitelout drew his sword, letting out an angered yell as he ripped back the leaves that the shriek had come from. Stoick and Gobber, though it took them longer, rushed after as well, more scuffling and movements sounding behind the coverage, followed by more high-pitched yelps.

Once Spitelout tore away the screen, he immediately smirked at the sight that met him. The screen of brambles had covered up a small alcove, in which had been harboring the exact thing that they had been looking for. A Night Fury was crouched in its shelter, its eyes flying wide at the sight of so many Vikings as it shrank backwards. Underneath it, there were two smaller Night Furies crouching against the mud, their eyes filling up more than half of their little faces as they tried to hide. Three of them. Spitelout's smile twisted into that of a triumphant grin.

The Night Fury, a female, immediately drew her children close to her, looking frightened as she trembled. Mulch's arrow had struck the ground right beside one of the younglings, who had most likely been the one to cry out. The female shooed her babies back behind her, having no room to try and turn to run unless she broke through the wall of Vikings, which was an impossible goal. Its breath was fast, though it did not unsheathe its claws or growl. It bowed its head, shaking from head to toe as she pressed herself close to the ground, not meeting any of the gazes that were trained on her.

Stoick immediately looked at her eyes. But they weren't the ones he was looking for. And the one that he was looking for didn't have any babies with it. The Chief let a sense of frustrated disappointment settle over him, but Spitelout was quite the opposite. He snickered, drawing forward his blade and watching as the dragon stiffened at it. The babies taking shelter underneath the female's stomach screeched with confusion and fear. "Three down…" Spitelout noted, Mulch and Speedifist drawing forward themselves as they raised their weapons.

"Come on, Gobber." Stoick growled, turning and starting to walk away.

Gobber stilled, looking between Stoick and Spitelout rapidly, heart frozen over. "W-What?" He asked, confused and apprehensive on all accounts. He couldn't forget Hiccup's frenzied efforts to get out of his hold, his voice raised in a desperate yell. They're willing to change- just like the others! Please listen to me! Don't do this! Gobber, please! Tell them! Tell them to let me go! "You're just going to let them-"

"That's not the dragon that I'm looking for." Stoick growled, not glancing back. "That's not the one that's taken my son."

"But-"

"Gobber!" Stoick snapped. "We don't have all night!"

Spitelout took another step forward, starting to raise his sword up. The man was savoring the moment, and each second that he didn't act, the baby Night Furies' wails grew louder and louder, more wild and desperate. The mother still didn't react. Why wasn't she reacting? Why wasn't she clawing Spitelout apart for even looking at her the wrong way? That's what the other one did. "Stoick….maybe…maybe they're-"

Whatever Gobber was planning on saying, it went out of his mind at once as there was a sudden rush of footsteps. Spitelout and the others jerked as a sudden yelp sounded, much deeper and louder than the little ones'. And it was coming from the opposite side of the clearing. They turned, the dragon hunched over her children looking up with a small burst of hope at the roar. Even Stoick stopped walking, going rigid and backtracking as two shapes streaked down the wooded path leading to them. Two Night Furies.

Stoick backed up until he was standing beside Gobber. Spitelout turned at this, crouching in a defensive position in sync with Speedifist. Mulch stayed where he was, turning and aiming his readied bow onto the mother, who crouched back down immediately under the influence of the weapon. Spitelout let out another roar as he had before, a war cry that would normally send any human second-guessing what they were about to do. But these dragons didn't even pause as they sprinted through the rain; and Stoick's eyes narrowed at they skidded to a stop a few feet away from the Vikings.

The one who had roared stood first faced the humans squarely, the other crouching a little awkwardly behind it. The Night Fury stood in front of the more slender one, its eyes rounded out and widened as he let out a series of squabbles and growls, its eyes sliding over to the mother every so often. The humans were only furthered in their aggressive state at the barks and yips, Stoick tightening his hold on his sword as his eyes narrowed. The Night Fury snapped its mouth shut, ears flattening as it tried to let out another series of roars. Still nothing. Spitelout's eyes flickered this way and that, and it was obvious that the Viking was planning another attack. There was smirk hidden in his thoughtful gaze, though, as if he were already taking triumph in the blows he would rain down.

