Hey! Happy Friday! And my goodness, I think I'm going to beg for reviews more often. (So... please? Even more? :D) Remember, I'm always more than happy to answer questions (if a little cryptically at times) and chat about whatever strikes you.

As far as Silver goes, I think I might include another chapter over there, then merge the two completely. So follow! Thank you all for your suggestions, I appreciate them.

Just one response this time...

StormMoonRabbit: Who says the Skrill is the antagonist, here?

Back to business... Huzzah! The Queen is dead! Now what?

His mind drifted on a tide of thought, a bent reality from which there was no escape. Everything was dark, then one by one, tiny pinpoints of light appeared, until he was surrounded by flickering starlight.

It was beautiful. In the distance, a larger, brighter light came into view, growing steadily as he floated through space. Gazing into it, a warmth washed over him, bringing him a peace he had not known he was seeking.

He wanted to go to the light. But something was holding onto him, keeping him from moving on.

Shade.

Though it pained him, he turned away, and looked behind him. Familiar green eyes were watching him.

Aeri?

Shade.

The eyes changed until they were bright orbs, twinkling with life. His subconscious started, a strange feeling rising.

Dad?

The green took on a silvery sheen, again painfully familiar.

Wake up.

He reached out, but the image was growing faint, falling away, and one by one the lights began to fade, blinking out of existence.

Wait! he cried, but everything was spinning out of control now, the eyes nearly invisible.

Wake up, Shade.

With a gasp his eyes shot open, for a moment not seeing anything. Slowly, his surroundings settled into place, the large, dim room lit only by a crackling fire in the center of it.

"Who's Ash?"

Startled, Shade's head snapped up and he saw Mika lounging on the floor nearby, looking both curious and concerned.

"What?" he croaked, his throat dry. Hearing this, the Grimler got up and pushed a bucket in his direction. Peering into it, he caught the scent of fresh water, and greedily he began to drink.

"Ash. You called out, 'Ash, Ash!' and thrashed around a bit."

His thirst sated, Shade slowly withdrew his head from the bucket, droplets of water falling from his nose. "She's… no one."

Mika looked skeptical but didn't push him to say more, for which he was eternally grateful. "Where are we?" he asked, changing the subject.

"We're in the humans' town hall. They brought you here after the battle."

"The bat— oh." It all came rushing back to him. The Queen, dead at last. And Aeri— "Where's Aeri?" he shouted, panicking. He tried to get to his feet, but a sharp pain shot through his chest and he collapsed back to the floor.

"Stop! Shade, it's okay, they took her to the old one's home, in the forest. She's going to be okay," Mika tried to soothe him, but all he could see in his mind's eye was his rider, unconscious and bloody from the gash on the back of her head.

"I have to go to her."

"Don't be ridiculous. You can't even stand up."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand, Mika. But I've known Aeri since the day she was born. I love her, and I feel responsible for her safety. I need to see her." Mika must have seen something in his eyes, because she didn't argue for once.

"I know I don't have that kind of a bond with her, but you're not the only one who cares for your human. And I know that after I found out Maara was attacked by that wild Grimler, I wanted to tear it limb from limb. So I can't imagine how you must feel when Aeri gets hurt, but you won't be doing her any good by being hurt yourself. And you are hurt, Shade. Look at yourself," she gestured to him with her good wing.

Glancing down, he caught sight of the wide gashes along his chest and stomach from the Queen's spiny tail, coated in some sort of green paste that the humans must have made. His heart sank, realizing how easily they could have been killed.

"Fine. I guess you're right," he said grudgingly.

"You guess? Of course I'm right."

Shade rolled his eyes. Suddenly feeling very tired, he rested his head on his forelegs, breathing shallowly through the pain in his chest.

"Get some rest, Shade," Mika encouraged.

He didn't need to be told twice, closing his eyes and falling into a deep, but not dreamless, sleep.

"But Vahna—"

"No buts. You're not going anywhere." The old woman was bustling around the room, straightening up. Aeri scowled at her from the bed, picking at the bindings around the splint on her wrist.

