Hey folks! I hope everyone's having a wonderful day!
Here's a review from chapter 12 that I wanted to respond to:
alex 3232: A very strange decision to spare the queen. Imagine that during World War 2, after the capture of Berlin, the Fuhrer would say he realized that he was doing wrong and would ask for his mercy, and he would be spared, spitting on the fact that he was to blame for the death of millions of people. Just because they knew how to give a second chance.
Re: So, I get where you are coming from with this, but I figured that a lot of the people in the world have done terrible things. For example, Stoick and his men, and his ancestors, killed thousands of dragons out of spite, probably tortured them too; however, Stoick realized his faults and has to live with it, same as everyone else.
I figured with the Queen she DID murder her own kind and caused a war, but I thought that having her suffer by becoming blind, gravely injured, and "alone" would be a catalyst for helping her change. It's not like she's walking out of this unscathed and unpunished. She must live with the hell she caused and she's suffering for it. To let the Queen live WAS a very BOLD move on my part, but I figured that Flint sort of has his reasons to keep her alive for the story. I hope that cleared things up.
Anyways, here's the next chapter, hope you folks enjoy it, take care!
…
Brothers
Chapter 13: The Truth
"T-Toothless!?" I stuttered quietly as I back away slowly in response to his sudden appearance.
"Flint, what are you doing?" He asked just as quietly, as not to rouse the father and son from their deep sleep. Quickly, he grabbed me by the neck with his mouth, like a lion and a cub, and takes me outside.
Not too far away from the Haddock Residence in the adjacent forest, the Night Fury sets me down. Confusion and anger dominated his form, and he wanted answers. Sure enough, he started flooding me with questions.
"Where have you been? What were you doing? Why is your scent like ash and smoke?" He then squinted his eyes before I even had a chance to answer the first question, "you've been sneaking out, why?" He scolded me, worryingly and frustratingly.
"I…I-" I stopped myself, folding my wings as I look down in shame.
"You've been going out alone, don't you know it's DANGEROUS out there!?"
I look back up to the other dragon, preparing myself for what's to come. I can't keep lying to him, running away from this…even if it means-I must…
"I've…I've been running into…" I meet his eyes; his piercing gaze is kept squarely on me. He never blinked, Toothless just kept staring into me, looking like an enraged parent or older sibling, "running into…what?" He asked.
"…the queen…"
As soon as I had said that Toothless shook their head exasperatingly in disbelief: his ears move all the way up as he gasps, "w-what!?" He roars in surprise. I stand on my legs, waving my arms at him to explain.
She's alive… is all Toothless processed in his mind. At first, the older Night Fury can't form words, but then he suddenly snarled at me as a comeback.
"Listen…she…she called out to me…" I began to say, but his angry roar sent me on my back, "I-I can't believe you went back! Are you serious!?"
"Toothless!" I cried out, quite pathetically as I recovered on all fours again. As soon as I do though, the teen Fury moved toward me a bit aggressively as to scold me, "you should NOT have gone! She could kill you!" My jaw tightened as he went right in my face, he had lowered his head almost to the ground so that we're eye level. Toothless stared at me with daggers in his forest-green eyes, clearly not thrilled one bit.
Something in me made me almost mirror his expression, though mine was out of sheer determination to win his side. I open myself up in defense, "she can barely talk! She needs our help!" Toothless can't help but back away a bit, "are you even listening to yourself? She killed dragons, she tried killing us!"
"And she regrets it! I feel it! She suffered for her mistakes, but now we got to teach her compassion!" I defended myself, snapping back at him quite ferociously. In fact, it put him in silence for a bit. I pace back and forth across from him, growling softly in frustration, "what happened with change? Hiccup taught everyone that people can change!"
"The Queen can't change, she's evil!"
"Who are you to say that!?" I scoffed in retaliation, "You probably killed Vikings in your time under her command!" I accused him. It was quite harsh on my part, but I had wanted to prove a point. Unfortunately, he fired back with the same ferocity. He ended up baring his fangs at me in response, "even if I did, it wasn't by choice, she made me do it!"
I stopped. My eyes widened at this revelation…me and my big mouth...
