Chapter Four: A Darkness awakens.
As the day drew to a close, the excitement and buzz surrounding the Aero Wings
500 had long subsided, following the conclusion of the event. However, the post
celebrations including the winner's presence with the king had been unexpectedly
postponed, which confused many residents in the Hidden World. While a few made
their disappointment known, they were quickly cleared out of the main cavern by the
high guard, and almost every dragon returned to their caves of residence. The only
ones who didn't were Toothless, Light Fury, Cloudjumper, a couple of healers, and
the currently unconscious Stormfly. In a selection of caves in a cavern close to the
capital, multiple dragons resided that could either be described as medics or healers.
Each cave was big enough for a maximum of a dozen dragons, and there were
enough caves in the rockwork for both the patients being treated, and for the healers
to sleep and rest up. However, these ladder caves were barely occupied at the
moment, as the healers and medics had received what seemed like hundreds of
injured dragons from the day's previous race, all of which needed immediate
attention for varying reasons. The biggest cave in the cavern currently housed
Stormfly, who was being attended to by two medics that fed her healing herbs while
she slept. Toothless and his mate watched from the far side of the cavern, with a
grave look of regret and anguish sweeping over the Night Fury's face. While the
healers had confirmed that Stormfly would live, the full extent of her injuries had
been unknown, and required immediate examination, which only added to the
growing pile that was Toothless' guilt.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity for the young king, a healer asked to
speak with Toothless and Light Fury, to which they flew out of the cave and followed
her to a different cave a few stories higher. Cloudjumper and the members of the
high guard began to take flight, but Toothless signaled them to stay with Stormfly for
the time being, to which they obliged. As the three settled in the cave, the healer
gave the couple a wry smile. Well your majesty, the good news is that your friend
should be fine, and should be as good as new within a few cycles. For a moment,
both Toothless and the Light Fury easened up, as they were not certain if Stormfly
had suffered any permanent injuries. The healer's smile slowly dropped though as
she delivered the last piece of info for the royal couple. However, the blast seems to
have caused some temporary nerve damage throughout her body, so for the time
being, I recommend no more flying for her, at least until she is fully healed. Toothless
guilt and anguish quickly returned as he heard the healer's last sentence, and
although he understood what she was saying, a sense of denial still prevailed within.
So, you're saying she won't be able to return home for the next few weeks, Toothless
asked with a look of confusion. Where will
she be able to stay until then? The healer
gave him an apologetic look. She can stay here for a few more days, but I'm afraid
after that she'll need another dragon to take her and look after her. We need our
caves in case of potential emergencies. Toothless hung his head towards the
ground, realising the full extent of what he had brought upon his friend. I'm so sorry,
your majesty, the healer purred softly. Toothless didn't respond, but Light Fury spoke
on his behalf. It's alright. Do everything you can, and in a couple of days, we'll come
and retrieve her. Toothless then lifted his head and nodded in agreement with his
mate, giving the healer a thankful yet sad smile, before turning and launching out of
the cave. Light Fury followed close behind, and signalled Cloudjumper and his men
to follow.
Later that evening, Toothless was looking down upon his kingdom in remorse,
reflecting over his reckless actions, when he heard the talons of his wife patterning
across the concrete of their crystal cave grow closer. Knowing he was in for it, and
had escaped her wrath for as long as possible, he closed his eyes and sighed. Look,
I know what you're going to say. How could you be so reckless Toothless! I thought
we had a perfectly good plan laid out to support your friends. We were going to have
a fun day, yet you went behind my back and almost got you and your friend killed! He
didn't get a response, yet he continued. You probably think I'm the stupidest dragon
alive, that I was the wrong dragon to be the last of my kind, let alone king of all
dragons. As he ushered that last sentence, he felt the cool scales of Light Fury's tail
intertwine with his, and as he opened his eyes and looked beside him, there she sat,
giving him an understanding smile. Well, in all honesty, you're not necessarily the
smartest dragon I've encountered, she chuckled, which made Toothless lower his
eyebrows giving her a look. But what you do have is compassion. Both for your
friends, and for your kind. Toothless gave her a small smile in response, not
expecting compassion at a moment like this. Now, let's get this straight, she
continued. I am still mad at you for going behind my back and almost getting yourself
killed, she growled, to which Toothless chuckled, expecting that. But moreso, I'm
confused as to why you thought you had to do it. I know why you wanted Stormfly to
do it, but why you as well? Was it to support her? Toothless hadn't been expecting
her to ask that, but as he sat there, he should have guessed it would pop up sooner
rather than later. As such, he guessed it was time he confessed the full extent of
what he had been feeling lately, consequences be damned. So, with a sigh, he
looked out upon his kingdom, and explained.
