Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! How to Train Your Dragon belongs to DreamWorks, and Amphibia belongs to Disney.
It was late at night in the beating heart of Los Angeles. The lights that adorned the city buildings shined brightly, the sounds of moving vehicles sped throughout the night, and there was a cold breeze in the air. Yet the cold didn't matter to the would-be alpha dragon, Toothless, who slumbered in the rugged wasteland now considered his tomb. This cold climate was nothing compared to the harsh climates he had endured in the Archipelago back home, with chilling colds that could freeze a human alive instantly. It all paled in comparison to this cold, which was merely childsplay.
But even so, the night fury had other things on his mind that were of greater importance to him than the cold. So what was keeping the almighty king of dragons awake that was far more important than cold weather? Well, for starters, it was him being in this dump. Yet, in hindsight, there was much more meaning to that. More specifically, regarding the situation the night fury found himself in with the human girl, Marcy. Something about her and her involvement in his current situation has left him on edge, especially since earlier today.
Toothless honestly didn't know what to make of any of it.
It had been three days since his first encounter with the human; the night fury was already filled with emotional conflict. The war of psychological confusion made it very hard for him to sleep, almost keeping him up for hours. He could hardly remember the last time he got shut-eye just thinking about it. While he did find the human very intriguing on one end, on the other, he saw her as very tiresome. Perhaps it had to do with her constant blabbering. In a way, she reminded him of Fishlegs back at home. The lad wouldn't stop talking, whether about dragons or about the many ways to impress Ruffnut.
At the same time, however, something about that girl felt...different. There was much conviction within her. Not only that, but there was courage, selflessness, and dorkiness. There was also a need-to-learn attitude; considering the excessive amount of questions, she almost reminded him of Hiccup, in a way. He didn't know how or why, but for some weird sense, he could see a lot of his best friend in her. His quirky, socially awkward, yet charismatic nature started to show in the human child. Only except she was more dorky and clumsy. WAY clumsier. Thor, she might as well be the clumsiest human he has ever met. Maybe even the clumsiest person alive.
In a sense, he found it very amusing. But that didn't mean he trusted the girl one bit. He doesn't even know her that well, nor does he know of her true intentions. However, there was the apparent notion that in all his encounters with her thus far, Toothless had no reason to believe that the human had ill intent against him. Especially since she went out of her way, risking her life, to save him from that rather violent predicament the night they first met. At the same time, he tried to kill her that night, too, which made it even.
For much of the night, fury felt very confused, mainly about what he should do. Not once had he had contact with his friends; the only one who knew where he was hiding was that human girl. He looked up to the night sky, which was unfortunately coaxed with gray mist, blocking out any stars the alpha dragon would typically see. Yet through the fog, the moon was still visible to his cat-like vision. He silently prayed to the gods to give him a sign. He prayed to Thor, Odin, and even Loki himself—anyone to provide him with an indication of what he should do.
Yet as the king of dragons stared into the night sky, covered with smoke-like clouds, a glimpse of blue light suddenly illuminated from behind his shoulder. Instinctively, the black dragon turned around, growling at the supposed intruder behind him. Only to be stopped as he saw a familiar blue silhouette stand before him. And before long, the identity of the mysterious perpetrator had become apparent to the night fury. This was no mere stranger but something much more than that.
It was the other blue dragon from earlier.
Even then, Toothless did not falter in his stance and remained wary of the serpent. The alpha dragon was unsure if this serpent was a friend or foe, yet he strongly felt he was about to find out.
'You again?!' he said suspiciously.
Though startled, the blue dragon remains calm toward the night fury's sudden hostility. Then, the unthinkable happens, one that. Toothless did not see coming.
'Easy there, big guy,' the blue dragon said. I don't mean you any harm unless you ask nicely.'
This suddenly took the night fury by surprise. Not only did the strange dragon speak to him, but it also spoke in his language, which was unprecedented.
'Wait, you speak my language?' he reiterated.
'Well, yeah,' the blue dragon answered. 'We are dragons after all, aren't we?'
'So it would seem,' Toothless replied, tilting his head. 'Who are you?'
'Nobody important,' the illusion said. But for now, let's say I am a friend.'
The night fury wasn't convinced. Something about this creature seemed off to him, and he couldn't tell if the blue dragon was real.
'Is that so?' he questioned.
'Well...only as long as you believe in it,' the blue dragon elaborated.
Though still unconvinced, Toothless took the illusion's word for it, no matter how little it meant to him. A large part of him debated whether this was all in his head. However, considering where he was, the night fury considered endless possibilities. Perhaps it was the gods playing tricks with him. Loki did have a personal knack for those. But even so, there wasn't much this spirit could offer him that he needed. Especially since he had just lost everything and everyone he had ever cared about.
'Well then, you should've stayed where you were,' the night fury dismissed before returning to his original spot. 'There's nothing you can help me with here.'
The alpha dragon half expected the illusion to fade, leaving him to his squalor. Yet, to his surprise, the blue dragon did not relent. Unknowing to his majesty, Toothless's sulking demeanor had only piqued its interest.
'What's troubling you?' the illusion asked, humble and modest. 'How do you look so glum?'
At first glance, Toothless couldn't answer. The night fury had gotten into this whole situation, which had taken its toll on him. With the added confusion, everything seemed to be spiraling for him.
'I—' he started, cutting himself off uncertainly. I just lost everything. My kingdom, my family, all my friends. Maybe forever.'
'Why do you think that?' the blue dragon questioned further.
Toothless's ears shot up, and his entire body went ridged. Tensions in his muscles began to boil. Was this spirit asking him why he thought he lost everything to a portal that dumped him here?
'Is that a serious question?' he shot back. 'Like, seriously, is it?'
'Well, just from looking at you,' the illusion stated, the night fury taking slight offense. 'Your situation doesn't seem half bad.'
'Oh, sure,' Toothless said sarcastically. 'It's not like I spent the last few days trapped in what appears to be a dump with no way of returning home. And it's certainly not like I might never be able to see or hear from my potential family again—one I was SO looking forward to having. '
There was a moment of pause from the blue dragon before it ultimately caved in.
'Alright, fine. It's that bad,' the serpent admitted. 'But there is still a bright side to this.'
Toothless wanted to laugh—he wanted to laugh so hard right now—but he didn't have the energy or will to see it through.
'How is there a bright side to any of this?' he questioned. 'What bright side could it be to turn this mess around for me?'
'The one regarding your new friend.'
The night fury was taken aback at first. He did not understand what the blue dragon meant by his 'new friend.' But after a brief moment of thinking it over, it finally hit him.
'The girl?' he asked, only to receive a nod from the spirit in confirmation. The night fury then responded with a scoff in disbelief. 'Don't be ridiculous. She is NOT my friend.'
'But I've seen that you're already growing fond of her,' the blue dragon replied.
'We'd just met a few days ago,' Toothless shot back again. 'I hardly know her. Sure, do the snacks she brings me taste delicious? Sure, I find her smile so adorable sometimes. So what? Why should I lower my guard down to a human that I' '
'But you were going to, weren't you?' the spirit shot back.
Toothless hesitated for a moment. Now that he thought about it, he nearly let his guard down earlier today before she disappeared without so much as a goodbye.
'Okay, maybe I was,' he confessed. 'But that still doesn't mean I should trust her. And besides, what does she need me for anyway? She has her own life to live.'
The night fury then turns away from the spirit, not taking notice of the disapproval marked all over its face.
'I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with you there, big fella,' the illusion said, catching the night fury off guard once more. 'I think she needs you. And I have a feeling that you need her too.'
Toothless paused for another second before turning back. His entire body fidgeted, and his face spoke of dread and confusion. For a moment, the night fury felt like his mind was physically going to explode with each time this spirit told him things he didn't understand.