I sighed softly, lowering my head to him, "Toothless…"
The bigger Night Fury can't help but laugh a little at everything, to the point of being hysterical, "I-I can't believe we're having this discussion right now…listen here Flint, you will STOP going to her or so help me!" Toothless protested.
At that moment, my aggression returned unfortunately…and it would only lead to deeper water.
"You'll do what!?" I shouted as my voice lightly echoed the massive forest that we're in, "honestly!? I'll help her if I must do it alone, TRY AND STOP ME!"
From another perspective it is just the two of us standing across from one another: our glares are evenly matched. For anyone else it would be an awesome sight: Night Fury versus Night Fury…
Flint, Toothless thought, why…why are you doing this?
The Night Fury shook his head, snorting out loud as his eyes turn slit at that moment in time. The teen Fury starts pacing back and forth like I did, but more menacingly, "there's something you're not telling me, Flint…" he finally moved closer as our eyes met yet again, "you're hiding something, what is it? Why ARE you doing this?" He demanded.
Inside me, all that frustration…all the time I had myself bottled up is about to erupt on him, regrettably I have to say. At the time, however, I was tired of dodging his questions with lies…I was tired of having all my fear and anxiety held back. I was unhinged by this point and all rationalities were set aside…at that moment…I made a seemingly fateful decision: I exploded on the opposing dragon…
"YOU...STUPID...DRAGON! You want to know!? YOU WANT TO KNOW!? Fine! That DRAGON may be my ONLY hope in helping me turn back into a human!"
Silence filled the air…all we heard were rustling leaves above us and the strong, cold, wind that blew against us. Inside, I felt myself crack…realizing what I had just blurted out in front of him. I couldn't help but look away at the moment, closing my eyes for a moment…hoping that this was all a BAD dream…but it wasn't…
Sure enough, the 'worst case scenario' began to play out in front of me. This is the moment I feared for days now, the moment I said would have to eventually play out in front of him…the moment I told Toothless…the truth.
It wasn't the way I wanted to tell him, and I said it at the worst possible time as well…nice going Flint…
In my mind, though, I had to tell him by now, for I felt a massive weight lifted off my chest.
I paused, catching my breath as I made myself stiff, preparing for a reaction…and, oh boy, I know it's coming…
Toothless the Night Fury just stood across from me, never turning his gaze away, but I can imagine that he's replaying my words in his head right about now. His mouth is slightly gaped and eventually he reared his head back in total shock and disbelief, "h-human…what kind of game are you playing with me?" His voice had become soft, unlike the loud forceful, booming, tone he was displaying not too long ago. I walked a bit closer to somehow de-escalate the tense air, but despite this approach I gave him the most serious expression to him, "it's not a game…Toothless…I used to be human…"
The dragon across from me can't help but scoff madly at the idea, thinking somehow: I had just played a prank on him and all this talk about the Queen was utter non-sense to get a rise out of him. He figured: with my typical cynical attitude, I played the part perfectly like some classically trained actor in Hollywood. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case at all. Still, denial was setting in fast.
"Stop with this non-sense, Flint…" he rolled his eyes to me, but I stomped my foot down in response, putting him in his place for a brief moment.
I decided…he needed to know…it had to happen; I can't keep lying to his face about my origins. I don't care anymore how he reacts, he, of all people, deserve to know!
"No! It's time you know. It's time that I told you the truth!" I look back up to him, shaking my head, "I...AM...HUMAN."
"Stop this…now…" he growled back, squinting an eye of disapproval as I had expected him to, but I continued regardless of his threats.
"Think about it…you were right about my parents…right about my weird customs and phrases. You were ABSOLUTELY right to assume I was brought up by humans…because I WAS! And yes, you were right about my name being ODD for a dragon! Why do you think I WANT the Queen to live so bad!? Think about that!"
Tooth is speechless, trying to process everything now. He put two and two together, and sure enough…he can't help but replay the strange images he received from the monster during the battle. In addition, he remembers the dream he had recently with the odd-looking humans and 'birds' that had 'attacked' Toothless and Hiccup in the sky. The Queen MUST have KNOWN…she must have seen it…forced the truth out of Callahan at some point…possibly after he was captured. There was no way she could have somehow created that strange world in Tooth's visions, NO WAY!