The Night Fury in front jerked its head, almost growing frustrated as it took a few quick steps forward, advancing suddenly onto the group of Vikings as it screeched out another series of noises. Immediately, Spitelout signaled back to Mulch. The man turned swiftly at the sign, taking his aim away from the cornered mother and younglings over to the approaching beast, letting his arrow fly with a driving force as it whistled through the rain. The mother let out a wail, scrambling up to her feet, but unable to move as she resorted to hovering over her children in a half-crouch.

The Night Fury stiffened, crouching low to the ground and watching as the arrow whizzed over his head, just missing him. He let out another noise, this one more angered as the roar escalated. It bristled at the notion of attack, and Spitelout let out another roar as the dragon seemed to be becoming aggressive, He dashed forward for the beast, and the Night Fury hissed in surprise as it stumbled backwards. It weaved sharply to the side, roaring again as it dodged the attacks that were dealt by the blunt of Spitelout's sword. Its ears were erect, and its tail lashed back and forth as it ducked and stumbled.

Speedifist joined in the fight, drawing his mace and ducking into the fray, putting two against the one dragon. Still, the Night Fury rushed and jumped, barking out every so often. Yet again, the mother attempted to get out of the small alcove she was pinned inside, but she stilled each time Mulch reaffirmed his threatening aim. The other Night Fury, the one that had been slouching behind the one now being attacked, gave a wail every so often, looking as if she were stuck where she was in the mud. She made a jerking move every so often, as if to leap in and help the other. But every time she snatched her limbs back before she could do anything but lean forward pointlessly.

Gobber was starting to draw his own weapon as the Night Fury growled more and more, looking nervous as he looked around. It wouldn't be long before other Night Furies came running towards the noise and tried to help. And with that, more Vikings would run for them once they heard all the other Night Furies. There would be a full-blown fight again, and last time such a thing had occurred, too many lives were lost. "Stoick." He said tensely, looking over at his friend and pleading with Thor that he would listen to reason at least now. "We can't afford to- …Stoick?"

Stoick wasn't listening. The man was stock still, staring almost blankly at the dragon that was hunkered against the mud, its ears plastered to its head as it crooned uneasily. It edged out one of its feet, reaching out to take a step, but ducked back just as quickly as it had before. The way it was acting was weird, like a youngling who couldn't manage to walk yet. But that wasn't what he was focusing on. He was staring at the eyes.

The Night Fury's eyes were clouded and gray, faint scars marring themselves through her scales and down her eyelids. It must have been through some wound or injury. But it was more than apparent that she was…blind. The detail struck the man like a blow to the stomach, and his hands clenched tightly over the hilt of his sword. His eyes narrowed. His blood rose to a boil. He started to take a few step forward, his feet sinking in the mud with the weight of his strides. "Stoick?" Gobber asked slowly. "What are you…-?

The female dragon stiffened considerably, whirling around as the heavy footsteps made their appearance known. Her ears flattened to her head, and her claws instantly shot out to try and defend herself. She let out a low whine, shrinking back as her blinded eyes whirled this way and that. But Stoick wasn't swayed by the sight of the dragon. The sight of her only caused the blood in his ears to roar even louder, his arms raising up his sword as he gritted his teeth together tightly. This was the dragon that had started all of this. Despite the female's pathetic look, he could not forget the sight of the dragon that had intruded the peaceful place on Berk. And he could not forget the sight of the curved claws that had so many times sunken themselves into his son.'

The dragon let out another shriek.

He raised his sword and prepared to swing.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

There was a sharp snap, a metallic squeak followed by a heavy thud. Astrid turned at the loud noise, wincing a bit. But as Snotlout leaned back, the girl felt a touch of relief as she saw that the teenager had successfully cut through the touch chain after swinging against it with Astrid's axe. The metal vice was still wrapped around Hiccup's stomach, but that would be fine; as long as he was able to leave, that was okay. She wasn't sure at all how to get the other thing off of him, and frankly she wasn't comfortable with Snotlout taking a swing at that part.

