Ha HA! Back-to-back updating! Bet ya didn't expect that!

Anyway, this is the last chapter. I'm really happy with it, and I hope you are too cuz there's not gonna be a sequel!

Chapter Thirteen

Me Again

I didn't mean to do it, really. I was just planning to pin him down and put him in his place because he needed to be reminded who was the leader. However, I seemed to have forgotten how old he really was. Or what age could do to your body.

I guess it still is my fault. I should've realized that he was slowing down sooner, and maybe I could've convinced him to retire. But now it's too late.

Grunting, I climb off of Skurge's lifeless body. His neck is bent at an odd angle, and his eyes are glazed over with death.

When I leaped, my head collided with his so I could daze him. It would've worked on a younger dragon, maybe, but Skurge wasn't exactly young. His old frame completely broke under the blow and his neck snapped easily.

I take a step back and stare at his body in shock. I can't believe I did this. Sure, I've killed before, but it's never been so personal. And never accidental.

I barely hear Toothless's gasp of astonishment. I barely see Hiccup slowly walking towards me. All I can focus on is Skurge, and all the memories of him that are whirling through my mind.

The day he found me in the Dark Cave.

All of his training and encouragement.

Him fighting alongside me in battle.

Us making promises…. Promises I didn't keep.

Maybe it was for the best. Actually, I think it was for the best. He was never going to be leader anyway, and his heart and mind was clouded with hatred, whilst I still had my conscience. He was rough- he wouldn't have been a good leader, but he was a good deputy.

And I'll miss him.

Slowly, I force my paws to move towards his body. Dipping my head, I softly press my nose to his flank.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, "I owe you so much. You were the only one who kept your promises. I didn't, but I don't regret doing so. Still, there was some good in you, and I'll miss you."

Taking a deep breath, I take in his scent one more time before it is fully tainted with death-scent.

Lifting my head, I gaze at Toothless and Hiccup. My shoulders sag, and my eyelids feel heavy. I'm tired. I'm so, so tired. But I have to keep on moving, like I always do.

"Let's go." I murmur, nosing my way underneath Skurge's body. Toothless and Hiccup help push him onto my back, and then we start walking back to where we left the others.

I have to bring my clanmates back together. I have to lead them to a safe place, to a home. And we have to mourn for Skurge.

I faintly wonder how I'm going to explain his death to them, but Toothless interrupts my thoughts.

"Thank you." he says softly, "You… you're actually one of the bravest dragons I've ever met. Not only in battle, but in your heart as well. I owe you my life, and nobody in Berk shall ever forget you."

"I'm sure they won't." I reply, my voice hollow. Toothless looks at me for a moment, and then falls silent.

The journey back seems a lot shorter than before, but by the time I see dragons up ahead, my muscles are straining underneath Skurge's weight.

Toothless and Hiccup try to help me, but I warn them off with a growl. I killed Skurge, so it only feels right for me to bring him home and bear his weight.

As we get closer to the group of dragons, Raven and Nate spot us and dart over. When they see Skurge and I, however, they stop and gasp.

Ignoring them, I continue moving towards my clanmates.

"Skurge!" Whiplash is the first one to notice and he alerts the others. He, Zylah, Skull, Sawyer, Ash, Larksong, and Willow all rush over to my side. Slumping, I let Skurge's body slide off my back and onto the ground.

"No!" Ash cries, and I hazily remember all the adventures that she, Sawyer, Dracen, Skurge, and I had together. We were closer to Skurge than anybody else.

Sawyer touches his nose to the fallen deputy's head, "What happened?"

Before I can stop myself, I tell them the truth, "I killed him."

Everybody stares at me. Sighing, I continue, "He disobeyed my orders, and I tried to stop him…. He was just to old, it would've happened soon anyway."

Whiplash brushes his friend's lifeless body softly with a paw and asks, "What do we do now?"

Glancing at Zylah, I beckon her with a flick of my tail and turn around. Making my way into a clearing, I face both my clanmates and the Berks. Hiccup catches my eye and nods.