The teenager stepped away, finally letting my words sink in…sink in hard. Toothless, before all of this, suspected that I had lied about my parents and was instead brought up by human parents at some point. I guess he believed that I was a stray Night Fury…adopted by humans…raised by them…taught by them…the dragon felt as though that was the most logical explanation for my strange behavior. Never did he suspect that the hatchling standing across from him is actually a human-turned-dragon! Is such a thing even possible in Midgard!?
What if it's true, Toothless thought softly to himself, mostly in despair. A barely noticeable tear escaped one of his eyes, falling into the cold dirt below…
He didn't want to believe that the Night Fury standing across from him, the ONLY ONE he's known in a long time, wasn't actually a Night Fury at all, but some…imitation…some…fake.
It wasn't fair! Toothless finally found another member of his kind after so long…why did he have to be deceived in such a way!? Why were his ancestors being so cruel to him? As if a light switch was flipped up, he had accepted this new revelation…and it hurt him.
"S-so…" he stutters, almost quietly. I can see him shaking…his whole body is trembling, "so everything about you in the cove…was a lie!?" He suddenly blasted out, grimacing tightly. He had spread his wings out and I cowered back pathetically in response.
Toothless started circling around me as if stalking his prey and I curled into a light ball in response, "suppose you're right about everything…you waited…THIS LONG to tell me!? Why!?"
I can feel my heartbeat pressing against my chest as if desperately trying to flee. My ears and side frills pulled back as despair filled me, "I-I don't know!" My ten-year-old voice cracked. I stopped myself before I could start making excuses. I sighed quietly, looking away, "I didn't…want to hurt you…I just…"
All Toothless did was laugh coldly at this, "you could never hurt me, because you knew you would have faced the wrath of a REAL dragon!"
I shake my head repeatedly. I can't believe this is happening right now. He marches toward me aggressively, "I thought about telling you then…at the cove, but you weren't…exactly…" I sighed again, almost in defeat, "…friendly toward humans yet…"
"Oh…" he stopped just a foot away from my face and pulled back his head in slight disgust, squinting an eye in disapproval, "you USED me…all this time…were you working for the Vikings, or someone else!?" He snarled, showing his full rack of teeth as panic set in for me, "n-no! Please understand, I'm NOT from here! It's a long story, but I will tell you EVERYTHING, anything you want to know…I'll tell you Toothless…"
"It will all probably just be lies anyway…" Tooth panted in frustration, pacing back and forth. He was having none of it…
"Tooth-" whatever I was about to say died before I had a chance to rebut.
"And I suppose Flint isn't your name!?" He stomped his paw down, black pupils are still narrow and his tail: along with his sole tail fin, had flicked at me in anger.
"It's my HUMAN name!"
He grunted, turning away, having his back turned to me. His eyes were clearly in pain…filled with hurt, betrayal even…a full range of emotions were coming out of them…all directed toward me. The true Night Fury couldn't help but scoff silently at all this.
"Toothless…listen, I…I don't even know how I ended up here…or why…I'm probably not even meant to be here with you right now…I'm just trying to…fix…things…" I looked down, shaking my head softly in anguish. I was holding back tears, but soon I wouldn't be able to resist anymore.
He turned around suddenly, silencing my cries with a paw toward me, "answer me this then…HUMAN…isn't your life BETTER now, though?" I pulled back in surprise at what he said, shocked that he said that, but he continued, shaking his head…trying to justify everything, "even if it IS true, why would you even try to be human again? Look at what you can do now!"
Sure enough, more and more tears start falling from my face, and I trembled like a baby…despite the fact I am, but I had one LAST outburst left in me, "because it's what I am! It's what I was born as…what I was meant to be…it's my true nature!" I look down, turning my gaze away, "I had a life. I had friends…I had a family." I look up to meet his green gaze head on one more time, "you think I wanted any of this? I was forced to be this way! My life was RUINED!"