'What?!' the alpha dragon said in disdain. 'How?'
'You both are not so different from each other,' the blue dragon spoke. 'In fact, you're more alike to her than you think.'
'What makes you say that?' the night fury asked.
Unexpectedly, all the blue dragon did at that moment was smile fondly before it lifted its long, blue paw and pointed in the direction opposite of the king of dragons.
'See for yourself,' was all it could say.
However, before he could interpret what the illusion was referring to, his ears picked up a sound coming not far from his usual spot. He turned his head to the direction and continued to listen. Something felt off. He could smell it in the air. Yet it didn't take him that long to figure it out, and his eyes instantly narrowed upon the realization.
He has company.
However, before he could interpret what the illusion was referring to, his ears picked up a sound coming not far from his usual spot. He turned his head to the direction and continued to listen. Something felt off. He could smell it in the air. Yet it didn't take him that long to figure it out, and his eyes instantly narrowed upon the realization.
He has company.
The night fury turned back to see if the other dragon was getting this, but it vanished without a trace or an exit before he knew it. The blue light that illuminated the illusion faded away, rendering the entire junkyard into darkness. Toothless snorted, annoyed by the other dragon's sudden departure without saying so much as a goodbye. It was so cryptic and rude. Unprofessional, to say the least. He then turns back to the direction of the mist and decides to investigate instead.
To gain a better vantage point, Toothless took up a position on the high ground and climbed on top of a long, broken metallic crane that appeared dangling on some old debris. From there, he stuck to the shadows and fixated his vision on the entrance to his supposed tomb, waiting for the interloper to come into the clearing so he could get a good look at it.
As he waited for the trespasser to show itself, Toothless saw a shadow in the mist. It was hard to make out due to the dulling fog, but thankfully, Toothless's excellent night vision allowed him to see through it. Hence, even though it was still vague, Toothless finally interpreted the shadow hidden through the fog. Then, it became clear who the intruder was.
A lone human, capable of anything. And from what it seemed like through the mist, it was coming this way and fast. The foggy image of the peculiar vagabond was enough to put the night fury on high alert. He staggered against the crane, barring his teeth as he prepared to fire. Even though it wasn't a wise choice to jump to conclusions, Toothless couldn't take the chance of having another human find out where he was hiding. The last thing he needed was another human making a mess of things for him. And despite allowing one human to live, he was not guaranteed to do it again.
As it approached, the night fury could hear distant calls through the mist. Yet, somehow, they weren't what he expected. Upon listening, it seemed they were calls of pain, sadness, and whimpering, even crying. The sound puzzled the night fury, almost making him drop his stance slightly. However, Toothless shook the feeling and redirected his focus. His maw was still glowing a light purple, yet he hadn't opened it up to fire. The night fury wanted a good look at who he was about to attack before he went through with it.
There, he slowly watched the human's cloaked form enter the clearing, waiting for the precise moment to pounce. The vantage point made him just out of the human's reach, and with the added mist and night, the human would never see him coming. So, should the human come with ill intent, he'll be ready. Yet, in light of the planned ambush he had just thought of at the back of his head, as he narrowed his vision, Toothless recognized the mysterious drifter. As the figure emerges from the mist, the interloper's identity is finally revealed to him.
It was the human girl. Again.
The image of the teenager named Marcy instantly made Toothless drop his guard. Yet, despite the familiarity, the night fury remains wary of her presence. He is still unsure of what she wants from him. Her continuous visits do not cease to surprise the king of dragons. However, it is becoming more irritating with the many times she has come unannounced. It is starting to become a habit now.
'Back for more, I suppose?' he thought to himself.
However, he noticed something unusual about the girl before he could second-guess again. For starters, she was panting heavily, almost like she had run an entire marathon without any rest. Right next to that, he saw that her eyes were very watery, with tears running down her face. And to top that all off, her body posture was almost rigid. He noticed her legs wobbling, and her hands started to shake. She looked around frantically before stumbling backward. Her back then propped up against an old tire, like when they first met. Shortly after, the girl slid down to her hands and knees, curling herself up in a small, rather meticulous ball before she wrapped her around her legs and was thrown into a somewhat uncontrollable sob, with her breathing being nonstop.
The entire act almost made Toothless stop in his tracks for a moment. Making him tilt his head slightly to the left as he surveyed the girl continuously sobbing. The night fury wasn't entirely new to this particular sight. He had seen it on the day they met as a response to him nearly killing her. Not that he could blame the poor girl. But this time, something was different. Something has made her upset. He didn't know what it was or why, but looking at her from a distance, he could tell that something had upset the human.
Or maybe it was a trick, for all, he knew. Yet he shot that notion down upon realizing she had proven incapable of deceit when he met the girl as most humans typically are. Not only that, but she has always proven to be quite honest in her intentions so far. Even if he didn't know what they were entirely. Either way, the night fury formally decided that this merited further investigation. Thus prompting the alpha dragon to hop down from the crane. He lept from the edge and landed on solid ground before looking back at the distressed human.
Despite the massive protest boiling at the back of his head, Toothless decided to greet the weary traveler. He could get a kick out of whatever tricks she had under her sleeve if she had any. Yet, as the king of dragons drew near the hyperactive teen, the sounds of her unrelenting sobs started getting louder and louder. To his confusion, Toothless was not used to seeing it, considering the environment he had grown up in. A background in which being emotionally vulnerable was considered a weakness, and only the mentally strong survived. And seeing this display of sorrow only made him more curious. It was something Toothless had yet to know about.
Out of instinct, the Night Fury slowly emerged from the shadows and walked towards the emotionally driven human, treading lightly not to startle her. As he drew closer, her sobs became more audible with each step he took. However, it was hard for him to get a clear visual of her face since it was buried in her arms and legs. He could hear her whimpering silently, making him stop and tilt his head again before resuming his approach. Finally, he stopped completely once he was within inches of her. The night fury was unsure where to go, but his curiosity drove him forward.
Toothless lowered his head, sniffing around the edge of her body. Surprisingly, she smelt pretty good. But what caught him off guard was how the human wore very little clothing. Particularly the kind that humans wear when they go to sleep. It was enough to cover her entire body, but he could tell she was shivering. It might not be freezing like back in the Archipelago, but it was cold enough to make a terrible terror shudder. Instinctively, he continued to sniff her but didn't realize how close he was getting to the human teen's face. Hence, he took one last whiff before exhaling, touching the girl's bare skin with the warm air.
The act caused Marcy to shoot her head up, startled by the dragon's hot breath. Toothless jolted back with a yelp, just as startled as she was. There was a long pause before the girl took a moment to recognize him finally.
"Oh...it's just you," she stuttered nervously. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything...I-I just..."
The night fury paused briefly, his eyes darting in opposite directions before returning to her. As far as the Night Fury could tell, Marcy looked terrible. Her face was pale, with a few bruises and scratches noticeable from her nose and chin. Some he recognized as his handiwork. Streams of tears flowed unevenly on both sides of her soft cheeks. Her hair was messy and unequal compared to the last few visits. Her eyes were bloodshot red from all of the crying. And her composure was utterly shattered. It seemed like she was about to say something else momentarily, but no words came out. Ultimately, she couldn't find the right words to describe her feelings.
By then, Marcy completely lost it, as she buried her head back into her hands and legs before sobbing once more. Toothless stood there, unsure what to make of any of this. Yet his curiosity kept him from leaving. Instead, he found himself inching back closer and closer. He couldn't help but feel bad for the poor girl. Even though he did find her annoying here and there, he couldn't stand to see her so timid and frail, especially since he didn't know why.