"Thank you, Snotlout." She murmured gratefully, the teenager turning and heaving a sigh as he shook out his arms. He offered her a smile at the praise, and the blonde let out a shaky sigh as she looked back at Hiccup. "Okay…w-we need to…" She wasn't sure what they needed. They needed a lot of things. She eventually shook her head, turning and glancing out the door with a nervous look. "Can you keep watch outside?" She asked eventually. "I have to try and help Hiccup, and I'm not sure how long people will stay away from here…"

"Yeah, sure. S'fine." Snotlout said, raising his hands and going over to the entrance. "If anyone wants to come in here and attack us, I'll be the first person they kill, that's okay. Make sure you get out when you hear my screams of agony." Astrid watched him, deadpanning as she waited for him to get out of earshot. "Don't try and offer a back-up plan or anything. After all, I'm only helping you out of the goodness of my heart, so there isn't any kind of reason for you to…" She stopped listening.

Snotlout stood in the entryway of the dragon stables, eyes narrowed as he looked out across the ring with an apprehensive sort of look. Astrid let out a breath she had been holding, closing her eyes briefly as she look back down at Hiccup. She felt a small clench in her stomach as she realized that still he wasn't roused, even after Snotlout had snapped through the chain that was attaching him to the walls. But she tried to calm herself as she forced her attention back down to the injury below her. This was probably natural, she calmed herself mentally. Hiccup had been under so much stress, and he had barely slept or ate…this was natural. The deep sleep, the fatigue, the small increase in temperature. It would be fine.

She reached over and slipped off Hiccup's shoe with a small wince. She was kind of glad that he wasn't awake right now— she would probably be hurting him a lot more than he already was. The girl sucked in a breath at the wound that met her, having to close her eyes to clear her head suitably. She was no healer; she didn't know a lot about herself, but she knew that much. Steeling herself, the young girl looked back and blinked rapidly to clear her mind as she inspected the wound.

It was deeper than she had thought previously. The gash on Hiccup's heel was heavy, and blood had smeared itself around the vicinity of the wound, making it hard to see exactly where the real injury was. It was still leaking blood, though most of it had already started to clot. Astrid let out a small whine under her breath as she looked up, her blue eyes searching any possible thing she could use to help the wound. She needed something to wrap it up before it could get any worse, but there was nothing around her but metal.

She considered ripping off a piece of her sleeve as a makeshift bandage. But as she started to look down at herself, her eyes were caught down by her wrists. They were covered tightly with cloth, laced all the way up to her elbows as an accessory. She frowned, looking from her arms to Hiccup's ruined heel, and she figured that as long as she was winging things, she could do this. She sucked in another sharp breath, feeling a little light-headed as she started to unwind the cloth from her arms. It was the best she could do in this situation, she figured.

Going by the light of the lantern that was flickering weakly from the opposite wall, she narrowed her eyes as she finally got both of the binds off of herself, starting to transition down to Hiccup as quickly as she could. She didn't want him to suffer any more blood loss than he already had. As she did this, a small murmuring started up behind her. Please don't, she heard. Giving a small groan underneath her breath, she whipped back around to glare hotly back at Snotlout.

"Can you not?" She snapped in a harsh whisper. The boy whirled around to look back at her, expression confused and irritated as he threw his arms in front of himself in a sign of surrender. "You're going to give us away if you keep making noise." She went on, giving the boy a sharp look.

He scowled. "I didn't say anything!" He objected.

"Just keep quiet." She sighed, turning and looking back down at Hiccup. Astrid heard Snotlout scoff faintly, turning and looking back around the ring as he shook his head. She tried to shake it off as well, figuring that it couldn't be helped as she grabbed Hiccup's ankle, moving it closer gingerly. She unraveled her wrappings and started to work, hearing the murmuring again as she blinked rapidly, shaking her head a second time to try and clear it. She needed to focus on what she was doing; she couldn't afford to mess up Hiccup's heel any more than it already was. But it was like trying to stop the clouds from raining. The niggling sense had rooted itself into her skull, and the mumbles got louder.

