Chapter 4 Part 1

That night, I slept soundly for the first time in what felt like centuries. No dreams, no nightmares. It was as if my mind had finally found peace, enveloped in a darkness so profound, so comforting, that even the shadows couldn't reach me.

I woke late the next morning, stretching lazily and feeling surprisingly refreshed. Then, I opened my eyes and saw a pair of golden-green eyes staring at me.

I yelped, every scale on my body standing on end, and scrambled backwards, instantly wide awake. A young man, dressed in black, hung upside down from a tree branch outside my cave. He burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking so hard that the branches swayed.

When he finally regained his composure, he dropped lightly to the ground, landing with the grace of a seabird.

"Tooth… Toothless!" I stammered, my heart pounding. "What are you doing here?"

I was startled by my own eagerness.

He seemed pleased that I had addressed him by name. His eyes sparkled with amusement, brighter than any gem in the Sanctuary. A relaxed smile played on his lips. He looked more like a carefree human teenager than the formidable Dragon King. If the other dragons saw him like this, they would never believe it.

"Have you eaten yet?" he asked, still smiling.

"No," I replied, confused.

Hadn't he been watching me sleep?

He seemed oblivious to my inner turmoil. He was acting… strange. Almost childlike.

"Funny, neither have I," he said. "Come on, let's go fishing."

I stared at him, wondering how he planned to shift back into his dragon form.

But instead of transforming, he walked over to me and climbed onto my back.

"What… What are you doing?" I asked, bewildered.

"You're taking me, of course. I didn't want the other dragons to see me slacking off, so I came to get you in my human form. It would be a little conspicuous if I flew out of the Sanctuary in broad daylight, wouldn't it?"

He had a point, I suppose.

I couldn't very well refuse a direct order from the Dragon King. He wrapped his arms around my neck, and I launched myself into the air.

The sun felt warm on my scales, and a gentle breeze ruffled my wings. I glanced back at Toothless.

His black hair blew in the wind, revealing his smooth forehead and sharp features. I noticed a faint blue mark shaped like a lightning bolt on his temple. It was usually hidden by his hair. The sunlight gave his usually pale skin a healthy flush, and when he caught me looking, he smiled, revealing two sharp canines.

I couldn't help but smile back, even though I knew a dragon's grin probably looked rather unsettling. I quickly averted my gaze, my cheeks warming. I hadn't seen many humans, and I certainly didn't understand their standards of beauty, but even if I had, I suspected Toothless, in his human form, would be considered… handsome. Even though he was male.

I flew to a secluded pool hidden deep within the Sanctuary. There were many small lakes scattered throughout the Sanctuary, connected to the ocean by a network of underwater tunnels.

This particular pool was my secret haven, a place I would retreat to when I was a hatchling, escaping the taunts and torments of the other dragons. It was surrounded by trees and bushes, hidden from prying eyes. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the water with shimmering light. No other dragons ever came here. It was my own personal sanctuary within the Sanctuary.

"How did you find this place?" Toothless asked, looking around in fascination. His eyes were bright with curiosity, and I found it endearing, the way he acted like a young dragon, easily captivated by simple things. He didn't seem like the Dragon King at all.

I rolled my eyes and walked towards the edge of the pool. The water was crystal clear, so clear that I could see the opening at the bottom, a tunnel leading to the vast ocean beyond. Schools of fish swam in and out, their scales shimmering in the sunlight.

I seized my opportunity, plunging my head into the water and snapping up a fish that swam too close. I swallowed it in one gulp.

I sensed someone watching me and turned to see Toothless staring at me with an intensity that made my scales crawl.

Could he not eat while someone was watching him?

"Why… Why aren't you eating?" I asked, flustered.

He grinned. "I can't catch fish like this," he said, gesturing to his human form. "You'll have to catch one for me."

He was unbelievably shameless.

"You… You could just shift back," I pointed out. "No one's here to see you."

I couldn't believe how childish he was being.

"Too much effort," he replied, still grinning. "Besides, you could just… cough up half of yours."

I stared at him, speechless. Had I heard him correctly? Was that even something dragons did? I had seen dragons regurgitate food for their mates, or for their hatchlings, but even among close friends, it was considered… awkward, at best. Had this Dragon King lived for three hundred years without learning basic dragon etiquette?

