Disclaimer: The following is a fan based story. I do not own How To Train Your Dragon all rights belong to DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell. Please support the official release.

Chapter 6: Big Adjustments

Stoick sat before the fireplace, poking idly at the logs as his thoughts raced.. Hiccup, or what he assumed was Hiccup, lay unconscious on a bed of furs near the center of the room.

It had been quite a task getting the unconscious dragon to the chief's cabin. Although he was smaller and slimmer than toothless, his weight was still considerable with those thickly muscled legs. At first several of the villagers, including Gobber and himself, had tried to carry the heavy mass. But even with their large muscles, which had been earned through years of battle experience, were no match with the intimidating weight of the dragon. After a few failed attempts at different methods, one of which included a stretcher made of several coats tied together; Toothless had pushed aside the silly men and pulled the unconscious boy onto his back. After that, it was just a matter of making sure he didn't fall off, which had been easy enough with just himself and Gobber, as they made their way back through the trees and into the village.

No matter how many times he played and replayed the scene in his head, he still couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. Hiccup, his boy, had been turned into a dragon. And a Nightfury no less! Even if it was his son, it just….just wasn't natural. After all, dragon's and Vikings had been at odds since long before he was born. Just how was he supposed to react? There wasn't exactly a parenting book that told you what to do in this sort of ridiculous situation.

Stoick felt his shoulders slouch over as he rested his head in his hands with a heavy sigh. Did it even matter? After all, from what he'd seen at the lake his son didn't remember him anymore.

And those eyes, every time he closed his eyes he could see those large emerald green orbs stare at him with so much fear, fear of him. His son was afraid of him. Maybe it had been an instinctual reaction, or maybe he was subconsciously afraid of his father and his nitrous hatred for dragons that drove him to shiver with terror. Had he ever given him a reason not to?

He'd only ever been gruff and dismissive with him, and that was only on good days. Most days it was almost as if Hiccup didn't exist, they just passed each other like strangers in the market.

What a great family we turned out to be. He thought with a sour expression, picking his head back up to regard the two dragons currently residing in the center of the room.

Toothless was curled protectively around his former rider, resting his large head on Hiccups back and wrapping his tail over Hiccup's front claws. He'd refused to leave the young dragon's side after they'd arrived back home, so the chief had begrudgingly let the adult Nightfury into his house.

At first Stoick had hated the creature. The Nightfury had been the reason for Hiccups betrayal of his people and long standing tradition. And after the battle he'd been in too much shock to really think about the Nightfury. However, over the last few days, he'd seen so much of the dragon and his love for his son that he'd grown to regard the creature with some respect.

But that still didn't mean he was comfortable with the current situation, to be honest with himself, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be.

Just as the chief turned to stoke the fire, which had shrunken considerably, he heard the sound of someone steering behind him. He felt his heart jump in his chest, his shoulders stiffen, and he suddenly felt nervous, a feeling he'd never had before. He'd been killed his first dragon without batting an eye, step up to the plate and lead his people during the war after his father's passing with utter confidence. But the idea of having to face his son caused his palms to sweat and his heart to race.

He wasn't ready for this, not yet. He needed time; time to think about his position, about Hiccup's position, and sort out his confused emotions before he could face his son.

Getting up he rushed out of the room and into his own, before Hiccup had could have time to wake enough to spot him. Closing the door louder then he'd meant to, he sat down and continued to brood long into the night.

Toothless watched with mild amusement, and a small amount of pity, as the Large Viking rushed out of the room and slammed the door to his bed chambers. He'd seen the human's back stiffen just as Hiccup had begun to steer, but he couldn't blame the man. Stoick's face had looked pale and distraught for a while now, and Toothless had been expecting the man to break down any moment.

Feeling the young dragon shift against him, Toothless turned his gaze from the man's hasty escape to the drake that was now coming back to full consciousness beside him.

Hiccup lifted his head lazily and blinked the sleep out of his eyes. Slowly, as if he was not quite awake yet, the smaller dragon turned his head to gaze with half lidded eyes at the Nightfury currently coiled around him.

"Toothless?" His formed rider said questioningly as if he wasn't quite sure he was awake.

Toothless made a low rumbling sound in his chest, which was the dragon equivalent to a purr, and nudged the sleepy drake a few times with his nose.

"Okay, Okay bud, I'm awake" Hiccup said chuckling a little as he attempted to lean away from the onslaught of poking and prodding.

"You'd never believe the crazy dream I had" Hiccup said after Toothless had stopped his relentless attack. "I was a Nightfury! Crazy right?" He said shaking his head a little in amusement. "Maybe they were right when they said hanging out with dragons was poison for my mind, okay well maybe they didn't say that but my dad definitely implied it." He said shaking slightly as he chuckled.

"That was no dream little one" Toothless said, letting out a small chuckle of his own. His former rider could be a real scatter brain when it suited him.

Hiccup visibly stiffened, and his eyes widened to round circles as his head whippedaround in shock, now fully awake, to stare open mouthed at Toothless.

"But how….your….I" Toothless watched with amusement at Hiccup stuttered and struggled to speak in coherent sentences. "You're talking! I can understand you! But, but how?'

Toothless arched a scaly brow and regarded Hiccup with a look that implied the question, are you really asking me that?

Hiccup felt like his mind was racing as a million questions bubbled to the front of his head. Then as if realizing their surroundings for the first time he started to panic "you're in my house! Why? Does my dad know you're here?" His already wide eyes grew impossibly larger in fear, and he began glancing around the room nervously, as if expecting something to jump out from behind a shadow and attack him.