It almost made him want to do something about it. To find some way to alleviate her anguish, she could tell him what upset her. But it was easier said than done. Though he was well known for being so empathetic back at home, he wasn't entirely in the mood for sentiment, especially after he had lost everything and everyone he cared about. But something inside him urged him to do so, even if it was small. Then, there was the question of where to begin. He never considered himself a pro at these kinds of things. Sure, he always comforted Hiccup whenever he found himself in a pickle. But this was a rather delicate situation that he knew nothing about.
Instead, Toothless went with what he could do. He moved closer to her, timing his steps so he didn't startle her again. The night fury looked down and noticed a small gap between her arms and legs, which she had wrapped up so tightly. He looks back at her, warbling silently before brushing his muzzle against her left arm. Marcy lightly gasped as she felt the dragon nudging her arm. He didn't do it hard, just enough to show the human his intentions.
Surprisingly, Marcy didn't try to fight him. Instead, she sat there in silent awe as the night fury moved up against her arms and rested his head against her lap. He then closed his eyes and breathed softly, waiting for the girl to settle. After a few seconds, which felt like hours, the night fury could feel the girl's heart decrease, and her already intense nerves started to relax. And the sobbing slowly began to cease permanently.
For some weird reason, Toothless hoped he wasn't crushing the girl's legs under his colossal head, given how small they were. But it seemed like the girl didn't have any issue with it. He then felt her hands touch the base of his head before slightly caressing his scales with her fingers. Her hands were cold, but the alpha dragon didn't mind. He would've been uncomfortable with her touching him in any other situation. But against his better judgment, Toothless was willing to make an exception.
The two of them lay there briefly, and everything was calm. The night fury hoped she would be okay and talk soon, but he only got complete silence like before. But even then, he wasn't in a hurry to get an explanation. There would be plenty of time for that whenever she was ready. Finally, after what felt like another few hours to the night fury, Marcy broke the long, sullen silence and said something.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Toothless's ears instantly perked up, and he lifted his head slightly to the left so his gaze was on the small girl. When he looked into her eyes, it seemed like she was better. The bloodshot red started to fade away, and the tears that streamed down her face had already dried up. The alpha dragon also spotted a grateful smile across her face, which merely gave him a minor form of gratification. He tilted his head slightly to the left, implying he was asking her if she was okay.
At first, Marcy hesitated. Though she was much calmer than before, it seemed like she was still processing her initial distress. Yet Toothless waited patiently for her to answer, not wanting to pressure her into opening up. Then Toothless noticed her shivering again and formally decided to help her out. He briefly takes his head off her lap and turns to the solid ground to her left, where he opens his mouth and releases a low flame. The quirky teenager watched in amazement as the dragon torched the ground around her, forming a small circle.
As a safety measure, Toothless stamped out the flames with his paws to minimize his capacity, giving the kid some warmth over the apparent cold. By the time he finished, he had resumed his place with his head on the girl's lap, curling his tail around her in a protective coil while giving a slight warble, implying for her to carry on.
"I'm okay," she whispered, more to convince herself than to inform Toothless. "Just a little shaken up."
The night fury was puzzled. He could tell that the girl was lying. The alpha dragon lifted an eyebrow in response, making it very subtle that he knew she wasn't being honest with him. At first, Marcy didn't get the notion, but when she did, her eyes widened, and her cheeks blushed in embarrassment. But even so, she wasn't backing down.
"No, seriously," she said in a defense. "I just...I-I just...I've got a lot on my plate right now. And I just needed to be somewhere I could suppress it all."
Toothless gave her another sid-eye glance, making it clear that he wasn't buying it. Though to her credit, she wasn't being entirely subtle in her deceit. It was most likely an excuse to hide whatever was going on. And she knew it, too. He could feel it. The night fury lifted his head off her lap while lifting his other eyebrow. The expression on his face was more serious this time. When she got the memo, Marcy's eyes widened, and she nearly panicked.
"Well...not really-" she struggled to say. "I mean...it's just.."
Then, Marcy's gaze met the dragon's luminous green eyes, as they did many times over. And in them, she saw a reflection of herself, a silent understanding that words could never fully capture. She also saw a safe space within the beast, to which she could feel the urge to talk. The likes of which Toothless made sure of as he gently laid his head against her knee, reflecting his concern. After a moment, Marcy let out a deep breath, the air tasting of salt and longing, before the truth of her well-being finally came out.
"It's like…like I'm still there," Marcy whispered, her voice barely audible over the hammering of her heart. "In Amphibia, where everything went wrong...It's like it's a part of me that I can't… can't shake off."
Toothless tilted his head, intrigued by the young girl's words. Now she's got his attention. He gently nudged her hand inquisitively as if giving the implication for her to carry on. However, the quirky teenager reluctantly retracted that implication. The anxiety started to pick up again, making the poor kid shiver again.
"I'm sorry," she said abruptly. "It's just hard to explain. I don't think I have the words."
While the night fury was slightly disappointed, he knew pestering her into confessing would get them nowhere. He had to be very careful about this. However, a thought came to mind. As quickly as a flash, Toothless dashed away from the girl into one of the nearby piles. He rummaged through the debris before perking up after finding what he was looking for. Then, he rushed back to the distressed girl, who was quite surprised to see him holding a metal pipe in his jaws. The same pipe he used to draw a quick sketch of her earlier in response to looking at the drawings she made of him in her book.
He dragged it against the ground once, making a mini sketch of him before dropping it right in front of her, waiting a few seconds before nudging it with his snout, hoping she would get the message. There was no initial response from Marcy other than the unanimous staring. For a moment, it seemed like she was starting to get a feeling of where the night fury was going.
"Huh," she said softly, seemingly puzzled by the dragon's apparent gesture. "That's one way of putting it."
The dragon cooed before nudging at the pipe lightly again, urging her to use it as he did before. He also backed up slightly to give her some space and to reassure the poor girl that she didn't have to speak to tell him, but she could instead show him through a more visual representation. After seeing him sketch a picture of her, she had already guessed how intelligent he was. Thus hinting at the implication that he understands visual cues. Though hesitant, Marcy quickly bowed to the inevitable after seeing how anxious the night fury was, who had already sat up on his forearms while wagging his tail slightly in anticipation.
"Okay," she admitted before picking up the pipe. "But I've gotta warn you. It's a long story. So you might want to get comfortable. Not that it would be an issue for you."
Toothless honestly didn't mind. It was no secret that he knew little about the girl before him and was still unaware if he should trust her. But if her telling him her story would be enough, then who was he to argue? Besides, sharing stories was one good pastime he had with Hiccup when he and the rest of the gang would sit around campfires, even though the twins weren't precisely funny with theirs in their many attempts to be humorous.
After a brief consideration, Marcy delicately dragged the pipe across the ground. She went small, drawing three stick figures representing her and two others. The likes of which Toothless did not know of.
"So, a long time ago," she started. "There was me and my two best friends, Anne and Sasha."
The night fury looked at the two figures inquisitively. He remembered the kid mentioning something about having a handsome friend but never mentioned these two before. As he peered over the drawing, he saw that one of the girls had messy hair, and another had a scar on her cheek, making him tilt his head to the left. They seemed like friendly people. They looked like they would be.
"When we were little, we would do everything together," Marcy continued, drawing various sketches of the three laughings, engaging in exceptionally unique activities, and simply having fun. "We were almost inseparable."
As Toothless examined the sketches on the ground, he couldn't help but feel these two humans meant a lot to her. It almost reminded him of how inseparable he was from Hiccup before he left for the Hidden World. And he had only been with him for nearly six years. That was more than the average human lifespan. But even then, the alpha dragon had a feeling that Marcy knew these girls a lot longer than he knew Hiccup. Thus making it more personal for her than the latter.