"Fine," I muttered, diving back into the water.

"I want a cod," he called after me.

By Odin's beard, did his voice sound… disappointed? Had he actually been serious about wanting me to regurgitate my food?

I didn't dare to dwell on it and quickly snatched a plump cod from the water.

Toothless had gathered some sticks and built a small fire while I was fishing. I watched, bewildered, as he scaled and gutted the cod with a knife he had carved from a dragon tooth. He then skewered it on a stick.

"Light it," he said, gesturing towards the pile of sticks.

I opened my mouth and released a small ball of blue fire. It burst into flames as it struck the kindling, and the sticks crackled merrily.

Toothless propped his chin on his hand, his gaze fixed on the fish roasting over the fire.

Why was he even bothering with this? Why not just eat it raw, like a normal dragon? I didn't understand, but I had to admit, his movements were strangely captivating. There was an effortless grace to the way he worked, a quiet intensity that drew my attention.

Was I… Was I mesmerized by a dragon cooking fish?

He seemed to be good at it, too. A strange yet familiar aroma filled the air, making my stomach rumble.

He glanced at me, catching my hungry stare, and chuckled. He took a bite of the fish, his sharp teeth sinking into the crispy skin with a satisfying crunch. He tore off a large chunk, revealing the flaky white flesh beneath.

Suddenly, I craved cooked fish. Perhaps I had simply grown tired of raw fish after all these years.

He watched me with amusement, holding out the remaining portion. "Want some?" he asked.

I didn't bother to reply. I devoured the rest of the fish in one bite.

"Hey, you little glutton," he said, laughing. "You didn't even leave me a single bite."

I couldn't help but smile, a wide, goofy grin that I was sure looked ridiculous on a dragon's face.

He laughed harder, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Then, he turned to me, his expression suddenly serious. "Did anything… come back to you?" he asked.

I stared at him, confused. "Come back? What do you mean?"

"Nothing," he said, sighing. "It's… It's too soon, I suppose. And besides, it's not… It's not a guarantee."

What was he talking about? Before I could ask, he changed the subject.

"Did… Did you like the fish?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied.

It was the first time I had ever eaten cooked fish, but it was delicious. Better than any of the raw fish I had ever tasted.

He smiled, his canines flashing, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "There'll be plenty more where that came from," he said.

I suddenly felt like… I didn't know him at all. Or rather, the Toothless I was starting to know, the Toothless who sat beside me, sharing his food and his stories… he was the Toothless I had always known, the one I had been searching for.


Toothless decided it was time to introduce me to someone. Or rather, something.

I carried him across the Sanctuary, weaving between towering stone pillars, avoiding the other dragons.

I had been meaning to ask him about his injured tail fin. After our brief time together, I felt comfortable enough to broach the subject.

"Toothless," I began, as we flew over a vast expanse of shimmering water, "how did you… how did you injure your tail?"

He was silent for a moment. "The boy," he finally replied, his voice nonchalant. "He shot me down."

"Why? Why did you… become friends? He took away your ability to fly on your own. Wouldn't you… wouldn't you hate him for that?"

This time, he considered his answer for a while. "I don't know," he admitted. "He could have killed me. But he… he let me go. Even though he knew… he knew I could have killed him. I think… I think that's when I first… felt drawn to him. This strange human who defied everything I thought I knew."

"Do you… Do you trust humans that easily? I mean… in all the stories I've heard, humans hate dragons."

"Hill," he said, his voice softer than usual, "you know as well as I do… Dragons, we're an ancient race. We've survived for so long because we… we trust our instincts. What humans call 'a beast's intuition.' We sense danger, we sense malice… We react instinctively. But when I looked at Hiccup… I didn't sense any threat. He didn't want to hurt me. And I… I followed my instincts. They told me to… to trust him. To stay with him. To protect him. To fly with him. To show him the world. It was… It was instinctual. And my instincts have never been wrong. Except…" His voice trailed off.

"Except?" I prompted.

"Except… that time," he finished quietly.

Perhaps it was because he had finally allowed himself to be vulnerable, to share his pain, but as he spoke about Hiccup, his voice held a new tenderness, a quiet sadness that didn't sting quite as much as the icy indifference he had worn for so long.

Where was that boy now, the boy in his memories? Did he ever think about Toothless?

