A/N: Holy shit, sooooo sorry for taking so long to update this thing. Thanks for those of you who have reviewed and put this on your alerts/faves. I really, really appreciate it. :D

The song I was listening to when I was writing this was Alohomora by Pogo, just thought you'd wanna' know. Or not. Hm.

CHAPTER 8

Hiccup awoke to silence.

He gently sat himself up in bed and blearily looked about his room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He yawned and shuffled the coverlet off him and threw his legs over the edge of his bed, his bare feet turning numb as they registered with the cold floor beneath.

He wondered why his eyes were sore and he tried to think back to what he was doing the night before, until yesterday's events seemed to pound into him like the thrashing waves lining the island. Toothless had snarled at him, and if that didn't make things worse, the dragon had literally slammed him to the ground—it had been like a dream, some horrible, horrible nightmare that he never wanted to take part in again, but with a wracking shudder that quickly took hold of his body, Hiccup realized this was all too real.

He had cried himself to sleep last night, he thought disconcertingly, his cheeks flushing at the thought. If his dad ever found out that he had been crying himself silly, over a dragon no less, he'd surely be the laughing stock of the village.

Hiccup sighed and stood up, stretching his limbs about him until he felt lax and limber, and shuffled across the expanse of his room, hurriedly kicking on his boots. He didn't feel like staying in today, he thought solemnly, changing into a fresh tunic. If he stayed slinking away in his bedroom, he knew he'd have a difficult time coping with the decision he had made the day before, and the circumstance of it all would be wracking his brain senseless until he'd either succumb to an anxiety attack, or hole himself up in his room for the entire three weeks the village was gone.

He couldn't have that.

He had made a choice, however difficult it had been, and he wasn't going to go back on his decision. For all those months, he had been hanging from a loose thread, not even that—a tendril, and he had denied his rapidly failing friendship with his dragon, had wished with all his might that they would continue to stay friends for as long as time allowed them, but unfortunately, that wouldn't come to pass.

Their friendship had ended prematurely.

"I was a loser before I met Toothless," Hiccup breathed. "And I'm a loser even now." He couldn't even keep a friendship with a dragon, an animal, a beast! That was pathetic, he thought sourly.

The young Viking scowled, jade green eyes glassing over—he wasn't going to let himself succumb to depression, or whatever people sunk into when a tragedy happened, though this particular situation wasn't exactly a tragedy per se, it certainly was devastating enough. Toothless had made his verdict long ago and Hiccup was done trying to mend whatever had broken between them. He still felt as if there was a gaping hole where his heart should have been, but surely, if he took his mind off the dilemma and idled his time wisely by distracting himself, he'd be able to move on to a more brighter future, preferably one free from the looming threat of scorned, downed dragons.

He had his doubts, and it wasn't going to be easy letting Toothless go, but somehow he would manage.

He'd make it happen. He could always make friends with other dragons, and though they would never compare to Toothless or would in no way replace the Night Fury, he'd at least feel valuable again.

And with a small smile, Hiccup trotted out his bedroom door and headed downstairs, already feeling a thousand times lighter.

It seems that light feeling didn't last very long, for Hiccup already had a frown marring his face.

He stood loping about the Town Square, hands placed at his hips as he looked about the village with imploring eyes. He had no idea what he was going to busy himself with for the next three weeks, and already he was wishing he had taken heed to Astrid's advice and gone to the summit anyway.

He was sure kicking himself now.

"No Toothless, no Astrid, no nothing!" he growled, kicking at a loose cobble stone. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't go fishing everyday, that would only get really, really boring, and he couldn't tinker away in Gobber's shop, for the blacksmith had hidden all his tools and materials in some remote location unknown to Hiccup, as he did every time he had to leave the shop for an unforeseen amount of time.

'Since Toothless has that stone wall as his new hiding place now, I guess I can claim the grotto as my own,' he thought suddenly, a grin alighting his face. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad; he could always spend his time at the grotto sketching or swimming, or possibly even camp out there when he didn't want to be alone at home! He could even hike about the island and explore, like he used to do before he ever even met Toothless!

