Hello readers! So, about last chapter, that was a bit of a prologue for the second part of this story. I will definitely be continuing this story until I deem it fit to end, so have no fear! I would never abandon this story, especially since it's my first. Look at how many reviews this story has! We're so close to 100! Less than 40 to go, you think we can make it before summer ends? Leave a review if you think you know who was narrating that last chapter. Enjoy, and mind the time skip...

Hiccup POV

March, 1 Year Later

I towered over Toothless in my draconic form, tired after this mornings flight. I had decided to race him that morning, and had beaten him. It had been close, as my body was built more for flight than his, but I had less practice. Toothless had had a lifetime to become a better flyer, I've had only a year.

I transformed back into my human form, barely blinking an eye. It was second nature to me now, and I hardly had to think at all when transforming. I had discovered that my magic had become a lot stronger as well, probably having something to do with the strong magic dragons possessed. They were powerful creatures, but not all that power came from themselves, there was a lot of magical help to go along with it.

"So, bud. What do you want to do today?" I asked him. Toothless opened one eye and stared up at me from where he lay, sunbathing on the ground. He warbled softly before closing his eye again and turning his back on me.

"We're not sleeping all day, if that's what you were planning on doing." I told him. I nudged him with my left foot. "Come on, you useless reptile."

Toothless groaned but reluctantly stood up.

"Good. You ready to eat?" I asked him. Toothless's ears perked up at the mention of food. I smiled. "Magic or hunting?" I asked him.

Toothless leaped forward and pounced on some imaginary animal.

"Hunting it is." I hopped onto his back. "We can find some fish by the stream. Let's go." Toothless crouched and leaped into the air.

Merida POV

I sat in 6th year Herbology class, potting difficult little plants called Venenosa. My arms were covered up to the elbows with thick, dragon hide gloves. The young Venenosa were highly poisonous and could paralyze a grown man with only a single barb.

"These things are nasty little beastie's." I scrunched up my face in disgust as I replanted mine. It twisted and writhed in my grasp, trying to sting me with it's tiny little vines.

"They're not too bad Merida. Just a little cranky." Punzie said, already done replanting hers.

"Says you. I swear everything in this castle hates me." I jammed my plant into the clay pot sitting on the table in front of me. I covered it completely in dirt, leaving only it's ugly little head sticking out. I brushed my hands off then removed the gloves. I picked my pot up and went to go hand it in to Professor Viriditas.

"Very good, Merida." She said kindly. "You can go now. I believe Gryffindor's have a free period, yes?"

I nodded and smiled at her. I stepped out of the greenhouse, with Punzie following behind me closely. Ever since Hiccup had left, Punzie and I became nearly inseparable. Every spare second we each had, would be spent together. We hardly saw Jack anymore.

"So, Punzie" I said to her. "What do you have next?" I asked her.

Punzie sighed. "I have potions with Hufflepuff."

I winced. "Well, have...fun with Pitch."

Punzie didn't look very happy about it. "Yeah, I should probably get going."

I waved at her and gave a small grin. "Good luck."

Punzie turned and left, returning back to the school. I sighed and turned around, facing the Forbidden Forest. Every spare period I had alone, I went in to the forest, searching. I didn't know what exactly I was looking for, I just...searched. Could I still possibly be looking for signs of-

No. I simply enjoyed the peace and quiet. That was it.

I walked into the dense tree line, welcoming the muffling presence the cool shadows offered. I found the cove that Hiccup had been hiding his dragon in, the path to the large clearing engraved deep into my mind. I don't know why I kept coming here, considering all it did was bring up bad memories. Perhaps I found it slightly comforting, knowing that this was the last place Hiccup was seen.

We had been so close. Over the past years, we had just...clicked. We fit together. He was the brainy side of our partnership, I was the athletic, brave one. I had even thought that maybe we could have been-

"No." I whispered to myself aloud. It wasn't healthy to dwell on the past, on the 'could have's' or the 'should have's.' Hiccup was gone and I had to face the fact that he wasn't coming back. It had been more than a year, it was time to get over it.

A loud crash broke me out of my sorrowful reverie, and my head snapped up.

I stood on the rock I was sitting on, stretching my neck, trying to spot what was behind the large boulder separating half of the cove. I leaped down from the rock and sprinted to said boulder. I peeked around the corner and nearly collapsed.

I saw a shadow creature.

I saw Toothless, Hiccup's dragon.

I saw Hiccup, Toothless's rider.