I didn't know where he was. But I had a feeling that… if he still remembered, then he was thinking about him too. It was a dragon's intuition.

Part 2

I didn't shift into my human form to avoid detection. If I truly wanted to remain unseen, I was confident I could slip past even the most vigilant dragon.

As a Night Fury, a creature born of lightning and shadow, stealth was in my blood. We were masters of disguise, our movements swift and silent, our presence a whisper on the wind.

No, I had taken human form for another reason. I wanted to experience the world as Hiccup had, to fly alongside Hill, to share a meal with him. It was the first time I had ever cooked fish, but it turned out surprisingly well. Perhaps it was because I had watched Hiccup do it so many times. Since Hill had shared his memories with me, fragments of my own past were resurfacing. It seemed I hadn't forgotten as much as I thought I had.

But he still didn't remember. Perhaps he wasn't Hiccup after all. Perhaps it was all just wishful thinking. I had left without looking back, and yet he had said he would wait for me… How could anyone be so foolish?

Would he even want me back, after all this time, after everything I had done?

The thought made me laugh, a harsh, humorless sound. I had hurt him so deeply. How could I possibly expect him to welcome me back with open arms, to forgive me, to love me as he once had? Nothing lasted forever. Perhaps those words, "I'll be waiting," had simply been a cruel trick, a way to prolong my suffering, to leave me with a glimmer of false hope as I waited in vain for a reunion that would never come. Just as he had waited for me.

My thoughts spiraled, my emotions a tangled mess. The anger I had barely suppressed flared again, a storm brewing inside me.

"Toothless," Hill's voice startled me, pulling me back from the brink. "How did you… how did you injure your tail?"

It was a chance encounter, a moment of reckless abandon, that had sealed our fate. I had willingly surrendered my freedom, chosen to stay by his side, and then he, in the name of love, had given it back to me.

But I had never truly lost my freedom. With him, I had been free. We had both yearned for the endless sky, for the thrill of flight. It was only after he left, taking my heart with him, that my wings felt heavy, my spirit tethered to the ground. He was right about one thing: I could no longer fly alone. Not anymore. The thought of soaring through the night, facing the endless darkness alone, was unbearable. I had tasted something different, something better, and I could never go back.

What I didn't tell him was that… if I had to choose again, I would still choose him. I would choose him over freedom, over everything. This time, I would stay with him until the very end, even if it meant facing the abyss together.


I asked Hill to take me to Om.

The old dragon, as expected, was waiting for us, perched on a rock overlooking the Sanctuary, a steaming mug in his hand. He greeted Hill with an unsettling enthusiasm, his eyes practically glowing, and proceeded to run his hands over Hill's scales, much to my annoyance.

"Hmm… Soul intact. Healing nicely," he muttered, his gaze lingering on Hill.

"That's enough," I snapped. "You've seen him. Hands off."

"What?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "You're telling me I can't touch him? Ah, but this… this is interesting…" He leaned closer, his silver eye gleaming. He was probing Hill's soul.

He pulled me aside, leaving Hill looking utterly bewildered. I offered him a reassuring smile.

Om studied me intently. "Aside from those dreams," he said, his voice low, "what else… what else makes you think this is him?"

"I… I don't know," I replied, frustrated. "I just… The first time I saw him, I felt like I knew him. His eyes… they're the same. I would know those eyes anywhere. And… I feel… drawn to him. It's like… like there's a connection. You know, a dragon's intuition."

He rolled his eyes. "He has a memory block," he said, changing the subject.

I tensed. "Can you… Can you break it?"

He shook his head. "No. It's an ancient spell, a powerful one. It requires a specific trigger to release. Forcing it would damage his soul." He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "If he truly is… who you think he is… then it's likely… a memory from his past life."

"His past life?"

"Souls can't be reborn with their memories intact," Om explained. "Unless those memories are sealed away. And besides… he just… appeared. As if someone… or something… wanted him to be here. With you."

His gaze was sharp, assessing. I knew what he was thinking: that someone was trying to manipulate me.

"You're strong, Your Majesty," he said, his voice low. It was the first time he had addressed me by my title. "And you have a long life ahead of you. You will only grow stronger."

"But," he continued, his gaze unwavering, "the most vulnerable part of any creature… is its heart. And if the heart is weak, even the strongest armor cannot protect it."

