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Chapter Text

Cold.

That was what he felt.

The horrible cold of the hurricane wind around him blew in the midst of the storm and crept under his dark scales, causing tremors and tremors more and more constant in his body. He flapped his wings as hard and fast as possible for his current state, but he was practically useless. Despite all the effort he put in, he couldn't even reach half the speed characteristic of his species.

A low growl escaped from his throat, his gaze drifting for a second to his side.

The wound on his wing had turned out to be more than just a scratch.

But he couldn't think about it now.

With a sharp turn, he trudged out of the way of a blaze coming in his direction. The dragon hunters had found him, despite all the caution he had taken, and were determined to capture him at any cost. But he couldn't, and wasn't going to let them do it, for one simple thing.

A single thought was engraved in fire in his mind, like the red-hot whip of metal that hunters used.

He had to get to his nest quickly, but more importantly, he had to lose sight of them before he did. He couldn't, definitely couldn't let them see what was inside it.

He had promised it to his mother, the one who had given him his name thanks to his onyx-black scales.

The little legacy she had left him was his last hope and all he had ever had left. The only thing he was clinging to now that he was alone in the world. Now that his species had been extinguished at the hands of that damned hunter.

Another flare of acid passed very close to the side of his wing. Another sharp turn meant that the pair of Deathclaws that were chasing him missed their target.

He thought there was something very strange about those dragons. No self-respecting dragon would work for hunters of its own kind, unless they had been forced to do so. That was the only thing that could make sense.

But now all that mattered was to lose them as soon as possible.

With that goal in mind, he forced his wings to lift him even higher above the storm. He lost sight of them as he drifted deeper and deeper into the clouds, and soon an eerie silence enveloped the air around him. His instinct told him that he should not let his guard down yet.

He spent several long, tense minutes flying in that stillness, paying attention to every little thing that was out of place. The noise of the wind partially prevented him from achieving it. Then he managed to get out of the clouds, and the moonlight in the sky received him as soon as he did.

The eye of the storm stretched for hundreds of miles in all directions.

His gaze wandered everywhere, as if he were looking for something to ease the uneasiness that was not diminishing. He felt too exposed in that place.

But before he could return to the safety of the storm clouds, it happened.

He should have foreseen it beforehand, but he simply hadn't taken it into account enough.

The Deathgripper's screech over him preceded the loud thrust that struck him in the side. His flight went haywire as his enemy's claws dug hard into the thin membrane of his wings. Then, a crunch.

A loud screech of pain escaped from his throat. The ball of plasma formed instantly, and in less than a second he shot it into the dragon's open snout. He let go instantly. The second Deathgripper lunged at him, but his movement was too slow and he also received another fiery plasma ball in the middle of his face.

But it was too late for him.

His body fell and crashed into the raging waters of the ocean. He struck the surface with terrible force. His consciousness faded for a few moments and he returned only to suffer with the harsh reality that was before his eyes.

He was dragged into the depths. There was no salvation for him.

The last thing he saw before the black depths of the sea swallowed him, however, was a dark silhouette and the gleaming emerald glow of a pair of eyes that felt all too familiar.

Chapter Text

Hiccup still couldn't believe his eyes.

He really couldn't believe it, and he knew that if he turned to look at his friends and his mother he would see the same surprise and disbelief reflected without any distinction on their faces. Even the twins, who had always had something to say, were now strangely reserved.

"Well, I definitely didn't expect this."

Hiccup heard Ruffnut's voice vaguely, along with the voice of her brother Tuffnut who suddenly had something to say. Everyone around him had something to say. However, he did not fully pay attention to them. His gaze drifted for a moment to Toothless, but he wasn't looking at him. The only thing his friend paid attention to was the dark, sleeping form of the dragon that was lying on his resting slab.

In all that time they had been together, Hiccup could assure that he knew him perfectly, but right now he was not sure what was the feeling that was reflected in his eyes. Curiosity? Longing or gratitude? Perhaps relief? He couldn't define exactly what his friend was probably feeling now that he saw that he was no longer the last of his kind.

After all, they had had the very good fortune to find another night fury.

Although more than luck to find him, Hiccup had to admit that it had been an incredible and very unlikely coincidence that they had been returning home and had run into a dragon falling from the sky, inexplicably injured, in the same storm they were crossing. But more inexplicable was that it had been the dragon they least expected to find.

"Then what are we going to do now, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked, still looking with interest and amazement, as if he could not yet believe that vision, at the sleeping dragon in front of them. "We already treated the wound due to dislocation of his wing, but the poison of the Deathgripper that runs through his body is going to be a little more complicated to eliminate, we don't have an antidote available and all the ones we take from Berk are not going to be really effective for it. Sure, we can always take a chance and try a new blend but I wouldn't really advise it. And the other option would be to wait for his body to eliminate the poison by himself, which would not be difficult but would take time due to the physiognomy of the Night..."

He was suddenly interrupted by Snotlout.

"Yeah, yeah, there's a problem here," he pointed then to the place everyone was looking at. "But are we going to ignore the fact that we have another Night Fury in front of us? I mean, what was really the good fortune you had to meet him by pure chance?"

Hiccup didn't respond, at least not at that moment.

He had already told them the story of his encounter while Valka's healing assistants took care of the new member of the group, Toothless had stayed with his companion and had never been separated while they were busy healing him. He had even growled at a couple of them whenever his procedures caused the other night fury to growl and squirm unconsciously in pain.

Hiccup had been happy that his friend had finally found a mate of his kind with whom to mate and procreate his young, but that moment of happiness was broken when one of the healers revealed to him what he had already suspected and what he had not wanted to accept at first.

The other night fury was a male.

Thus, as quickly as it had come, the hope of a new resurrection of the species had vanished into thin air, like the wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys. Disappointment had struck him and plunged him into a sense of sadness for his friend in the seven days that followed his rescue.

Yes, the poor dragon had remained unconscious for the past week, even with everything that had happened afterwards.

However, far from being disappointed, Toothless seemed to be strangely happy every time he sat down to observe the other male, always keeping a small distance between them. Hiccup had noticed his behavior, how he cocked his head and the fins on the sides of it in that peculiar way that showed the curiosity within him, or the fact that he no longer seemed so interested in chasing the light fury that had followed them in the first place in those last days.

The encounter with a lost member of his species seemed to have stoked the feeling of hope that had been buried deep within him, resigned to never meeting another and remaining alone for the rest of his life. That had changed at this instant.

Hiccup guessed that at least in that detail, his friend had plenty of reason to be immensely happy.

But he knew that at that moment they must create a plan of action to follow now that they were fully aware that Grimmel had gone after that night fury. And his friend was definitely not safe either.

"Toothless and I have no idea about that," he replied to Snotlout's question, "but we're sure we were in the right place at the right time, because if it hadn't been there it would have been too much to help this Night Fury. And you have already lived the rest, with Grimmel loose and behind Toothless and it will be more difficult for him to face him, but we cannot let him get what he wants."

Hiccup spoke the last words firmly, with that determined conviction that his friends knew all too well. The others and his mother showed their agreement, Hiccup looked at both dragons again.

"We have to protect them at all costs."

That last order was met with a new nod. Hiccup looked at his friends as they said goodbye, all except Astrid who looked at him with a calm look and his mother, who was serene and with a slight smile in her expression.

He knew he had a pending conversation with both of them, but before he could open his mouth and say a single word, Valka got up from her place and walked in his direction.

"Okay, I'll leave you alone to talk in the meantime," She moved a little closer and stroked her son's cheek. "I just want you to know that your father would be really proud of you for what you're doing now."

Hiccup felt his heart shrink, watching his mother leave the temporary cabin and leave him alone with Astrid. Then he allowed himself to let out the sigh he had been holding back and sat down in a nearby chair, facing both dragons but at a discreet distance from them. Astrid looked at him and sat down beside him; only then did he decide to open up.

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" He asked, still looking at his friend and the sleeping dragon.

Astrid also looked at them for a few seconds, looked back at her partner, and showed a slight but calm smile that Hiccup couldn't help but notice when he diverted her towards her.

"I think you're one of the few who really looks out for the safety of all of us, including the dragons, we only look out when making this trip as long as they're safe," she pointed out in a tone that sought to convince him of the truth, even though Hiccup stood up and puckered to himself, annoyed with himself.

"Yeah, but in the process I've also put our people in danger," he pointed with his hand beyond the hut, towards the viking camp, the uneasiness of his decision still gnawing at him. "All for looking for a place that we don't even know if it exists."