Despite my howls, Toothless gave the coldest look he had ever given me, "I trusted you Flint…" his face had gone from anger to sadness and disappointment. He glared at my whimpering form: my small wings were drooped and my face full of tears…I'm a pathetic mess probably right now…
His tail swerved madly behind him, his next words were full of poison…breaking me down until one last shock breaks me entirely, "all this time I thought of you as a brother. Go…just…leave…"
I shake my head, backing away as Toothless shouted one final roar to me, "go away!"
As soon as he shouted that, the forest went silent again. Toothless looked like a rabid animal in that moment, and the whole ordeal left him out of breath; however, in the seconds after he could see my eyes. He knew at that moment, looking deep into them that I was broken…
A deep depression had hit me, but I said nothing more. I simply turned around…and walked away…to where: I didn't care anymore…I just starting walking in the opposite direction toward the mountains. Sure enough, it turned into me running. Very soon I would approach the snowy section of Berk's tall peaks.
In the cold night, I ascended the white façade, the bitter cold soon bites into my scales…but I keep going…never stopping to return to Toothless. I deserved this; he had every right to explode on me for keeping everything a secret. I knew that the day I told the dragon he would be damaged by it: the fact that his only Night Fury companion wasn't really a Night Fury, but now he won't have to deal with me anymore. I'll just…stay up here…and…wait for the ice to set in around me…
…
Toothless did nothing, for he is still enraged and hurt by the truth. He wanted to just…ignore the pain…return to Hiccup and forget about everything. He wanted to abandon Flint to his fate…and that's exactly what he ended up doing…
Despite it not being too far away, the walk back to Haddock's residence felt much, much longer for the teenage Night Fury. Many thoughts were occupied in his head, many trying to reason with him: to go looking for Flint or to abandon the thought altogether. Why SHOULD he do anything? Good riddance! Maybe that stupid human had been a burden this whole time.
How could he say that!? After all he and Flint had been through…that was too harsh…Flint had a place inside Toothless's heart, but the dragon was just too focused on the lies Flint had made that it blinded him from the REAL TRUTH.
Soon enough, however, Toothless just shook the thoughts out of his head. He entered the backdoor and silently checked on Haddock: the boy is sleeping peacefully in his bed.
Gosh, what would Hiccup think…would he even care? Toothless thought, he's human though! Imagine meeting another Night Fury, only to find they were a fake all along…our kind is stretched thin and that's a fact…the last Fury I saw was my mother…what if…I'm the VERY LAST Night Fury?
Even with this revelation thrust upon him, maybe Toothless had been too harsh on the human-turned-dragon? Everything made sense now, but to have Callahan leave so unceremoniously…out there in the cold…frost…and in pain? That didn't sit right with the Night Fury…even if Tooth was right about everything, even if Flint isn't actually one of his kind…that shouldn't matter.
That's when the dragon saw the drawing on the wall by Hiccup's desk. The Viking had made it not too long ago for them: it's the drawing of the two Furies and Hiccup…side by side…similar to the drawing the latter made in the sand inside the cove not too long ago…
He became so attached to Hiccup and the hatchling…it felt SO wrong to have ditched him that way…say the things he said to Callahan.
Staring into the art piece made the teenage dragon reconsider his stance…it made Toothless realize the real truth…that he cared about Flint, and the former human held the same regard for him as well.
To him: Flint is more than a dragon…more than a person: he's a friend…NO, he's more than a friend! And it really shouldn't matter who Flint is or where he came from…or if he is a Night Fury or not…he KNOWS Flint to be a good person. Flint was his responsibility…since the day he met him. Most importantly, for the dragon…Flint is part of the flock…he's family!
Sure enough, the dragon started apologizing in his head repeatedly, hoping somehow that would fix things, figuring it was too late to do anything.
WHAT THE HELL WAS HE SAYING!? Even now he could still catch Flint's scent!
He turned back toward the backdoor. Toothless can't fly, so he has to leave now before it's too late and hope the transformed dragon hasn't left the island yet.
The Night Fury nods silently to himself, determination filling every muscle and bone in his body. He's going to bring back Flint Callahan, make things right.
"I'm coming Flint…please…hold on…"
…
Go Toothless, go! Go save Flint!
Phew! I hope you all enjoy this recent chapter! This one went through several re-writes, but I really hope I'm doing great with everything so far!
Anyways, I'll catch you all in the next chapter, take care!