Well, yes, but also no. The truth is… I don't feel like a proper dragon anymore, and
looking at my friends, I believe they think the same thing too. Ever since we all
migrated to the Hidden World, I can't help but look around at other dragons, and feel
out of place. Nothing I do feels right, from the way I fish, the way I fly, to even just
how I interact with other dragons. I know we spent seven years living with humans
back on Berk, but I didn't think that would affect us after we left. And this wouldn't
feel as bad if it weren't for the fact that I'm the king of all dragons, a role that I didn't
even intend to gain. I'm supposed to be the leader of my entire kind, yet I'm the only
one left of my own species. How can I lead an entire race, if I don't even know how
to act like my race.
As Toothless finished, he looked at Light Fury briefly, before looking away again,
anxious about her reaction. Instead of anger and embarrassment, Toothless only
received silence in response, as his mate was shocked beyond speech. However,
her shock didn't stem from anger or annoyance like Toothless though, but rather, it
came from heartbreak for the way her husband was feeling. She knew he had been
having troubles adapting to their new lives, but she didn't suspect it would be to the
point of him doubting his own existence. Looking down, she knew the idea of him
being the last of his kind really hurt him emotionally, but she didn't think that fact
mattered to him, since it didn't to her. He was her one true love, and hearing the
things he just confessed to her hurt her as much as they hurt him, to the point where
she started to cry. Toothless' ears perked up as he looked over towards Light Fury,
who quickly covered her face with her wing, to not reveal her vulnerability. After a
moment though, she revealed her dried face, and nuzzled up against Toothless, who
closed his eyes as he comforted himself in her embrace.
She didn't know what to say. Trying to understand how he was feeling felt beyond
impossible at the moment, and trying to use words to comfort him didn't feel right.
There has to be something I can give him, he thought. Something to help him
understand that he isn't alone, that we'll always be here for him, despite the
annoying decisions he can make sometimes. She looked down once more, eyeing
her stomach, and then it hit her. It's time to tell him, she thought. She had been
postponing for a while, as she wasn't sure if they were both ready, but seeing the
crisis her husband was experiencing, she knew now was right. Honey, there's
something I need to tell you. Toothless opened his eyes and raised his head to meet
hers. He gave her a confused look, but she decided to continue. I - I think it's time to
tell you that I -
A loud boom echoed through the halls of the Hidden World interrupting the two's
interaction, as they both jumped at the sound that rang through their ears. As they
recovered from the noise, the two began to feel the ground beneath them shake
rapidly, and quickly lifted into the air. Seeing how the ceiling was equally as unstable
as the ground, they both darted for the exit for their quarters. Fragments of their
crystal home began to rain down on the Night and Light Fury, not big enough to harm
them, but still motivators that they needed to get out as soon as possible. Not even a
second after they had vacated their home, the two saw that the entire kingdom of
dragons had been covered in a black and purple substance that was engulfing the
grounds and the dragons within them. While it appeared to resemble some sort of
haze at first, Toothless immediately noticed that multiple points were emulating a
purple glow, as well as the fact that every dragon the substance touched were
turning to…Toothless gasped as he realised what happened to the dragons that
succumbed to the haze, and his realization was soon joined by Light Fury. They
were all turning to stone!
We have to get out of here! Light Fury roared, turning towards Toothless. However,
upon turning, a huge part of the haze came up behind her, causing Toothless to fire a
plasma blast at it in response. The blast zipped right through it like a hot knife
through butter, yet it still managed to fend off the being, as it scattered away from the
two, an eerie screech being emitted as it moved. Toothless watched as it left, with
horror and confusion on his face. That - thing, it's just - there's no way that smoke is -
alive, right? His thoughts were quickly interrupted by Light Fury roaring at him trying
to get his attention, and Toothless was immediately brought back, remembering their
current objective. The two quickly shot into the air, flying as elusive as possible, in
order to not fly too close to any walls or structures covered in the haze. Whatever
these things are, they seem to be unable to leave the ground or move through the
air. The thought gave Toothless a quick feeling of relief, as he hoped that would give
them the advantage in escaping. However, the relief soon gave way to panic, as a
horrible thought struck his mind, causing him to halt mid air. Stormfly! She can't fly!
Light Fury immediately stopped and turned towards him in confusion and panic.