The atmosphere between the two of them was silent for a few seconds, only the faint sound of dragon breathing could be heard. Astrid left her hands on her lap and stared at him. The intensity of her gaze seemed to take effect on Hiccup, who couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. Finally, she spoke up and made it perfectly clear what she thought of his words.

"It's true, you endangered our people by a fantasy of children's stories that may or may not be true," she said the harsh reality that he had thought, but had not expected to hear from her mouth. She raised her hand to prevent him from speaking and interrupting her. "But, we also decided to follow you in this because we trust you, and even if we don't find the Hidden World I know you're going to guide us to find a way to confront Grimmel and stop everything he's doing with the dragons."

Ever since he had taken his place as boss of Berk's village, there were days when Hiccup couldn't help but feel doubtful, wondering whether or not everything he did or decided affected the lives of his people in any way. He knew that some circumstances were out of his control, but fortunately, he still had the people closest to him who helped him not lose sight of his goal.

And she was one of the essential people who showed him all her support.

Hiccup couldn't help but feel his heart warm when he heard her. He approached her and, wrapping her waist in an embrace, bowed a little more and left a tender kiss on her lips.

"You always know what to say when I have doubts, thank you," he whispered after separating, Astrid smiled and he smiled back. His gaze then became determined as he approached the place where he had left his friend's saddle. "Well, I guess then Toothless and I should go for another reconnaissance ride, just in case. These last few days have been very quiet."

Immediately Toothless grunted a low groan and looked at him with an expression that Hiccup could only describe as one of supplication as he approached him with the chair in his arms. Hiccup sighed at the reluctance of his dragon. It was not new in those last days.

"Come on friend, he's not going anywhere."

Astrid let out a soft laugh as she watched the exchange of words and grunts between the two, ending with the night fury's surrender to his rider's claims.

"All right, be careful," she said at last, before leaving the cabin

~~~

His eyes opened slowly, as they grew accustomed to the darkness around him. He felt dizzy and confused, feeling also that his body was too exhausted, but at the same time strangely renewed. Somehow, he had managed to expel the poison that dragon had injected into him.

He began to move little by little, trying to stretch his cramped limbs to the point that the pain would allow. But when he tried to stretch one of his wings, specifically the wing that had been wounded, something stopped him. Her head turned in that direction, and she was surprised to see the strange knot of sticks and something white that had been wrapped around her limb, keeping her immobilized. A short snort escaped from his nostrils.

A dragon that couldn't fly was doomed to die from the first second, everyone knew that, but it was strange. That creation could only be the work of the two-legged creatures... But why bother to heal his wounds when they would most likely hurt him later?

It was then that he took a look around and realized that he was in some kind of cave or dwelling that they used as a resting base. This was really bad.

If the hunters had found him once again and captured him, then he had counted every second of his time. He had to leave that place as soon as possible, move away and look for a hidden and sheltered place where he could wait for his wounds to heal completely before returning to his nest. And in the meantime, pray to whatever kind of divine force exists so that no one would find him.

Someone else's life depended on it.

With that plan in mind, after verifying that no restraint restricted his body, he began to crawl very carefully from the flat and dark surface where he had been placed. He forced himself not to think about the pain, sliding towards the exit by sheer force of will with the stealth he had learned to master in all those years of survival.

The tarp that covered the cabin slid in a whisper as he showed his head to the freedom that awaited him beyond. It was night, everything was silent and almost dark except for the light of a few campfires arranged here and there, but thanks to this he managed to detect the occasional guard who carried his rounds around the camp.

He felt his heart pound as he slipped into the safe darkness of the nearby forest. The fear that someone would see him and sound the alarm made his scales stand on edge, with the feeling that something would go wrong and his time would finally be doomed.

However, he managed to reach his goal. Despite all his fears, he passed through several bushes that separated him from the forest in silence and was lost to sight in its deep darkness. He did not let his guard down, but he allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. He was grateful for the incredible blackness that his scales always carried, darker than those of any other night fury.

The night was his natural ally and he knew how to make the most of every moment of it.

Now he only had to find a place to rest, before looking for a way to return to his island.

Chapter Text

"But how could he have left? The camp was being guarded at every corner, it is impossible that they would have overlooked a dragon of his size."

"I don't know, Hiccup," one of the twins spoke as he scratched the back of his neck, hinting at his suggestion with a question. "Perhaps it was some very elusive hunter?"

The young Viking quickly denied.

"It can't be that, Tuffnut," he refuted, walking slowly to and fro in front of the group. "The village was heavily guarded, including the resting place of the night fury. So it was almost impossible, or rather very unlikely, that he would have left without anyone noticing."

Despite appearing calm as he spoke, Hiccup was genuinely worried to see that the night fury had disappeared. He had only been out on a night reconnaissance flight for a few hours, and when he returned, neither he nor Toothless imagined finding the least expected scene in front of his cabin. Gobber, Eret, his friends, his mother, and a few other Vikings had come before him to break the news, certainly agitated and confused.

The night fury was gone and no one had seen or heard anything. It was as if he had simply vanished in the middle of the night.

The hunters hadn't attacked them, of that he was sure. Nor was it possible that they had infiltrated the village incognito to capture him and take him away, with all the extreme vigilance by sea, land and air that he had ordered to be arranged. However, he made the mistake of not foreseeing that the dragon would manage to wake up at this moment and gather the necessary strength to crawl out of the hut.

Hiccup had to admit that the night fury must have enormous willpower to do so. But now he was also worried about his friend, whom he gave a brief glance out of the corner of his eye.

Toothless had let out a roar of despair into the air when he realized that the dragon was nowhere to be found, trying to call out to him even though he couldn't go in search of him yet. He blamed himself for having lost in this way the last member of his species, his future mate perhaps, with whom he could stay and father his future young. To start a family with him and thus never be alone again.

Hiccup looked at him one last time, feeling grieved and guilty at noticing his drooping expression, and focused entirely on the group of Vikings in front of him that he was to lead to begin the search for the lost night fury.

"You have to look for him everywhere on this island, he can't have gone too far," he dictated his respective instructions and took his time to clarify them as much as necessary. "He's injured so I don't think he can fend for himself for a long time, any other dragon could attack him in that state and that's the least we want to happen."

All the Vikings nodded and agreed with his orders. Hiccup reciprocated the gesture and continued with a very important clarification.

"However, as soon as any of you find it, you must send a signal that can be detected by all of us, understand?" He said as he looked at the group with a serious expression, feeling satisfied to see the faces of understanding of the majority. "Fine, I don't want you to proceed in his rescue until Toothless and I have arrived at the place and managed to calm him down. Remember that in addition to being injured he is confused, so he can decide to attack any of you and in the process hurt himself even more. And for everyone's sake, that's the last thing I want to happen."

After all, he had to look out for the safety of not only the dragon, but also his people.

Finally, after several minutes, the group that had arranged began to mobilize. His friends set off in their dragons, and he stood for a moment with Astrid, who was adjusting Stormfly's saddle. His mother had gone out with Cloudjumper to the other end of the camp to get everything ready for his arrival again.

Astrid let out a sigh and moved closer when she saw her partner's worried expression and the uneasy attitude of the dragon next to her.

"It's okay, we're going to find him, as you said he couldn't have gone too far and even less with his wing as wounded as it is," she encouraged him while stroking his hair and leaned down to leave a kiss on his forehead; then she caressed Toothless's scales in a gentle gesture.

Hiccup looked at her with a smile that didn't quite cover his face, nodding as he continued with the adjustments to Toothless's saddle. The dragon looked at him with a hopeful expression inside his eyes that he couldn't help but notice.

"Okay, I trust all of you to help us find him," he said in a quiet whisper, softening his gaze a little more. "Especially on you."

Astrid gave him one last smile of support and stepped aside with her dragon to make room for both of them to take flight. From a distance, she watched as her partner said something to his dragon.

"We'll find him, friend, I promise," Hiccup whispered in a determined voice as he climbed into his saddle, patting the side of his neck. "Now, let's go."

Toothless let out a soft roar as he heard him, impatient to take flight once and for all. He spread his wings as he waited for his rider to adjust his prosthetic tail, and flapped his wings hard to rise once it was done.

Several minutes later they were in mid-air, flying swiftly around the island, but not without some care not to miss any detail that would reveal the location of the lost night fury.

The roars of call of Toothless, at all that moment, did not stop being heard for a single second.

~~~

He was lost and he knew that.

He had not yet dared to leave the cave which he had previously taken as a hasty resting place; he didn't even have time to verify that it was actually unoccupied by any other species of dragon that roamed the territory. Fortunately, it had not been like that.