"Calm down little one." Toothless said, starting to get slightly annoyed with Hiccups endless stream of questions, but keeping his voice calm and reassuring.

Hiccup visibly relaxed a little at hearing Toothless' smooth baritone voice, his shoulders became less tense and his eyes returning to their normal almond shape.

"Yes you father knows I'm here, there is no need to worry about that." Toothless explained "However to answer your first question, I'd suggest you take a look at yourself before I explain"

A confused look passed over Hiccup's face, but then a sudden recognition light his green eyes as memories of the night before came flooding back. Then looking down his suspicions were confirmed as he spotted a pair of sharp claws and dark black scales glinted in the dim light of the hearth.

"So that, that wasn't a dream then," Hiccup said feeling slightly faint again.

Toothless watched with a tight feeling in his chest, at the look of confusion and panic that rolled over the young dragons features. He didn't say anything, knowing that whatever he said would be lost on the boy in his panicked state, instead he let Hiccup calm down on his own.

Hiccup was silent for what seemed like an hour before he spoke again. And when he did it was in a quite almost inaudible voice.

"Why?"

It was only one word but it spoke volumes. Hiccups voice had been shaking slightly and he was trembling when he spoke. His eyes were wide and the fear had once again returned, turning the emerald pools dark.

"I, I don't know, Hiccup. I'm sorry." Toothless said shaking his head. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him but he quickly shoved it down. He couldn't tell Hiccup, not now, and hopefully not ever. Hiccup didn't deserve to go through any more pain, and if he told the young dragon what he'd done…no, Hiccup couldn't know.

"I don't know why you've turned, but I'm glad. You…..you died Hiccup, I almost lost you." Toothless said, and he'd meant it when he said he was glad. He'd felt like a piece of him had been torn out when he saw the lifeless form of his rider laying in that boat. He'd never imagined in his wildest imaginings that he'd ever feel kinship for a human, but when he'd been faced with Hiccup's death it had almost been too much.

"How do you feel?" Toothless asked, trying to distract himself from his memories.

"Like I've been run over by a herd of yak." Hiccup said, his old sarcasm returning and causing Toothless to crack a small smile.

"Well, I'd imagine so." Toothless said with a small chuckle. "Tell me, what do you remember, earlier it seemed you were having a problem with your memory." The adult Nightfury asked, concern evident in his voice.

Hiccup thought for a moment before giving an answer, trying to recollect his memories into stream of images in his mind until he came up blank. A look of pain crossed his face again as he spoke.

"The last thing I remember was trying to talk to my dad, well more like argue, just after the final exam" the look of pain only deepened as he recalled the event. "Then I remember some of the fight with the queen dragon but not much, after that it goes dark, I'm guessing that's when I…well you know." Hiccup finished swallowing past the lump that had formed in his throat when he'd been about to say the word died. It all still felt very unreal to him.

Toothless left his heart relax a little in his chest. Hiccup seemed to have gotten most of his memories back, which he could take as a good sign for now. But then a thought occurred to him that made his heart plummet.

"Hiccup, what do you remember about the battle?" He questioned nervously.

Hiccup looked at Toothless with a confused gaze, probably wondering about the dragon's sudden change in behavior.

"I remember going through the sea stacks, and the fire fight in the clouds, and then slamming head first into the queen's tail when she started to explode, but that's about it. Why? Did I forget something important? Hiccup asked getting worried at Toothless' obvious nervousness.

"No, no nothing important." Toothless said trying to keep his voice even and calm.

Hiccup regarded the dragon with a look of suspicion, narrowing his eyes and trying to will the Nightfury into confessing the truth. But after a moment his mouth stretched wide into a loud yawn. And Toothless seeing his chance, insisted that Hiccup go back to sleep. Hiccup refused, saying he'd slept plenty but was instantly shot down.

"Your body's been through a lot of stress in the last few days. You need to rest Hiccup, we'll talk more about it later I promise. For now just go back to sleep." Toothless argued.

Hiccup finally, after another large yawn, nodded in agreement and laid his head back on his front claws. Within minutes Hiccup was snoring gently beside him, asleep yet again.

Toothless stared down at the sleeping form of his former rider and felt a sadness sweep over him. Hiccup didn't remember His father's apology. From what the young drake had said the last thing he remembered was arguing with his dad, and from the look that had been on Hiccup's face it had been a bad one.

He knew the young boy had never been close with his father, he'd sometimes mumble under his breath when he wasn't paying attention, or stare in the direction of his house with a sour look on his face.

If he didn't remember his father's apology then it was no wonder he'd been so panicked when he'd realized they were at his house. He was afraid of his father.

Chapter end

A/N: Alright I worked way passed the time I should have been in bed working on this :P I was trying to get one chapter out this week but I also wanted to make sure I didn't rush it and publish a crappy chapter just so i would have something to publish. Hopefully you all like it. My editor seemed to so that's a plus. Don't worry I know a few things are becoming repetitive, as was pointed out to me by my editor, I'll be fixing that in the next chapter so hopefully we wont have anymore problems. As always I love reading all of my reviews, and greatly appreciate the support, it inspires me to keep writing. So review's are always welcome as are critiques, however if your going to be rude please keep it to yourself. So far everyone's been great so I'm not worried. Until next chapter bye bye. :)

-Tsuchihana