"And then that all changed one day," she continued, though hesitated momentarily. "You see, my dad got a new job out of state, which meant I had to move away from Sasha and Anne to another city. I was so mad that my parents didn't even consult with me about it first or consider how it would affect my life! They meant so much to me, and I figured that if I moved away, it would tear us apart. They were the only friends I had," she explained further. "And honestly...I didn't want to be alone."
At first instance, Toothless didn't react. Instead, he took the girl's words to heart. For one thing, he could understand the feeling of not wanting to be alone. Heck, the only reason he stayed with Hiccup for so long was because he was all he had left. Being the last of your kind had its drawbacks. And since there were no other night furies around like him then, what was the whole point of flying solo? That would make even the bravest human and the most ferocious dragon miserable.
Only when he found the Light Fury, his Queen, did he realize he was no longer alone. And went off to live his own life without Hiccup. However, in this case, it seemed like Marcy's issue was not letting her friends go, which was pretty understandable as far as he was concerned.
"So, when I found out, I ran out of the house," she explained. "I wanted to be as far away from them as possible. I was just so angry and scared. And then, I came across this chest in a thrift store. Well...it wasn't a chest. It was more like a music box."
"Anyway, before all of that," she pressed on, sketching a box with three holes at the center of it. "I had read a book that showed a picture of it somewhere, and there was a description saying that it can take you to other worlds."
Toothless tilted his head. A device that can take people to other worlds? Where did he hear that before? Then again, he was in no position to talk since he had the same experience.
"So, being the stupid and desperate person I was," she admitted, twitching a little before continuing. "I wanted to try it out. Around that time, it was Anne's birthday, and I thought it would be a good idea to give her that as a 'birthday present.' So, I called Sasha, and she had Anne go into the store and get it."
The night fury was taken by surprise by this. It was one thing not to want to leave your closest friends but to trick them into making a blind jump to an unknown world, where there could be a huge possibility that they might never go home. That's a bit much.
"When we got it, I had no idea it would work," she confessed. "But surprisingly, it did. Then, we were sent to a wonderful world called Amphibia. Long story short, it's a world where the people are based on amphibious creatures. So, frogs, newts, and toads. They each had their histories and cultures."
Then, like clockwork, Toothless's interest peaked again, primarily about this new world she mentioned and its inhabitants, which included the supposed 'frog people' she had just mentioned. When she sketched three pictures of each race, Toothless couldn't help but marvel at the astonishing features these frog people displayed—especially the toads, who bore a familiar resemblance to the vikings back home. The frogs were less interesting in comparison, though he did wager on whether they were exceptional harvesters, given how their appearances suggest their mastery in farming. And then there were the newts, who looked so elegant and graceful in their hooded cloaks and slim features, which was pretty impressive. They would make excellent archers in the human world.
"I ended up in the city of Newtopia, which was at the heart of the world," she explained, drawing a picture of a massive structure that would've been ten times the size of New Berk. "It was such a wonderful city. It was almost like heaven to me. Though I did end up falling down a flight of stairs."
The alpha dragon couldn't help but chuckle. Imagining a quirky teenage girl falling down a flight of stairs amused him, much to Marcy's embarrassment.
"Anyway, everything was going fine at first," she said. "I became a loyal ranger of the Newtopian Night Guard and got to go on some awesome missions. I even became the top adviser to Newtopia's king, Andrias Leviathan."
Toothless then observed a sketch she made of this 'King Andrias' figure and couldn't help but be impressed with the initial design of this benevolent ruler. Something about him seemed to be regal, even for his taste. He looked like it. Yet Toothless drew his ears back out of instinct. He didn't know what it was but found something skeptical about this 'Andrias' person. Maybe for good reason.
"Yeah, pretty cool, huh?" she said before continuing. "It would've been better if Anne and Sasha were with me, but unfortunately, they were sent elsewhere. Sasha ended up at the far edge of Amphibia near Toad Tower, and Anne got warped in Wartwood. But we all met up eventually."
For some reason, the night fury felt relieved from hearing that last statement, even though she was the reason they were there in the first place.
"The thing is, Anne was so caught up in getting home, and...I didn't want to go back," she admitted, pausing in between sentences slightly. "And I hadn't told them about the box's intentions yet. The only person I've talked to about it was King Andrias. At first, it seemed like he understood my position and wanted to help me. So, I made a deal with him."
The night fury's ears perked up again. This was a rather unexpected turn of events.
"I agreed to help charge the stones to the box to send us home," she elaborated, fidgeting. "And in return, Andrias promised he would take us to the new worlds, t-that we could have more amazing adventures forever and ever."
It was here that Toothless started to become more taken aback. All this time, he thought of her as sweet and innocent, which she was occasionally. But never did he realize how he seriously misjudged her. To withhold information from her friends about a device that could warp individuals to other worlds, gamble with all their lives by sending her and her friends into unknown danger, and then lie to them about her involvement to hold them together forever. And it was all to live out a fantasy where she would never have to leave her friends.
Now, granted, humans in his world have done worse things than this. Men have lied, cheated, killed indiscriminately, and manipulated others, all in the name of gaining power and control. Heck, that devious yet buffoonish snake Trader Johann had been lying and playing to Hiccup and the rest of the Berkian tribe for years in his insatiable quest for the 'King of Dragons.' But this was some heavy stuff; he wasn't going to lie. Marcy's reasoning was understandable, but it was still pretty cold-blooded.
However, something told him there was more to this story than he thought, which made the night fury more eager to hear the rest.
"Unfortunately, little did I know that King Andrias had his plans," Marcy elaborated, her hands fidgeting again as she sketched the supposed ruler holding a sword and leading what appeared to be a small army.
The troops behind him were something the night fury had never seen before. From how they were portrayed, he detested that they were metal-like, which was considered impossible. But then, given what he had seen so far, it wasn't entirely a surprise to the alpha dragon.
"As it turned out, Andrias wanted to use the box for his agenda," the nerdy teenager continued to explain. "He and his family come from a lineage of conquerors. They've used the box to invade other worlds, destroying entire civilizations and plundering for resources. And he was using me to try to reactivate the box to invade my world."
Suddenly, Toothless felt the hair on his scales stand on end, thus causing him to snarl in disgust. A race that invades entire worlds. He almost found it hard to imagine.
"Before he could go through with his evil scheme, I stopped him," she admitted. "I used the box to send Anne back home. But...not before paying an ugly price for it and everything I've done."
Marcy paused briefly before lifting her shirt, not too high, but just above her chest. Toothless narrowed his vision to get a better look, only for his eyes to widen in horror at what he saw. At first, he thought his eyes had deceived him and that what he had seen was not there. But as it turned out, what he saw was there, for there was an ample, white slash on the side of Marcy's chest. If he had it right, that was where the heart was. And it was a clean strike, too. Yet somehow, she was still alive.
That should not be possible. Toothless has seen many vikings being stabbed with swords in the same place as that girl. He had seen dragons, mainly in the sharp class, pierce through humans wearing even the most rigid armor in the same place, and they would drop dead instantly.
"Yeah, I know, what a shock," Marcy said with a hint of sarcasm. It was unusual for her to come out, yet she probably gets this all the time if people notice. "I should've died that day. I should've died knowing that I'd make things right."
While Toothless would agree with her, he still couldn't help but feel bad. Now, was what she did still messed up? Yes. But it seems like she was willing to sacrifice herself to do the right thing; however, what she says next throws Toothless entirely off guard.
"But apparently, Andrias had other plans for me," she continued, though she initially remained hesitant. "Rather than kill me, he had me strapped in a tank to heal my wounds. But not before revealing me to his master. A collection of the entire Leviathan lineage in a device called 'the Core.'"
