A/N: I hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas Season! It's going by too fast for me, I can't believe Christmas is next week already! Anyone down for some Snoggletog Tag? Haha.

(New chapters for my story "Snoggletog Showdown" will be next week!)

Chapter 2:

Leaving Berk was a rush of exhilaration, and an odd mix of feelings. It was pure freedom combined with a disbelief that he'd actually gone through with running away, along with a sense of relief at the problems he was leaving behind, and a niggling, lingering sense that he was doing something wrong. The adrenaline that came with launching into the air and leaving behind everything that he knew had carried him through as he and Toothless flew further than they had ever gone before.

However, after the initial rush began to fade and the remaining daylight was overcome with darkness, the fog began to roll in, and the weariness of traveling began to catch up with him. Hiccup felt a fatigue hit him, and the doubt began to ebb back in.

They landed on a sea stack, high enough to feel safe from any threat from below, and to give them a good view of their surroundings if only the fog would dissipate.

Was this the fog that he'd heard of before, Hiccup wondered. The fog that blinded the way to the dragon nest? It would explain why Toothless had been hesitant to land, why he had remained alert through the night as he tried to rest without much luck.

Too many thoughts raced through Hiccup's brain, making sleep that much harder. What about his dad? Would he miss him? Would he assume that he had been killed by a dragon, like his mother? His dad had never talked about it, not in detail, just said she'd died and the dragons were to blame. It had been Gobber who had told him how his mother had died, whisked away by a dragon in a raid. It made Hiccup question, now that he'd befriended Toothless, if that dragon had actually meant to harm her.

He wondered about Gobber. Would Gobber miss him? If anything, he'd miss having his apprentice to boss around. There had been times that the old blacksmith had been a friend, someone to talk to. However, Hiccup had often gotten the feeling that when he needed to confide in someone and Gobber had been the only person he had thought he could talk to, that he ended up being more of an annoyance than anything. He could see it in Gobber's face, the lack of interest, the exasperation. Hiccup had seen it, had known that maybe Gobber didn't want to hear what he had to say, at least not all the time, but sometimes Hiccup felt that he needed to get some things off his chest, and the words would come out before he could reign in his thoughts and feelings, as if he had no control over his own voice. At the time it had felt better to let it all out on someone willing to listen, even if that person was just putting up with him, rather than to just hold it all in until he thought he would burst. No, he didn't think Gobber would miss him too terribly.

As for his dad? He would get over it. Sure, Stoick had thought he was about to finally have the son he'd always wanted, and maybe he would miss the idea of that perfect son that had almost been in his grasp, but he would soon remember how useless his son had actually been. He'd remember that he hadn't loved him, that he hadn't thought that he'd been up to being chief one day, and he'd move on.

Hiccup was sure that all this time, his dad had to have had a back up plan. That his dad had an idea of what to do about passing on the title of chief to someone else, since he knew his son wasn't up to the task. Sure, his dad had tried to shape him into someone who could be chief, but as time went on, it had been as if his father had given up. There had been less a-chief-does-this lectures, there had been less demands for him to be present at important events, to stand with the chief during meetings with other chief leaders from other tribes, to be present when their people were addressed. As time had gone on, Hiccup had found that his dad was more and more willing to let his son just disappear. Out of sight, out of mind.

Hiccup turned to his side, trying to get comfortable, trying to force all these thoughts from his head so he could finally get to sleep.

If he were still at home, he could be in his bed. Soft fur blankets covering him, a fluffy pillow under his head. A roof over him, warmth from the fireplace below, heat rising to warm his loft. The comfort of knowing he was at least safe from anything outdoors, from any threat, because he had a strong, tough Viking for a father sharing his home, who could take on anything.

Instead, he was alone. Well, not entirely alone, Toothless was still keeping watch, ears twitching at every sound, tail curled protectively around his rider, eyes wide, head on a swivel. Still, even knowing that Toothless was there for him, Hiccup couldn't help but miss the security of home, the comforts and familiarity that he didn't have out there with him. The sounds around him were unfamiliar, and a little eerie if he were to be completely honest. Home sounded a nice alternative to where he was.