But he had managed to see, smell, and hear several more dragons streaking through the sky beyond the treetops and the relative safety of the forest. He had managed to detect dragons of all kinds, from the small and annoying terrors to the huge nightmares that had the ability to set themselves on fire. Seeing them didn't seem so strange to him.

He assumed that there must be a whole herd that had made their home on that island, but along with that assumption was also related the strange fact that he had lived before. Why was there an entire camp of hunters so close to the place where the herd lived?

No Alpha would have allowed such an offense, on the contrary, it would have destroyed the base of the two-legged ones along with their dragons. Unless the hunters had captured it as well. If that had happened, then it made sense that they would be so docile in their presence.

A strange feeling of fury lodged inside him as he arrived as soon as he came to that conclusion. He couldn't let those beings get away with holding captive the most important dragon to them all. However, at that time he could do nothing at all to help them. Nor was it directly his problem.

He had his own issues to resolve once his wounded wing healed enough to allow him to take flight. But he felt uneasy about that fact, he couldn't help it.

Gradually, he began to come out of hiding. Every step he took was annoying, but the willpower he had gathered before was enough to make him forget his condition, at least for a moment. After all, he had to get to her before the hunters found her.

Daylight filtered through the cave's entrance and forced him to retreat for a few seconds, dazed by the intense glow. He waited for his eyes to get used to the glow and at last, he slipped into the forest that awaited him beyond.

But he instantly had to back down again.
There was a group of spinytails resting several meters from the entrance, in the middle of the small clearing. Their breaths rose and fell slowly, but he wasn't sure how deep the sleep they were in was. Nor was he going to risk finding out.

He then decided to remain for a while longer in the relative safety and darkness of the cavern, getting as far away from the entrance as possible. He took advantage of that moment to rest in the same way, seeking to regain the strength he had lost while waiting for the clearing to be free to leave and leave once and for all.

His eyes finally closed, leading him towards a moment of dreamless rest.

Or so he wanted to think.

He woke up an hour later, incredibly agitated and confused. The image he had just seen had only been in his mind, but he couldn't focus enough to distinguish what was real from what wasn't. He walked out of the cave immediately, starting to panic about it.

«Agate...»

That name kept repeating itself in his head, tormenting him with the memory of what he had seen as he ran aimlessly through the woods. He was sure he was in danger, he could feel it. And he had to get to her side as soon as possible.

In his moment of mad panic rush, he didn't notice the moment when the forest opened up and showed the vast empty blue that lay beyond. Then it was too late.

The bandage on his wing was destroyed as he spread them out to try to keep his balance, but confusion, bewilderment, and most importantly, gravity, did its job and he soon found himself falling; on a new occasion. He felt his whole body tense as he fell off the cliff, unconsciously preparing himself for the hard time against the shifting ocean waves.

A desperate roar escaped him, a roar of help toward some other unlikely member of his species to come to his rescue, as if the hope of not being alone still pulsed within him. A roar that was silenced when his body finally hit the waters.

The strong current began to drag him away, moving him further and further away from the cliff of rocks and the island. His wings flapped hard and allowed him to make the clumsy attempt to swim to search for some of the precious air that his lungs urgently needed. His head broke the surface of the ocean with a hectic effort. He inhaled a large breath of air quickly, before the force of the swell plunged him back into the depths and threw him upwards once, tossing him back and forth without his being able to resist.

The panic increased once more, causing him to let out desperate roars every time his head shattered the surface for a single second. But he was already beginning to get tired.

Another screech escaped from his throat, weaker than he really intended, exhausted and without strength. His wings moved erratically, uncontrollably, while his body shuddered from spasms of tiredness and coldness. His strength was rapidly exhausted and it was increasingly difficult for him to resist the unconsciousness that was beginning to cloud his mind.

Finally, all his efforts to fight against his situation ceased. He stood still, in the middle of the waters that dragged him into the depths, waiting for a signal that never seemed to come.

It was impossible for one of them to answer him.

Before he could completely get carried away, however, his ears picked up a constant sound that was all too familiar. It sounded closer and closer, until at last and without expecting it, a tall shadow covered the surface of the ocean and let out a powerful roar that reverberated throughout his being.

He recognized it perfectly.

His eyes widened for a moment of surprise, but his body did not react. Even if it was a cruel illusion just before the moment of his death, he was happy that he would never be alone again.

Chapter Text

There was palpable turmoil throughout the settlement of New Berk. Vikings of all kinds, all inhabitants of the village, had gathered in front of the boss's main hut, waiting for some news related to the dragon they had rescued again a few hours ago.

The situation was almost the same inside the cabin, even though several of those who were there were silent, as if they were still processing everything that had happened before.

Hiccup looked at his dragon friend with a smile, reaching over to stroke his scaly skin as they watched the dragon they had rescued again from the ocean waters. He had fallen unconscious and had not woken up since that moment, probably feeling too exhausted from all the odyssey he had lived. But now he was safe and they were not going to allow what had happened to happen again.

Toothless began to purr slightly at the touch of his rider, feeling comforted now that the other night fury was safe and secure under his gaze. Then Hiccup spoke again, addressing everyone once more.

"We must move him to a place far from the village before he wakes up, but close enough to keep an eye on him so that we can take care of him", He gave a worried look at the sleeping nightfury, as if he feared he would leave again once that happened. "For now, Toothless is the only one he's likely to let approach, but he might also be hostile to him, after all he's another male."

The murmur of everyone's voices rose with different varied comments once he made that statement. Hiccup noticed the worried countenance of his friends and Astrid, as well as Valka's sorrowful look at the unconscious night fury.

"Hey, I have a question, Hiccup," Patapez began as he stepped forward, his voice determined by the question he was raising. "And where exactly do you plan to leave him? Because the vast majority of the dragons in the herd are practically settled all over the island and it will be difficult to find a solitary and relatively remote place."

Hiccup nodded thoughtfully, as if he had already waited and prepared for that question.

"I thought about that while Toothless and I were looking for him," he said in a determined voice, moving to grab a large piece of folded paper that he placed on a nearby wooden table. He opened it, revealing a map of the island to which he pointed a specific point. "At a certain distance from the camp there is a cove almost hidden by the forest and the surrounding cliffs, we already checked it and made sure that no other dragon decides to make their nest near it, so we can set up a shelter for the Night Fury in that place."

A new murmur arose, new opinions that each one had to say. Hiccup answered every question calmly, even to Snotlout's skeptical question.

"Are you really sure that no dragon is going to interrupt?"

Hiccup nodded with a calm gesture, unconsciously transmitting that feeling to others. He sat down in a nearby chair and let out a short, somewhat tired sigh.

"Toothless has already taken care of that," he replied while scratching the lower part of his snout. We will also make sure to close the area so that no one from the village approaches."

Finally, once everyone agreed with his words, they decided to leave there and left Hiccup alone for a few moments with Toothless. The night fury emitted a soft purr and caressed his rider's side with his head. Hiccup looked at him with a smile and reciprocated his gesture with another caress.

"I trust you to take care of him, friend," he murmured softly, got up, and began to walk toward the exit of the cabin. "I'll go and prepare everything with the others, you stay here watching him."

Toothless let out a soft screech and flapped his wings slightly, demonstrating his agreement with that gesture. Hiccup went out and went to where the others were, busy as they were while they began the work of moving materials to set up an improvised tent that would function as a temporary shelter for the night fury.

There was a lot of noise in a certain part of the forest away from the camp. Hiccup had pointed to a clearing open enough for a building of that size to work. Soon, everyone got to work.

The perimeter was fenced off, posts were erected, and the area that the tent would occupy was demarcated, large enough for a fairly decent group of Vikings to congregate, not too small for a dragon of his size to have little room to move. The noise of hammers and axes prevailed at every moment and kept them busy for the hours they lasted in it.

The dragons were kept away by the Alpha's command, while any curious eyes in the village were frightened by the orders of the Berk's boss. No one dared to disobey them.

Several hours later, the shelter was ready. In the middle of the clearing, surrounded by the high tops of pines, oaks, and other trees of the place, the canvas of a large tent was raised. It was just the right size so that it could accommodate the wounded night fury while he recovered, away from any interference that might disturb his rest and recovery. The interior of the makeshift hut was filled with comfortable straw, a feeder, and everything the Vikings used with their dragons for their comfort, now at the disposal of the new member of the herd.

Hiccup supervised every moment of his transfer with Toothless. The dragon was still asleep, but for the safety of all he was carried away by means of chains that were not too heavy that wrapped around his body and snout. As soon as they left him on the soft padding that covered the floor, they took them off and let him sleep as he had done hours before.