Marcy reluctantly drew a sketch of the creature she called the 'Core,' which looked like a vile beast, twice the size of a screaming death, with numerous tentacles attached to its body and many eyes showing all over the base of its form. Toothless took one look at the sketch and instantly growled. There was something about this creature that he did not like. Whatever it was, he could sense a great evil in it. An evil that he did not understand, nor did he want to. It only made him hope that he would never have to deal with such a creature as this.
"At first, I thought he was going to take me, prisoner," Marcy admitted, though she found herself stumbling as she carried on. "But...i-instead...t-they...they wanted me...as their host.."
Toothless immediately paused and then looked up in disbelief. He would be lying to himself if he misheard, but it almost seemed as if the human had just said 'host.' Initially, he didn't know what it meant, but it seemed oddly familiar—and not in a good way. Like, in a really, 'never want to talk about it' way.
"They did things to me..." she explained further. "Terrible things...even though I don't remember much...but I-I can still feel what happened to me...I can still hear my own screams to this day...And the worst part was I wasn't able to control my body...It was awful."
As the young girl started to tear up and bury her face in her knees again, Toothless stood there in shock. He couldn't believe what she told him was true, but it became as clear as Aurvandil's fire.
'They controlled her?' he asked himself.
The more the thought stuck, the more the night fury began to piece it together. Thus, the alpha dragon narrowed his eyes and gnashed his teeth.
How dare they!
For such evil creatures to engage in such depravity. To torture an innocent girl and use her as their puppet. Toothless didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to say. He slowly started to feel mixed emotions. He felt sad, angry, and terrified. Maybe it reminded him of how Drago controlled him through his bewilderbeast. How the madman turned him into his slave, forcing him to murder his best friend's father against his will. Yet somehow, this was much worse than that because she was just a kid.
What kind of monster tortures children and uses them as tools for their gain?
The night fury felt his blood boil. His skin started getting hot, and he could already feel something building up in the back of his throat. What was worse was a rising tide of rage from his spine. He looked down at the picture of the Core, its devious appearance and nine-eyed looks standing out. Then, in a split second, he torches the sketch with a low flame. He held it for a few more seconds until a substantial black mark appeared on the floor.
Then he turned to the supposed ruler's picture and torched that sketch. While Toothless gained some form of gratification, the anger was still there. Soon, he found himself unable to control his emotions. He suddenly stumbled back, shaking his head rapidly to get rid of the feeling, to no avail. He let out a short roar, expressing his fury, before shaking his head again. Half a heartbeat later, he released another one before rearing up on his hind legs. From there, a purple glow appeared from his maw as he opened it wide.
The nerdy teen notices this and jumps to her feet to try to calm him down.
"No, no!" she said rapidly, her hands extended to get the dragon's attention. "It's okay. It's okay. It all turned out alright."
Toothless paused before looking down upon the child. He could see Marcy's look, scared and anxious about what he could do. Upon realizing the position he had put himself in, Toothless dropped back on all fours, and the girl released a sigh of relief. Once the night fury began to settle down, Marcy quickly picked up where she left off. However, he was still pretty livid about the notion the girl had thrown out there about that wretched beast turning her into its slave.
"Well...I mean," she stumbled a bit. "It did take Anne and Sasha freeing me from the Core's control. But I was mostly put in a mindscape, where I was supposed to live out my greatest fantasies..with Anne and Sasha by my side."
She paused momentarily, returning to her seat at the edge of the tire, before looking back at Toothless, sitting across from her, slightly calmer than a few seconds ago.
"And it was there that I realized," she pressed on. "While it hurts to leave the ones you care about the most, forcing them to follow my dreams was worse."
Though still feeling hot, Toothless did his best to listen to what she was saying.
"So, I let it all go," she said with a heavy heart. "The fantasies, my plans, everything. I finally came to terms with things that would change in my life. And I wasn't going to be with Anne and Sasha forever...It was hard to accept, but now I know they will always be with me no matter how far I go. Nothing will ever change the bond I share with them. And they had already forgiven me for what happened in Amphibia. So I'm at peace with it. I don't know what the future will hold for me, but after Amphibia, I realized I'll never be alone, whatever happens."
As she finished a sketch of herself with her friends cuddling together under a rainbow, Toothless was unsure how to interpret all of this. On one end, he was rightfully wary of her betrayal regarding her friends, lying to them and tricking them into traveling to another world so she could spend eternity with them. But on the other hand, he couldn't help but feel bad for her in terms of everything she went through. Especially when it came to being enslaved by the vile monstrosity she called 'the Core.' That seemed to have struck him harder than any mace to the head.
He watched as Marcy's hands started fidgeting again, causing her to drop the pipe as she teared up again. Even though there was a hint of regret in her voice, Toothless could tell she was remorseful. For all the choices she made in the past that led to her now. And in that moment, Toothless finally understood. This beautiful, innocent girl has endured her torment as both a betrayer and a betrayed. And what was worse, she was also a victim of the malicious grip of a ruthless tyrant. He knew the feeling all too well—the lingering touch of Drago's control that sometimes invaded his dreams, turning them into nightmares.
And it was here that he began to realize that the blue serpent was right about one thing: they might not be so different after all. They both have shared trauma under the retrospect of being controlled by evil beings who sought to dominate and conquer. They have also done things that they aren't proud of. However, he wasn't as intentional as her. But regardless, it was technically one of the same.
The Night Fury released a low, soothing rumble akin to a purr and nestled closer. His presence was a balm to her frayed nerves, a silent understanding of how she was feeling and emphasizing her struggle to cope with her trauma. Marcy leaned into him, allowing herself to draw strength from his unwavering spirit. She took a deep breath before speaking softly through her tears.
"But now," she said, initially catching the night fury's attention. "I don't know what the future's going to look like. With everything going on right now. Dragons appearing across the city, people getting hurt, my friends going through-"
Toothless's eyes widened, and ears perked up at that last part. He didn't quite catch it at first, but it almost sounded like she said 'dragons.' As in, plural. He didn't know whether she was bluffing or if he had misheard. But she almost implied that he wasn't the only dragon here. The thought made the night fury stand back up. He chuffed once to get her attention before gesturing over to the sketch he made of himself. It took her a few seconds to finally piece together what the night fury was getting at.
"Wait, are you asking if there are more like you out there?" she asked him, only for the black dragon to reply with a nod. "Well, sure—a whole bunch. Earlier, my friends were ambushed by one while at the mall. And that was before..."
Toothless's brain had a lengthy static hearing as his ears went numb. Every single word Marcy had said up to this point was now on deaf ears to the night fury.
He couldn't believe it.
The other dragons...Stormfly, Meatlug, Hookfang...they were here. More than that, they were alive! Sure, he felt they would end up in this world like he did. But he wasn't sure if they made it okay, considering his experience with this world's human armies. He was sure they would've been dead, but they weren't. It was a miracle.
He had to find them!
The night fury turned his back on Marcy and was about to race off the exit. But just one thing stopped him before he could take flight to search for the others. And that was him realizing that the moment he stepped foot out of this place, he would be dead. It was bad enough that his last encounter with the human military nearly crippled him, but he was also still recovering from his wounds. But then a thought came around one that could be a much easier way to handle this predicament. If he could go out to find them, perhaps he could bring them to him.
Then, with his higher stature, the alpha dragon pointed his face to the sky and unleashed a mighty roar, using his alpha call to signal the other dragons his location. Marcy looked up and instantly panicked. She jumped from her spot as Toothless released another series of roars, moving around to face him, and jumped up with her arms extended. After a few attempts, the nerdy teenager managed to grab the dragon's muzzle with both hands, much to his bewilderment. Once she grabbed both jaws, she yanked his face back down to hers so they were at eye level, and she started to silence the king of dragons frantically.
"Ssssshhh!" she cried out while keeping his muzzle shut. "It's near midnight! Someone could hear you!"