She knew what it was in a few more moments though. It was another one. But this one wasn't as trivial as the other flashbacks. No, this one was much worse. She felt…sick. She felt horrified as she tried to work with the injury underneath her. Her stomach heaved and her throat constricted tightly as her hands started up a steady trembling. The wrappings shook in her palms, and gradually her eyes started to blur as she struggled to apply the bandages as best she could. I'll help you, I will. Just- just tell me what I can do. What I can do to keep you here. She heard herself whimper, a small noise of desperation escaping her throat at the inner plead. She had done this before. She had struggled with these wrappings in a time before now.

Her shoulders started to heave unnaturally. Images flashed in the back of her mind. A blood-soaked floor. Hiccup lying limp in the middle of the sea of gore, unmoving, just as he was now. Her hands wouldn't listen to her anymore as the tremor continued to break them down bit by bit. She had attempted to shake Hiccup awake, trying to make out his familiar features underneath his wounds and his blood. She had done this before. She had wrapped his injuries with her own bindings. She had done it before, and now she was doing it again.

Because he was hers. And she was his.

She had tied a tight, three-layered bandage over his foot and heel, the cloth starting to get stained by the blood that was already there. But it would hold back the blood yet to come. Please be enough…She struggled to tuck the last bit of the wrapping into place so it would stay. Tears streamed down Astrid's face by now, and she couldn't manage to stop them if she wanted. Hiccup, we're going to get out of here, but you need to stay here. You need to stay with me. The injury was wrapped. The girl was finished with her work.

Astrid doubled over at the waist, leaning down and pressing her forehead against the metal that was locked around Hiccup's stomach. Her shoulders shook unevenly, and she sucked in a sharp breath as a sob worked its way out of her body. Ludi gave a small trill of concern, creeping over and sitting at Hiccup's head, ears flattened as she leaned over and tapped his head gently with one paw. Hiccup didn't respond. Just like he didn't respond back in the cave with the Night Furies. He didn't hear her, just like he had't heard her when she told him to let go of Toothless, and not to put himself into such dangerous situations. He was hurt. Just like he got hurt when he and Nightflight had fought against Frost and he had gotten pinned underneath the dragon's claws. He was sad. Just like he had been when Astrid first approached him saying that she felt left out having not been able to understand dragons.

She remembered Hiccup and her sitting side-by-side together underneath the large pine tree, the girl turning and offering him a small smile of encouragement. She remembered the way she had waited tensely at his side as he talked to the Night Furies. She remembered flying on Nightflight right alongside the boy, the moment where they each jumped off of their dragons and passed each other in midair, exchanging exhilarated, horrified smiles. She remembered the nights spent out of earshot from the other dragons, on their backs and pointing up at different stars in the sky. She remembered going to Hiccup with her worry, the boy grabbing her hands tightly and promising her that nothing would go wrong. She remembered Nightflight wincing away a bit at their request to have her make a connection. And she remembered everything going wrong.

She remembered all of it.

And now she was left with Hiccup injured and weak below her, his last words to her ringing in her ears. I love you, Astrid Hofferson. Please don't forget that. Please. He still loved her. After all of her glares and the few punches thrown his way once she'd lost her mind. He still loved her, and Thor, she loved him all the more for that. Her crying only worsened at this, the girl's memories swelling almost painfully in her mind, though she didn't refuse any one of them. She just clung to Hiccup, letting out a small whimper every once and a while, as if each glimpse caused her pain. Which, in a way, it did.

Hiccup stumbled backwards in the training arena, eyes wide with fright. He turned and looked at her, offering her a sloppy grin. "So I guess it's just you and me now, huh?" He was crouched behind a barricade, back pressed against the wood as he suddenly whirled around to look at her in surprise. "Stay out of my way." She snarled. "I'm winning this thing." Hiccup showed his hands in surrender, starting to stand. "Uh…please. By all means." He stuttered. He was crouched over her on Toothless, reaching down precariously as his wide green eyes were fixed earnestly onto her. "Just….let me show you." He pleaded. Then he was staining beside her, green eyes heavy and his face pulled into a frown as he looked out over Berk's ocean. "Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods?" He whispered under his breath. "It would have been better…for everyone…" He was backing away, one hand going up thoughtfully as he stared at Astrid. "…then something crazy." He rasped. And finally, he stared at her, eyes a little foggy as a slow smile worked over his face. "I could get used to it." He shrugged.