"I'll show him," he muttered to himself, blowing his auburn fringe away from his eyes. He stared up at the bright blue sky, watching as a bird hastily sped across his line of vision, and suddenly, he didn't feel so cheerful anymore. Watching the bird drift away left a nagging feeling inside him, as if he had left something unattended, but he couldn't exactly pinpoint what. The bird reminded him of Toothless, and as long as he still thought about the dragon, he didn't think he'd ever feel truly at ease.

"Satchel, check."

Hiccup strapped the makeshift bag composed of deerskin around his shoulder, where it thudded mildly against his side. He had packed it with two canteens of water, five loafs of bread, two blocks of cheese and a pound of dried meat, enough food for a day's worth of hiking. He could always go fishing as well, just like he used to do with Toothless- .

Hiccup dropped his arms by his sides and stood stock still, his gaze going adrift. He had to stop thinking about Toothless! He had to stop reminiscing and letting his mind daydream, for his thoughts always seemed to stray to the Night Fury who now scorned him. Hiccup shook his head and straightened himself.

"Knife, check. Flint, double check. Sketchbook…crap, that's the most important thing!"

The whole reason for his sudden expedition was to sketch any new findings and discoveries he would make during his little excursion, like the good old times. Maybe he'd come across a new species of bird, or possibly even a mountain troll or some other mythical creature Gobber was always talking about. Hiccup quickly trampled across his room and dropped to the floor, eyes hungrily searching underneath his bed. He had kicked his sketchbook underneath the bed last night in a fit of rage, and he was glad he remembered doing so. He snatched at the pad and stuffed it inside his satchel, along with a piece of charcoal that was strewn alongside the frame of his bed.

Once his supplies were all gathered and neatly packed in his satchel, Hiccup sauntered out his bedroom and down the stairs.

He'd enjoy himself, one way or another.

Hiccup rubbed at his forehead with his clothed arm, dabbing at the beads of sweat that had accumulated underneath his fringe. Brushing past a mix of dense shrubbery and leafy branches, Hiccup managed to steady himself upright by leaning against a thick tree trunk, his breath coming out in short gusts as he tried to calm his breathing. The teen twisted his body and brought his satchel to the forefront, hastily unlatching it and digging through its contents until he withdrew with a canteen. He uncapped the bottle and pressed it to his lips, relief flooding his insides when the cool flow of water washed through his mouth and trickled down his throat. He felt less parched as he had been, and after spending three hours trekking through the forest, occasionally stopping to jot something down in his journal, Hiccup's stomach was terribly hungry. He stared down at his abdomen and grimaced.

He felt on a roll, as if he just couldn't stop. He felt that if he stopped now, something horrible would happen and bring him down from the high he had brought on himself. However, his body came first and if it wanted to eat, then so be it.

Hiccup piqued his head and scanned his surroundings, eyes alighting with content when he found a small clearing just a little ways ahead of him. He stomped towards the clearing and swiftly took a seat on a fallen log, twisting his satchel about him and setting the bag on his lap. He unlatched it and broke off a piece of bread and a sizeable hunk of cheese. Taking a huge bite of bread, he popped some cheese into his mouth and chewed greedily, letting the food slide down his throat. He felt relief instantly flood him and his stomach seemed to stop garbling for food.

Absentmindedly chewing at his food, Hiccup stared up at the bright blue sky, squinting his eyes when a filtered ray of sunlight shone down across his face. The sun was brighter now and much harsher than it had been in the morning. An hour into his expedition, he had rolled the sleeves of his tunic past his elbows until they were nearly by his shoulders, leaving his creamy skin exposed to the brutal sting of the sun; he didn't mind it though, he could use a nice tan.

He wondered what Toothless was doing now—was he sleeping the day away in that new cave of his, or was he exploring the island as well, or perhaps—no.

"I have to stop this!" Hiccup growled through a mouthful of food, his teeth gritting together. He took one final bite of his bread and popped the last piece of cheese into his mouth, before taking a swig of water from the canteen. After packing the canteen away, Hiccup stood and stretched his limbs, lifting his arms high above his head.

With one last look at the clearing, Hiccup continued onward.