They both stayed when they were all gone, while they watched him sleep from where they were sitting, some distance away. Hiccup stroked his friend's black, rounded scales, heaving a faint sigh of grief at the thought of all that dragon had suffered in his life.

"By Odin, he must have been through a long time before we found him", He said in a whisper to himself and his dragon, thinking of all the possibilities that were passing through his mind like a silent chain of events.

How long had he only had to suffer before Grimmel's dragon hunters found him? How long had he suffered because of it? Hiccup was sure that sooner or later he would come for him and Toothless, but he wouldn't let him take them away. He had to preserve the last hope of his species.

Toothless made a soft sound and laid his head on his front legs, still looking at the dragon in front of them with an expression akin to nostalgia, or melancholy. Hiccup looked at him with a sad smile.

"I'm leaving now, big guy," he let out an exhausted exhale as he got up, patting the side of his head. "Stay with him until he wakes up, okay?"

The night fury shook his head in affirmation. Hiccup returned the gesture and finally left the place, turning around to give them one last look.

Toothless fell silent again after his rider left. He continued with his gaze of admiration at the dragon that was in front of his eyes, longing for the moment when he would wake up and make him understand that he had nothing to worry about anymore. To make him understand that he was safe with him.

He didn't know afterwards how much time had passed, it didn't even really matter. He only knew that night had long since fallen when the soft rustle of the straw warned him of a close movement, slow but steady. His head was immediately raised, he definitely hadn't imagined it.

Then another movement, the straw stirred into place and the large dark form of the sleeping dragon began to rise slowly. He decided not to approach yet, not until he recognized her presence. Which did not take long to happen.

The dragon raised his head and began to open his eyes slowly, with several soft blinks. The narrow black pupils flashed swiftly in the midst of a deep turquoise, so deep that Toothless could not help but remember the turbulent waters of the ocean in which he had found him. Then the dragon, one of his lost companions, set his sights on him.

The atmosphere between the two of them stood still as they looked into each other's eyes. Fortunately, he didn't seem to detect any warning in his attitude that would indicate any growing hostility or any other negative feelings, on the contrary, the other night fury seemed to be rather evaluating him with his eyes. A strange nervousness ran through him as he did so, and he stood very still in place when he had the impression of seeing a quick gleam of relief mingled with a strange amusement inside his eyes.

Then, the other dragon spoke.

«It was you,» he said as a solid and affirmative fact, with no intention of being shown as a question. «You saved me, the first time when I fell from the sky in the middle of that storm, and now.»

Toothless shook his head in confirmation, slightly surprised that he had been conscious enough to remember it.

«Yes, me and my rider rescued you from the waters you fell into, you were healed by the wound on your wing and the poison of the Deathclaw that was inside you», he informed her and mentioned the most important thing. «You're safe now.»

The other night fury lowered his gaze and was silent for a few moments, as if he was analyzing what he had just said.

«I see... My luck was really great for me to have been rescued by none other than one of the last of our species», Toothless's eyes widened a little wider when he heard him, and the other dragon did not take long to realize it, deciding to introduce himself as he should. «My name is Onyx, what's yours?»

The lesser night fury seemed to go blank for a few moments.

«My... my name is Toothless, is the name my rider gave me.»

Onyx gave him a skeptical look when he said that. Was it really his name or some kind of joke? He decided not to comment on it.

«Toothless? It's a bit of an unusual name, but I guess it's well received from you if it was your rider who gave it to you», he said convinced of it, having previously heard stories of that type, but never meeting a dragon that had a link with those beings. Despite everything, he knew that not everyone was the same.

Toothless couldn't help but be surprised by the sudden reference to his rider, especially coming from a dragon like him. Because of everything that had happened, she did not believe that he was aware that not everyone was looking to hurt him.

«Yes, he really is a good rider, and a great friend of mine and all dragons, he built this shelter for you away from humans and the other dragons while you slept, he brought you here and I stayed to watch that nothing happened to you», He said with conviction, his eyes lit up and he raised his ears at the possible fact that he managed to convince him to stay. «He is different from the others, he will protect us from the hunters who are after us, I assure you and so we will never have to be alone again.»

This time, Onyx closed his eyes and lowered his head in a gesture that Toothless could only define as sorrowful. When he picked it up again and opened them once more, he said the answer he hadn't expected to hear.

«I can't stay with you, I'm sorry.»

That statement took him by surprise and filled him with a feeling that he didn't really know how to define.

«What? Why?» He suddenly lowered his gaze, still looking at his, and asked in a shy hesitation, as if afraid to hear his answer. «Don't you want me to be your partner? Don't you want to be my partner?»

«That transition hasn't taken place yet, we're not even in mating season,» Onyx quickly replied.

The seriousness of his gesture and expression caused the other night fury in front of him to raise his head again and look at him with wide eyes. He couldn't help but make a faint sound of disgust at having misinterpreted his words. To remedy this, he decided to get up from his place and get closer to him.

«I'm sorry if you misinterpreted my words, it's not that I don't want to mate and start a family with you in the future, it's just that it's not the time for that yet,» he replied softly, and the other dragon looked at him again with a look that he preferred not to define, not yet. «There's someone else who needs me right now.»

Toothless reacted immediately to what his words meant.

«Anyone else? Are there any injured dragons in your care? Because if so, you can guide my rider and me to take care of him and get him safe in our herd,» he suggested as the quick idea that formed in his mind, with one last suggestion being addressed only to him. «Even you can be part of it too.»

Onyx didn't know why, but he couldn't help but feel a mixture of tranquility and comforting relief to hear his proposal. However, he knew that he had to focus on what he had to do first. Only him.

«I appreciate your offer, but this is something I must do by myself,» he whispered one last plea to the Alpha of Dragons. «Please, let me go.»

Toothless was silent for a moment. Something inside him, the slightly more rational part, was telling him to let him go, that later on he could detect his location or wait for him to come back to his side. However, his dragon heart was roaring at him not to dare to let go of him now that he had finally found him, that the outside world was very dangerous for him.

He fought for several minutes against both parts of his being, but in the end he decided to give in for a few moments to the side that told him to listen and allow the desire of his partner, who would win his favor because of that. He might regret his decision later.

«Okay, I understand what you want,» he relented, looking at him with concern as his eyes drifted to his side. «But your wing?»

«My wing is not going to be a problem now that it is almost healed,» Onyx replied to reassure him, his tone sounded a little lower as he looked him in the eyes again, trying to convey that feeling in his eyes. «Don't worry, I'll be careful.»

Toothless had no choice but to give in completely when he saw the glow of determination inside these. Somehow, he sensed that if he had decided to do that, nothing and no one would stop him. Finally, he shook his head again and began to walk towards the exit, deciding to leave him alone for a while.

However, his voice called out to him before he passed through it.

«Toothless». He turned at the mention of his name, Onyx looked at him with a special sparkle in his eyes. «I'll be back.»

The lesser night fury's eyes flashed as they heard those words. Something akin to excitement pulsed strongly within him, and he couldn't contain his excitement as he nodded. His tail waved impatiently behind him, longing forward for the moment when he would finally return to his side.

«Okay, just... be careful.»

Onyx shook his head slowly, one last gesture before he could see the dark silhouette of the other Night Fury come out of the place. So, once he was alone, he decided to recharge his energy.

He had already slept for too long, he didn't need that. What his body was asking for at that moment was the delicious seafood that he had detected before with his nose. His stomach roared loudly and he had to restrain himself from assaulting the feeder that had been set aside, full of fresh fish, crabs and the occasional lobster, his favorites.

The discomfort that had awakened him had already disappeared as he devoured his dinner, and a soft purr began to emerge from within him as he began to feel as good as he hadn't been in a long time. It had been a long time since food had made him feel as good as he does now; however, he remembered that he should save something for her when he returned.

An hour later he was ready to resume his game, after having eaten to his heart's content and letting some time pass for it to settle. His body didn't hurt as much as it used to when walking, and he rejoiced about it as he stretched his wings and tested them several times in short flutters to be sure that everything was in order.

Finally, all this done, he left the hut, opened his wings again very carefully, and took flight back to the place he called home.

Chapter Text

Hiccup looked up from the scroll he was writing and looked at his dragon with a certain worried expression on his face. He saw how he seemed to shift uncomfortably in his resting place, as if he couldn't find the right position to take a nap. From time to time he would let out snorts and clicks that made it clear to the young man that there was something bothering him.