She was almost grateful that Snotlout could be so dense. Because if the teenager were to suddenly turn around and glance back at her noises, he would have probably been under the impression that the boy had suddenly died. Astrid couldn't stop herself, overcome with the fact that not only had she lost her memory and ruined nearly everything, but that in doing so, she had let Hiccup go. She hadn't known better. Maybe if she had remembered, she could have stopped the boy from wasting away like he'd let himself. She could have protected him from the other villagers, and she could have been by his side like she had promised she would be from the start. If only she had remembered…

"Woah…" A small mumble made itself known, and at first, Astrid hardly heard it over her own sobbing. Hiccup's green eyes forced their way open, a small crease working over his forehead as he was instantly confused as to where he was. The boy had stiffened at the sound of crying, and he twisted his head with a grimace to see what in the world was happening. But his confusion only spiked more at the sight that met him. He twisted so that he was on his back, moving his injured limb and hissing a little under his breath. But he reached out, putting one hand on Astrid's shoulder as a million questions raced through his mind. But all he managed was another whisper. "What're you doing, what's wrong?" He asked softly, trying his best to make sense of the situation he had just woken up into.

Astrid stiffened at the touch on her shoulder. She shot up, azure eyes wide and teary as she looked down at Hiccup, who was staring at her a little blearily. She reached up, covering her mouth with one hand as her shoulders shook even more at the sight of him looking at her. Hiccup's frown deepened, and he attempted to push himself up into a sitting position, but his head spun as he attempted the motion, and he regretted it a second later as he gave up. The blonde saw him clearly now, and her teeth gnashed together, her hand shook as she lowered it into her lap.

She leaned down swiftly, before Hiccup could react. This time she was the one to land a desperate kiss onto the boy, her eyes shutting tightly in almost a pained look as a small whimper escaped her throat. Hiccup was a board, shock and ever-growing-confusion mingling together as he stared at her with wide eyes. Could she have…? Hope and recklessness took away his sense of logic, and he immediately wished for the best that could happen. He reached up and drew her close, heart pulling as he forgot what it felt like to be that close to her. The question of what was going on hadn't occurred to him yet. The question of where Spitelout was or what the Night Furies were doing had yet to fleet over his mind.

They only broke apart when they started to suffocate from lack of oxygen. Astrid pulled back, sitting back up and wiping her eyes rather roughly with the heels of her hands. Hiccup started to say something, but she cut him off before he could do any such thing. Her hands slapped back down at her sides, and her blue eyes were a cross between erratically upset and erratically furious as she took him in. "I hate you." She finally said after a moment, voice thick and small as she sniffed. "I hate you so much, Hiccup." She cried, reaching up to scrub at her face again.

"That's a shame." Hiccup said softly, forcing himself to get up this time. His head swam at the movement, and his heel whined as it was scraped back a bit on the ground. But he didn't cave and stop, upright now as he gave a rather pinched smile to the girl sitting beside him. The metal clamp over his stomach bit into his skin a little as he got up, but he paid no mind. He titled his head, taking in not only the girl but the fact that she might genuinely remember him now. But he couldn't be sure. What could have caused her to do anything like that? "Because you haven't really gotten to know me…" He trailed off a little invitingly.

Astrid scoffed furiously, fuming as she raised an arm to smack him. But at the boy's wince, she shut her eyes, shaking her head and forcing herself to lower the threat. Instead, she leaned over, draping her arms gently over his frame and pulling him closer. Once again, she could feel the warmth that was radiating off of his skin, and she experienced a wave of regret and guilt wash over her. "Hiccup, I'm so sorry." She murmured into the crook of the boy's neck. "I-I didn't know. I couldn't have. I just thought that you- it was like I couldn't even tell what was right and what was wrong. I was so scared and confused and you never told me what-"

"Do you really remember me?" Hiccup whispered. Though his voice was small, it shut Astrid up immediately, and the girl draw back with an anguished look at the question. Hiccup's expression was guarded, as if he wanted to be happy but wasn't about to let himself. She ducked her head, squeezing her eyes shut and sighing airily out from her mouth. She was talking about herself being scared, but she could see that Hiccup was much more scared right now than she ever had been.