Lifting my head, I announce, "Let there be peace between our societies."

The Berks cheer and chatter in relief while my clanmates stare at me in shock.

"What?" Whiplash exclaims. Skull cocks his head, "That's it? But I thought you always wanted to kill your family."

I nod and reply, "I did. But it is not worth all of this chaos. Now all I want is to bring my clan to a place that they will call home, and lead my clanmates till the day I die. We must also mourn for Skurge." I add with a glance at my x-deputy's body.

"But before that, I have another matter to attend to. Zylah," I look at the Skrill, "You were the delta, but now Skurge is dead. Do you accept the position of being Infernious's new deputy?"

Her eyes widen, and she replies, "Yes, yes I do."

"Good." I dip my head and she asks, "Who's going to be the new delta?"

Glancing around, I pause before answering, "We'll figure that out once we're all settled. Now let's get back to Berk."

Frowning, I glance at the Viking ships sailing on the water underneath me. Hiccup gathered the rest of his 'clan' on the other side of Dragon Island before we set off to the Isle of Berk. I grudgingly gave their island back to them, since they promised to help find us a home. That doesn't mean I like the Vikings very much, though.

Hiccup is an exception, but I felt a little threatened when I met his father, Stoick. The human is large-larger than Alvin. He's strict, protective, and defensive; he's a great leader. Which is why I felt threatened.

Next to me flies my new deputy, Zylah. Since there isn't much to do while we travel, we've been talking a bit about who the next delta should be.

"It should be someone young." Zylah says, "So they'll still have a few years in them when they become leader."

I grunt and shake my head, "Chances are that they won't become deputy unless the old one dies or retires. I don't think age will really matter for the deltas. We're lucky that you are a bit younger than me so you'll get to have some time as a leader."

Zylah nods, and then suggests, "Why not Larksong? I mean, I know you said that age doesn't matter, but she's strong, smart, and willy, and you mentored her."

I ponder about it for a moment, and then shake my head, "No. I want Larksong to savor being a Fang for a bit longer. She's too young and inexperienced to be giving out orders."

"Yeah, you're right." Zylah looks down, and then asks, "What about any of the Claws? They can become part of the leadership, right?"

I nod, "Of course…hmmm….. maybe Crag? He's noble, wise, and good at hunting and fighting. He's a bit older, though."

My deputy cocks her head, "He's still got a few years in him, though."

I agree, "Yeah. We'll put him in the 'maybe' group. How about Skyflame?"

Zylah laughs and rolls her eyes, "Honestly, I think she's going to be really busy soon. Have you seen her and Whiplash?"

I purr, "Right. Forgot about that."

"How about Whiplash, though?"

Shaking my head, I reply, "No, he's too battle-hungry. I don't want my clan to be lead into unnecessary fights."

Zylah opens her mouth to reply, but suddenly a familiar voice says, "Excuse me, may I speak to Frostbite?"

Glancing over my shoulder, I see Nate and Raven, looking wary but determined.

Zylah looks at me, and then backs away, "Sure."

Immediately, Raven and Nate fly on either side of me. For a few moments, we stay silent, and then Nate says, "Sooo… Frostbite, we had, uh, a few questions that we'd like to ask now that you're less… murderous."

I glance at him and motion him to speak. He begins, "Well, we were wondering…. What changed your mind?"

I pause, and then reply, "I've already gotten my revenge. I've scarred Toothless, Irria, and Raven. I also must've done something to you if you were so determined to kill me a few hours ago."

"You nearly killed Irria." Nate growls, "And one of your dragons destroyed half of the face of the most amazing dragon in the world."

Raven clears her throat and Nate looks away. "We're glad that this is over, though," Raven says, "But why did you, uhh…" she glances at the body in my paws.

I look down at Skurge, who's lifeless form lays in my paws. I made a promise to bear his weight alone, and that is one of the promises I am determined to keep.

Shaking my head, I grunt, "It doesn't matter."