As a result, Toothless violently yanked his mouth out of her arms before shrieking at the young girl, startling her slightly. He then bounded off a few feet before stopping and looking at the sky. The child made an unexpected move, trying to silence a night fury, let alone the king of dragons. But he was more focused on his friends being out there somewhere. Probably frightened and confused. And he had to do something. He didn't care how loud he was. As the alpha, they were his responsibility. He didn't know what he would do if anything happened to them.
"If you're worried about your friends, they're fine," Marcy tried to reassure him, though her eyes widened upon realizing what she just said. "Well...at least I hope they are. The police and military have patrolled the streets for the last few days. But nothing's come up yet. For all I know, they could be anywhere."
It only gave Toothless more of a reason to be worried. He couldn't rest knowing that the other dragons were out there while constantly being hunted by these humans. Who knows what could happen to them? For all he knew, some of them would've already gotten themselves killed if they hadn't already. It was a possibility that he couldn't risk becoming a reality.
"But if I'm being honest with you," she further implied, thus making the dragon look back at her. "I'm more worried about my friends. When I left earlier today, I got a call from one of my friends, Anne. Who told me that one of my other friends, Sasha, had been attacked by some orange dragon. She told me she was at the hospital...and...and when I got there...it was pretty bad."
He could see where this could be a problem. His kind grew up in a dangerous and hostile environment, and many developed bad tempers to survive his world's harsh brutality. He also felt that Hookfang was the culprit behind Marcy's friend's unprecedented misfortune. The flaming firepit always had a habit of shooting first and asking questions later—typical monstrous nightmare behavior.
"The doctors said she'll recover in a few weeks," she continued through sniffles. "But I almost lost her. She could've died, and I wouldn't have been there to save her."
"I'm scared," she whispered silently. "I'm scared of what might happen to them because of this. I nearly lost them once back in Amphibia and suffered for it. I don't want to lose them again...but at the same time, I don't know what to do...it just takes me back to when I was the Core's host. When I couldn't even control my own body...it's all just...hopeless."
She then sank back to her knees while pinning her eyes to the floor. Tears poured down as they did many times before. It was then that the night fury started to understand her situation more. She didn't want to be responsible for the deaths of her friends, who she had put in danger in the past, at the hands of his brethren. And because of the melancholy of her situation, Marcy is starting to revert to a time when she was being controlled by the monstrosity known as the Core, when she felt weak and powerless to do anything as her entire world burned before her eyes.
He can understand that, but finding the others was vital to him, too. They were family to him, especially Hookfang, Barf, and Belch, whose recklessness had always gotten them into trouble. And it was his duty as the alpha to protect them all. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to them and he wasn't there. Plus, that would mean he would have their blood on his paws. Hence, the entire predicament leaves them both in a somewhat awkward situation. If only there were some way that they could help each other. Then, an idea came to mind.
If he couldn't go out and find them, maybe she could.
At first, he retracted the thought. The night fury was still unclear about whether or not he should trust her, especially after what he had heard thus far. From his six years of experience around these creatures, he knew very well that humans bring nothing but trouble aside from Hiccup and over half of the Vikings in his homeland. And the King of Dragons would be gambling his future at best if he went through with this. But as he thought about it, they both shared a common objective. She wanted to keep her friends safe from these unprecedented attacks at the paws of his brethren; he tried to find his friends and find a way back home. Their interests aligned.
Not only that, if he was to survive, let alone find a way back home, perhaps he could use an insider. Someone who could go behind enemy lines, tell him their every move, and anticipate their following strategies if they close in on him. Maybe even speak on his behalf if diplomacy was an option, however unlikely that scenario would be. And from the looks of things, it seemed like the girl could pull it off. He noted some notable features as he examined every part of her appearance.
Many qualities screamed the notion: young, fast, clever. She also seemed somewhat of a fast learner, let alone a quick study at best—something he could find helpful. Plus, her being a human meant she could have better access to this world than he ever could. Hence, this makes it easy for her to find out where the other dragons are and hopefully bring them back here. And added to her desire to keep her friends safe, the night fury was sure she wouldn't turn on him. At least, not while her friends' lives were at stake.
The only thing he wasn't sure about was whether or not it could be pulled off. For if he was going to gamble everything, he needed to know if he would win, for his sake and that of the other dragons. But then again, seeing how he didn't have that many options, Toothless figured it was worth the risk. It was just something that couldn't go wrong. His crown and all their lives would be on the line if it did.
Toothless had to choose wisely.
The night fury carefully picked up the metal pipe with his jaws and started sketching again, naturally catching Marcy's attention. He drew a few pictures of the other dragons, mainly the ones he suspected were pulled with him through the portal the last time he checked. By the time he was done with them, he sketched Marcy and her friends, doing his best to match up to the drawing she made of them. And then, he followed it up by drawing him with the silhouette of the junkyard in the background.
Half a heartbeat later, Toothless stopped short to admire his artwork, which Marcy silently did the same before drawing a line from Marcy's small figure and connecting it with the other dragons. Only to draw another line connecting the other dragons to where Toothless was under the section of the junkyard. For a moment, Marcy stared at the picture, trying to piece it together. Her eyes widened a second after realizing what the night was proposing.
"Wait...you want me to look for them?" she asked, with a hint of uncertainty. "And bring them back here?"
Toothless nodded eagerly before he drew a line from his figure to the other dragons and then drew another from him to her friends. Thus, he implies that he would protect them from his brethren. Upon realizing this intent, Marcy gasped lightly, shocked by the second half of the dragon's unexpected proposal.
"And in return," Marcy reaffirmed, almost biting her lip anxiously. "You'll keep them from attacking my friends?"
The night fury replied with a nod while drawing a line from the other dragons to him. Thus, it hints at the suggestion that he is their alpha and that they will listen to him. And if she were to bring them there, he would do what he could to ensure they didn't hurt her friends or anyone else in this world. At least, not without good reason.
For a moment, he sat there, waiting enthusiastically to see the young girl's reaction. And for the billionth time, Marcy was leaking with tears. Yet only these were tears of joy, then complete and utter sadness.
"You would do that?" she holding her hands above her mouth. "For me?"
Toothless nodded again, slower this time, before drawing a circle of Marcy and her friends. Hence, he implied that he understood how much they meant to her, which he admired her for. And that he was sorry for what had happened to her friend. He also circled the sketches of him and the other dragons, hinting that all he wanted was to make sure they, too, were safe and they'd return home peacefully. And if working with her meant they could help each other save the ones they cared about, he couldn't see why not.
Marcy was speechless. She didn't know what to think. Instead, the young teen stared in awe-struck silence, unable to find a good enough response to the night fury's generous proposal. Though there was a hint of uncertainty from her, this was most likely an offer she couldn't refuse. One that she couldn't believe a dragon that nearly tried to kill her a few days ago would offer to her after pouring her heart and soul out to him. She knew Anne would've made a similar offer to someone as unfortunate as her, given to the Thai hero's pure heart. But a dragon, of all creatures?
She was suddenly overcome with emotion. Her arms started shaking, soon followed by the rest of her body. She didn't know what to do, nor did she think. Instead, she started sniffling, nearly breaking down into tears. Toothless warbled, concerned if she would break down again, and rushed to try to comfort her before she held a hand up to stop him.
"No, no," she reassured him. "It's fine...i-it's just...it's just perfect."
Toothless tilted his head in confusion. Sure, he hoped the human girl would take his proposal, but he did not want to force her into doing something she wasn't comfortable doing. This is a personal choice that she had to make herself. And he was completely okay with her opting out if she felt she wasn't up for it.
"I mean.." Marcy added hesitantly. "I have to admit...it seems a little risky. Not to mention that the entire army is all over the city now."