He hadn't thought to pack any blankets, or any other comforts. He'd taken the bare minimum, not entirely sure that he was actually serious about leaving. Part of him had thought he'd give up on the asinine plan, that he'd chicken out. Yet here he was, further from home than he'd ever been before, curled up on a small sea stack with his dragon friend, wondering if he'd made the right choice.

"Toothless, would you relax?" Hiccup opened his eyes. "You're making me restless."

Toothless huffed.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and sat up. "Yeah, you're right. I was restless anyway."

The dragon made a little sound, but didn't stop watching the fog around them, ears still twitching, alert.

"Do you know what's out there?" Hiccup asked, not sure if he wanted the answer.

It wasn't like he had depended on his dad for much in a long time, but he had at least known that he would protect him. Hiccup had felt safe in his home, even if he avoided his father if he could. Awkward silences were painful, but when they were in their separate areas of the house, it was a comfort to know his father was there if things ever got spooky at night, or if a raid happened. It didn't exactly help that Hiccup had a knack for getting himself into trouble, but in his defense, he'd known his father was there to protect him, and he always had been.

Toothless made a chirping sound, as if to say he was too busy keeping watch to answer his questions.

"Did… did I make the wrong choice, coming out here?" Hiccup asked, more to himself than to Toothless. His voice was quiet and full of regret. "Maybe I shouldn't have left."

Toothless spared him a glance, as if he were more than ready to scoop up his rider and take him somewhere safe. However, he wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to trust himself to not end up giving into the pull on his mind, that would take him back to the nest, where she was.

"Should I go back? What if my dad is worried? Do you think he knows I'm gone?" Hiccup kept going back and forth, remembering everything that had pushed him to leave, and yet desiring to return to what was familiar, even if it had been lonely, even if it meant going back to being a pariah. At least he would be back in the only place he had really ever known.

"I should go back." Hiccup said, firmly. He wanted to, he wanted to feel safe and warm. He wanted the familiarity of home. Berk was his home, he loved his island, he was sure he'd explored more of it than anyone else there. Besides, it wasn't the people that made it home, the familiar place and surroundings did. He longed for it, he even longed for the close proximity of his father's presence.

He couldn't deny that he loved his father, he'd been trying to earn his father's love and pride for so long. Even though his father didn't return that love, Hiccup still continually found himself trying to please him. He didn't want to leave him behind, to never see him again. Even if he never did earn that love, he felt like he still needed his dad.

"Let's go." Hiccup stood up, finally getting Toothless' attention. "They might not have even realized I left yet. I can return home, act like I never left, and…"

Hiccup froze, what was he supposed to do in the morning? His dad would be in good spirits, he'd prepare his son for the big fight with the Monstrous Nightmare, and Hiccup would die in the ring. Or, he'd survive and refuse to kill the dragon, at which point he'd die at the hands of his disappointed, enraged father. He wasn't sure which option was worse.

Hiccup slumped back to the ground. What was he supposed to do?

Toothless nudged him, eyes questioning.

"I don't know what to do." Hiccup's eyes met his dragon's, desperate, watery with tears.

The Night Fury was quick to nuzzle his rider, to offer as much comfort as he could. He understood the situation, at least to a degree. He knew his friend was torn, that he felt the need to leave his home, but also didn't want to. As far as he understood, it was because of him. Hiccup didn't want his people to find him in the cove and hurt him, his people hated the dragons and always would. It put his boy in a tough spot, and Toothless didn't like it.

"I don't know if I can do this, not on my own. I don't know how to survive by myself, I don't want to be alone." Hiccup gripped onto Toothless, afraid to let go.

Toothless purred, letting Hiccup know that he wasn't alone.

"I wanted them to accept me, for me." Hiccup continued. "But that's impossible. They only liked me because they thought I was something I could never really be."

Toothless made a sad sound, and Hiccup let him go so he could meet his eyes again.

"I… I can't go back." Hiccup finally said out loud, and it suddenly felt so real, so permanent, so decisive. He was committing to a decision. "It wouldn't work out, how could it? It's best I leave on my own terms. If they found out that I'm friends with a Night Fury, that I'm unwilling to kill dragons now, they might cast me out. I'd be worse off than before, and I might not be able to protect you from them. At least this way, we're together."

Toothless cooed. He was thankful for his friend's loyalty, but also felt bad that he was the cause of all of this.

