A/N: Another big thank you for all the reviews! 29 for only two chapters?! I'm…I'm speechless…thank you all so much!

To loneranger1701, I've considered both of your suggestions carefully, and I've come to agree with your first point. Thankfully that's an easy enough fix to make, so you'll see it next chapter. As for your second point, I suppose I understand where you're coming from, and it certainly does fit Fishlegs' character to say that, but…I think the story is stronger if Hiccup ends up totally and completely alone, especially considering what I'm planning to do with the continuation. (Besides, I'm far too lazy to try changing things around now. XD) But thank you for your input!

To Animal Lover, thank you for your reviews! I'm glad you're excited about the story. And yes, "Time to Go" is another inspiration for this, to some extent. For some reason I love stories that put Hiccup through a lot of emotional pain. I don't know what that says about me, but…eh… As for your request for two chapters a night…I'm afraid I can't quite manage that. True, the first eight chapters are already complete, but I've gotten no further and am currently dealing with a touch of writer's block. So I really don't know how long it will be before I can continue writing the story. I've been spacing out the chapters a bit to buy me some time, so hopefully there won't be a huge delay after posting Chapter 8.

On with the show!

Chapter Three

Betrayal

Even though he was expecting it this time, seeing all the villagers glaring at him and muttering under their breath was no easier today than it had been the day before. If anything, it was worse. The confusion and bewilderment were wearing off, and hurt and betrayal were taking their place. Toothless stood faithfully by his side, growling at anyone who got too close to his human, but he was incapable of fully lifting the boy's spirits.

There was one bright spot on the horizon, however. Hiccup was going to the Dragon Training Academy that afternoon to teach another class. If there was anything that could ease the pain he was suddenly being subjected to, it was being on the back of a dragon, teaching his friends how to strengthen their bonds with their reptile companions. Sure, the thought of facing Astrid and Snotlout had his stomach doing backflips, but there was still Fishlegs and the twins. Perhaps Ruffnut and Tuffnut were a bit too crazy for his liking sometimes, but they were dependable, and Fishlegs had become a rather close friend after the integration of dragons into their lives. So with a slightly lighter heart, Hiccup flew Toothless over to the arena after lunch, prepared to spend his afternoon doing something he was good at, something he loved…

But his smile abruptly vanished when he entered the ring. The others were already there, and they were all staring at him like he was a five-year-old kid sibling constantly getting in the way. "What are you doing here?" Fishlegs sneered at him.

"I…I…" Hiccup cleared his throat. "I'm here to teach you all about…"

His chosen topic was drowned out by laughter.

"You? Teach us?" Fishlegs laughed. "Oh please! Get out of here, Hiccup. I'm teaching this class, and I'm not going to waste my time with you. Go somewhere you're wanted, Useless."

Hiccup just stared at him. Fishlegs had never spoken to him like that. He had always been at least cordial. Even before they had become friends he had been polite to Hiccup, if a little distant. He would have expected this kind of reception from Snotlout, but Fishlegs…?

His gaze roved over the faces of the other teens. None of them looked like they were going to come to his defense. Ruff and Tuff were still laughing at Hiccup's delusions of teaching. Snotlout, predictably, was puffing himself up to make himself look more impressive and intimidating. Astrid, however, wasn't even looking at him. She had her back to him, focusing her attention entirely on her dragon Stormfly. She hadn't looked at him once since the moment he'd walked in. It was perhaps this that made Hiccup blurt out, "What did I ever do to you? Any of you? Will someone please explain what it is I've done to make everyone hate me so much?"

No one answered him. Fishlegs waved him away like he was an annoying fly before turning to the others and beginning his lesson as if he'd never been interrupted.

And Astrid never once looked his way.

…

Days turned into weeks, and each hour felt like a lifetime to Hiccup. He went about his days with his head bowed and eyes downcast. He rarely talked and smiled even less. After all there wasn't much to talk or smile about. He'd gone from being beloved and respected to hated and despised, and he still had no idea why. The only beings capable of bringing a spark of life to his eyes were Toothless, who stayed by his human's side unfailingly, and Gobber. The blacksmith was the only human who hadn't turned his back on the boy. He still insisted that Snotlout had defeated the Red Death, but he at least treated Hiccup like he was a human being. And given everything else he was facing, Hiccup felt fortunate for that small favor.