He had been in that attitude for several hours, after having returned from the cove where the shelter of the new member of the herd was. Toothless had seemed worried, and Hiccup couldn't help but have the same feeling when he saw him come back and lie down in his usual place without making a sound, as if something had left him down.

An hour later, after many attempts and with several grunts of complaint in between, he had managed to convince him to return to the small clearing where the night fury was, despite the reluctance and the grunts of his dragon, but he understood perfectly the reason for her attitude and why she had not wanted him to go when he arrived and saw that the shelter was empty; completely alone.

The dragon was gone again.

Before he had a chance to panic again, however, Hiccup looked at his friend and knew, from the avoidant expression and look in Toothless's eyes, that his dragon had actually let the other Night Fury go of his own volition. He had been greatly surprised when he discovered it.

But for what purpose had he done it? He still had no idea, but maybe he was beginning to suspect it.

But after having spent a little time scolding him, and then being advised by his mother, Hiccup realized that his friend simply seemed to have listened to the wishes of the other dragon. From the way everything was in order in the small shelter it was clear that there had been no fight at all when the dragon had awakened, apparently his friend had managed to make the other Night Fury lose his misgivings with him, at least to a certain extent, and had accepted him as the newly discovered member of his species that he was. And in the end, Toothless had let him go because of some unknown intention that he had not yet managed to find out.

However, now things were a little uneasy as he watched as his friend stretched his wings in small flapping wings and looked away from the entrance of the hut, repeating this procedure several times. He knew him well enough to realize that something was making him nervous. Something related to the new dragon.

Finally, he could no longer sit back and continue to ignore the situation. He put down the pen he held in his hand on the side of the parchment and got up from his chair. Each step he took in the direction of his friend brought him closer to his anguish, and when at last he sat down beside him and stretched out his hand to stroke his scales, he felt all the uneasiness he shared as he looked into the depths of his greenish reptilian eyes.

"Hey, what's going on, big guy?" He asked while scratching the lower part of his snout; Toothless did not react as usual and simply moved his head to rest on his front legs. Hiccup frowned at this, settling down next to him. "Is it about your new friend?"

Toothless emitted a low twitter but did not change position. Hiccup knew what he meant by that, but before he could say anything, the entrance to the hut opened and let Astrid in through it. Her brow furrowed slightly at the sight of her partner and the downcast attitude of the dragon next to him.

"What's going on?" She asked as she approached, crouching in front of them both. Hiccup looked at her and let out a long sigh before speaking.

"He's been like this for a long time, he keeps stirring in his place and looking at the entrance all the time." The expression on his face furrowed again when another thought crept into his mind and made him express his suspicions. "I think he has a bad feeling, something related to the new dragon... I think even I myself have a bad feeling about all this."

Astrid took another look at the night fury and detailed the expression in his eyes, which, though almost closed, expressed a growing sadness that even she could not ignore. Finally, she let out a brief sigh.

"His friend left, I think it's normal that he's like that because of that," she said in a calm tone, remaining calm despite the fact that Hiccup got up from his place and began to walk around the interior of the cabin, with a thousand and one worries in his mind.

"Yes, but I think there's something else..." He said in a whisper, dismissing for a moment what she had said.

Astrid sighed again when she saw her partner's worried behavior. It stirred something inside her and caused her to begin to execute a plan that, although in the end it could be in vain, would at least help them to lift the spirits they lacked. With that goal in mind, she got up and walked to the cache of weapons that were stored in a corner of the room.

"Well, then... I think that..." she said, and bent down to grab one of the axes, then picked it up, and looked at him with another smile, more expressive than the last. "If this relieves you both, then Stormfly and I will help you find him," she declared and rolled her eyes slightly at the young man's gaping expression, cutting off his words before he could say anything as she put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm serious, Hiccup, and I'll call the others so that they can also call us..."

It was suddenly interrupted by the hurried arrival of someone else who rushed into the cabin.

"Hiccups! Hiccups, I have something very important that...!" Fishlegs stopped at the entrance, opened his eyes wide, and stood very still in place when he realized that Astrid was also there. "Oh... I'm so sorry, boss, I won't go back in like this but this is really urgent."

The young Viking's expression softened as he shifted his gaze between them, then he shook his head and sat down again next to Toothless, who surprisingly had come out of his slumber and now had his gaze fixed on the burly young man who had just entered. He noticed that he seemed to be interested in whatever his friend had to say, the posture of his body and the fact that he kept the fins of his head on full alert made it more than clear to him.

Hiccup looked back at Fishlegs and nodded his head in the affirmative.

"Okay, now what matters is what you have to say."

Fishlegs nodded immediately and didn't waste a second in saying it; from the urgency in his voice it was more than clear that it was not something entirely good. And then, when he said that, everything in the young chief's body tensed up.

"Hunters, Hiccup, our reconnaissance party just arrived and they said they saw a small fleet of two ships near an island that's a half-day's flight from here. And that's not all, they also managed to recognize the Light Fury that had followed us before." Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other with concern upon hearing him, but it was the next thing he said that really raised the alarm within them. "She was flying right in that direction."

Hiccup's brow furrowed upon hearing that, several distinct thoughts crowded into his mind and made him consider all the possibilities that were in front of him, conflicting with the two main goals. On the one hand they had to look for the Night Fury and make sure that all was well with him, but on the other hand they couldn't leave that female helpless in the hands of the hunters, because he was sure that they were after her.

But again, he didn't get a chance to express his thoughts when the young Viking in front of them continued.

"But there's something else too," he murmured, swallowing hard as the anguish showed in his expression as he looked directly at him; his hands rubbed against each other nervously. "Hiccup, our scouts also saw a black flash flying very high above them... going in the same direction as the Light Fury."

The atmosphere was silent for a few seconds. Then, Astrid turned her gaze to Hiccup, but saw that he simply seemed to be absorbed with the new information he had been told; a thoughtful expression had formed on his face. Then, faster than she expected, he raised his head and looked at the young man in front of him. It didn't take long for him to express his decision.

"It may have only been a reflection but we can't be sure, but this changes everything," he said, and finally looked at both Astrid and Toothless, determination on his face. "I think you already know what we have to do."

They knew it well, so Astrid soon nodded her head in the affirmation while Toothless waved his wings slightly, excited. She then walked towards the exit, but not before turning around with one last thing to say.

"I'll get Stormfly ready, so hurry up."

Hiccup nodded as he watched her disappear behind the tarp. He then turned to his friend and dictated what he had planned beforehand, beginning to collect what he needed.

"Fishlegs you will stay here, I entrust you with the protection of the village and the herd along with the others," he said in a serious but thoughtful voice, making his order clear. "I also need you to point out the location of the island on the map."

The young Viking nodded immediately.

"Right away, and you know you can count on us for it," he said as he began to do as he had ordered.

Both spent the next few minutes plotting their goal, until they finally finished and said goodbye at the entrance. Hiccup turned to his dragon waiting for him outside the hut, ready and willing to do what they had to do.

"Now let's go where you want, big guy," he said as he saddled him and gently caressed his scales, giving him a little comfort in the midst of that uncertainty. "What are you saying? I think it's time to rescue your friend again, and this time it will be definitive."

Toothless showed his enthusiasm, slightly flapping his wings and tail, before the amused look of his rider. Hiccup smiled, but soon everything in him was back to what they had to do.