"No, Toothless, it's okay." Hiccup cupped the dragon's face with his hands, a small half smile touching his face for the first time in a while. "This isn't your fault. I'm the one who shot you down."

Toothless gave him a look, as if to say that he didn't approve of Hiccup continuing to blame himself for that.

"Okay, but I want you to understand that I chose this." Hiccup said firmly, his resolve returning. "I choose to be free out here, with you. I may miss some aspects of home, but you've shown me more love and acceptance in a short period of time than my family and people have in my lifetime. Of course I choose to be out here with you."

Toothless tried to convey everything he was feeling, through his eyes, knowing that Hiccup's ability to understand him was impressive, but not complete. He wanted Hiccup to know how grateful he was to have such a friend, how much he valued his companionship, and how much he'd come to love the little human in that short period of time.

Hiccup closed his eyes, forehead touching Toothless, sure that he knew what the dragon was trying to tell him, and sharing the sentiment.

—

Dawn was quick to approach and the people of Berk who normally started their days early, were especially busy the morning of the big ceremony. It was like a holiday for them, an event that they looked forward to, and it was all the more special that their heir had finally stepped up and was on his way to proving that he was fit to someday lead them.

Stoick made sure to get up early enough to fix a hearty breakfast before going out to tend to his duties as chief, eager to wake his son with the scent of a delicious meal, and actually sit down with him to eat, something they hadn't done in, well, years, probably. The fact that Stoick didn't know only made him feel that much worse about the way he had been parenting Hiccup. He should have spent more time with his son as he was growing up, but he would change that going forward. They'd spend more time together from now on.

With the morning meal almost ready, Stoick had thought that his son would have come down by now, eager to eat as the scent of seasoned meat and eggs wafted into the loft. He thought that his son would want to share breakfast with his dad and ask for advice before the ceremony. Hiccup was always trying to get his attention, and now he was going to give it to him, willingly, but his son still hadn't come down.

Stoick set a couple of plates on the table, contemplating his son's behavior in the past year. Come to think of it, Hiccup hadn't been pining for his attention like he'd used to, he hadn't sought out his father's attention in a long time. He wasn't sure when the change had occurred, when his son had stopped trying as hard to spend time with him and please him, but Stoick had noticed, at least to some degree. His son had been absent more often, slipped past him quietly, as if not wanting to disturb him or gain his attention. It was almost as if Hiccup had started to avoid him instead. Stoick hadn't thought much of it at first, glad his son wasn't seeking his attention all the time, perhaps even— dare he admit it— relieved that Hiccup hadn't been bothering him as much, choosing to keep to himself more and more often; out of sight, out of mind.

Letting out a slow breath, Stoick reprimanded himself for being so neglectful. How could he have ever had such thoughts about his own son? Even if he hadn't actually wished his son away, or thought about it too much, so long as he thought Hiccup wasn't causing trouble, he hadn't minded if he wasn't around much. What kind of father thought that way, even passively, about his child?

Stoick glanced up the stairs, still sensing no movement from above. If Hiccup was awake, it was possible he was waiting for his father to leave before making his appearance downstairs because that's how it had been before now, as if they timed things to purposely avoid each other and pretended that it was unintentional. If Stoick wanted to share a meal with his son, to mend their relationship that he had broken, then he'd have to take the first step and invite his son down to spend time with him. He needed to assure his son that he wanted him around, that he cared about him. With a determination, Stoick decided that he was going to make a change, he was going to reach out to Hiccup.

"Hiccup?" Stoick knocked before pushing the door open, only to find an empty room and a messy bed. He let out a hum, wondering where his son could be. It wasn't unusual for his son to slip away without him knowing. It was common, actually, and Stoick had always allowed it, welcomed it even. Hiccup's inability to stay put led to less awkward interactions between them. Though, it was a poor solution to a problem that desperately needed to be solved.

However, he wasn't about to let his son's absence ruin his plans for the day. He had wanted to share a meal with his son, give him some advice before the dragon fight, tell him how proud he was, maybe even lead into an apology and a promise to be more present in his son's life, and to let him know that he no longer had to avoid his dad.

Or, maybe he could say that last part later, after his son defeated the dragon and they had the rest of the day to celebrate and bond a little. That sounded better to him. He wasn't great at sharing his feelings, and he had been feeling it in the pit of his stomach all morning as he had prepared breakfast, an unfamiliar anxiety creeping in that he did not welcome at all. He was a Viking, he didn't feel anxiety, or, at least, he never admitted to feeling such things.