What are you talking about? She roared in distress. Toothless, if we don't escape,
then this - thing is going to consume us! Toothless shook his head in frustration. No,
you don't understand, he growled. The healer said she can't fly, and that thing looks
like it's bound to the ground. If she stays at her cave, that thing will consume her like
an easy meal!
Light Fury looked away and growled in annoyance. She understood what he was
saying, and once again, his selfless nature was putting them at risk. Yet she knew
leaving her behind was something a dragon hunter would do, and she wasn't about
to leave one of, if not toothless' closest friends to die. Without another moment to
spare, she roared as loud as she could, sending soundwaves throughout the haze
infested caverns. The two hovered in the air for a moment, remaining vigilant as to
not let the haze reach them, before they spotted Cloudjumper navigating his way
towards them. Toothless! Light Fury! Cloudjumper quickly halted himself before
running into the two. What in the name of Thor is happening?! Toothless gave him a
similar look of confusion in response. We don't know, Light Fury roared, but we have
to go back and rescue Stormfly! Cloudjumper looked at her as if she had just turned
into a pile of tuna. Have you gone mad? We have to get you two to safety! Whatever
this gas is, it's turning every dragon it touches to stone! We know, Light Fury
responded. But Stormfly can't escape on her own! She can't fly because of her race
injuries. Toothless figured they weren't gonna convince Cloud unless they had a
plan, so he shared what he had observed. This gas seems to be drawn to anything
on the ground, so as long as we stay in the air, it can't reach us! Cloud jumper
seemed to understand what Toothless was suggesting, and after a second of
consideration, he suddenly launched forward, causing two to part to allow him
through. Follow me! Cloud roared as the two gave each other nervous looks before
following, clearly scared despite knowing they had to do this. There's a shortcut used
mainly for soldiers or emergency transfers, but we must hurry! If we cannot quickly
rescue Stormfly, we will never escape this beast!
The route the three took was narrower than the main caverns they had flown through
earlier that day, yet fortunately for the three, the haze seemed unable to reach them
from the walls of the caves. As they arrived at the caves of the healer dragons, they
observed that almost every cave was filled with either stone dragons or the purple
haze. However, one cave stood out from the rest, as a bright orange glow radiated
from it, which appeared to be fending off the haze. As they approached the cave
Toothless saw the glow was the result of a ring of fire that had been formed around a
dragon, and as he landed, a huge wave of relief washed over him, as he realised
who the dragon was. Toothless! Light! Cloud! Stormfly squawked in relief as the
three landed next to her, avoiding the fire. I was being treated by healers until a giant
purple cloud appeared out of nowhere and turned them to stone! Stormfly pointed to
the corner of her cave, where the Night Fury made out the stone silhouettes of the
two healers. What's worse is that I tried to hit it with a fireball, yet all it did was scare
it a little!
Toothless paid attention to that part, as his own plasma blasts seemed to
deter the creatures despite there being no signs of harm. Well then why are you still
in here Stormfly, Cloudjumper questioned her. There should be emergency exits for
dragons who are injured! Stormfly gave him a look that said 'ya think?' That haze
blocked all of the exits, she growled, before pointing towards her ring of fire. So I
figured since they were scared of fire, I would make a shield around me until
someone came to help. But thanks for questioning my logic! Light Fury briefly
chuckled at Stormfly's crabby nature, despite their current situation. Toothless
however, suddenly had another idea about their current threat. It's not fire that
scares them, he roared to the others. It's light! Their weakness is light!
Every head turned towards Toothless, with looks that desired elaboration. Think
about it. Our attacks don't seem to harm them, yet they're afraid of Stormfly's fire,
and my plasma blasts. It must be because of the light they emit. The group looked
towards one another and seemed to understand the logic of it. If that's the case, then
we need to share it with as many dragons as possible, Cloudjumper claimed. There
may be a chance of saving trapped dragons who haven't been turned to stone.
Toothless nodded in agreement. Try to find Hookfang and the others. If they're
alright, they might be able to help us evacuate the Hidden World. We'll get Stormfly
to safety, and then I'll return to help you. As soon as Toothless finished his sentence,
almost every head in the room was roaring at him, the word 'NO' echoing through his
ears. I'm drawing the line here when it comes to your reckless selflessness
Toothless! Stormfly roared, barely acknowledging the embarrassing statement she
had just made. We're all getting out of here, and we're STAYING OUT until we find
out how to get rid of that thing! Light Fury then pointed outside, where the purple
glow of the haze now illuminated the entire caverns. Toothless gave her a defiant
look. But what about all the newborn dragons and dragons without fire! We can't just
leave them here! Cloud stepped in between them, as he knew this wasn't the time
for fighting. She's right, your majesty. Your safety is of the utmost importance in this
scenario. I will attempt to find your friends and free more dragons. Your objective is
escaping here alive. Toothless shut his eyes, grinding his teeth in the process. But
despite being king, he knew this wasn't an argument worth winning. Finally, he
easened, and opened his eyes. Alright then. Let's get out of here.