"But I'll do anything for my friends," she continued. "And if going out there, risking my life to round up some vicious fire-breathing reptiles and bring them back here will keep them safe...then it's worth a shot. So yes, let's do it!"
Toothless gave a grateful smile in response, though he slightly felt offended by her calling him a vicious reptile. He let out a slight warble filled with gratitude. But then he looked down upon the sketches he made of the other dragons and gestured to her, asking how she planned on bringing them here. This, insinuating that the other dragons were not as friendly as he was, was a complete understatement since he tried to kill her upon laying eyes on her.
"Oh, that shouldn't be too hard. I've read George Martin's book on Fire and Blood five times!" she explained while entering her 'nerd' phase. "It recounts the various methods used to handle dragons. I might need a few days to figure out their sleeping habits, what kind of preferred foods they like, what preferences they have in terms of-"
However, Toothless stopped her before she could get ahead of herself. He then implies that he asks her for just one thing in return before he agrees. Nothing too serious, but something that he had to be sure she was on board with if they were to proceed with this arrangement.
"Really?" she questioned inquisitively. "What's that?"
The night fury drew a small sketch of the young girl's face before drawing a line connecting to the picture of her friends. Then, he marked a giant 'X' on the lips of the geeky teenager. Though initially looking vague, it suddenly became evident what that one thing was.
"You don't want me to tell them?" she asked for further elaboration. "Or anyone?"
Toothless reaffirmed with a compressed nod. This further implies that she keeps this little arrangement between them and tells no one where they are. Not her friends, not her family, no one. If they agree, she takes this secret to her grave. And there would be severe consequences for both of them if she didn't.
"Oh..." she expressed while taking it with a grain of salt. "I mean...that doesn't seem too hard."
The night fury then looked her in the eyes, narrowing his expression to show how serious he was about this. He released a light roar once, demanding she swear she wouldn't tell anyone. Though it was a bit harsh for him to do this, he needed a guarantee that she wouldn't rat him out. If he was to go through with his, Toothless had to be sure he could rely on her to keep silent about this ordeal.
He emphasized his seriousness further by marking a giant 'x' on his sketch of her, then torching it with a small blast. Thus, he implies that he would finish what he had started at the first sign of treachery from her or if he sensed that she would betray him. Marcy gasped at the notion, hinting that she got the message. But she did not waiver.
"Okay, okay," she reassured, extending her arms to calm him down. "I promise. Heck, I'll even make a ranger's oath to you."
Toothless paused for a moment. He was not sure what the human was implying.
"Oh, it's a thing I did back in Amphibia before joining the Night Guard," she explained. "Each newbie has to take a sacred oath before they're accepted. Each ranger takes them seriously and would choose death before breaking them...Except for Captain Ernest, who was already dealt with. I so happened to see through that, personally."
There was a moment of long, awkward silence, and the night fury's eyes were wide open, eager to hear what came out of Marcy's mouth. The teenager was caught off guard; her eyes widened to the shape of dinner plates, and her entire face was red in embarrassment from what she had just said.
"Anyway," Marcy responded before clearing her throat. "I, Marcy Wu, Chief Ranger of the Newtopia Night Guard, Head of the Chest Club, Master RTS Player, Straight A Student (except for gym, but only because I was reading in class), which only proves my point..."
The night fury gave her a long, side brow, indicating another long, awkward silence before the geeky teenager continued.
"...do swear that I will not tell a soul about this arrangement. And should I commit such atrocity, you have my full permission to do whatever diabolical punishments you plan to inflict on me that you see fit!"
There was a long, solid pause from both girl and beast before they suddenly burst into laughter. Marcy dropped to her knees, clutching her stomach, while Toothless rolled over on his back, nearly going hysterical from the young girl's remark. The laughter stuck for a few more seconds until they both ran out of breath. Once they both started settling, Marcy took one more deep breath before returning to the point.
"But seriously," Marcy reaffirmed. "I won't tell a soul. I promise."
Toothless warbled in appreciation, taking her word for it, no matter how corny it sounded. After that, he rolled up onto his belly and sat up. Hence, there was a third moment of long, awkward silence, with the two unsure where to go. But then, a thought came into mind from Marcy. One that she hadn't necessarily considered up until now.
"You know, I've only known you for a few days," she confessed. "And I still haven't learned your name."
Upon hearing that, the Night Fury froze. His eyes widened a bit. Almost as if he was alarmed by her statement. He looked down and thought about it for a moment. It has been too long since he knew his real name, ever since the time of the vikings. Perhaps it's because he's been away from them for a while, even though it's only been two years. She knew this upon looking at the downed expression on his face.
"Oh, okay," she responded, finding it most unfortunate not to learn his name. But before she could ponder something else, she thought of an idea. "Oh, I know. How about I give you one? Surely, we both can think of something for you."
The dragon nodded in agreement, which made Marcy giggle a bit.
"Now, let's see...um...How about...Midnight?"
The black silhouette's eyes shrunk briefly, and then he nodded in no way. It was mainly because it was a name for female dragons; it was not something that best suited his style, even for the status he carried with him.
"No," she said. "Okay, um...how about Nightclaw?"
The dragon's face now froze for a second. It wasn't a bad name to him, even for his size and appearance. But as he thought about it a little bit more, he realized it seemed to be a bit too powerful for him. And he shook his head no again.
"Deathwing?"
He shook his head again.
"Charizard?"
After she said that name, the dragon started baring his teeth and growled at her. It was almost as if he was familiar with that name and must have hated it, and Marcy clearly could see that. And even though she wasn't offended, she still thought that naming a dragon would not be easy even though she wanted to.
"Well," she said. "I'm clearly out of ideas. What about you? Do you have any in mind?"
The regal creature thought momentarily, asking himself if it was a good idea. He did not know much about dragon names. But if Marcy counted on it, he could not disappoint her. So he had to think for a bit. His ears laid back, and his eyes looked in another direction. Figuring out a good name for her to call him was hard, Especially since he could barely even think of one.
So he tried thinking of his past, seeing if anything could help him find a name for himself. Yet, there wasn't a lot to think about. Since his past was long, his thoughts led him to believe in Hiccup, the first human friend he had in his life. And he had everything a good friend should have: nobility, strength, courage, and wisdom.
He, indeed, was something to him. But as he thought about him, something popped into his head. His ears flung up, and his eyes widened. He finally found something. It was a name. His partner gave him a name while he was in the hospitality of the Vikings. And he was sure that it would work. No one has ever called him by the name that was given to him by his partner.
Yet, he thought if his new human friend could understand it. He needed to find a way to prove to her that the name had no use. And he thought of it. He warbled something to her, which caught her attention. Then, he opened his maw out. Hence, he showed her every tooth he had. She was going to ask him why he would do this until suddenly, she saw his teeth retract into the upper parts of his mouth—showing only gummy parts.
At that time, Marcy squinted, leaning forward to see if she would get it. And after a few more seconds, she guessed what it meant.
"Toothless?"
In response, the dragon shook his head, reassuring her that this was the name he wanted her to call him in honor of his rider and former best friend.
"That's your name?" she asked again, getting confirmation from the Night Fury.
Marcy thought about the name for a second. She could tell why he would want that name—given to his gummy mouth, which served some purpose in the name. Yet, she wondered why he would be named that. Because from what she saw in him, he was a force to be reckoned with. To choose such an odd name felt a bit weird. But now that she thought about it, she has met many people with bizarre names. So, there was no real reason to say otherwise.
"Hmm...," she thought with her hand beneath her chin. "I kinda like it. Toothless it is."