The fact that having a necessary and deep talk with his son could make him feel that way was shameful, and embarrassing. He shouldn't feel anxious about talking with his son, and especially not when his son was Hiccup. His son had used to try to get his attention all the time, had used to try and impress him, and even if he had apparently stopped doing that in more recent times, it couldn't be that hard to draw that behavior out of his son again, could it?

The lack of response from his dad had encouraged Hiccup to stop trying, to avoid his father instead of seek his acceptance, and Stoick regretted that. If only he had been supportive instead, he could have channeled the attention-seeking, people-pleasing behavior into something productive. If only he had given Hiccup some kind of positive reinforcement, maybe they could have gotten to a place where they understood each other and got along.

Gobber was always telling him, Hiccup was different and he responded to learning differently than anyone else he'd ever taught. Stoick had never listened though, boar-headed and determined to do things the way his own father had with him. Tough love, throwing his son into situations and lessons without much instruction, and letting him figure it out for himself, only to discuss it later and critique how he'd done. Telling him to be a Viking and endure, to tough it out. It had worked with Stoick, because he was so similar to his own father, he caught on to what he was supposed to do and he'd thrived. Hiccup, on the other hand, didn't catch on, he did unexpected things, he didn't learn the lessons he was supposed to learn. Everything Stoick had tried to teach him went over his head, or was argued against. They would end up fighting and butting heads.

Not anymore, Stoick resolved as he returned to his breakfast to eat alone. They could work things out. Clearly, Gobber had been right, because somehow he had convinced him to allow Hiccup to join dragon training, and then he had managed to teach Hiccup and help him excel. Stoick would learn how to teach Hiccup, and then they could finally be on the same page, they could be a strong team, leading Berk together until the day that his son took his place as chief.

Things were finally looking up.

—

It was when Stoick arrived at the forge that he had the first feeling that something wasn't right. Just a niggling thought in the back of his mind that was easy to dismiss. Even if he hadn't used to pay that much attention to his son and his whereabouts, there were still certain places that he could usually count on seeing, or hearing him, or noticing signs of his son having been there at all.

"Is Hiccup working?" Stoick asked when he saw Gobber, not hearing his son's voice chatting with the blacksmith. He was used to hearing conversation as he approached the forge, he'd hear light banter, see his son in good spirits, which admittedly was one of the few places Hiccup was like that, and Stoick would look forward to it, even if he didn't comment on it or acknowledge it. He never knew exactly how to feel when he'd make his presence known and his son's lighthearted attitude would skitter away, replaced with an awkward, nervous behavior, like he thought he was in trouble for something.

Why hadn't he given those moments more thought before? He was suddenly dissecting his son's behavior, seeing things he hadn't allowed himself to see in the past, and it was leading to a list of mistakes that he had made in raising his son. Maybe he hadn't wanted to acknowledge those things before, he hadn't wanted to see how his actions had changed his son, how it had affected him, because then he would have to admit to failure and make a change he hadn't been willing to make. He had been okay with the way things were, knowing his son was safe, but preferring him out of the way, often letting Gobber deal with him instead.

Stoick had never had success in teaching Hiccup the things he had wanted, and so he had allowed himself to neglect his duties as a father, and as a chief who had to pass down the thrown to his heir someday, because it had been easier and more comfortable to do so. It was shameful, and he was regretting it more and more.

"Today? Wasn't planning on him coming in." Gobber continued moving around the forge, drawing Stoick out of his distracted thoughts.

"So he's not here, then?"

"No." The blacksmith fiddled with some equipment and then turned to his friend. "You don't know where he is." It was more of a statement than a question. It wasn't exactly uncommon for Stoick to not know where his son was.

Stoick shifted his gaze, guilty. He didn't usually know where Hiccup was, his son was always running off. He only knew where he was when he could hear chaos off in the distance and assumed that his son had to be the cause of it, or if his son was in the few places he was actually supposed to be, like the forge. He mentally reprimanded himself, again. He should know where his own son was, especially on a day like today.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Gobber brushed it off, moving some tools around. "He always disappears after dragon practice, he always shows up later. He knows how important today is, he's been working hard for it."