"Stop messing around with that," Vahna said, without turning around.

Aeri stuck her tongue out at the wise woman's back, before falling back onto the pillows, staring at the ceiling.

"And just so you aren't tempted to pull another stunt like you did the first time you were here…" Vahna went to the windows, pulling them shut and locking them. Aeri snorted. She could easily get past those locks.

"But you won't be going far without any clothes," the old woman finished.

Taken aback, Aeri looked down at herself under the blankets, realizing she was only in her breast bands and underwear. "Now wait just a second—"

"No. You're staying in that bed until I say so, and if the only thing keeping you there is your modesty, then I will exploit that for as long as I deem necessary."

"Ugh!"

Vahna chuckled quietly under her breath. "Now get some rest. The sooner you get your strength back, the sooner you get out of my hair." Not to mention the other three. Haku and his sisters had been coming around multiple times a day asking to see Rádgatá, but Vahna had shooed them away. The auburn-haired woman had no idea that she had visitors, and Vahna wasn't about to give her another reason to try to leave.

A week passed, and Shade was starting to think he might actually go insane.

His only relief was when Haku and his sisters would come to visit, bringing with them all sorts of food.

"Dreki!" Maara would call out, and stiffly he would roll upright, offering them a toothless smile.

"How's our hero today?" Hero. They thought he and Aeri were heroes. At which he would roll his eyes, sniffing around them for the treats he knew they had. Laughing, they'd set down whatever basket of fish they had brought and pull out various fruits and pastries, telling him that so-and-so had made them for him.

After a while they would have to leave, always promising to come back, and Shade would be left alone until Mika returned from gods knew where to pester him. Though he'd never admit it, he really enjoyed the younger dragon's company.

Finally, an afternoon (he supposed it was afternoon, when the doors at the front of the hall opened wide and sunlight streamed in) came when Fern showed up.

"Shade!"

"Hey, Fern. Long time, no see."

"You look dramatically better," she commented, giving him a careful once-over.

"I feel dramatically better," he replied.

"Glad to hear it. Listen, there's something I think you should see."

"Well, if my doctor over here thinks I'm well enough to go…"

Mika snorted at that. "You can do whatever you want," she said.

"Oh really? I've been trying to— you know what? Okay. Let's go, Fern." Unsteadily, he got to his feet, taking a few hesitant steps, before his confidence began to return. The three dragons walked to the doors, and Mika pushed them open.

For a moment, Shade was blinded by the bright sunlight, but when his vision cleared, what he saw took his breath away.

Dragons. There were dragons everywhere. It was almost like being back on Berk, so dramatic was the change.

At first, no one noticed them there. Then someone shouted, "Hey look! It's Dreki!" and a crowd of both humans and dragons materialized, heading for the town hall. A purple Flashfang left the growing crowd and hopped up the stairs, coming to stand next to Fern.

"Shade, this is my mate."

Shade took another look at the dragon, who bowed his head.

"Thank you for freeing us," he said simply. "Thank you for looking out for my mate. Thank you for everything."

The Night Fury didn't know what to say. A group of children ran up, shrieking and laughing, and he was distracted, gently pushing them away with a wide toothless smile.

"Careful! He's still wounded," someone said, and the children immediately softened their approach, carefully patting his shoulders and neck.

Then, at the end of the block, a figure appeared, and time stopped.

She was safe. The words resounded in his mind, and ignoring the twinge of pain in his abdomen, Shade stepped forward, moving down the stairs. The crowd, seeing where he was going, cleared a path for him as he picked up speed, heart pounding.

"Shade!" Aeri held open her arms and he skidded to a stop before her, examining her entire appearance for any sign of harm. She had a splint on one wrist and a white bandage circled her head, and he rumbled, concerned.

"I'm alright, bud," she smiled, and pressed her face to his, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I missed you," she whispered, and he warbled in agreement.