As the fire began to die within the cave, and the dark haze began to advance, the
four dragons within suddenly shot out zipping through the air. The flightless Stormfly
was perched on top of Toothless, holding onto his back, with Light Fury flying on his
left, and Cloudjumper flying on his right, eventually separating from the group to
search for the others. As they continued through the caverns of the Hidden world,
they saw that the creature invading their home had engulfed almost every piece of
rockwork or ground present in the caverns, with its purple glow reflecting off the
crystals, bathing everything within in a purple hew. As they approached the end of
the Mushroom Forest, gaining distance towards the exits to the Caldera, hundreds of
fleeing dragons sped past them, roaring and crying in terror. While some managed to
avoid the walls and structure in their way, some weren't as observant, and got
caught by parts of the haze that reached out from the ground, turning them into
stone mid - flight. Observing the horrors unfolding around them, Toothless' uneasy
feeling of dread increased. I can't do this, he roared towards Light Fury. I can't just
run away. This is our home. These are my subjects. His mate turned quickly, with
panic written all over your face. I know honey. I don't wanna leave our friends
behind, but we don't have a choice! You saw what those things can do. Almost like a
reminder to support her argument, a dragon flying above got caught by the haze,
turning to stone and plummeting towards the ground, right next to the three, causing
Light Fury to yelp. She's right Toothless, Stormfly agreed on top of Toothless. As
much as I'm not one to run, we have to know the difference between rescue and
suicide. Toothless turned his head away and growled in agony. He knew they were
right, but
it didn't sit right in his gut. But he knew getting his wife and best friend to
safety was more important to him. It may not be how a king should think, but
Toothless believed he was allowed to act selfishly this one time.
A sudden cry of pain suddenly distracted the Night Fury, and as Toothless quickly
opened his eyes and looked towards the source, he noticed the Light Fury was
slowing down, writhing in pain. Her eyes had shut, and she appeared to be gritting
her teeth. Moreso, her paws appeared to be wrapped around her stomach tighter
than a viking belt. Both Toothless Stormfly looked towards the king's mate in horror.
What is happening to her? He slowed down to fly beside her, trying to figure out how
to help her, becoming completely oblivious to his surroundings. As a result, he failed
to notice the giant pillar that appeared, obstructing their exit. However, Stormfly
noticed, and her face fell with horror as she realised what was covering it.
TOOTHLESS! Snap out of it and look! Stormfly wrapped her wings around the
Night Fury's head, pulling it away and pointing it in the direction of the approaching
pillar. His eyes widened, as he tried to slow himself with his wings, but to no avail. He
was going too fast, soon to be food to the beast. However, out of the corner of her
eye, Stormfly managed to spot a chunk of rock floating in a river just underneath the
exit to the waterfall. Knowing what had to be done, she pushed Toothless away from
her in the direction of Light Fury, and the two Furies collided, falling and crashing into
the island the Nadder had spotted. As she saw the two had made it, yet she herself
was still headed for the pillar covered in haze, she gave a small smile towards her
friends, before being consumed by the beast.
Quickly recovering and realising what his friend had done, he looked up and watched
in horror as his friend turned to stone. Luckily, due to the mushrooms that stuck out
of the rock, it stopped Stormfly's statue from falling to the ground and shattering to
pieces. Despite this, Toothless was still distraught regardless. STORMFLY! He
cried in agony. He continued to look on for a moment longer, before painfully looking
away, remembering he had a wife who was in pain. Turning to face her, Toothless
was slightly relieved as the look of pain had seemed to subside from Light Fury's
face, and rather a similar look of horror to Toothless' was present. Toothless, I - I'm
so sorry, she cooed softly, unable to think of what to say. Toothless leaned down and
put his head underneath her body, helping her stand up. Don't. It's not your fault, he
ensured, before remembering why Stormfly had caused them to crash. What
happened up there though? Are you hurt or sick? Light Fury hung her head to hide
her concerned expression. She knew it was soon, but not this soon! She shook her,
waving the thought away. I'm fine Toothless, she promised, yet the Night Fury could
tell she was lying, clearly hiding something. However, what it was would have to wait,
as a sudden screech suddenly reminded them of the looming danger in front of
them. The purple haze had managed to make its way towards them, yet for some
reason, it wasn't attempting to cross the river that separated it from the Furies.