"Of course I do." She said, looking back up as a fresh tear marked its way down her cheek. Hiccup searched her eyes, not managing to say anything. She shook her head again. "I did what you said. I went back to my parents' house, but all they would talk about was that you got into trouble with the village. They said that you were sick and hurt and locked up, and everything I looked at seemed to remind me of you or of what I was doing before this. I-I knew I had to get back to you and that I had to try and help you. Everything was bringing back memories, and just now I remembered when you almost died in the cave such a long time ago, and Hiccup." She broke off, self-blame welling up in her eyes as her voice cracked.

Still, Hiccup didn't say anything. "I should have been there." She rasped eventually. "I shouldn't have been so stupid. No amount of talking to dragons could make up for what happened to me." The blonde raised a hand to press against her forehead. "I shouldn't have been so selfish. You were forced to do everything yourself, and I wasn't helping by being so rude. I could have helped you. I should have stayed by your side, because that's what I promised that I would do no matter what."

"Hey, hey hey." Hiccup shushed quickly, reaching over and taking her wrist, pulling her arm down and forcing her to look at him. He offered the girl a bracing smile, feeling his own eyes burn as he grasped the situation. Astrid remembered him. She had her memories back. Whatever she had done, whatever had triggered such a restart in her head had worked. And he wasn't about to question anything. "It's okay." He comforted, reaching over and wiping away the tears with a gentle finger. She sniffed, giving a shaking sigh at the gesture. "It's all fine, right? I don't blame you— nobody does. Not me, not Toothless, not Mistyeyes, not Nightflight. Certainly not Shadowclaw and Leafdapple, so it's okay. It is. Trust me."

"I'm so sorry." She tried again in a trembling whisper.

Hiccup nodded, still smiling. "I know." He murmured. "But you don't have to be."

Astrid took her time in replying, sniffing again as she brushed aside the last remaining teas on her face. She straightened, swallowing thickly and clearing her swollen throat. "You're sick." She pointed out, reaching over and placing a hand over his forehead. Hiccup blinked, not realizing what she was talking about until it clicked. He crossed his eyes in an attempt to look up at her arm, recognizing that the swim in his head wasn't just from the blood loss in his leg. Neither was the slightly nauseated feeling stirring in his stomach. Astrid's face filled with concern. "You can't keep up like this, Hiccup." She whispered. "I'm sorry you got this bad…you look horrible."

"Thank you." He said, forcing his voice to turn brighter, in a false upbeat tone. "That's what every strapping guy loves to hear when he wakes up to a bright and sunny morning." Despite the pain in his ankle and in his…well, everywhere….he couldn't hold back the bubble of happiness that was pushing at his chest. Astrid remembered him. She remembered him! He shook his head to try and clear it, grabbing her hands and intertwining their fingers. Astrid looked at him blankly, and he shook his head firmly. "There's no point in stopping now." He said, pausing to turn his head and cough. "…We need to get out of here." He pressed.

"Hiccup, you're not-"

"I don't have a choice. Okay? I've gotten this far— we both have." His green eyes took a little regretful turn, but he still kept his pained smile on his face. "We've both suffered way too much to stop everything now. I have to get back, the others need me." Astrid didn't object to his words, and he looked at her pleadingly. "Please, Astrid. We can finish this, together, just like we were supposed to do before. I just need your help. Now more than ever."

She was silent, blue eyes searching green. There was worry and agony in her blue depths, but she eventually gave in, turning and getting up to her feet. "Of course." She managed, her face still streaked with tears as she started to help him up. "Of course I'll help you; you know I will." Hiccup shouldn't be moving; the boy was horribly warm, and she could tell by his features that he wasn't feeling well at all. Not to mention the injury that looked painful to walk on. But she knew that if she were to try and point this out, he would just reaffirm his statement. That he had a goal and he wasn't about to stop when things were getting dark.