Someone else was waiting for them.

~~~

Onyx flew and flew higher and higher, propelled by a warm updraft of air. He let himself be carried away by the moonlight that illuminated him, the clouds, the wind that blew through his leathery open wings, carrying him towards the freedom he had longed for and needed.

He definitely did not envy the beings of the earth for having to remain anchored to their quiet reality; in a way he almost felt sorry for them. Almost. Because he, like most dragons, didn't care too much about what happened on land as long as it allowed him to continue to experience the same sensation he felt every time he had the opportunity to take to the skies, just as he does now.

However, at that moment he did not stop to admire the small points of light in the night sky or to enjoy the night breeze on his scales. His goal was another one at that moment, one that made him fly as fast as his injured wing would allow him to arrive in time and make sure that everything was all right with his home.

The wind hit hard against his snout when, after a long time in the air, he began to guide his flight towards dry land. After a small correction in his trajectory, his wings stabilized and he soon spotted the huge patch of land in the middle of the sea where he had made his home since his mother's death. His irises glowed slightly as he began to approach.

However, as he got closer and closer, he noticed something strange.

A section of the small round shape that bordered a part of the island was covered by something dark and at the same time bright. By a radiance that he knew and by large recognizable shapes that were almost as if they were...

Suddenly, Onyx's pupils dilated on high alert, before finally narrowing when the recognizable smoky, metallic, lethal smell of those wooden things that the two destroyer legs always carried reached his nose. A deep terror settled inside him when he learned what that meant.

They had found her.

No, no, no! That couldn't be possible!

It had to be secured. He had to see that he was still safe despite all the signs to the contrary. However, for her, he had to keep the promise he had made to his mother before she died.

And fight them if necessary.

With that goal in his subconscious, he continued to get closer and closer. He did not accelerate his flight for fear of being detected, but he did correct his trajectory again. He moved away from the place where the hunters had landed and flew to the other end of the island, a path where he could reach his nest and at the same time evade the beings that were chasing them.

The darkness of the forest greeted him in the midst of a sepulchral silence as he landed softly but in some haste; however, at the time it didn't feel as comforting to him as it normally was. The forest in darkness only increased that instinct of alarm and the feeling of being watched, making him almost feel how his scales stood on end. One way or another, he didn't feel well at all as he folded his wings and began to walk through the thicket, very stealthily and slowly.

Thanks to the dark cover provided by the camouflage of his scales, Onyx managed to reach a small clearing surrounded by trees that seemed to have strange formations of ivy and lianas at the base of its trunks. He approached one of the trees and pushed back with his claws the curtain of leaves and branches that covered it, then he stuck his head through it and revealed a medium-large burrow that extended beyond the base of the tree, into the depths of the earth.

The guard that covered it and hid it from the outside closed behind him as his body went all the way into the hole. Onyx turned and stared at the entrance for a second before turning and resuming his way. In all that time he did not stop emitting soft purrs that sought to call the other inhabitant of his small home, sniffing the air at the same time.

«Agate?»

Onyx's uncertainty increased as he went deeper and deeper, and silence was the only thing that answered him. He dilated his nostrils again as his head moved around, but his nose confirmed what he already knew. There was a soft, familiar scent coming from deep within the burrow, a combination of the smell of grass growing in a nearby meadow and the damp soil of a small stream parallel to that clearing. A comforting scent for him.

But at that moment it did not give him peace.

Onyx's pupils dilated again when he reached the end, and all he saw was a pile of branches and leaves covered with a small trail of feathers, scattered here and there in odd positions, as if it had been trampled in haste and disorder. However, he did not find anything or anyone.

The nest was completely empty.

Panic took hold of him and he wasted no second in running out of the place, coming out of the burrow in agitation as his head turned and sniffed in all directions. Suddenly, the faint trace of a scent came to him, propelled by the night breeze that blew around him.

Onyx's nostrils dilated once more, and he spread his wings quickly, preparing to take flight in the direction his nose had pointed to him. It rose into the air and swept through the forest from a low flight to avoid coming within sight range of the two destroyer legs. Until his sight detected something sudden.

Something white and motionless in the middle of another clearing.

A mixture of surprise and confusion settled inside him as he stopped in mid-air. His bewilderment did not diminish as he approached, but increased even more as he recognized the graceful form, now weak and beaten, of the dragon so much like himself that had been captured earlier by the destroyers.

He knew this very well, because she was the one who had helped him to get away from them at the cost of her own freedom.

How had she done the same with her captors and managed to return to the island?

Onyx had no idea about the latter and his priority now was to check on the condition of the badly injured female. He approached slowly and sniffed her, breathing a sigh of relief when he realized that at least she was still alive even if she seemed to be breathing heavily, despite the dark, dry red staining the smooth white scales on her legs and side.

But she was weak. Too weak.

«Moon?»

Onyx called out to her with a worried purr, hoping she'd at least be conscious enough to hear him. His head touched the side of her body gently, there was a small reaction to this and then he walked away, hoping that this would have been enough.

The female's eyes opened slowly, amid the unconsciousness and pain of her body, and narrowed defiantly as soon as she noticed his presence. However, she soon relaxed when she could recognize his characteristic smell. Anyway, even if it was someone who wanted to hurt her more than they had already done to her, she could do virtually nothing to defend herself.

«O-Onyx...?» she called out to him hesitantly, wanting to make sure that what she saw wasn't some kind of illusion.

Onyx stayed close to her, knowing what she wanted.

«It's me, Moon,» Then he asked, «What happened?»

The dragon seemed to stir suddenly, her nostrils dilated, and she made the futile effort to raise her head to look at him. She began to chirp incoherently that he couldn't understand at first, until he highlighted the words that really mattered.

«Destroyers... They... I... I tried to...»

The instinct of alarm resurfaced within him when he knew what she meant. Then, his worst fear came true when he asked the only thing he wanted to know.

«Agate? Please tell me...»

The dragon's eyes flashed with agony as she let out one last chirp.

«She was... they took her...»

He didn't stay to listen to what else she would say. Those words were all it took to run out of there. He no longer cared that hunters saw him, and even less so if those hunters had the one creature that was important to him.

He flew aimlessly until her smell suddenly hit him. He then stopped and again landed near another nearby clearing. All of his senses were put on high alert as he traversed the thick forest in complete silence. But when the clearing opened in front of him, he forgot everything he had learned from his mother to maintain that stealth.

«Agate!»

A powerful roar echoed throughout the place as he lunged toward the trap where a captured baby dragon lay unconscious. Her black scales, like his, gleamed lightly in the moonlight that illuminated the clearing, while her body was held still by the strong harness that had wrapped around her. However, upon hearing that familiar roar, the fog of unconsciousness began to fade little by little.

Onyx avoided the trap that had crossed his path for himself while trying to reach the captured cub, but suddenly his instinct kicked in and he immediately backed away because of it. A strange humming sound was heard a second later, just in time to see a small, pointed object dig into the exact spot he had been before.

The clearing fell silent again, enveloped in a tense and dangerous atmosphere.

A low, rumbling growl came from deep within Onyx's throat; his pupils narrowed even more and the turquoise of his eyes darkened, straining completely when he saw the two-legged creature emerging from some bushes and pointing a kind of throwing wooden weapon at him. He was a male, he realized, a burly male like most of those he had had the misfortune to see; his smell of blood, sweat and dirt gave him away, a nauseating mixture that made him more nervous than he already was.

But no matter how, he had to make sure he was first taken away from that place.

It didn't take long for Onyx to notice that he seemed to be squawking to themselves as he walked towards the imprisoned calf, without taking his eye off him. He couldn't quite understand him, but he knew enough of the language of those creatures to catch what he was saying.

"Well, I think the chief will be happy with this treasure."

Chief? Who was that chief he was talking about?

Onyx didn't really care. If the destroyers also had some sort of Alpha, then he would challenge him to the death to defend what was his.

The growl that reverberated in the clearing increased as he spread his wings throughout his towering glaze and drew closer and closer to him. However, to Onyx's bewilderment, the destroyer did not seem to be intimidated by that gesture, on the contrary.

The hunter's face was relaxed as he pointed the weapon at the motionless body of the small calf next to him, pressing his foot against it. The next squawk he let out stopped him from continuing completely.

"One wrong step and your baby dies."

A latent fear settled inside him as his gaze shifted between the hatchling, the hunter and the weapon the latter carried. What he had said was repeated over and over in his mind as he did it. And then, with a frustrated growl, he folded his wings again and began to retreat slowly.

A mocking smile appeared on the hunter's face.

"That's right, smart dragon."

Onyx didn't take his eyes off him all that time, but when a low, faint screech suddenly sounded, he forgot for a moment not to lower that caution. The little baby called out to him, but he couldn't come to her rescue.

He couldn't even see the moment she opened her eyes.

His large body crashed hard into the ground. A sharp pain ran through his left wing and the side of his neck, where the small dart that had managed to pierce his thick skin had been stabbed.

Onyx did not make a sound when the poison contained in it hit him. He couldn't do it.

The toxin that spread rapidly through his body left him completely paralyzed, defenseless against the destroyer that was getting closer and closer, as unconsciousness claimed him and his eyes did not support the weight of his eyelids for long. However, before he fell, he had one last thought.

He thought it was really unfortunate that he didn't know that the two of them weren't the last of their kind.

Chapter Text

The wind hit hard against her face as she rushed to get as fast as possible in her dragon to the place where she had seen her partner's light signal. A single sign that shone in the middle of the dark night sky. That sign could only mean one thing.

A dragon had been wounded.

Astrid gritted her teeth and clung tightly to the harness of Stormfly's saddle. She passed through a couple of low clouds and finally, after that, she managed to see the large silhouette of the island in the middle of the ocean. She sped into her flight with that goal in mind, patting her dragon's neck as she muttered a few words of encouragement.

"Come on girl, we're close."