"I know," I said, my voice firm. "But he's not just my weakness. As long as he's with me… as long as I have something… someone… to protect… I'll be strong. No one will harm him. Centuries have passed. Few humans even believe in dragons anymore. And even if their greed… even if their desire to control us… has been passed down through generations… how many of them know what he means to me? Why go through all this trouble to bring him back? I believe… I believe he came back on his own."

"Why are you so certain?" Om asked, his brow furrowed.

"He promised he would wait," I replied simply.

Om stared at me for a long moment, then chuckled, shaking his head. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes, a fleeting emotion that vanished as quickly as it appeared. Perhaps I had imagined it.

"There's no dark magic on his soul, aside from the memory block," he said, turning away. "You can rest easy. For now. But… were you aware that… you had forged a soul bond with another being?"

"What? No! I… I would know if…"

"It happens in moments of crisis," Om explained. "An instinctive, overwhelming desire to protect another soul. It's possible you weren't even aware of it. It's a rare thing, a soul bond. Dragons… we're an arrogant lot. We don't like the idea of tying our souls to another being. Even I don't fully understand how it works."

"Are you saying…?"

"It was him," Om interrupted. "The human. Hiccup. The Well of Urd severed your bond. The day he arrived in the Sanctuary… was the day the mark on your forehead vanished."

I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. It all made sense now.

Hill's arrival. The vanished mark. His fascination with me. My sense of familiarity. His dreams. And the boy on the bridge…

I didn't know what to feel.

I had been so afraid that it was all just wishful thinking, that I was simply projecting my longing onto an innocent hatchling. If this sliver of hope proved false, I didn't know how I would cope. It was as if I were standing on the edge of a precipice, teetering between hope and despair.

But now… that ember of hope had ignited into a raging inferno, threatening to consume me.

I laughed and cried, my emotions a tangled mess. Om simply watched me, his expression unreadable. I was probably making a fool of myself.

When I finally regained my composure, I returned to Hill. Those few steps felt like a journey across centuries.

I touched my forehead to his, mirroring the gesture Hiccup had made so many times before.

"What is it, Toothless?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

"Nothing," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "I just… I missed you."

Part 3

Deep within Hill's soul, I saw another soul slumbering, a tiny spark of light curled up like a sleeping ember.

The moment I saw it, a sharp pain pierced my head, and a fleeting image flashed through my mind. It vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving only a lingering ache.

It was a momentary lapse, nothing Toothless would have noticed.

I didn't tell him what I had seen. I had a feeling that spark of light, that slumbering soul, was connected to the missing piece of my own. Something called to me when I looked at it.

The soul was weak, barely clinging to existence. It must have expended a great deal of its energy helping Hill cross over.

The fleeting image from earlier haunted me. I couldn't remember who it was, no matter how hard I tried. Every time I reached for that memory, my head throbbed, and the image dissolved into a blank space.

Then, finally, I remembered. It was a memory from before the missing years, a conversation with Odin.

"You have summoned me. Speak," Odin's voice boomed.

"Lord Odin, you have granted me an immortal soul," I said, my voice trembling, "but it's… it's incomplete."

"Incomplete? I have bestowed upon you eternal life, power beyond measure. What more could you possibly desire?"

"I see… things… in the souls of mortals. Things I lack. Their passions, their loves, their hatreds… They burn like flames, even in their weakest moments. But my soul… it's colorless. Empty."

"That, too, is a gift," Odin replied. "I, too, experience the pain of emotions. I spared you from such suffering. I created you… whole. Untouched by love or hate."

"But a soul without emotion… it's like… it's like being dead. Please, Lord Odin, I beg you…"

"So be it," Odin said, his voice echoing through the void.

He reached out and touched my soul, separating a piece of it from the whole.

And then… I couldn't remember. That fragment of my soul, along with the memories it held, vanished. To this day, I still don't understand human emotions. They are fleeting, messy, destructive… and yet, there's a beauty to them, a fire that burns brighter than any dragon flame.

Toothless' story, the story of the boy and his dragon, was like a stone tossed into the still waters of my soul, sending ripples that echoed through time.


"A weak heart, even the strongest armor cannot protect."

—Excerpt from the ballad "Night of Snow and Stars"


"Well, well, well. Looks like someone's been having a little too much fun."

