Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD in any way shape or form. I do own my original characters.

Night and Day

Chapter 14

Previously:

Quickly Star pulled her paw away after the light touch and her own ear plates came up when she heard a light chuckling. She stood up straight, her ears coming back down in irritation, when she realized Shade was laughing at her!

"I'm very real."

Star snorted at that and held her head up high before walking forward past Shade into the mountain.

Shade waited a moment as he watched the white night fury go. She reminded him of a hatchling with her antics. "You coming?" Shade asked behind him towards the guards and Havardr.

Havardr groaned and nodded. He was still recovering from his second flight of the day. "Go on ahead; I'll catch up." The man could not understand how the human guards could stand flying so much on their partnered dragons.

The dark blue night fury nodded and went on ahead to catch up with Star before she got too far ahead and ended up lost in the labyrinth that was the nest.

For the most part Shade and Star walked in silence. Star could hear distant whispers from other dragons bouncing off the walls of the tunnels that branched off from the one that Shade was leading her down.

"So..." Star cleared her throat to try and break the silence. She had no idea what to talk about though and the single word was left hanging in the air.

Shade sighed softly and shook his head at how awkward the younger night fury seemed to be. "After you meet with the elders I'll give you a tour." He offered up as a conversation starter. "The tunnels and caves in the nest are pretty extensive and unless you know where you're going it's easy to get lost."

Star nodded and built up the courage to say something. "Are there a lot of night furies here?" Despite the living proof that Havardr had been telling the truth Star still hesitated to fully trust him.

"Quite a few." Shade let out a chuckle and grinned at Star. "There haven't been many eggs recently, but there's still close to a hundred night furies in residence."

The white night fury froze and looked at Shade in surprise. A hundred night furies was way more then just a 'few'.

"There are more scattered around the island and on neighboring islands." Shade went on to explain as he waited for Star to continue walking. "But the nest has the largest population." It would considering that the nest was where the White night fury usually resided.

"That's-" Star couldn't fathom so many night furies. She and Toothless had thought for years that they were the only ones alive, but here was Shade changing her entire perspective. She wondered what Toothless would think when he found out about all the night furies.

Shade chuckled and used his tail to bat at Star to get her moving again. "It's a lot to take in, I know." He could remember when he'd first arrived on the island of Night and Day; it'd been quite a shock to find so many night furies in one place.

Hesitantly Star began asking Shade questions as the two of them walked. Her questions weren't just about the night furies on the island, but also about the island itself. Havardr had told her some things, as much as she'd been willing to hear, but for the most part the island was a mystery to Morning Star.

"Here we are." Shade said once he and Star stood before a large pair of solid wood doors. At least they looked like wood but when Star reached out to nudge at them with her paw they felt like stone. "Don't worry about the elders too much." Shade told her with a grin. "For the most part the elders are big softies."

Star nodded at Shade and then pushed the door open the rest of the way so she could walk inside. Shade had already told her that he had to wait outside the cave while she spoke with the elders.

The white night fury hadn't known what to expect past the large doors. The room was a combination of carved and natural structures and at the back was a shaft leading down into the mountain. A glowing from deep within the shaft flickered and shifted constantly and Star could hear a soft rumbling sound echoing from the shaft itself. At the center of the large room was a fire pit that had a bright and warm fire crackling within. Around the fire sat 6 different shapes each on a slab of stone carefully carved and smoothed from generations of use. There was one slab at the center of the semi circle of 6 that was empty.

"It is an honor to finally meet you young one." Star's head swung around to stare at one of the 6 shapes that stood up to greet her. She watched nervously as the oldest night fury she'd ever seen walked over to her. There was a warmth in his yellow eyes that put Star at ease. "We apologize for the method of your arrival. But it was necessary." The night fury's voice was aged and raspy as if speaking was difficult.

"Yeah about that," Suddenly Star felt her earlier anger rise back up to push aside the calm she'd just started to feel. "Kidnapping was the worst way to get me here!" She glared at the elder night fury and then at the other 5 elders that sat around the fire. The smallest of the elders was a human man that was staring at the fire rather then at Star.

"Impertinent hatchling." Star glanced over at the monstrous nightmare that shifted stiffly on his stone slab. "Probably doesn't even care we've been trying to rescue her for years."

"Shush Wildfire." The female pricklebogge whispered quickly. She stood and went over to monstrous nightmare to help the stiffness in his joints dissipate. Her pale green were tinged with silver and one of her horns was broken. "The young one has a point. We should not have kidnapped her from her home."

One of the two larger shapes finally uncurled from it's position and it glanced over at Star. It's once jewel like hide was dull and covered with gashes and scratches. The dragon was a proud rumblehorn who's sight was almost completely gone from age. "Come closer hatchling so that I may see you."

Morning Star felt a moment of rebellion surge through her and she was tempted to just sit where she was standing. The gentle gleam in the nearly sightless eyes of the rumblehorn made her breath catch in her throat and she found herself moving closer to the elderly rumblehorn.

The rumblehorn's snout came down and he gently touched it to the top of Star's head. He took a deep breath and his eyes took in Star's white scales as they shone in the fire light. By just her scent he knew that this was the lost hatchling they'd been desperately searching for for the last decade.