Raven nods, and then asks, "What are you going to do now?"

I look at her and reply, "Leave Berk and find a home for my clan. And hopefully never see you or any other Berks again."

She doesn't get a hurt look in her eyes and simply nods. Next to me, Nate asks, "So, uh, are we… friends now?"

I arch an eye and he continues, "I mean, Berk and Infernious."

I hesitate, and then say, "We live in peace, neither enemies nor allies."

He jerks his head and falls silent. The rest of the trip is quiet, and soon Berk comes into view. The Vikings and Infernious split up, the humans docking and getting everything on land while the Wild Dragons fly back to camp.

To my surprise, I find all the others gathered in a group near the shore. I fly down to them with the Fangs on my tail.

"Whiplash!" Skyflame calls out and rushes to meet the Grapple Grounder. As the dragons reunite, I hop up onto my announcement plateau, Skurge still in my grasp.

"Dragons of Infernious!" I yowl and they all fall silent, looking at me expectantly, "The war against the Berks is over. There shall be peace between our societies. The pets have agreed to help us search for a new island to call home."

Like the Fangs back at the Nest, the others mutter in confusion. They ask similar questions, and I reply, "I've gotten my revenge. And,"

I shuffle my paws in embarrassment and duck my head, "I have been selfish. I realize that I've simply been using you to get my venal reprisal. Meanwhile, I never thought about what you wanted. I never gave you a true home like I promised."

I pause, closing my eyes. I've broken more promises than I thought.

"Yes, I gave you an island. But as long as the war continued, it was never truly home. I am sincerely sorry for my ignorance."

There's a moment of silence, and then, to my surprise, Misty calls out, "That was the past, Frostbite. We have to look beyond our wrongdoings and find what's really important. I'm glad that you've realized your mistakes and are ready to move on. That's what a good leader is all about."

"Yeah, you may have been using us for your revenge, but you made sure we were as safe as possible in the process," Stone adds.

Viperfang pipes up, "And you gave us a new way of life. You taught us how to fight, and how to be in a clan, and what it means. Knowing that every dragon here will die for you," his two heads glance at his clanmates before he finishes, "That's the best feeling in the world."

"To Infernious!" Nixie squeals, and we join her in the chant, "Infernious! Infernious!"

I let out a purr. With the war out of the way, I can finally focus fully on my clan.

Glancing at my paws, I see Skurge's lifeless body next to me. Right. I still have to tell them about that.

Shouting above the chants, I say, "Infernious! I'm afraid I also have some bad news."

They quiet down, and I lift up Skurge by his scruff.

My clanmates gasp and I bring him down into the clearing. With some difficulty, I explain how he died. They look a little shocked for a moment, but then we all gather around to mourn.

As each of the dragons pay their respects, I look around for Dracen. I know he and Skurge didn't get along, but surely he will at least say something to his x-friend.

I spot the Changewing near his den. His back is turned.

I sigh and make my way over to him. I hesitate behind him, and then nudge him softly with my nose.

He doesn't turn around and simply says, "I'm glad this is over."

Padding up beside him, I glance at what he's doing. The limp body of Sparrow lies at his paws. My stomach lurches. I already killed one clanmate, I don't want to kill another!

I inhale a sharp intake and whisper, "Is he alive?"

Dracen pauses, and then replies, "Yes. Just unconscious. But I don't know if he will be alive for very long now that he's proven himself a traitor."

His voice is hollow, but I can hear a hint of sorrow in it.

Sighing, I say, "I won't kill him." Dracen looks up at me with wide, confused eyes, "You won't?"

I shake my head, "No. I don't want to harm any more of my clanmates, no matter how low-ranked they are." I cock my head, thinking, and then add, "I'll just exile him. To live with the pets, here on Berk."

Dracen stares at me for a few more moments, and then breaks out in an amused purr. I flick my tail, "What?"

"You've changed." He replies, "The old Frostbite would've killed him without hesitating."