"He disappears after training?"

"I told you as much when you returned from searching for the nest, he's gone most afternoons."

Stoick looked unamused, he hadn't appreciated how Gobber had worded things when he had returned. "For a moment, I had thought you meant he was dead."

"Really, and that was your reaction?" Gobber raised an eyebrow, but he seemed in good humor.

"Your words were confusing, and I know that's not how you'd deliver news like that. Your attitude contradicted your words, I didn't know what to think." Stoick pointed out. "He may have caused trouble in the past, but no one here is that heartless, to celebrate his… him being-" Stoick couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, even if it hadn't been the case anyway. "He's still the heir of Berk." He gave Gobber a stern look that turned almost conspiratorial after a moment. "And I know you have a soft spot for him."

Gobber let out a hum, not bothering to deny it. "I thought I'd mess with you a little, surprise you with the news that he was doing well."

"Well it was definitely a surprise." Stoick admitted with a soft chuckle. "When you said your wanted him to join dragon training, I thought you were crazy, but you pulled it off. How'd you do it?"

Gobber simply shrugged. "I didn't do anything different."

Stoick blinked in surprise. "The training-on-the-job approach?"

"That's how I always do it."

"Is that how you trained him to work in the forge?" Stoick was taken aback. Hiccup had been even tinier when he'd first started accompanying Gobber in the forge.

"Yeah, and he caught on very well." Gobber said, thinking back. "He learned to forge more easily than learning to fight dragons."

"Something had to have changed." Stoick had thought that Gobber had done something different, that he'd known how to get through to Hiccup. "You've told me before, Hiccup isn't like the others, that he needs a different approach, and I never listened."

"Oh yeah, I did say that, didn't I?" Gobber said, using his hook hand to scratch at his head. "I meant that he's not going to respond to your dad's way of teaching you to become chief. Which is funny, because he's a lot like you."

Stoick wasn't sure how to respond, or what to address first. He'd thought that Gobber had a special way to teach Hiccup that worked for him, that that was how he'd gotten him to finally improve in dragon training, and that whatever it was he was doing, he could show him, so that he could teach Hiccup better on how to become a good chief. And wait, what? Hiccup was a lot like him? That was the first time he'd ever heard that one.

"You think Hiccup is like me?" Stoick ended up asking first.

"Boar-headed, stubborn. Yeah, I think he got that from you." Gobber chuckled. "He got his softer, creative side from Valka."

He's not supposed to be soft, Stoick almost said, but stopped himself. He couldn't deny that he saw Valka in his son, and he loved seeing that, traits from his deceased wife present in their son. It also scared him, Valka had been gentle, she'd been kind-hearted and sympathetic, and that had led to her death. She had tried to show them that there was another way, that the fighting could finally stop, and she had been killed by one of the dragons she had defended. Stoick feared Hiccup would follow in Valka's footsteps if he didn't set him on the right path fighting and killing dragons, knowing who their enemy was, being a tough Viking.

It was time to change the subject, Stoick decided, before he got teary eyed from thoughts of Valka. "So if you didn't teach him in some new way, then how did he suddenly improve in dragon training?"

"That's the big question, isn't it?" Gobber asked with a little amusement. "It's been driving Astrid mad."

"Everyone thought she was going to win." Stoick said, even he had thought as much.

"Well, to answer your question, I don't know." Gobber pushed off from the counter and hobbled further into the forge. There wasn't actually much to work on that day, not with the ceremony happening in the afternoon, but he liked to keep busy anyway.

"He disappears, where?" Stoick asked.

"Forest, I think. That's where he liked to go before he started dragon training." Gobber answered. "I think he used to take his sketchbook and go out there to draw, or something.

Stoick nodded slowly. He was more aware of Hiccup's hobbies and interests than he let on, he just didn't usually support any interest that didn't involve leadership skills or self-preservation, the latter being something he desperately wanted his son to have any form of instinct for and was convinced he didn't.

"I don't know what he's been doing, but it's working." Gobber began hanging up some tools that were strewn around, noticing a couple to be missing, and noting to ask Hiccup what he'd been working on recently. "Came to training one day, and just told a Zippleback to go back in it's cage, used his hands to force it to back up. Shocked us all."