I was racking my brains for an excuse to leave when Toothless' voice rang out behind me, laced with amusement and an unmistakable undercurrent of authority.

I whirled around, my jaw dropping as the air shimmered and Toothless materialized before us. His golden-green eyes swept over the petrified dragons behind me. I didn't need to look to know that Hookfang and the others were wearing expressions of pure terror.

"Your… Your Majesty? What… What are you doing here?" Meatlug stammered.

"I'm the 'female dragon' he's been sneaking off to see," Toothless replied, his face impassive.

By Odin's beard, how could he say that with a straight face? I felt my internal fire flare, and my cheeks warmed. It was a good thing dragons couldn't blush.

"Ha… ha… Is that right?" Hookfang's voice was strained. I could practically hear his jaw clenching as he fought to suppress a nervous twitch.

"Unless I'm mistaken," Toothless continued, raising an eyebrow, "you lot were planning on sneaking out, weren't you?" Windshear's spikes stood on end.

"What? No! We were just… exploring! Right, guys? Just a little… friendly chat with Hill! Ha ha ha!"

"Yeah! Just a friendly chat! We'll… We'll be going now, Your Majesty! You two… enjoy your… chat!"

The dragons, who had arrived full of mischief, beat a hasty retreat, their expressions a mixture of relief and thinly veiled terror. Hookfang even shot me a knowing look as he flew away.

When they were out of sight, I turned to Toothless, bracing myself for his wrath. He was trying to suppress a smile, but it was a losing battle. His lips twitched, and then he burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking.

"I… I almost lost it back there! You… You were spying on me?"

He looked… infuriatingly smug. Was this laughing, carefree dragon really the same stoic Dragon King I had known for so long? I began to question the elders' judgment.

"So what if I was?" I retorted, crossing my arms. "Is that… a crime?"

He laughed harder, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "No, no, of course not! Spy all you want! As much as you want! In fact, the more the merrier!" He winked at me, his expression so mischievous that I couldn't even muster a proper glare.

"Besides," he added, leaning in conspiratorially, "I've known about your little spying expeditions for a long time."

"What? No, you haven't! I would…"

"A long time," he interrupted, cutting me off. "Longer than you think." He winked again, and I felt a flicker of recognition, a deep sense of knowing that I couldn't explain.

"Alright, enough teasing. Let's go. We're almost there. I want to show you something."


We reached the surface just as dawn approached. I glanced at Toothless, who was gazing at the horizon, his expression calm and serene. Perhaps I understood why he had woken me up so early.

"I know you probably want to throttle me for dragging you out of bed so early," he said, his voice low, "but I wanted to… to see the sunrise with you. If you're not happy with the view, you can punch me afterwards."

I chuckled, my earlier annoyance fading.

A thin layer of mist clung to the surface of the water, and a salty breeze stung my face. Schools of fish swam beneath us, following the warm currents as winter relinquished its icy grip.

We flew in silence. I studied Toothless, his black form silhouetted against the brightening sky. Night Furies, despite our reputation, were relatively small compared to other dragon species. We looked like two seabirds against the vast expanse of the ocean, but I felt strangely safe beside him, as if I had finally found my place in the world.

The sun began to rise, painting the sky with hues of gold and rose. I nudged Toothless, my gaze fixed on the horizon. The light wasn't blinding, and yet it stung my eyes, bringing unexpected tears to the surface. I turned to Toothless, and our gazes met.

He wasn't looking at the sunrise. He was looking at me. And for a fleeting moment, I saw another pair of eyes, eyes that mirrored his own. When had this started?

His golden-green gaze reflected the shimmering light, and I saw… everything. His loneliness, his pain, his longing, the fire that burned within him, a fire that ignited my own. His scent, his voice, his presence… it all resonated with a familiarity that went beyond memory, a connection that transcended words.

Dragons didn't embrace. In that moment, I wished I were human. I wanted to reach out and hold him.

The moment passed as quickly as it arrived. The sun climbed higher in the sky, and we continued our journey.

The ocean was calm, the waves gentle, whitecaps blooming like flowers on the surface. We flew through wispy clouds, and I felt a pang of anxiety whenever Toothless' silhouette disappeared from view. I didn't understand it, this sudden fear that he would vanish, leaving me alone. It was an old wound, a deep-seated insecurity that had followed me from another life. But then he would glance back at me, as if to make sure I was still there, and the feeling would subside.