One morning, a month after his sudden fall from grace, Hiccup found himself once again in the market, picking up items for Stoick. Every merchant he talked to looked down at him like he was a common slave. Noses wrinkled, eyes like stone, lips firmly set into straight lines void of all warmth. Hiccup made his purchases with as few words as possible, keeping his head and voice low, wishing the whole time that he could simply vanish.

As he turned away from the apple cart, his prosthetic snagged a loose stone, and he toppled like a felled tree. A chorus of laughter rang out around him as every Viking in the square turned to point and make jokes. "What a show, Useless!" one of them cried. "It takes real talent to trip like that!" No one reached out to help him to his feet this time except Toothless, who whined at the sight of his human looking so dejected and forlorn.

"Thanks, Toothless," Hiccup murmured, placing a hand on his dragon's forehead. "Come on. Let's drop this stuff off at the house and get to the forge before Dad thinks I'm shirking my responsibilities again."

He rode Toothless up to the house instead of climbing the hill himself this time. He set the bags of purchased goods on the kitchen table, not looking at Stoick, knowing that all he'd see was disappointment in his father's eyes. Without a word he departed again, not seeing that Stoick was watching him, not in disappointment, but in sadness. "Hiccup…" he sighed. "Hang in there."

Hiccup mounted Toothless again and the two friends rode to the forge, the boy keeping his gaze down to avoid the stares of the other Vikings. Toothless wasn't nearly as shy: he growled and snapped at anyone who so much as looked at his human the wrong way. Hiccup couldn't help but smile weakly and patted his friend, silently thanking him. Toothless crooned.

When they reached the forge, Gobber looked up and waved with his hook. "There you are!" he called jovially.

"Sorry," Hiccup said, dismounting his dragon and heading over to where his apron hung. "Dad sent me to get some stuff from the market."

"Eh, don't trouble yourself over it," Gobber replied with an airy shrug. "I figured you had a good reason."

The words were simple, but they filled Hiccup with…perhaps not joy, but a sense of peace that he had been missing for a month now. It was nice to have someone trust him implicitly like that. He paused in the middle of pulling his apron on.

"Hey, Gobber?"

"Mm?" Gobber replied, barely glancing up from his work.

"Thanks. For…well…for not turning against me."

Gobber paused in his hammering and looked at Hiccup properly. "Eh?"

Hiccup tied the apron and sighed. "Everyone else on Berk has started treating me like I'm not even human, just because I…I'm not big and strong like the other Vikings. Dad hasn't smiled at me in a month. My…my friends…" He had to force the word out. "…think I'm not worth their time. A-Astrid would rather be with the hero Snotlout than with me. And the other villagers just think I get in the way. I'm Hiccup the Useless now, did you know that? That's what everyone calls me. Everyone except you. You're the only one who still treats me the same as before, and…well…thanks."

Gobber gazed at him with an odd expression on his face. Pity? Then he shrugged and said, "Don't mention it, lad," and returned to his work. Smiling faintly, Hiccup picked up a sword and set to work.

A few minutes later, a burly Viking stepped up to the counter and started talking to Gobber. Hiccup didn't pay them any mind until the blacksmith called, "Hiccup, would you go into the back and fetch my spare hammer?"

Hiccup frowned. There were several hammers lying about the shop. Why did Gobber need another? But it wasn't his job to question his boss, so he nodded and said, "Be right back."

Passing a snoozing Toothless, he stepped into the back room, which he had unofficially commandeered several years ago as his inventing room. It was here that the Mangler that had shot down Toothless had been born. But it was still technically Gobber's shop, so naturally there were tools and materials strewn about amid Hiccup's papers and designs.

As he rummaged about, he heard the Viking at the counter exclaim, "Did Useless make this?! Great Thor Almighty, it's terrible!"