He didn't know how many hours had passed since his last rest stop, but he was sure feeling the effects. His limbs were tired and sore, and his lips felt dry, as dry as his tongue felt. He'd need to stop and refresh himself before he even thought about continuing on.

He plundered through the dense shrubbery laid out in front of him, the occasionally jutting branch sliding against his cheek and nicking his skin. He grimaced, but trekked on, desperate to find a clearing or a suitable boulder to camp on.

In the next instant, he felt as if he were walking on air, and he could feel gravity catching up with him, sending him plummeting an unknown distance. He fell and fell, and finally, when he thought it might never end, his back hit the ground with a sickening thud.

The wind ultimately knocked out of him, Hiccup wheezed and struggled to sit up, his spine tingling along the length of his back. The lower half of his body felt momentarily numb, before feeling started trickling its way gradually along his limbs, and boy, did it hurt. A numbing sting of pain spread across his lower back, making it hard for him to prop himself up.

He finally managed to open his eyes. He looked about him and all he could see was dirt, dirt, and more dirt. It looked as if a shroud of dirt was surrounding him, encasing him in on all sides, and for a moment, he felt his breath hitch. The lighting was meager, and as he looked up, he could see stray rays of sunlight poking down from up above.

He didn't know why, and he didn't know how, but he seemed to be in some sort of burrow, or a ditch, or something. It looked to be about 15 feet deep, and he realized that it wasn't too high—it was something he could climb out of. He looked up once more and his optimistic thoughts immediately vanished.

His prosthetic limb was tangled about a tree root, dangling about 12 feet above the ground.

"No," he whispered, dragging himself along the compact earth. Without his prosthetic, he couldn't stand, so he'd have to settle with crawling along the ground. "No, no, no, no, no."

Hiccup clawed at the wall of dirt, his fingers gouging into the soil until he could feel it clumping underneath his fingernails. He desperately tried to hoist himself up, managing to unsteadily balance himself on one leg, but when he managed to snag a tumbling tree root, it snapped and sent him rocketing to the floor once again. Lying back on his elbows, Hiccup huffed and tried to calmly inhale a wad of air, all the while staring up at the sky with a glower to his eyes.

This couldn't be happening.

There was no way in hell this could be happening.

He was left alone for three weeks and already he somehow managed to get himself stuck in a ditch too high for him to climb out of.

"Greeeeat," he hissed, smacking the palm of his hand down against the earth. A spray of dirt launched from the movement and he found himself inhaling dirt particles. He choked and hastily unlatched his satchel, immediately groping for the canteen. With a flip of the lid, he brought the bottle to his lips and guzzled down some water.

He was alone. The rest of the village was gone and Toothless was mad at him…and he was alone. This wasn't a good situation to be in, not a good one at all. What if he cried for help, surely Toothless would hear him, right? Did he mention that he was alone?

But Toothless didn't want anything to do with him anymore and the dragon didn't know about Hiccup's impulsive expedition. The Night Fury would never think to look here, even if he somehow scouted him out.

"I'm gonna' die," Hiccup whispered frantically, pressing a hand to his chest. He clutched at his heart. "I'm gonna' die and no one's gonna' know, and I'm going to rot in here, and they're never gonna' find me, and…"

"I have to get out," he cried. He sat himself up and dragged himself along the ground, hoisting himself up once more as he gripped at the dirt wall. He grabbed at a jutting piece of rock and placed his good leg in an indent along the wall, heaving himself up. When he didn't seem to teeter and fall back, Hiccup repeated the pattern until there was nothing left to grip at. "No, no, no. No!"

The clump of dirt he was holding onto crumbled underneath the added pressure and Hiccup felt himself slipping. He slid down along the wall and landed on his backside once more, gazing pitifully up at the patch of sky staring back down at him. It seemed to beckon him, the sky, teasing him and mocking him and doing all sorts of mean and nasty things.

"This sucks, this sucks, this sucks, this sucks," he chanted, averting his eyes from the sky up above. He couldn't stand to look at it now, not when he felt so hopeless. "HELP!" He screamed and shrieked, thudding his fists against the walls that surrounded him like a cage. He yelled until his throat felt raw and sore, screamed until all that came out was garbled and clipped sounds, a primitive way of calling for help, but his last resort.