However, the two couldn't escape through the caves that led to the Caldera, as each
exit had become obstructed by the haze. Seeing that their only exits were blocked,
the two looked at each other, with panic written over each of their faces.
There has to be a way out, Toothless thought frantically. This can't be how it ends.
Despite what Toothless was telling himself, the haze was not subsiding, and rather
was increasing, to the point where it became almost impossible to make out the
flooring and structures of the caverns. However, just when it seemed like they were
goners, one of the exit caves started to radiate an orange glow that increased in
brightness, eventually overpowering the purple glow of the haze. The royal pair
noticed this, but before they could figure out what was causing it, a tsunami of fire
burst through the haze, engulfing the upper half of the cavern they were in. Toothless
ducked both his partner's and his own head to avoid the blaze, yet he noticed that
somehow, it was being controlled, manifesting in a big ball above them. This surprise
seemed to benefit the two however, as the haze vacated the caverns immediately,
scattering while emitting their eerie screeches. Startled and questioning what had
just happened, the two heard a roar above, and noticed a big orange dragon with
blue wings lowering towards them. He had two horns sticking out from behind his
head, as well as two sharp teeth lining his front jaw. At first glance, there didn't seem
to be anything out of the ordinary with this dragon, until Toothless noticed a dim glow
behind the dragon, and realised that his tail was on fire. Yet the dragon didn't seem
to care, which only shocked Toothless further. Rather, the dragon' blue eyes seemed
to be scanning the entirety of the haze-covered caverns, before turning his attention
back to the pair in front of him. "You! Furies! This is an emergency! Your entire kind
is in danger! Where is the Alpha?!" Toothless felt as if his soul had left his body
briefly, as did Light Fury. This dragon… could talk?! Like a human? The orange
dragon gave them an annoyed look when they just started in response. "Did you
hear me or not," the dragon questioned. "I said do you know where the Alpha is?!"
Toothless was the first to snap out of his shock, roaring in response. What do you
mean where is he? Also, how are you talking like that? The orange dragon gave him
a look of shock and a little bit of disgust. "Why am I talking like this? Why are you
speaking the old language? And why won't you tell me where the Alpha is?! He
should be here!" Light Fury was the next to speak up. What are you going on about?
The alpha is right here in front of you! Upon hearing what Light fury said, the orange
dragon buried his face into one of his set of talons, and began growling under his
breath "No. No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! This can't be right! You're telling me that
this Night Fury is the Alpha?!" The orange dragon's question only received a
confused stare from Toothless, and an insulted glare from Light Fury.
Their heated introductions were interrupted behind them however, as three turned to
see that the haze was scattering away from the cavern exits, and was combining
together behind them, forming a giant wall of the substance. As Toothless and Light
Fury stared in horror, Charizard slammed his eyes shut and let out a lengthy growl
as smoke exited from his nostrils. He had no clue who this dragon was, but he knew
Elderess would tell him to ask later and save them now, regardless of how
frustratingly confusing they were. Groaning in acceptance, he jumped in front of the
two furies, breaking their stares and causing them to look at him. "Listen if you want
to live," Charizard instructed. "I don't know who you are or whether or not that's
important, but I do know you have no clue what that is." Charizard then pointed
behind at the giant wave of haze that was building in size by the minute. "That is the
Drunn. Long story short, it's a somewhat sentient plague that will turn any part of you
to stone that it touches." Toothless gave his mate a puzzled look. Who was this
dragon, he thought to her. "However, it does have a weakness; water!" Charizard
then pointed his fiery tail at the small moat around their island, which Toothless and
Light Fury examined, realising why the Drunn had not attacked them yet.
Charizard could tell they were beginning to understand, but knew they were on a
time limit, so he continued as quickly as he could. "But the bigger a Drunn is, the
higher chance it has of jumping a body of water, which is why we have to leave now!"