Hiccup flinched. One month was not enough time to make him immune to insults, and he had always prided himself on his attention to detail, especially in his blacksmithing. He hoped Gobber would come to his defense. Thor knew he needed someone to defend him besides a dragon that couldn't speak Norse…

"Yeah I know," Gobber sighed. "I'd hoped that he'd be better by now, but the lad's utterly hopeless. Worst blacksmith in the history of Berk! I just don't have the heart to tell him…"

There was a loud clang. It took Hiccup several moments to realize it had come from the hammer that had slipped from his slackened fingers. No. Not Gobber too. Not when he'd thought there was actually someone on Berk who cared…

Hiccup suddenly stiffened. This was too much. He had just bared his soul to Gobber and this was how he was repaid? Fists clenched at his sides, he turned on his heel and stepped back into the main shop. Gobber looked up at his reentrance and raised his eyebrows, but before he could speak, Hiccup snarled, "Worst blacksmith in the history of Berk?!"

Gobber blinked and said nothing.

"I trusted you!" Hiccup cried, unable to stop his voice from shaking. "I thought you were different! I thought you…I thought you actually cared…I…" He yanked the apron off and flung it aside. He was close to tears. He had to get out of here before they started to flow. He couldn't be seen crying…it would only make the others believe in his weakness more than they already did…

"I quit!"

And without another word, he woke Toothless and fled the shop, the confused Night Fury bounding along behind him.

"Hiccup!" Gobber called, but the Viking at the counter put a hand on his shoulder.

"It can't be helped, Gobber," he said sadly. "We have to do this. You know that."

Gobber shook his head and said nothing in reply.

…

If Hiccup thought things couldn't possibly get worse, he was quickly proved wrong. When he headed downstairs the next morning, the first words out of Stoick's mouth were, "You have a new job."

Hiccup paused with one foot dangling over the bottommost step, staring blankly at his father. "I…what?"

"Since you quit working at the forge…" The tone of Stoick's voice made his opinion on that particular decision quite clear. "…I have found you a new job. You will go into the forest and help the men chop down trees for firewood. You'd better get going. They're expecting you."

Hiccup felt his stomach drop. Chopping down trees? Him? This couldn't end well. But he knew arguing would only make his father angry, so he sighed and said, "Okay," in a small voice that Stoick almost didn't hear. He continued his descent down the stairs and headed to the door, Toothless on his heels. At least with his friend there, the job would be bearable…

As if reading his thoughts, Stoick called out, "And the dragon stays here."

Hiccup whirled around. "What? But Dad—"

"No buts," Stoick growled. His eyes were cold. "The dragon stays here. Now get a move on."

Hiccup gazed miserably at his father for a moment, praying he'd change his mind. When he didn't, he turned to Toothless, his heart clenching as he said, "You have to stay, bud. I'll see you later."

Toothless warbled in confusion and tried to follow Hiccup out the door, but his human held up a hand and said, "No, Toothless. Stay." There was no conviction in his voice. The dragon knew the boy wanted him by his side. But Hiccup turned away, closing the door between them and trying to ignore the anguished roar he heard from within the house.

His worst fears were confirmed when he joined the other men in the forest. This new job was a nightmare. He wasn't strong enough to properly wield an axe, which made hitting his mark all but impossible. He was out of breath after only a few swings, but whenever he paused to recover someone would bark out orders for him to keep working. He heard the words "lazy," "pathetic," "worthless," "weak," and of course "useless" thrown at him like rocks all throughout the day. He wasn't given a lunch break, forced to work on while the others took their time enjoying their midday meal. By the afternoon his stomach was growling loudly but he didn't stop, working on and on until the sun began its downward descent toward the sea. Only then was he allowed to put down his axe and trudge home, tired, hungry, and dreading the dawn when he'd have to come back and do it all over again.

Toothless almost bowled him over when he opened the door of his house, and despite his misery Hiccup couldn't quite suppress a smile. "I'm glad to see you too, bud," he said, resting his hand on the dragon's nose.

He satisfied his hunger with a supper of fish and bread before dragging himself up the stairs. Toothless rumbled questioningly. "No, bud. No flying tonight. Too tired," Hiccup said around a huge yawn. Toothless grumbled quietly but didn't fight it. Instead, he helped his human up to bed, resting his head atop Hiccup's stomach as he lay down. Hiccup chuckled weakly and whispered, "Thanks, Toothless," before falling asleep mere seconds later.