Hiccup's face set into a dull frown as he stood up with Astrid's help. One of the girl's arms wrapped around the metal locked across him, and the other went into Hiccup's hand to help him stand. The boy ducked his head with a deep grimace, his head and leg singing together in pain as he struggled. But once he got halfway up to his feet, he shook his head quickly, legs lowering back down as he let go of Astrid's hand. "Stop." He tried, grimacing as he lowered down to all fours. Astrid backed away quickly, looking alarmed as she dropped down beside him.

Hiccup held his stomach, a deep flinch drawing itself over his face as he waited for his head to come back to him and stop spinning so much. He gave another cough, wondering how in the world he managed to have such rotten luck. He sucked in a quick breath, shaking his head almost dismissively. No; he didn't have time to stop and go like this. He'd no idea where the other Night Furies were or what they were doing. He reached for Astrid again, and when the girl helped him up this time, he only stumbled when he was hit with a wave of nausea.

Astrid wrapped one of his arms around her neck, the boy leaning on her as they made their way to the entrance. Snotlout was nowhere to be seen, and the blonde stiffened at the thought of it. A little rashly, her thoughts immediately flew to the fact that Snotlout was Spitelout's son. Could he just be double-crossing them? Despite the fact that he was one of her friends, the boy never did have a record of thinking things through. Her hold on Hiccup tightened protectively, and she braced herself for anything once they finally made their way out of the metal holding chambers.

But Snotlout hadn't left. He was just standing on the opposite side of the ring, looking out towards the hill that led into the arena with a confused look. Astrid opened her mouth to ask him what in the world he was doing— he could get them caught just like that. But before she could, he stepped to the side, a dark shape barreling down towards them at top speed. Astrid stiffened with a small yelp, clinging tightly to the boy that was using her for support, as she shifted so that her back was to the approaching figure. She couldn't let Hiccup get even more hurt. The boy cringed, ducking his head at the sharp movement, and he tried to switch them around again, ever so stubborn.

But the figure let out a sharp bark, and Hiccup's eyes lit up at once. "Hiccup!" Toothless panted in a whisper, eyes wide as he looked at both Hiccup and Astrid. The pair turned back around at this, and he searched each of them for injuries immediately. Astrid was unharmed, not a scratch on her. Hiccup's boot was back on, covering the injury he'd sustained earlier. But he was favoring his prosthetic leg, and Toothless dashed forward worriedly at the notion that he was harmed. "It took me forever to find you." He breathed, shaking as he nosed Hiccup all over his bony frame. Hiccup winced a little bit, but smiled nevertheless. "You shouldn't have run off like that, you really shouldn't have." Toothless whimpered. "Now everything is-"

"What's happening?" Hiccup asked, cutting through the dragon's speech as he straightened. "Why are you alone? Did something happen?"

"No." Toothless answered quickly. He cut himself off, shrugging tensely as he backtracked. "Well, I'm not sure." Hiccup threw him a look, and he went on in a rush. "I went back to Mistyeyes like you told me, and the group returned safely. Then we all returned to Shadowclaw and Leafdapple. We considered leaving for the island like you told us," Hiccup nodded encouragingly at this. "but we couldn't take off with the wind like this." Hiccup's smile evaporated. "Mistyeyes said that we needed to hide until the storm died down. So the Night Furies all split up throughout the island and they're taking shelter. Then when the storm passes, we can all return to the beach, meet up, and then make it out."

"You what?" Hiccup asked, forgetting to be quiet as he hissed this in a shout. Astrid winced a bit at his yell, trying to comfort him as she tightened her hold on his hand. She'd no idea what they Toothless was saying, and once again, she remembered why she had wanted Nightflight to try out her looks on her in the first place. "You split up?" He repeated, Toothless too busy looking him over to respond. Hiccup reached over with one hand, letting go of Astrid's briefly to push the dragon's snout away. "We have to go." He snapped, Toothless straightening and tilting his head to the side. "Take me back; this is bad, this is really bad."