Haku watched them carefully as Rádgatá stepped back from her dragon, who purred at her lovingly. Looking over her shoulder, Dreki caught his eye, raising one brow. That dragon… Understanding, Haku shrugged. I want her safe, too. He couldn't explain it, he just felt that he should keep an eye on her. Trouble seemed to find her, even when she was careful.

Noticing her dragon's expression, Rádgatá turned to look at Haku, a quizzical smile on her face. He grinned crookedly, stepping closer. "Now everyone is safe, and everyone is together." Gesturing out at the crowd of smiling humans and dragons around them, Haku spoke up for them all to hear.

"Missti Einn has fulfilled her promise to us! The dragon menace is gone, and in turn, we have new allies, new friends!"

Aeri could only stand there, stunned, one hand on Shade's neck as the people of Heimme cheered her name, celebrating the unbelievable change that had been brought upon them. Villagers and dragons came closer, shouting questions and thanks alike.

"Please, please don't thank me!" She raised her hands for quiet, and in moments all was silent except for the wind and the distant sound of the sea. "I am not responsible for the death of the Queen. I am not responsible for the end of the raids, for the beginning of a new age for Heimme. No, the true hero is my dragon! The one who continued the fight after I fell, the one who secured the cooperation of the wild dragons, the one who won the day— It was not me! It was you, bud," she looked Shade in the eyes, and he saw the depth of her love for him, the extent of her admiration and trust.

Immediately more cheering broke out, even more ecstatically than before, and Shade looked around at the crowd, humans and dragons together. They had done it.

"We did it together," he murmured to her, and she laughed, as always understanding.

The next few weeks had a celebratory feel to them, as the people of Heimme became accustomed to their new neighbors, the good and the not so good. Aeri and Shade looked on as dozens of humans and dragons formed bonds, but also had to intervene when the dragons, who were still somewhat untamed, caused unintentional destruction and mayhem.

Fortunately, Shade had Mika and Fern, and now Fern's mate, Kova, to help keep the peace. Despite his best efforts to prevent it from happening, though, more and more dragons turned to him when they sought mediation or guidance. It wasn't a bad thing, just something Shade had hoped to avoid. He didn't want to be in a leadership position. At least, that's what he told himself.

With Vahna's permission, Aeri and Shade took to the skies, patiently teaching newly bonded humans and dragons the most efficient and enjoyable ways to fly together. Most people seemed content to stay on the ground for the time being, but some practically leapt at the opportunity to fly on a dragon of their very own. The wild dragons quickly learned that there was no detriment to their flight when there was a human riding them, although they did have to tone down the acrobatics so that the inexperienced riders could stay in the saddle.

When on solid ground, Aeri was in as much demand by the villagers as Shade was by the dragons. They were practically celebrities, from dawn until well after dusk. Feasts were thrown in their names, wild parties… but after one slightly inebriated young man had declared his undying love for her and asked for her hand in front of the entire village, Aeri decided that it was time for things to get back to normal.

So, she and Shade started sleeping in the clearing again, under the light of the stars. No one knew where their camp was, and everyone respected them too much to try and find out. Haku was sorely tempted on more than one occasion to follow the pair into the forest, though he'd never admit it to anyone. He found himself increasingly irritated when Rádgatá gave the young men in the village a moment of her time, but it was hardly her fault. He knew he was allowing his emotions to get the best of him, which was against everything he believed in, but one look at her, one smile from her, one friendly touch on the shoulder… a moment in her presence was enough to undo him.

Haku thought he was successful at hiding his true feelings from Rádgatá, and for the most part he was, but to anyone paying close enough attention, the situation became clear very quickly. His sisters were pleased that he was choosing to focus on her, out of anyone else in the village, but Maara couldn't shake the memory of the conversation she and Missti Einn had on the steps of the town hall before the last, fateful dragon attack. Rádgatá had left her old life, no, had fled, for reasons which were not apparent to Maara. So she kept quiet about it, not wanting to make a mess of her relationship with the older woman.