"Yeah, well-"

Suddenly, there's an odd, loud sound. We both prick our ears and look up as a large, beautiful bird flies towards us. It seems to be singing a song, but it's strange, yet lulling.

We both step back as the bird lands in front of us. Its feathers are multiple shades of crimson red, fiery orange, and golden yellow. Its gaze is sharp and intelligent, and its claws are obsidian black.

I cock my head. It looks strangely familiar.

The bird turns to me with a piercing gaze and approaches me. My paws are rooted to the ground, and my muscles won't move.

The bird comes closer and when its only inches away from me, it stops. We stare at each other, me still trying to figure out why this bird is so familiar.

Then, it reaches up with its beak and touches my nose softly. Immediately, images flash briskly through my mind.

A flaming wing brushing over a pregnant Night Fury's belly.

A white and blue egg lying in a dark cave.

The bird itself shedding three tears on the egg.

The blue markings on the egg turn the crimson color of my markings.

Then it explodes, and a flaming bird erupts out of it before disintegrating into darkness.

A tiny, young Night Fury hatchling with white scales and red markings.

Me.

I gasp and reel backwards, my mind whirling. Dracen rushes to my side and yelps, "Are you alright?"

I ignore him and stare at the bird. Tilting my head, I whisper, "Au-Autumn?"

The phoenix caws and bobs her head. I stare for a few moments, and then purr, "Autumn, its you! I haven't seen you since I was a hatchling!"

Autumn coos and nuzzles against my shoulder. Dracen watches us and asks, "Who's that?"

I glance at the phoenix, and then reply, "This is Autumn. She was with me and my family in the Dark Cave. She was…the only one that liked me."

I think back to the memories that just flashed through my head when she touched me. "Apparently, she's also the reason I'm like this," I realize aloud, "Why I'm so big and strong, why my markings and eyes are fiery red, and-"

I look down at the Autumn. She looks up at me.

Frowning, I ask, "Why did you come back? Why did you show me this? Why did you make me the dragon I am? I've killed and-"

Autumn caws, interrupting me. She gestures to my clanmates with her head, and then looks back at me.

Dracen cocks his head and says, "I think she wanted you to start this clan. To free the dragons from the Outcasts and give them a good home. That makes sense, right? Phoenixes are supposed to be powerful, magical creatures."

Autumn looks at him, and then at me before turning away.

"Wait!" I call out, but she flies away towards the sun. We both watch her until she disappears in the light, and then Dracen turns to me, "At least we know why Raven named you Phoenix."

I arch an eye and he purrs, "I'm glad you've changed. You know," he lowers his voice, "This whole 'revenge' thing really started when you took on the name 'Frostbite' and gathered the clan. Now that you've gotten your revenge, do you think Phoenix can come back? The Phoenix that I once knew, the one I miss, the one that was my first true friend?"

I purr and brush my cheek against his. He jerks in surprise, but then nuzzles me back, "I'll take that as a yes."

I laugh. My heart clenches, and I realize just how much I've missed our friendship.

Sighing, I ask out of the blue, "Do you miss Skurge?"

I feel Dracen stiffen, and then he replies, "He wasn't my favorite dragon, but I guess he was a good deputy. By the way, who's going to be your new delta?"

"I don't know," I admit, "There's a lot of good dragons for the job, but they all have their faults. It's going to take a while to choose."

Dracen nuzzles me a bit harder and says, "Well, whoever you choose, I'll support you."

I close my eyes and purr, "I can always count on you, Dracen."

I feel his tail curl around me, and hear him murmur, "I'll always be here for you, Phoenix. I promise."

My heart just died. I love DracenxPhoenix! Yeah, before you ask, I guess she did kinda take her old name back. Thanks to whoever reminded me about Autumn! I think it was a guest *shrugs* I dunno. Anywho, I'm done with this series. D-O-N-E! No more. Capiche.

Well, that's about it. I'll put an Author's Note for my Avengers fanfic when I post it, so any Avenger fans can read it if they want.

Hmm...how should I close this off? Ooh, I know!

The

Freaking

End

Bye!