"They already know about the Vikings." Toothless said, struggling to comfort his friend as he turned around for him to board. "They know that they shouldn't try and interact with them. It should be-"

"No." Hiccup said flatly, shaking his head and trying to hoist himself up onto the Night Fury. He coughed as he tried to swing his leg over like he normally did, but the pull on his injury made him pause long enough to cough out a small noise of complaint. Astrid turned, hopping up onto Toothless and reaching down to help him up accordingly. Toothless was looking at Hiccup worriedly, wings shaking at his sides at the sight of the human. But Hiccup shook his head, yet again. Mind over matter. he told himself firmly. He was fine, he would finish this. "No, there's too much room for things to go wrong. We need to go out there."

"What about talking to your father?" Astrid asked from behind him. Once they were both securely on, Toothless started to turn, quickening his pace as he made for the exit of the arena. Hopefully by this time, the teenagers' distraction was still going under way, and he would have a suitable route to get back into the forest. "Isn't that what you were planning before all of this happened?" She asked, unsure.

Hiccup glanced back at her hopefully. "You saw him on the way over?" He asked.

Astrid frowned, thinking. Then she shook her head. "No…" She trailed off. Hiccup's small smile blinked away, and he shifted a little on Toothless' scales. Astrid tried to think back, her voice carefully thoughtful. "He was there when I first got back." She recalled. "And he asked me where the Night Furies were. And where you were." The boy's eyes flashed at this, and his shoulders hunched slightly. "I told him I didn't know. Spitelout told him to stop pestering me, and…. I think he left." She said, her nose scrunching up a little.

"That's no surprise." Hiccup muttered as he looked back front. "Something tells me that Spitelout is getting too comfortable where he is right now." His eyes flashed down to his ankle, and he gave a tired sigh as he rubbed his aching head. "Things are a lot worse off here than I first thought." He groaned, Astrid offering a mute reply as she nodded. "All I would think about was whether or not Berk would accept the Night Furies. I didn't even consider that things would have gone so haywire."

"It's a mess." Astrid sighed, ducking her head a little bit. "Can we still do this?"

Hiccup didn't answer. He only narrowed his eyes.

Astrid turned as they passed Snotlout, looking down and allowing a small hint of gratitude to enter her voice. "Thank you, Snotlout." She said with a small smile. "Go back and tell the others what happened. We have to go." It was rather blunt, a little dismissive. But as Toothless increased his pace, she couldn't very well have a conversation with the boy. "Tell them thank you too, but we've got it from here!" She said, raising her voice a little reluctantly as they got farther away.

Toothless broke into a run as they got up the hill, turning and streaking back the way that he had come as he hoped that it was still clear. Hiccup grimaced a little bit, hunching over and pressing himself closer to Toothless, both in an attempt to stave off any of the sick feelings in his stomach, and to keep hidden. Astrid crouched as well, blue eyes narrowing in concentration as she held tight to Hiccup. The trio raced back for the forest as they ducked in and out of buildings, going as fast as they could and hoping that they would fix whatever had started to crumble.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: Remember when I used to freak out from writing 13 pages?

I've been trying to make the chapters longer because I plan to take a longer break while I wait for reviews between chapters now. Last chapter wasn't very long so I made this one longer before stopping and waiting. So hopefully I won't have to wait too long, and hopefully I'll get a lot of reviews for this much-longer chapter. People have been asking me how long this story is going to be and I can tell you that (obviously) we're starting to wind down. I can't give an acute estimate of chapters because I think in terms of details, not chapter numbers. But I can tell you that the final confrontation will be soon, if not next chapter.

People have also been asking for more possible stories after this one. I'm definitely going to do another HTTYD story, because I feel as if I'm pretty good at them. But I'm not sure any of them will involve these special characters, such as Ludi or Mistyeyes or Nightflight etc. I suppose I could do a prequel sort of thing in respect to the dragons' lives before this. But I think that this story will wrap up things nicely, so I'll only do that if there is a high demand for such things. But I am entertaining the idea of another HTTYD story. But like I said, I'm still deciding. What are your guys' thoughts?

Anyway, please review! I'm taking a small break until I get a steady flow so hopefully I'll hear from you all soon : )