"He just told it to listen?" Stoick was taken aback, not sure if he could even believe it. "And it did?"

"Yep." Gobber turned to Stoick. "If you want to know, you should just ask him."

"Why didn't you?" Stoick wondered. If Hiccup had been coming to training classes with all these new tricks up his sleeve, some newfound ability to control dragons, or whatever he was doing, why hadn't anyone asked more questions?

"I was too shocked to ask any questions that first time." Gobber let out a breath in amusement. "He was too slippery and too hard to pin down after that, always running off as soon as he could. And then I figured, why mess with a good thing? Maybe he's finally maturing."

Stoick looked thoughtful. He hadn't known Hiccup had just suddenly started improving on his own. It gave him a lot to think about, and question. Was Hiccup implementing his own training regime out in the woods? Was it helping? Something was helping, because Hiccup had a way with the beasts, as he had been told.

Whatever was going on, Stoick was going to ask his son about it. He wanted to encourage whatever was going on, since it was obviously working. Maybe he could learn from Hiccup how best to help him succeed in other things. Then, he could tell him that he was sorry he hadn't been a very attentive father, that he wanted to change the way things were. With this little talk, Stoick hoped to build a better relationship with his son, to understand him better, to support him and teach him better, and to actually show his love for him.

They would have this talk, later. After the ceremony, after the celebrations of his victory killing his first dragon. They'd bond as father and son, and finally move toward a better future.

—

It was hard to tell what time of day it was. The fog was still thick, and it showed no signs of dispersing. The rays of light from the sun were scattered amongst the mist, leaving things dreary and hard to see.

Hiccup had thought that things would feel better in the morning, with the hopeful light of day, refreshed after finally getting some sleep. However, he still felt uncertain, and the eerie atmosphere wasn't helping.

"Is it always so foggy around here?" Hiccup asked as he stood and stretched. "Toothless?"

The dragon didn't seem to be listening to him, hyper-focused on something in the distance, ears still twitching on occasion. It was starting to make Hiccup uneasy.

"Did you rest at all?" Hiccup asked, worried about his friend. He moved to check the flying gear, eager to leave the area as soon as possible, and not caring if he didn't have a plan on where to go or what to do, or when he'd take care of his growling stomach. So long as they got out of the fog and somewhere that felt safer, he was okay with that.

With no response from Toothless whose slit eyes were darting around, Hiccup climbed wearily into the saddle and switched gears— and immediately found himself launched into the air as Toothless took off, the world blurring past him as he let out a surprised cry.

"Toothless! What is going on?" Hiccup clung to the saddle, switching gears on instinct to keep up with the movements that his dragon was forcing on him. If Hiccup didn't react to his flight pattern, they'd end up in a struggle for control, and likely crash.

Toothless didn't listen, and still refused to respond. It was as if he was in some kind of frantic trance. Their flight became more panicky and unsteady than it had been since they'd first learned how to fly together with the gear Hiccup had invented as they remained out of sync in their flight.

"Toothless!" Hiccup called out as he leaned forward, making sure he had a good grip. He barely registered as other dragons began to fly alongside them, his focus having to remain on the movements of his foot as he controlled the gears and matched his dragon's flight.

After a moment, they finally leveled out and Hiccup let out a relieved sigh, only to feel another flare of panic as it fully dawned on him that they were now surrounded by other dragons, all flying in the same direction.

Hiccup ducked back down as he glanced around at the dragons. Some of them were carrying various prey, but since none of them had sheep, he didn't think there had been another raid, at least not on Berk.

He still had very little influence or control over their direction, so he decided to let Toothless take the lead even if he had no idea where they were going. As much as he wanted to speak up and ask Toothless where they were going or what was happening, he felt that is was probably best if he didn't draw attention to himself.

Instead, Hiccup leaned forward and started petting the top of Toothless' head in a gesture he hoped would help him to calm and come back to his senses.

For a moment, Toothless seemed to shake himself of whatever was causing him to act so weird, however, in that moment, a panic and fear came over the dragon that startled Hiccup.

Hiccup had seen Toothless in fear before, because he had been the cause of it. When Hiccup had been trying to convince himself to plunge a dagger into the heart of the Night Fury he'd shot down, Toothless had been sure he was about to die, and he had closed his eyes and accepted it. He hadn't panicked, he hadn't thrashed or struggled. So, what could possibly be so bad that the very same Night Fury was suddenly breathing loudly through his nose, ears pinned back, slitted eyes darting around, and heart racing?