"Toothless," I asked, breaking the silence, "can you… turn invisible?" I couldn't shake the memory of him appearing out of thin air.

"Of course I can," he replied, with a hint of pride. He circled around me, a playful glint in his eyes.

Arcs of blue electricity crackled across his scales, and the air thrummed with energy. His form shimmered, and then… he vanished.

I was initially amused, but as the seconds ticked by, a familiar unease crept in.

"Toothless?" I called out, my voice laced with anxiety. "Where are you?"

I searched the sky, but there was no sign of him, not even a ripple in the clouds. My unease turned to panic.

He was leaving again. Why did that phrase sound so familiar?

He reappeared as suddenly as he had vanished, his human form hovering before me, his black wings spread wide.

"I'm right here," he said, laughing. "What's… What's wrong?"

I didn't wait for him to finish. I lunged at him, burying my head against his chest. He stumbled backwards, caught off guard by my sudden movement, and then wrapped his arms around my neck.

"I… I thought you left me!" I blurted out, my voice muffled against his shirt.

I expected him to laugh and call me a coward, but he didn't. He was silent for a moment, his arms tightening around me. I looked up at him, and his expression was a mixture of confusion and… something else, something I couldn't quite decipher.

"I… I'm sorry," he said, his voice strained. "I just…" He ran his hands through his hair, his frustration evident. His reaction seemed… excessive.

"It's… It's okay," I said, my own anxiety fading as quickly as it had appeared. "I just… I didn't see you, and I… I panicked."

"No," he said, his voice suddenly firm. His golden-green eyes met mine, their intensity unwavering. "I won't leave. Not again. I promise. I swear… If I ever leave you again… let me be struck by lightning and turned to ash."

I didn't understand why he was making such a promise, not when we had only just met. But I believed him. For some reason, I always believed him.

Part 4

Hiccup used to love watching the sunrise over the ocean.

He must have seen it a thousand times, and yet, he would still wake me before dawn, urging me to fly to some deserted island, some secret spot only we knew. He would lean against me, his gaze fixed on the few stars still visible in the pre-dawn sky, and tell me stories, sharing his thoughts and dreams.

Sometimes, he would recount the old legends humans told about the afterlife.

"Toothless, my dad told me that Mom… that she became a star. He said when people die, they become stars. I think it's just a story, something to tell kids when someone they love dies. But… sometimes, when I look up at the sky, I feel… at peace. Especially when I'm with you, bud. It's like… nothing else matters, as long as we're together."

I would nudge him with my wing, a silent reassurance.

"If I… If I died, and I became a star… Would you still recognize me? There are so many stars in the sky…"

I hated it when he talked like that.

I would cut him off, leaping to my feet and tackling him to the ground, licking his face with my wet tongue.

"Stop it! Toothless! You overgrown lizard! I just washed my face!"

I couldn't bear to hear him talk about death, about leaving me. He would never leave me. Not really.

"Look, Toothless! The sun's coming up!"

Hill's voice overlapped with Hiccup's in my memory. And in that moment, I knew. He was really back.


I took Hill back to Berk. The old Berk.

He looked around curiously, taking in the familiar sights. He paused, his gaze fixed on a small, ramshackle hut, his head cocked to one side.

That hut… its roof had always been a bit unsteady. I used to shake the entire structure whenever I landed on it. It was cramped inside, too. I could never fully extend my wings. I would curl up by the fire, watching as Hiccup sat at his desk, sketching new inventions, his slender fingers moving gracefully across the parchment.

I led him to the cove, shifting into my human form. I broke off a branch from a nearby tree, and Hill watched with interest.

I knelt down and sketched a Night Fury in the soft earth. Berk was prone to rain this time of year, and the ground was always damp.

Over the centuries, I had often found myself doodling in the dirt, lost in thought. Sometimes, when I snapped out of my reverie, I would find myself staring at a human face. At first, it was just a crude sketch, barely recognizable. But as the years passed, it grew more and more detailed, more and more… familiar. Until, finally, it was Hiccup, his freckles and all. This was the first time I had ever attempted to draw a Night Fury. It was a small, cartoonish creature with wide, innocent eyes.