Charizard then jumped into the air and flew up to the caves above, but upon turning
around, he realised that the two furies had not moved, and were instead giving him
doubtful glances. He knew they were questioning why they should trust him, a
reasonable question to make, yet no less frustrating. As the purple hue of the Drunn
grew however, Charizard let out a huff of fire, and dove down to the two. "You're
scared. I can see that. But your only options are to follow me or turn to stone." A
defining screech then bellowed from behind, and the three turned to see that the
Drunn had fully formed into a massive tsunami of darkness, and was making its way
towards them. Seeing this told Charizard that their time was up. "I'm the only one
who knows how to stop this, so whatever your decision is, make it now!" Without
another word, he then shot out of the air into the caves above. Toothless and Light
Fury turned towards each other, clearly out of ideas, before launching off the ground
and following after Charizard.
Making their way out of the caves, the three entered the Caldera, where only the
waterfall obstructed the view of their exit. Despite knowing they were almost clear,
Charizard didn't cease his haste. The dragons behind him could rest once they had
escaped the Hidden World and were secure back in the temple. Making their way
through the waterfall almost completely drenched the three dragons, briefly
obstructing their entire view. Miracuouly however, the flame at the end of Charizard's
tail only slightly dimmed, which he noticed shocked both of the Furies behind him.
They really have no idea about who I am. "Charizard thought to himself, reading the
expression on their faces. Do they even know about the prophecy? Charizard then
answered his question by thinking, I don't even think they know what is going on. As
the waterfall began to clear, and a view of the surface began to emerge, Charizars
figured the best way to explain would be to let his master handle the situation. While
he's at it, maybe he can explain why and how this Night Fury is the alpha.
Charizard's thought process ceased when they fully exited the waterfall, gaining a
view of the Caldera's exit. Seeing what lies before them, Charizard's eyes widened
with horror, as he halted in mid air. While TLight Fury was able to halt herself in the
air, Toothless wasn't as lucky, bumping into Charizard's back narrowly missing his
tail. Giving him an angry glare, Toothless saw Charizard's expression and turned to
see what he was looking at, before a similar expression of horror struck the Night
Fury's face.
Above the three, every rock that lined the Hidden World or stuck out of the waterfall
was covered in waves of Drunn, which jumped from one surface to another, forming
almost a shield that blocked the exit to the ocean. While not fully covered, any and
all gaps that the three could spot were quickly being obstructed by fragments of
Drunn that leaped to a new ledge across the cavern below. Based on the sight
above, any chance of getting to the surface without turning to stone was as good as
finding a needle in a dragon's hoard.
Seeing that his original escape had been compromised, Charizard knew that an
alternative had to be found fast. Looking around the waterfall, he knew he need at
least a surface without enough space to fit at least two dragons, as well as one that
wasn't smothered in water. Looking around though, Charizard could tell that was
easier said than done, as almost every dry surface was occupied by Drunn.
Speaking of which, a loud screech echoed from within the Caldera's caves, and
Charizard could tell time was limited, as the tsunami of Drunn from within the
caverns would eventually makes it's way to their location.
Both Toothless and the Light Fury heard the Drunn as well, and looked at each other
with grim expressions, knowing there was no way out besides above them. Thinking
this was the end, Light embraced Toothless mid-flight, who managed to embrace her
in a sombre hug while still in flight. As a tear rolled down her face, Light looked down
and realised that if this was their final moment together, then she told Toothless what
she had wanted to tell him before. Toothless, there was something I was going to tell
you back home that I want to tell you before we die. Hearing his mate's purr
underneath him, Toothless glanced down and met her eyes, their snouts almost
connecting.
However, before Light Fury could tell Toothless her news, Charizard finally spotted a
surface below them that was dry and void of Drunn. It was small, but big enough for
what he desired. "You can tell him later," Charizard roared at the couple, "as I'm
getting us out of here." As Charizard dove towards the ledge, Toothless looked at
Light Fury for a response, but realising they should at least observe what Charizard
was planning, she ended their embrace, and flew after the two. Toothless followed,
and upon hovering over the ledge the orange dragon had landed one, he saw that
Charizard was reaching into his mouth, fishing around for something. Hearing
another screech echo from behind the waterfall, Toothless saw that Charizard had
retrieved what appeared to be a couple of blue crystals from his mouth.