The second day was no better than the first, nor was the third or fourth. Weeks passed and still Hiccup slaved on in the forests. He had hoped that things would improve with time, but if anything they were getting worse. He was still fumbling with the axe and unable to swing it with enough force to properly cut down anything. Instead of helping out, the other workers piled more work on him, choosing to stand back and watch him struggle rather than lift a finger to help. Every day Hiccup came home weak, exhausted, with legs trembling and threatening to give out from underneath him. He went without food for most of the day, only able to eat a quick breakfast before work and a meager supper when he returned in the evening. Worst of all, his flights with Toothless came to a complete stop. There was no time during the day, and at night he was simply too tired. Toothless was getting restless with being grounded but sensed that his human's needs were greater than his own. The Night Fury was always there for Hiccup, waiting for him at the door every night, accompanying him up to bed and lying down with his head resting within arm's reach of his sleeping companion.

One night, about a month after starting his new job, Hiccup came home a little earlier than usual. He hadn't slept well the previous night, and after dropping his axe no less than forty-two times, the boss had sent him away. Hiccup wasn't complaining. He had plans for that extra time. "Come on, bud," he said in between hurried mouthfuls of bread. "We're going flying."

Toothless could barely hold himself still while Hiccup saddled him up, and the moment his human was atop his back he launched into the air. Depressed and exhausted though he was, Hiccup couldn't help but cry out in delight as his hair whipped back and the wind stung his face. Oh how he had missed this! This feeling of freedom that came with flying. For the first time in forever, he was able to convince himself that he was free from everything that had been holding him down for so long. Up here in the sky, nothing could touch him. No one could glare at him or drop hints about his uselessness. It was just him and Toothless. No one else.

Hiccup sighed as Toothless leveled off and began to soar over the island. He didn't feel up to trying anything too daring – he was extremely tired, after all – but a simple relaxing flight was just as good. It gave him a chance to think about everything that had happened over the last two months.

"I just don't get it," he said after a moment. "One moment everything's great and the next I'm pushed aside like a smelly boot. Why? I mean, if they want to hail Snotlout as a hero, that's fine by me. But why after all this time? And why do they have to treat me like I'm not even human? And it's only getting worse…" He considered it for a minute. "Were they all pretending to like me? Why would they do that?" After a moment's thought he continued, "They used me, didn't they? They used me to defeat the Red Death and then tossed me out like garbage. All because I'm not a proper Viking. It looks better to say Snotlout killed the Red Death instead of the village screw-up…"

Toothless warbled sadly, and Hiccup patted him on the head with a faint smile. "Thanks, Toothless," he murmured. "Thanks for always being there for me. You're the only one who never pretended."

Toothless crooned, and Hiccup sighed again, leaning back. "I wish I didn't have to go back. I wish we could just leave, you and me. Just the two of us…" He suddenly straightened, his brain whirring. "You know…why not? There's certainly nothing keeping me on Berk. No one would care if I disappeared, they've all made that crystal clear. Yeah!" He was starting to get excited. "Come on, bud. Let's go back home. I'll pack up and once everyone's asleep we'll take off and never come back!"

Toothless rumbled happily and angled back toward Berk. Hiccup could hardly contain his sudden enthusiasm. For the first time in months, he had something to be happy about.

…

"I really don't think this is a good idea…"

"I have to do it. You know I do. It's the only way to make it all complete."

"You'll destroy him if you do this. He'll never forgive you."

"He will…eventually. He'll understand that it was necessary. It will be hard, I know, and I certainly don't want to do it, but it must be done."

"No. It's going too far."

"I have to protect him! We've been over this! This is the only way!"

"There's protecting him, and then there's utterly destroying him. I'm afraid what you're about to do will cause too much damage, damage that can't be repaired."

"I…have considered that, and it's a risk I feel I must take. I knew from the start that this would be hard on all of us, and on him most of all. But I will stop at nothing to keep him from harm."

"…Well, I guess I can only hope you're right. If you're wrong…gods help that poor boy…"