Storm responded to her murmur with a rapid squawk and flapped her wings more rapidly, speeding in that direction. A second later there was a rumble, burst of light and finally a ball of plasma exploding in the middle of the sky, right above a specific point.

Astrid looked at that place with a determined expression, guiding them to that place and managing to arrive in less than a minute. They landed carefully in the middle of a slightly open clearing between the trees, lifting several branches and leaves in their path. No doubt when she arrived, the young woman's eyes widened at the sight of Hiccup next to a large, eerily motionless white figure.

Astrid's eyes widened as she recognized her, choking a gasp in her mouth as she walked slowly around her. She couldn't help but notice the deep wounds on her white scales, the faint red-stained trace that had remained, even though they had been cleansed and covered with a poultice of healing ingredients that Valka had provided them with and that they always carried everywhere. For everyone, it had always been more than useful.

But now, Astrid couldn't help but wonder if it had been enough to help her, as she stretched out her hand hesitantly and doubtfully in her direction.

"Is she...?" She hinted, swallowing hard as she couldn't complete the sentence.

Hiccup looked at her, then looked at the dragon and let out a sigh as he slowly shook his head, much to the complete relief of his companion.

"She's alive, barely, but she still is. I'm not a healer, you know, but I think I did the best I could." His expression seemed to turn sad as he touched the dragon's scales. His touch was strangely cold, and he pushed it away quickly as he rose, followed closely by Toothless who seemed to be looking pity at the wounded female. "The guys should arrive soon, if they also managed to see my signal, so they can take her back to the village with my mother. At least she will know what to do."

Giving her one last sad look, Hiccup let out another tired sigh and adjusted Toothless's saddle to continue the search for the lost night fury, now possibly captured. Astrid looked at him and did not let that gesture pass as she approached him; putting a hand on his arm as a sign of support.

"I'm sure it was them, there's evidence that they were here in the bay, but neither Stormfly nor I managed to see any ships while we were flying over the sea, it was too dark. I'm sorry," she lamented in a sorrowful murmur, letting out, like him, a weary exhale as her dragon reached out to comfort her.

However, Hiccup quickly shook his head upon hearing her, walking over to where she was to give her a comforting hug, one he needed too, while thinking that it wasn't her fault after all. Despite all that pessimistic situation, he also thought that they still had time to find them and find him before they were out of reach.

"Don't blame yourself for not having seen them, you couldn't know either," He comforted her gently, making that feeling clear in his eyes; then he pulled away a bit as he began to analyze what he saw, frowning slightly at it. "What I don't understand is why they left her here to die, I thought this female was valuable to him somehow."

Astrid looked back at the injured female on the ground when she heard her partner's reason. She had a very clear suspicion of what would probably be the cause of her having been nothing more than the perfect bait, and it didn't take long for her to express it to Hiccup, no matter how much that truth seemed to penetrate deep inside him.

"It's simple, she was just a bait to attract Toothless, obviously, she is very similar to him despite being different species, but I think that was just what he wanted, that he would go after her to capture him much more easily," she said in a soft tone, aware that what she said was the only thing that could make sense. "I know you've probably thought this before me, but that's still what I think and what this whole situation has shown us, after all you know that the only thing Grimmel is interested in is to take down all the Night Fury that exists."

Hiccup knew that her words were the absolute truth, so although his nod made clear his agreement with her, the slightly doubtful gesture with which he did so reminded himself that he felt that there was something more to all this. However, he could not yet express this suspicion in more detail.

"But if the clue of both dragons led him to this island..." Hiccup muttered and lowered his gaze as he brought a finger to his chin, thinking more deeply about what that meant. "I have a feeling that there was or is something valuable besides our friend that he was looking for or still is looking for in this place."

Multiple possibilities and theories flashed through his mind, like a sack of valuable dragon scales that someone had left scattered for him to consider a possible solution, discarding those that didn't make sense to him.

Maybe there was an unknown species of dragon that he hadn't discovered yet? Or perhaps the female Light Fury had managed to conceive with the male Night Fury? No, that last one didn't make sense, not because it wasn't possible but because females with young used to be very protective and aggressive when they took care of their brood, they practically didn't let any foreign dragon, male or female, besides their mate get close, and even with the latter there was also a certain kind of distance. Hiccup knew very well the headaches that the mating season caused him and Toothless when that happened, so if that female had had a litter it was impossible for her to have been interested in his friend, let alone to have sought him out of her own volition.

Astrid gave her companion a somewhat worried look. She knew him well enough to know that he was evaluating infinite possibilities within his mind, abstracting himself for the moment. She was about to say something to him when their other friends suddenly arrived.

A change in the air warned them of the arrival of the rest of their team; the leaves of the trees crunched and moved lightly by the force of the wind that lifted the wings of two long shadows that appeared over the clearing. A second chubby form accompanied them as their friends' other dragons landed one by one on the ground, keeping a safe distance from the spot where Hiccup and Astrid stood next to Toothless and the light fury.

Suddenly, Hiccup noticed the agitation that surrounded the group, and even more so when he saw how Snotlout descended from his dragon and came running as fast as his legs would allow. The alarm was palpable on his face.

"Hiccup! Hiccup! We saw your sign!" He exclaimed hurriedly and took a moment to exhale forcefully while leaving both hands on his knees, and then pointing with his hand in a certain direction, still agitated. "But they did it too! Hookfang and I saw the flash of their boats heading west."

Hiccup's eyes widened in surprise before they finally narrowed with the determination he had been carrying for hours. It took only a few seconds for his decision to be made and for him to express the order to his other friends.

His words were clear: they would carry the injured female to the village while Astrid, Toothless and he would follow the trail of the boats in the direction he had been given. The rest of the team agreed to this and prepared to leave while he and his other companion were getting ready in the same way.

"We're hours ahead of us, but their ships can't match the flight speed of a dragon yet," Hiccup said to Astrid as he secured Toothless's harness. "As long as we arrive unexpectedly, it will be possible to succeed in our plan."

"How exactly are you going to execute that plan?" Astrid asked in a tone of genuine curiosity, without intending to be ironic.

Hiccup leaned over to the saddlebags he held on Toothless' side when he heard her question, took something from inside one of them and showed what he was carrying in his hand while a special glint was reflected in his eyes.

Astrid looked with interest at the pair of objects he showed her, taking one of them in her hands. They were two medium-sized cases, oval and made of a strong material reinforced with leather that did not yield to the pressure she applied with her hand. They had a particular design with a kind of narrow metal cap that covered an equally narrow mouthpiece. The mouthpiece inlet appeared to be closed by a thin pin terminating in an outer metal ring, possibly for the purpose of easy removal or operation.

"I was working on these distractions just for when we have to go unnoticed on a mission, only to remove the safety ring and press the button to start its operation", he explained with almost contained enthusiasm. "It creates a dense fog as soon as it comes into contact with water, and the more water there is, the more effective it will be, so in theory you just have to activate it and let it fall into the sea."

Astrid, once again, couldn't help but be surprised by her partner's ingenuity, despite the fact that one of her eyebrows rose in a curious gesture when she took it upon herself to put his feet back on the ground.

"It's experimental, isn't it?" she insinuated; her suspicions were confirmed by seeing the elusive look he suddenly gave her, taking the object from her hand to put it back in his bag.

"I assure you that it works, you just have to test its effectiveness," he replied with complete conviction of it.

A slight smile appeared on Astrid's face as she saw him, deep down proud of all he had accomplished so far.

"Everything you do works, Hiccup, even if it doesn't seem like it at first," she whispered without leaving her smile. She climbed into Stormfly's saddle with a quick, nimble motion, settling into it as she briefly detailed her partner's smile. "Come on, Toothless and Stormfly's flight may be fast as you said, but time is still ticking anyway."

Faced with the urgency of her claim, Hiccup gave her a quick nod and did not waste time with the thoughts that had accumulated in his head. He climbed into Toothless's saddle, adjusted everything necessary, and finally extended the prosthetic fin that was connected to the harness, allowing his dragon to take flight.

A pair of minutes later they were already soaring through the skies, flying swiftly past Astrid and Stormfly in the direction that Whistout had pointed out to them, moving farther and farther away from the central point. Soon, the island they left behind became nothing more than a dark blur in the middle of the vast sea that stretched beneath them. The clouds of the night sky received them with great pleasure, but they paid no attention to the undoubted advantage that this last fact gave them.

Not, at least, at that time.

Hiccup tried to hide the anxiety and anguish he felt under a facade of seriousness and calm, and in a way he was succeeding. However, the fact that Astrid was traveling right next to him made him aware that he could not deceive her about what he felt. He couldn't hide that feeling from his dragon either.

Astrid gave him a worried look, thinking that she had rarely seen him that way every time they left for their rescue missions, or when the situation escalated to a point too serious for the village and the rest of the pack. She had always seen him serene when circumstances forced them to ambush the dragon hunters' ships, dishing out orders to their friends but with a sense of ever-present camaraderie among them all. She had always admired him for that.

But now, though that admiration had not diminished, Astrid could not help but feel that her partner's worries were even heavier than he had ever shared with her. Like now, when the desire for everything to go well with the bailout was stronger than everything.

Toothless could also feel his rider's concern, even though he tried hard to keep them hidden. He couldn't fool him. The deep connection that the two had forged in recent years, the result of the loneliness and fear that had brought them together in the first instance, contributed to their desire to placate his rider's doubts.

Because of this, he didn't care that they were in mid-air and began to emit a low and slightly deep murmur from inside his chest. The soft purr he uttered spread little by little throughout his being.

Hiccup looked at him in surprise, but it didn't take long for him to realize what his friend wanted to achieve; the two knew each other too well. A light smile formed on his face as he patted the side of his neck, even though the tension he was holding had not allowed it to reach his eyes completely.

However, for the moment it had been enough.