Giving his partner a confused look, Charizard then startled the two when he
suddenly raised his arm, and slammed the crystals against the ground, causing blue
sparks to fly everywhere. Lifting his wing as a shield from the debris, Toothless soo
found that he had to squint his eyes, as a blue light began to grow from behind his
wings, peeking in through the gaps in his wings. After a moment, the light died down,
and Toothless lowered his wings to see what had just occurred. Expecting a pile of
pieces, behind Charizard instead stood what appeared to be blue strands of
electricity emerging from the spot where the crystals had been smashed. The
strands flickered and emitted smaller loose strands, but the bigger ones appeared to
have wrapped together, forming what appeared to be the uneven shape of an oval,
which appeared to be big enough to fit an entire dragon. However, the part that
shocked Toothless the most was that instead of seeing the rest of the platform on the
other side, instead the Night Fury could see a cave covered in variously coloured
crystals, glowing and dimming every few seconds. Light Fury's jaw dropped as she
turned to Toothless, as he too and figured out what was in front of them.
"You two will have to squeeze through at the same time," Charizard instructed the
two Furies, ignoring their shell shocked expressions. It annoyed him slightly that they
didn't even know what transport gems were, but he knew he should look past it for
the moment. "I thought the Alpha would be bigger," he continued, "so I brought
enough crystals for myself and a bigger dragon to fit through, though it might confuse
you two as the same dragon if you go together."
At this point, Toothless was beyond asking questions, as everything this dragon did
and said added almost a hundred to the pile in Toothless's head. However, as the
three felt the platform below them shake, they knew that the Drunn was close to
entering the Caldera from the caves behind them, and Toothless realised this was
their best and only chance of surviving.
Charizard was the first to step through the gateway, as he figured he should show
the two that it was safe to go through. Even though he knew it was, he knew
Elderess would believe it to be better to earn their trust through demonstration rather
than force them to enter first. The act seemed to work, as Toothless gave his mate a
glance, who nodded in return, and the two wrapped their wings around each other,
approaching the gateway.
However, just as they were about to step through, Light Fury suddenly hunched
down and scrunched her face in pain, grabbing her stomach as another burst of
pain, possibly even stronger than the last one hit her stomach. Toothless saw his
mate's sudden burst of pain, and unwrapped his wing to give her space, leaning
down to help her.
Charizard heard the commotion behind and spun around to see the two had not
entered the cave. Panic started to set in, as he knew they were running out of time,
yet he couldn't go back to get them, as the crystal's energy would think another
dragon had crossed through and would close. "What's going on!" he roared to the
Night Fury. "What's going on!" Toothless gave him a seething look, while moving
slightly to slow the look of pain on his wife's face. Charizard growled, knowing things
had just gotten more complicated, but a sudden band from behind the two Furies
caused him to raise his head in fear.
On the other side of the waterfall, the caves that led to the Hidden World had
exploded open, sending debris in every direction, revealing the hordes of Drunn that
had formed together, allowing themselves to cave their way through the cave
system. Now all that stood between the three dragons and eternal nothingness was
a waterfall that barely resembled a wall, and the chunks of Drunn were already
manoeuvring their way around the waterfall and the pools at the bottom of the
Caldera towards the dragons. Seeing this, Charizard roared at the two Furies,
hoping to motivate them to move. "Get in here NOW!" Cahrizard's roars mostly
emulated stress - anger, yet traces of fear could be heard, as the thoughts of losing
the supposed Alpha lingered in his mind. Without requiring further instructions,
Toothless placed his head and left wing underneath the Light Fury's pain, and
although still in pain, Toothless managed to guide her as quickly as possible towards
the gateway.
However, as Toothless began to place his first paw into the cave on the other side,
the Drunn cleared the waterfall separating it from the dragons, and sped towards the
walls holding up the ledge they resided on, slamming into it with full force. The
vibrations from the collision caused the platform to falter, while also causing
Toothless to lose his footing, stumbling back with Light Fury still in his grasp. As the
surface began to erode, the oval of electricity began to close as the platform it
originated from was ceasing to exist. Seeing their only chance of escape was
closing, Toothless quickly recovered and began trying to help his mate to her feet.
Fighting back her pain, Light Fury realised the predicament she and her husband
were in, as she felt the ground beneath them begin to fall, while watching the
gateway in front of them close on Charizard's enraged expression of helplessness.
Knowing that this dragon had gotten them this close to safety, she decided that she
wouldn't let him fail in his mission, similar to how she would never fail in her mission
to protect her husband. With all the strength she had left, Light wrapped her claws
around her husband, who briefly gave a confused look, before the look changed to
horror, as he realised what she was doing. Before he had time to react though, Light
Fury gave him one last lick on the head, before launching himself off her in the
direction of the gateway. Luckily, the gateway managed to maintain itself long
enough for Toothless to land safely in the cave next to Charizard who had moved out
of the way, before the platform completely collapsed and the gateway closed.