"It's her yes?" The final elder spoke up at last. A moldruffle, his orange scales nearly white from his age, trundled down from his slab to go over to Star. He looked her over curiously then cooed happily. "She's rather small yes?"

Star's ears came up in indignation at the size comment. "I am not small!" She growled softly and took a step away from the rumblehorn. "Tell me why I'm here so I can refuse and return to my home."

That demand made several of the elder dragons laugh and chuckle. The monstrous nightmare made comments about how rude she was and how if she'd been his descendant he would have taught her proper manners. The only two that didn't say anything or seemed to be effected by her words were the night fury and the human. The human hadn't even moved and Star was starting to wonder if he was even alive.

"I do not know what Guardian Havardr has told you," The prickleboggle female said softly as she moved closer to the fire. The red spots on her scales stood out starkly against the pale green of her body. "But you are too important to the island to just let you leave." She actually sounded apologetic as the words left her. "The death of your mother has left the entire island and its satellite islands in turmoil. No, no, you can not leave us when there is so much that needs to be done."

"B-but-"

"Young one," The night fury gently touched Star's back with his wing. "Let us explain. There is much you need to understand." He tried to be as comforting as he could for the young night fury, but his gentle gesture just seemed to upset her.

"No! Let me explain!" Morning Star snarled as she backed away from the elders. "Havardr said I could go home after I talked to all of you. This isn't my home! You kidnapped me, stole me, from my friends and family!" Her teeth were out as her voice grew in volume. "You had no right to kidnap me! My egg may have been laid here, but this place is nothing more then a prison where my kidnappers reside." Her claws scratched into the stone floor beneath her. "You took me from Toothless! I have to go back to him!" There was a desperation tinging her voice now and it was all she could do not to bolt out of the room.

The elders fell silent as Morning Star vented her anger at them.

"There were other ways to bring me here! The people of Berk love dragons and are at peace with them!" Her desperation turned back to rage and tears glimmered in her eyes. "They've defended their dragons and some have even given their lives for their dragons! Both Toothless and Hiccup have fought countless enemies for the sake of peace and to protect dragons! You could have learned all of this if you'd just gotten to know them! Instead you KIDNAPPED ME from my HOME."

"Morning Star..." The elder night fury tried to approach the roaring white night fury only for a plasma blast shot at his feet to stop him.

"Do not address me so casually!" Her voice was icy as she moved her gaze to the elder night fury. "You do not know me! You only assume to know me." Hate for these elders coursed through her and it was all she could do not to blast them all and attempt an escape.

And then there was a warm human hand on Star's neck. She froze and slowly turned her head to look at whomever was touching her.

The human that had been staring at the fire silently this entire time had somehow silently moved to her side without Star's notice. He had her full attention now and it was only because of her love for her human family and friends that she didn't immediately fire upon the human elder.

The man that touched her was different from any other human she'd ever seen. His skin, wrinkled from sun and age, was the color of wet clay. His dark eyes were bottomless as she stared up into them. His long hair was a dark grey with a few darker streaks here and there and Star could not miss the feather that was braided into the strands. He didn't feel like a viking; the energy he gave off was warmer, richer, and it calmed her. Star felt something like a slow deep drumbeat through the hand connected to her neck.

"Your heart will find its home again, but first we need your help." The man's voice was thick and throaty and there was a strange accent to his words that made his words difficult to understand.

Morning Star found herself nodding at this man with his eyes as dark as Toothless' scales and skin that seemed almost impossibly brown. When he moved forward Star walked with him so that his hand wouldn't leave her scales.

"Let us tell you our tale and then when our words run dry we shall answer your questions and speak of returning you to those you hold dear." The human elder waited until Star was laid out next to the fire before starting his story.

For the most part the story that Star was told was much like the one Havardr had told her; with a few extra details that she'd been unwilling to listen too before. As the tale progressed Star learned the names of the elders. Wildfire was the monstrous nightmare, the moldruffle was called Duskhorn, and the pale green prickleboggle was Eir. The three together worked together over all domestic affairs on the island and those smaller islands nearby. The nearly blind rumblehorn gave his name as Stagger and he was in charge of the safety, security, and secrecy of the island. When it came to the human's turn to tell his name he only told Star that he was known as the Keeper of stories and that it was his job to remember the history of the island. Finally it was the elder night furies turn to reveal his identity to Star.

"Your mother gave me the name of Tender Scales. She was the queen of all who reside on the island, but I was the alpha of the dragons. We worked together to keep the balance and peace among all the dragons and humans." His gaze and voice were filled with sadness and longing as he spoke to Morning Star. "I was her partner and mate in her last decades of life." Tender Scales waited a moment for Star to absorb this information. "I am your sire."

"My...my sire..." Star knew what it took to bring an egg into the world; it required both a male and a female dragon to create an egg. She'd always known that she'd had a sire somewhere, just as she'd always known she'd had a mother. But Star had never thought she'd get to meet him one day. She didn't know how to feel about this dragon. Even though she now knew he was her sire, Tender Scales was still a stranger.