"TOOTHLESS! HELP!" he cried once more, his voice tapering away. "Help…"

Hiccup stilled and leaned against the dirt wall, sliding his back alongside it as he hastily thumped to the ground.

He was a lost cause, he was sure of it.

It was dark out.

Toothless blearily opened his eyes, the dark settling in around his vision until his eyes adjusted and he could finally make out the small figure of a Terrible Terror scuttling about in front of him. Toothless snorted and the tiny dragon yipped and turned around, cocking its tiny head at the Night Fury. The miniature dragon hunched its wings and shuffled its way towards the mouth of the cave, undoubtedly spooked, and flew away, disappearing into the night. Toothless snarled and flapped an ear, letting a yawn take hold of him.

And then he realized something daunting.

His supply of cod was completely gone—all that was left were the bones. The Night Fury growled in rage, fluttering his wings in anger. The Terror had gone and eaten all of it, all of it! Toothless raised himself on his haunches, a glower to his yellow eyes, and trotted towards the mouth of the cave, peeved beyond reason. He didn't like the prospect, but he'd have to venture to the reserve and snag whatever fish remained there. It wasn't exactly the freshest option, but he was hungry after waking up from such a long slumber and he wasn't looking forward to catching fish in the grotto.

With an aggravated snarl, Toothless spread his wings and leaped into the air, semi-gliding his way towards the direction of the village.

Toothless landed expertly on the rim of the basin that acted as the dragons' reserve, finding it empty. It seemed that the Terrible Terrors had bested him once more. The Night Fury snorted, tendrils of smoke escaping his nostrils, before he turned round and leapt off. He was hungry and his stomach was growling, and he didn't want to admit it, but he was hungry enough to raid Hiccup's home, since the Mess Hall was pretty much locked and dragon-proofed.

Hiccup was most likely tucked away in his bedroom, too afraid to wander about the depths of his home at night, alone. If Toothless knew Hiccup, he knew that's exactly what the boy would be doing at this point; cowering away under some blanket. Toothless leisurely strode through the empty streets, the end of his tail trailing across the cobble-lined ground. When Hiccup's hut came into view, the dragon's stomach grumbled.

He then halted, sensing something amiss. Hiccup's door was pried open and there was no light on. Toothless plundered forward, his steps hesitant and careful, and when he heard a sound resound from within the hut, the dragon let loose a gust of fire that briefly illuminated the inside of the abode.

The Night Fury growled when a trickle of Terrors came pouring out from Hiccup's house, morsels of bread and cheese stuffed between their teeth. One Terror yipped teasingly at Toothless, a piece of meat dangling from its mouth, before flapping its wings and flying away.

It was strange, because Toothless didn't pay attention to the Terrors' besting him once again.

The dragon was more aggravated by the fact that Hiccup's home seemed to be deserted. Terrors were known for being loud and boisterous, surely Hiccup would have heard them? With an irritated grunt,, Toothless leapt from where he stood and gouged at Hiccup's window frame, hoisting his mighty girth until he sat wedged halfway through Hiccup's window.

The teen's room was empty and his scent was hours old. Toothless tried to ignore the swell of panic that burbled at the pit of his stomach, and he hastily blamed it on his lack of a hearty meal. Hiccup was a curious creature, but rarely was he adventurous, at least not enough to venture on his own during the night.

Where could he be? Toothless withdrew from the window and jumped down, landing on all fours, before he slowly scented the premise. Hiccup's scent was faint and stale, as if he hadn't been at the village all day—Toothless wouldn't know, it wasn't like he kept tabs on the teen, not how he used to.

The dragon tried to thrust all thoughts of Hiccup from his mind, but something didn't seem right, at least not this time.

Toothless growled and slinked away towards the direction of the forest- it was his best bet.

A/N: When I'm finished with this story, and I don't know when that'll be, I have two bonus/alternative chapters to post, so that should be super, duper fun.

Anyway, thanks for reading and sticking with this ANGSTY story. I recently discovered my love for angst, so yehhh. Please leave a review on your way out! :D