As rubble fell towards the ground where a hungry Drunn awaited another snack, the
first of Light Fury's last emotions wasn't fear, but rather remorse at the fact that she
hadn't told her husband that he was going to be a father. She figured if he told him
earlier, then they would both be in this situation instead of just her, but it still hurt
knowing that she could never comfort Toothless with the news that he wouldn't be
the last Night Fury. But as she fell into the haze of the Drunn and felt that she was
turning to stone, her mind lingered on a statement that weird fire - tail dragon said.
He was the only one who could stop this. As Light Fury felt her consciousness begin
to darken, she thought couldn't help but optimistically think This isn't the end.
Toothless will find a way to save everyone and bring us back. I know he will. His
character is selfless. As the last of the white dragon's scales turned into hard coarse
stone, and the darkness finally consumed her, one last thought assembled in her
mind. And when he does. I'll tell him.
Back in the crystal covered caves of the Crossworlds Temple, Charizard was looking
down at who was apparently the king of their whole kind, who had been facing away
from him for the last dozen minutes, with his head looking at the ground. Toothless
had his eyes shut and his teeth clenched, yet no tears ran down the Night Fury's
cheeks. In fact, Toothless felt as if his whole body had decided to give up functioning
after what had just happened. Everything was gone. His home, his kind, his best
friend, and now his wife. Everything he knew, he loved, he cherished more than
anything in the world had been taken from him in the span of a night. Still not tears
decided to materialize, but inside, Toothless was crying like he had never cried
before. He lost. The king of the dragons, yet he couldn't even save one single
dragon. He failed.
"If you're done moping," Charizard interrupted from behind, "then can we get a move
on please. This prophecy isn't going to fulfil itself and I suspect we need to give you
a bit of a catch up"
Upon hearing these words, Toothless's eyes flashed red as his sadness turned to
fiery rage. Spinning around to face Charizard, Toothless let out a bellowing roar in
the orange dragon's face, teeth fully extended with his throat glowing a bright blue,
showing that Toothless could shoot him if he said one more word to anger the Night
Fury. Toothless's roar didn't have any clear verbal translation to it, but he didn't care.
It was meant to show this nutjob dragon his absolute fury, and Toothless believed it
did. However, while his roar lasted a few moments,Toothless observed that
Charizard's blank expression had not shifted due to the Night Fury's reaction, and
instead of radiating fear communicated mild annoyance. Only now did Toothless
realize that Charizard was slightly taller than him, and because of that, saliva emitted
from the Night Fury's roar was now running down his neck.
Believing the Night Fury's reaction had concluded, Charizard closed his eyes and let
out a sigh, figuring this dragon had just suffered a tremendous loss. "Listen, I'm sorry
for what just happened. I can see she meant a lot to you." Charizard saw that
Toothless's enraged expression had dimmed a little upon hearing that. "I know you
may think she's gone, and that you've just lost your entire home, but that's the
reason I came to find the Alpha." Charizard observed that Toothless' anger had now
mostly been replaced by intrigue and confusion, so he continued his explanation. "I
came looking for you because there may be a way to stop the Drunn, and its master,
and in turn, bring back your friends and family, including her." Toothless didn't
respond, yet Charizard could tell the Night Fury was starting to believe him.
Upon hearing a roar echo from within the caves, Toothless's ears suddenly perked
up on alert, and Charizard turned towards its origin, guessing Elderess had heard
their return from within the temple. As Toothless looked at Charizard for an
explanation, he figured that before they found the rest of the Guardians, they would
need to remind the Alpha of their species origins. While he didn't truly believe he was
the Alpha just yet, Charizard remembered how Elderess had taught him not to
expect one thing, and how life was full of surprises. As much as he hated to admit it,
the prophecy seemed to be one of those instances. As such, the dragon that stood
before him was his kind, and Charizard was going to ensure that they found every
member of the guardians, and saved the realms, hopefully molding him to be like the
kings he had read about in the scrolls. With that commitment placed in his mind,
Charizard turned back towards Toothless, and ushered him with one of his wings.
"Follow me."
Another chapter done and dusted. This one honestly took a lot less time than
Chapter 3, as I've pretty much had this entire one mapped out for the last few
months, whereas I only fully finished the layout for the last chapter about a
month ago. Anyways, hope you're excited for Chapter 5, as you're gonna find
out some lore about this universe I have crafted, and you'll finally get to see
the main villain of this story.
P.S, sorry I said I had a drawing in the last chapter. I had one pasted
underneath in the original document, but I guess Fanfiction doesn't allow
images.