Wrapping his arms around Toothless, Hiccup could feel his dragon's emotions as he reacted to… something. They were connected as dragon and rider, Hiccup had learned how to read Toothless' emotions, to pick up on subtle cues in behavior. He could feel his dragon's heartbeat as they flew, he felt the fear and panic, even though he didn't know what was causing it.

"Toothless?" Hiccup finally decided to speak, albeit as softly as he could. "What's-"

He was cut off, his question ended in a loud gasp as Toothless plunged downward, barely managing to adjust the gears in time to stay caught up with the dragon's movement.

The fog began to disperse, though it continued to circle the area, almost as if it were protecting it, concealing a small island that was more of a giant mountain with rocky shores. Hiccup sat up slowly, eyes wide as it dawned on him where they were.

"The nest." Hiccup breathed out. This was what his father had been looking for, obsessively, for years. "What my father wouldn't give to find this."

Toothless huffed. He really needed to get out of there. He needed to get his boy somewhere safe, but he could feel the Queen's influence on his mind, he could sense her there. She would be angry that he hadn't brought food, but he had to go in, he couldn't help it. He felt the urge to at least check in. Just go into the nest for a moment, then they could leave, and next time he'd refuse to come back. He would keep Hiccup safe, it would be quick.

"Is it safe for me to be here?" Hiccup asked as they flew closer to the mountain. He wasn't sure what to make of what he'd found, or more like, what Toothless had lead him to. He didn't even know what to think of all the dragons he was surrounded by. He knew dragons weren't all what they seemed to be. He'd befriended a Night Fury, he'd discovered that Terrible Terrors were basically fire breathing, flying cats. He'd handled the dragons they had locked in the ring for training, but he'd had little to do with wild dragons. The dragons that raided them were the ones that lived at the nest, that's why his father was obsessively trying to track it down. Would they hurt him if they noticed him? Would it even be their fault if they did? If Toothless had been influenced by something, had been in some kind of trance as they'd flown there, what about the other dragons?

Toothless cooed softly, trying to assure his rider as much as he could, that he would protect him no matter what. He could sense Hiccup's feelings, just like his rider could sense his. Toothless could hear Hiccup's heart beating faster than normal, could sense the fear emanating off of him. Not just fear, however, but curiosity as well.

The light from outside was suddenly cut off as they entered a wide tunnel, the echoing sound of a myriad of beating wings taking over the small space, deafening.

Hiccup was ducked down again, feeling exposed, sensing danger, but helpless do to anything about it. He trusted Toothless to protect him, but wondered if the trance he'd seemed to be in before would return, if that would prevent him from keeping his rider safe.

They landed, and for a moment nothing happened. Hiccup was tempted to climb out of the saddle and explore the space, but knew that was a bad idea. The warning growl and the side eye that Toothless gave him in warning, to stay put, confirmed it.

"Why are we here?" Hiccup leaned forward to speak quietly to his dragon.

Toothless didn't really have an answer to that question. They didn't need to be there, it would have been best if they weren't. The only reason they were there was because he hadn't been able to fight off the queen's influence on his mind. He had been called back along with the other dragons, because he had been close enough to hear her call and not fight it.

Toothless wanted to ignore the queen, to shake off the feeling that she was invading his mind again, but he hadn't been able to this time. She'd had him under her influence for far too long, and the only thing that had snapped him out of it, was a boy who had shot him down, and then worked his way into his heart. Hiccup had freed him, even though that had meant that the only way he could fly was with him. Toothless wouldn't have it any other way.

Toothless hadn't realized that the closer they got to the queen, the stronger her hold would be on him, the harder it was for him to fight it, even with Hiccup beside him.

He had to focus on Hiccup. That was the key, that was what would sever the hold she had on him. That's what had done it on Berk, and if he tried even harder, it would work now.

At that moment a Gronkle came buzzing into the nest, startling Toothless out of his thoughts as it stopped to hover above the pit that seemed to go deep into the center of the mountain. This wasn't going to end well for the dragon, Toothless knew, and he lowered his head, slowly taking a couple steps back as he did so.