"Morning Star." The Keeper placed his hand on Star's neck again to pull her attention to himself. "The white night fury is more then just the queen of the nest here. She does more then give the gift of language to human children. The white night fury brings harmony and balance to the island. Her presence alone keeps nature calm and the ocean from swallowing the land." As Star stared at the human she noticed just how tired he looked; it was like a weight was pushing down on him. "The white night fury has a deep connection to nature. She is the matron and life giver of the nest. The white night fury has many burdens that she alone must carry."

The young white night fury was at a loss for words. Havardr had only told her about the 'gift' the white night fury gave to humans, not all this!

"We, the elders, have done as much as we can to keep the island safe, but there is only so much we can do." The Keeper settled down onto the ground next to Star, his hand never leaving her neck. "We will not force this life on you Morning Star, but we ask that you take time to consider how much you are needed here. Learn about the island and those that live on it. Let us awaken your sleeping power so that you will be at your full strength no matter your final choice."

Silence was all Morning Star could give the elders once their words finally died away. She had many questions, but no way to put them to words. It felt like the strength her rage and hatred had given her had dried up and Star was left feeling cold and confused. Was she really that important to the island or were the elders just trying to find ways to make her stay? The Keeper had told her that the final choice would be hers, and that little ray of hope did make Star feel better.

Tender Scales let out a small sigh and he stood slowly. "It has been a long journey here for you. Please go with Shade for food and rest. When you are ready to ask your questions we will be here."

All Star could do was nod and stand up. She felt the Keeper's hand slip from her neck as she turned to walk back out the door she'd entered some time ago. It felt like hours had passed since she'd first touched the stony surface of the large doors; perhaps so much time really had passed. Star found Shade napping not to far from the door and she would have walked right past him and let him sleep if she hadn't remembered his warning about the labyrinth of the nest.

"Do you think she believes us?" Eir asked the others worriedly once Morning Star was gone. "Will she stay?"

"We need her, yes? No one else can use the magic!" Duskhorn looked from Tender Scales to the Keeper hoping that one of them would know the answer."

"She is a hatchling. She will do as she is told." Wildfire tried to sound confident, but there was a glint of worry in his eyes. White night furies were known for being strong willed and stubborn.

Tender Scales and the Keeper silently gazed into the fire as the other elders discussed things around them. "She is much like her mother, old friend." The keeper finally mumbled so that only Tender Scales could hear. "Not even the spirits know which path she'll take."

The elder night fury chuckled and gently bumped at the Keeper with his tail fins. "Whatever happens will happen. I am just thankful to your spirits that my daughter is alive and well."

"I told you she would be." Although the Keeper did not have the gift foresight, the spirits did whisper things to him on occasion. "What say you oh great rumblehorn?" The Keeper asked as he brought his voice to its normal volume once more. "What do you think of the young one?"

Stagger contemplated the other elders for a moment. "She is not the one I worry about." He grunted softly as he shifted to make himself more comfortable. "This Toothless that she mentions...Havardr believed the two shared a deep connection." It was the rumblehorn's duty to keep the island safe; even from itself at times. "Reports from the outer guards tell me that strange ships being pulled by strange dragons will arrive on the morrow. One of the strange dragons is a night fury with an odd tail." It was Stagger's belief that this strange dragon was the Toothless that Star was so desperate to get back to. It was also his belief that if the two really did share a deep connection then this Toothless would likely be in a rage when he arrived.

"Give Star a tour of the city tomorrow." Eir suggested. "That way if the strangers do arrive tomorrow and one of them is this Toothless then at least he will be calmed by Morning Star's presence." She breathed her healing breath along Wildfire's back to help ease the pain. "Just maybe have someone other then Havardr guide her around. I worry about his safety."

The elders came to an agreement that Morning Star would be given a tour of the city in the morning and that one of the other guards would show her around. Shade would be by her side, but he didn't have a human partner to help him.

Life on the island of Night and Day was about to get even more interesting.

A/N: New chapter. I am much happier with this one then the last one. Struggled a bit with Star's tantrum (totally understandable tantrum). And the Keeper, my third favorite character in this fanfic, has finally been revealed. Yes he's Native American (Haven't figured out which tribe/people yet) and he's very, very, VERY old. No one knows how old, but he's outlived most humans on the island by many years.

One thing to note is that most of the humans inhabiting Night and Day are not of Norse descent. Yes there are some, since the Norse did get pretty far, but most are descendants of American Natives. There are possibly some other European descendants as well mixed in there. The members of the 'rescue' team that went to kidnap Star were carefully selected for their lighter skin tones so that they wouldn't attract too much attention while they were so far north. Still it's hard to hide a Bermuda tan.

The different dragon races were chosen from the how to train your dragon wikia.

Last thing! I made some really cute Toothless earrings that I'm really proud of. They're for sale in my etsy shop if anyone is interested! Gotta get money for that health insurance and food and housing and stuff. Even if you don't buy please take a look anyway! I luvs them. Search for my shop "ChainedDragonWorks" on etsy!

Next time on Night and Day: Toothless comes damn near close to killing someone (several someones). See you there!