The two of them then chuckled about it before Toothless extended his paw. The teen girl stared at it for a moment before looking back up to the dragon, who then gestured to it as a means of shaking it. To make the deal official, of course. At that moment, Marcy started to get emotional. Her eyes began to make a habit of leaking with tears. Then she did the next thing she felt like doing on the first impulse— which ultimately resulted in her running up to the night fury's chest and wrapping her arms around it, trying to hug him as best as possible.
The action startled Toothless as he stood there, looking down upon the human whose arms were currently locked around his chest. The night fury stared momentarily before gently wrapping his right forearm around her back. He could slowly hear her breathing from his chest. It was pretty nice.
"Thank you so much for this, Toothless," she whispered. "You won't regret this."
Toothless wished he could take her word for it since he didn't share her optimism. But her word was all he needed for now. The young girl held her grip on the night fury's chest momentarily before letting go. Hence, she fixated on his massive head before locking onto his gaze. There, they can see each other's reflections in their pupils. For Marcy, it was a pleasant reminder that this was no vicious beast that stood before her. But an intelligent, gentle creature whose soul reflected her own.
For Toothless, it was the start of a new path. One that will determine his fate and the fate of the rest of his kind. But simultaneously, as he looked into his big brown eyes, he saw a glimmer of hope. This new arrangement could lead to some good despite the danger that may lie ahead. Though unsure of the outcome, he was comforted by the knowledge that whatever came, he could face it with the human girl.
Another few seconds went by as they continued to admire each other silently. Marcy was smiling the whole time, while Toothless held a warm-hearted expression to the girl with the hope that everything would work out. However, the moment was cut short when a buzzing sound went off from the girl's back pocket. Thus, it kills the mood for a second time. The geeky teenager scrambled quickly to reach for her phone, fumbling with it briefly before unlocking the screen. Half a second later, Marcy silently gasped as she realized what time of night it was.
"Oh, crud!" Marcy exclaimed. "It's almost midnight! I gotta get back before my parents realize I'm gone!"
With that being said, the human girl rushed over to the exit. But not before stopping briefly to return to the night fury, who silently watched her depart.
"But yeah, consider this a deal!" she proclaimed. I'll learn what I can about the locations of your brethren. It should take me no more than a few days. I'll come back here as soon as possible to figure out my plan. But until then, your secret's safe with me. You have my word."
The night fury gave her a nod in response. Though he didn't want to admit it, after spending two years away from them, Toothless couldn't believe he trusted this human. At the same time, however, he silently prayed to the gods that this all works out for both their sakes.
"Alright, thanks for everything! Talk to you soon!" she said giddily, returning to the exit. "Whoo! This keeps getting better!
With that, the tomboyish Taiwanese girl sprinted off, turning away and toward home. Thus, Toothless stood in the center of the junkyard, with his thoughts caught in a spiral, one of which involved him asking himself one dubious question.
'What did I just get myself into?'
Once she was out of his sight, Toothless then turned the corner to call it a night when a familiar blue aurora suddenly approached him. Though he briefly shielded his eyes, it didn't take him long to face his unexpected visitor.
'Well...' the blue serpent declared while sitting on its hind legs. 'That sure was something, wasn't it?'
The night fury almost jumped upon seeing the unknown dragon again, nearly causing him to have a heart attack.
'How long were you-'
'Believe me, big fella,' it reiterated. 'I heard the whole thing. Every...single...detail.'
For some weird reason, Toothless didn't feel surprised. Sure, was this the second time this mysterious dragon appeared unannounced? Yes. But at this point, nothing could surprise him, considering the weird stuff he's seen in the past few days.
'I supposed that checks out,' he replied, rolling his eyes before pinning them to the ground.
Though it wasn't entirely visible, the serpent detected a hint of doubt in the night fury, in which Toothless didn't even try to make it that obvious.
'You don't seem sure about yourself,' the blue dragon pointed out. 'Why is that?'
The night fury didn't answer at first. He was still contemplating the weight of the decision that he made.
'Where to begin?' he started. 'I just took a huge risk back there. Making that deal.'
'And now?' the blue serpent inquired.
Toothless paused momentarily, taking a long, deep breath before speaking again.
'And now, I just hope I made the right call,' he answered.
'What makes you think that?'
'Well, for starters, this Marcy,' Toothless explained. 'Even if I go through with this, there's no guarantee she won't keep her word...But if there is a chance...that she does and brings my friends here...isn't that a chance I should take?'
Initially, the blue serpent dragon hesitated, not knowing an excellent response to the night fury's predicament. He had to admit, it was a pretty tough question. Whether the spirit knew it or not seemed to be a mystery. But if there was one thing for certain, Toothless wasn't entirely sure about his decision.
On one hand, he remained hopeful that the girl would uphold her end of the bargain. But on the other hand, he couldn't help but feel that there was a good chance she would turn on him should things go sideways. It was a part of human nature, and after that, the deed was already done. And there was nothing he could do about it now. But the thought still lingered in the back of his head.
'Well, what does your gut tell you?' the serpent asked curiously.
'The kid can't be trusted,' Toothless answered honestly.
As painful as it was for him to admit, it was true. Even after everything the girl had told him, there was still some part of him that did not trust her, especially after hearing about how she deceived her friends and took them to another world without their consent. But at the same time, Toothless felt that the situation had given him no other option since the others were out there, and he couldn't risk getting killed trying to find them.
'But at the same time...I don't think my kin and I will last very long in this world if I don't.'
There was a short pause after the night fury's confession. He silently hoped he'd get a reaction from the serpent but was met with total silence. The likes are from complete astoundment as if it wasn't expecting such an honest answer from him. When it seemed like the serpent wasn't going to give him an answer, Toothless started walking away, past the startled serpent dragon, and up to his sleeping spot. If it wasn't going to say anything else, the king of dragons figured it wasn't worth his time staying down here in the dark. However, after reaching five feet away, the blue dragon turned around and opened its mouth.
'Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith first,' the serpent said, stopping the alpha dragon dead in his tracks. 'The trust part comes later.'
The night fury looked back at the mysterious spirit, slightly caught off guard by its words. There was another moment of pause from it before it took a slight breath and said something else.
'You've already taken the first step,' it continued. 'Which is a good thing. But what happens next is up to you to decide.'
Toothless briefly took his eyes off his mysterious admirer, taking its words to heart. Though he was never a fan of optimism, he was wise enough to consider this.
'Maybe,' he admitted, looking back at the serpent with a smile. 'We'll see.'
After that, Toothless turned back and bounded off. The blue glow behind him dimmed away as he settled into the night. As the night fury tucked himself back in, curling up to the ball and settling down, the events that transpired that night remained in the back of his head. From the words of the spirit, the frailness of the girl when she came in sobbing, the sketches she made of her past, along with all of the traumas and terrifying experiences that came along with them. Even the deal he had made would decide what would happen to him and his kin in the next few days.
Yet all he could do now was have faith that this would all turn a new leaf in the long run. It was the least he could do. Then he closed his eyes, the feeling of hope lingering around before he dozed into a deep sleep, maybe the first good one he would have in a long while as things started to change for him and his new 'friend.'
I LIVE, Everybody!
Sorry, it took me longer than usual to post this chapter. I had to take a month's sabbatical to take care of some stuff. Hopefully, this chapter makes up for all the lost time. If you guys think the wait was worth it, please leave a review for the story and tell me what you think. It always helps. Another thing to note: I do plan on publishing two, maybe three, new crossover fanfics and updating one recently published fanfic in the immediate future. But don't worry, I'll still be working on this one. Also, my beta reader offer is still open if anyone is interested. Finally, a shoutout to OMAC001 for your suggestion regarding the last chapter's title. I already had a good name for it, but you hit the nail on the spot with that one. Kudos to you, sir!
And that's about it. Stay tuned for the next one, folks. This is Gunslinger, signing off!