"What's going-" Hiccup started to ask in a whisper.

A Nadder swooped past the Gronkle, dropping some kind of prey into the pit before racing away to land on a crevice.

"They're wasting all the food they steal from us?!" Hiccup broke the silence, indignant and surprised as he gestured with a hand at what he'd just witnessed.

Toothless startled at Hiccup's outburst, eyes darting around, his frantic body language returning. He let out a hiss, as if to desperately plea with his rider to be quiet.

Before Hiccup could say anything more, he was shocked into complete silence. He leaned back instinctually, wanting to get away from whatever he was looking at before he could even take in what he was seeing.

A massive dragon head reared out of the pit, hundreds of sharp teeth snapping together as the poor Gronkle was devoured in one bite. The giant beast had multiple eyes that glared in all directions as it sunk back down and out of sight.

Hiccup was too shocked to react at what he'd seen. That had only been the head of that dragon. Only the head! He couldn't even imagine what the rest of it could look like, or how huge it the body would be in comparison. Before he could even comprehend what that even meant, Toothless was spinning around and racing toward and exit that was now congested with other dragons. Every dragon was in a panic to leave, at the exact same time.

Looking back, Hiccup saw as the giant head of the behemoth dragon came back into view, and this time, it was aiming for them.

"Toothless!" Hiccup clung to the dragon, encouraging them to take flight with a click from the gears.

Toothless jumped and spread his wings, looking for narrow spaces for them to slip through the flock of dragons trying to escape. He should have taken Hiccup far away from this place, he should have fought the pull on his mind harder, he should have remained focused on Hiccup while they had been on that sea stack all night, not on the sound of the queen calling out.

Something rammed into them, hard, and Toothless winced as he shook his head. He immediately focused on his rider, familiar with his weight, the way he leaned, and what his presence generally felt like while they flew together. Hiccup was there, he seemed fine despite the elevated heart rate. He had to get him to safety, and never bring him back.

As they neared the exit it became more crowded. Hiccup began to wonder how they were flying at all, they were practically on top of each other, the dragons scrambling with their legs more than they were using their wings. He desperately wanted to reach the opening that would lead back into their foggy surroundings, and put some distance between them and the nest. However, as they finally burst outside, he realized that something was wrong.

Hiccup couldn't control their flight, and Toothless was struggling to fly. Another dragon's talon was caught in the riding gear and it was frantically flailing in the air. Animalistic fear causing it to instinctually fight them to get away.

"No! Stop!" Hiccup leaned over, trying to help the dragon get loose before it damaged the riding gear further. He could see as some of his slender metal pieces began to bend with the pressure.

Toothless let out a sound in distress, he was unable to get the other dragon to listen to him, to calm down. He scrambled to catch the other dragon's limbs, to hold him as still as possible while Hiccup tried to free him of their gear, but that only made the dragon more frantic.

Hiccup cried out in pain, a sting spreading across his palm as the dragon finally pulled himself free. He clenched his hand, feeling blood trickling from his palm as he tried to adjust the gears so they could finally take off. However, when the gear didn't respond, Hiccup switched his focus from the injury in his hand to the gear the dragon had just freed itself from, and felt a cold dread spread through him.

The dragon had escaped by tearing through the gear. The metal was broken and bent, the lines were shredded. He had no control, and Toothless was beginning to spiral.

"Aim for the water!" Hiccup called out as everything around him began to spin. He'd learned how to keep calm during this kind of out-of-control flight, but this time there wasn't much he could do. He couldn't fix the gear, he couldn't reconnect something, all he could do was tuck himself against his dragon and pray Toothless made it to the water.

They were crash landing, and he knew there was nothing he could do about it.

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A/N: Oh Stoick, finally contemplating the kind of father you've been, and Hiccup is already gone. -.-

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Review Responses:

M3r-N1k ces: I put a schedule for chapters to be released this month on my profile as a special Christmas event type thing, haha. So it says on there chapters for a new story, "Forever, Little Vacation," will be out this month, and the last two chapters of "Snoggletog Showdown" will be out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (though I'm cutting it pretty close getting those ones done on time). So that's where I mentioned my new story. I hope you're liking it!

Guest: Thanks for the review, and thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the second chapter!

allegrasebastiano0: Thanks for giving my first chapter a read and a review! I appreciate it!