Hill snatched the branch from me and, mimicking my movements, attempted to draw his own Night Fury. We ended up with two Night Furies side-by-side: one realistic, the other comically disproportionate. The sight made me laugh, but there was a tightness in my chest, a familiar ache that threatened to spill over.

As the sun began to set, we soared into the sky.

The aurora borealis painted the heavens with its ethereal light, mirroring the emotions swirling inside me. I had finally seen it, the truth I had been too blind to recognize before.

It wasn't just friendship, not just love. It was something more, something that defied definition. It was Toothless and Hiccup. We were closer than brothers, our souls intertwined in a way neither of us fully understood. I couldn't tell him yet. Not yet. But I would. Eventually.

On our way back to the Sanctuary, he turned to me, his brow furrowed.

"That island…" he began, his voice hesitant. "Was it… the boy's island?"

I chuckled softly. "Yes," I replied. "It was… their sanctuary. The boy's and his dragon's."

"And you… you were the dragon," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

I didn't reply. It was obvious, wasn't it? I had taken him there for a reason.

"And me?" he asked, his gaze searching mine. "What… What was I to him?"

"You'll find out," I said, smiling enigmatically. I couldn't bring myself to tell him, not yet. I wanted him to remember on his own. Perhaps it was cowardice, a fear of confronting my own betrayal. If he never remembered, I would still carry the burden of that memory. Besides, what was wrong with letting him remember me as the Toothless who had always been there for him? We had time. Plenty of time.

But I hadn't anticipated what would happen next.


As we approached the Sanctuary, I felt a familiar presence following us.

I dropped Hill off near Cloudjumper's cave and bid him farewell. He seemed disappointed, but I ignored his crestfallen expression and turned away. I had more pressing matters to attend to.

I flew to my private territory and turned to face the empty air.

"You can come out now," I said, sighing.

The air shimmered, and the Light Fury materialized before me, her scales glowing faintly in the moonlight.

Her blue eyes were cold, filled with resentment and… something else, something that chilled me to the bone.

"I knew it," she hissed. "That Night Fury… it's him, isn't it?"

"Yes," I replied, steeling myself.

My accursed intuition had been right.

"I felt it the first time I saw him," she continued, her voice laced with venom. "Especially… the way you looked at him. It confirmed my suspicions. I'm not the only one who thinks he looks familiar, you know. All these years… you've never truly cared for me. Not really."

I remained silent. Ever since Om had explained the curse, the last vestiges of affection I had felt for her had vanished.

She continued to rant, her words laced with bitterness and accusation. I let her words wash over me, my gaze fixed on her.

She had been a creature of light, blessed by the Goddess of Light herself. But the years had eroded her beauty, her innocence, leaving only a hollow shell. She could have found another mate, a dragon who truly loved her. But things had gone too far. Whose fault was it? The human sorcerers? Me? Or was it her, for allowing herself to be used? There was one thing I knew for certain.

"You knew," I interrupted, my voice low.

"Knew what?" she spat, her blue eyes flashing a dangerous red.

I frowned. "You knew about the curse. The human sorcerers."

She froze, her slender frame trembling. "So… you know…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"I've known ever since the curse broke," I replied.

The Light Fury was favored by the Goddess of Light. No human sorcerer, no matter how powerful, could have touched her soul without her consent.

"I thought… I thought once he was gone… you would forget. Why? Why did he always get in the way? Even after death, he haunts us… So, if I just… if I…"

A deafening crack split the air as I unleashed a surge of electricity, my fury radiating outwards. The Light Fury cowered, instinct overriding her defiance as she submitted to my power. But her eyes… they still held a glimmer of defiance, a flicker of something dark and dangerous.

I rarely lost control like this. Only when Hiccup's life had been threatened, when those who sought to harm him faced my wrath.

"You can try," I growled, my voice low and menacing. "But be warned… there will be consequences. I won't hesitate to defend what's mine. We dragons… we don't adhere to your human notions of morality."

Fear flickered in her eyes, finally extinguishing the last embers of her defiance. I withdrew my power, and the air around us calmed. She shot me one last venomous glare, then turned and fled.

In that moment, I felt… free. I turned my gaze towards the night sky, a sky I had stared at for centuries, and for the first time, the stars seemed… different. Brighter.