But they were not the only ones paying close attention to Haku. There was another, whose jealousy and frustration grew more vicious with each passing day. It was only a matter of time before that simmering resentment boiled over, and someone was going to get burned.

One night, after dinner in the town hall, Haku and Rádgatá sat on the steps, talking under the light of the full moon and the glow of the torches. He could hardly believe his good luck, normally she was surrounded by people, but tonight he had caught a break and was able to catch her as she left the building. Now, they chatted and laughed, minds pleasantly fuzzy from the strong mead they had been drinking. Everyone else had returned to their homes, as the hour was late, but they stayed, enjoying each other's company too much to want to part.

"I've been flying with Kova, but it's just not the same as flying with you and Dreki," Haku gestured towards the dragon, who had dozed off at the base of the stairs.

"Well, he is a Night Fury. There's nothing quite like riding a dragon like him," she smiled fondly at her sleeping friend.

"That's… not the only reason." Haku mumbled, looking anywhere but at her. He felt his face heat up, and nearly jumped out of his skin when she laid a cool hand on his bare forearm.

"Haku," she started, no longer smiling, but he cut her off.

"We've both been so busy lately, we never seem to get a chance to catch up anymore," he said quickly. "I feel like…" he trailed off, not wanting to say too much.

"Feel like what?" she replied softly, tightening her grip on his arm ever so slightly.

He turned his face and met her searching gaze, bringing up his hand to rest it on top of hers where it lay on his arm. "Sometimes I feel like I'm losing you," he finally whispered. She closed her eyes, and for a moment he thought he'd gone too far. Releasing her hand, he turned away roughly, swallowing at the sudden pain he felt in his chest.

"You'll never lose me, Haku." Stunned, he turned back to see an intense expression on her usually composed features.

Slowly, he raised a hand and cupped her cheek, and she closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, he saw reflected there his own feelings, the ones he had seen there before her battle with the Queen, when there lay the possibility of never seeing each other again. But he wasn't about to lose her now.

Even more hesitantly, he brought his face close to hers, not breaking their eye contact, before pressing his forehead against hers. Her hand came up and rested on his jaw, and Haku felt an incredible surge of warmth pass through him.

"Rádgatá," he whispered, and something flickered in her expression, though she didn't look away. Their lips were so close, all he had to do was lean forward…

A sudden growl tore through the night, interrupting the moment. Startled, they broke apart, looking down at the black dragon, who was sitting upright, sniffing the air.

"What is it, bud?" Aeri's face was hot. In fact, her entire body was flashing hot and cold, and she shook her head to clear it. Quickly she stood, peering out into the darkness, but she couldn't see anything. The sky was clear and cloudless, and the streets were empty.

After a minute, Shade lowered his head, eyes still vigilant. Reluctantly Aeri turned back to Haku, whose stormy gaze caused her to heat up all over again.

"We should go," she said, a little awkwardly. Silently, Haku stood up, stepping close to her once again. Shivering, she took a small step back, and he stopped, looking concerned.

"Are you cold?"

No. Quite the opposite. "A little," she lied. "We… we're going fishing tomorrow morning. You should join us, if you're free. We'll be on the eastern shore."

"I'll be there," he smiled, breaking the tension, and she offered him a small smile in return.

"Good. Come on, bud," she turned away from Haku and quickly descended the stairs. Leaping smoothly onto Shade's shoulders, she couldn't help but turn and wave. Haku was bathed in flickering torchlight, and her face went hot at the thought of seeing him again. You haven't even left him yet, dummy, the voice in her head nagged, but her heart wasn't listening. In fact, it was saying something entirely different.

Pressed against the side of the building, a figure stood cloaked in shadows, watching the black dragon take off and head over the forest. Eastern shore, huh? Sounds like the perfect opportunity…

For what? THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR WHAT?!

Stay tuned to find out ;) The next chapter is quite a doozy.

And here's my second plea of the day for reviews! Love you all, even those of you (and you know who you are!) who read without reviewing. :)