~~~

Both spotted their target after half an hour of constant flight, hiding behind a nearby cloud bank to avoid detection and thus not ruin the element of surprise. From that height they could only see the peculiar silhouette of the dragon hunters' ships, so similar but at the same time so different from the Viking ships of their people.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that in the past they also hunted dragons.

After several minutes of deliberation, Hiccup and Astrid coordinated the plan they should execute and went their separate ways, without separating too far. Hiccup watched as his mate disappeared behind a small cluster of clouds above the nearest ship, before he himself guided Toothless in a silent glide over the dark waters of the sea.

Both stopped at a certain distance from the ships, far enough away so that the fog it would unleash would not raise suspicion. He waited for Astrid's signal, seeing how the dark and scattered mist of the fog began to form in the opposite direction to where the ships were, which conditioned the execution of his part of the plan.

Unlocking the oval case in his hand, Hiccup pressed the button hard and then dropped it into the water. He watched as it spun on itself as a thin strand of white smoke escaped from its end and finally impacted noiselessly against the surface. This done, he led his dragon back into the heavens, while the mist quickly formed beneath them. In a way, he had not expected that immediate effect.

Both stopped with their other two companions, waiting from the safety of the heights for the fog to do its job. It soon took effect, as the light breeze that blew ended up pushing the huge wall towards the ships, enveloping them in the mist of its mantle. The cries of confusion, which even reached up there, were not long in being heard.

"All right, you know what you have to do now," Hiccup said, turning his gaze to Astrid and her dragon Stormfly.

Astrid nodded for both of them. A determined expression formed on her face as she led her with the harness and they began to glide silently, without any unforeseen flapping of wings that could give away their position. Stealthily, they both slipped into the wall of mist, and it didn't take long for him to see them disappear before they too followed.

This second part of the plan was the most delicate, because it depended on camouflage and the surprise factor provided by the artificial mist. Both had to attack at the same time and as effectively as possible.

Once again, Hiccup forced himself to retrace the steps of the plan in his mind as his dragon silently guided all the way through the mist, orienting himself with his keen senses. His mask, in addition to hiding his identity, also gave him the clarity of vision necessary to see the wood in which they were soon both caught, even in the midst of that darkness. Toothless folded his wings carefully and, without making too much noise, began to climb all over the hull of the bow helped by his sharp claws.

The noise of the screams that still persisted from the confusion generated helped them to camouflage their own sounds. The Vikings running over the ship had no idea, and when Hiccup poked his head slightly over the edge he had a fuller notion of what was going on. He was a little surprised to see how small that group was: only fourteen Vikings, some who ran towards the sails or the place where the helm was, while others carried out the orders of whom he could highlight as the leader of that tiny gang.

A faint smile formed on his face as he watched as they handled the ship to get out of the fog as quickly as possible. However, he did not give them the opportunity.

As stealthy as ever, Hiccup and Toothless took advantage of the confusion and the fact that their two companions had made a fuss on the other ship to shoot down and knock unconscious all the Vikings who crossed their path.

Soon, the two came face to face with the sturdy Viking chieftain, who simply had not foreseen the attack, his weapon was quickly snatched from him and fell under the clutches of the dragon that was now above him and looked at him with a huge and growing fury that brewed within him and was reflected deep inside his eyes.

Toothless opened his jaw, revealing his sharp teeth and let out a powerful roar right in his face, defiant and vengeful for what he had dared to do to his fellow man; his pupils narrowed even more. The man gave a plaintive groan as the leg that squeezed his chest pressed down hard again. Not even his armor protected him from the almost excruciating pain he felt when it stuck in his skin.

The dragon was going to kill him, of that he was sure seeing the murderous intentions in his eyes. However, in the end, he was mercifully saved by those he least expected.

Hiccup gave Toothless a warning call, prompting the dragon to lift the ear-like appendages from his head and turn them in his direction. Even so, he did not take his eyes off the hunter who kept pressed against his body.

"Don't damage him so much, buddy, he might be useful to us later," Hiccup hinted in a calm tone, sensing that it was essential to keep him alive for a little longer, or at least for as long as he was useful to them.

Toothless responded with a low growl that sounded low in the elder Viking's ears, causing him to shudder even more with fear and close his eyes so as not to see the menacing presence in front of him. Suddenly, his vision was covered with black and he fell completely into unconsciousness.

Hiccup took advantage of this moment to tie up the other unconscious men and tie up the one in front of him before preparing to open the cage where the Night Fury was locked up. He stepped gently into the door, wary of the unconscious dragon in front of him, but soon realized that it was not he who was in danger. His heart sank with sorrow at the sight of the dragon's state, with chains enveloping his entire body, that metal muzzle on his snout that prevented him from using his fire to defend himself. A wave of indignation ran through him as he called his friend to help him get him out of the cage.

Toothless arrived at the scene in less than five seconds, letting out low murmurs when he saw the state of the other night fury. However, it was not anger that he felt at that moment, but a deep regret for having let him go alone and being indirectly the reason for what had happened to him.

So, carefully, he decided to approach and touch his head with gentle movements while he began to emit low purrs, perhaps as a kind of consolation. A consolation that he intended to be for himself, but even more, much more, for the other dragon.

Hiccup let out a sigh at the devotion with which his friend tended to him, far more dedicated than any couple of dragons he had ever seen before. In fact, that seemed a little strange to him. And the fact that they were both males did not help to placate his doubts.

Eventually, Hiccup decided not to make such a big deal out of that thought and instead, continued to move the dragon out of the cage with the help of his friend. After performing this task and calling him to accompany him to watch the hunters, a sudden familiar flapping of wings was heard over them. They both looked up quickly, only to see the instant when the rumble of a tangle of bodies entangled in a net was thrown forcefully in front of them. All the Vikings on the other ship, thirteen in all, were trapped in this one.

Hiccup greeted his partner with that smile that she could only cause him after a successful mission.

"Wow, this time it was a good 'hunt'", he said in a jocular tone while the joke had been funny to both of them.

Astrid looked at him with a raised eyebrow as she highlighted his irony, unintentionally causing a blush of embarrassment to spread slightly across the young man's cheeks. Cheekily changing the subject under the curious gaze of his mate and dragon, Hiccup let out a slight clearing of his throat and set out to count the group of Vikings they had both captured. His brow furrowed a little at noticing the small number that existed on both ships, knowing that they usually had a much larger crew.

"Twenty seven men only?" He questioned aloud as he looked at Astrid with interest, as if she had the answer. She shrugged slightly unconcerned.

"Just those, I suspect the Light Fury might have taken care of a few when they attacked her." A quick sigh escaped her mouth and made her sound as if she was surprised and confused at the same time; a combination he had seen a few times. "And after what I just discovered, it became very clear to me what she was protecting.

Her gaze softened as she turned to her dragon, patting the side of her chest softly as she muttered her request.

"Go get it, girl."

Stormfly let out a squawk that, strangely, sounded excited in Hiccup's ears, and she took flight in the direction of the other ship. But as Astrid bent down to check that all was well with the other Night Fury, Hiccup couldn't help but turn his thoughts to analyzing the strange emotion he'd seen inside her eyes, as if she had some secret she was eager to share.

However, when Stormfly returned and gently deposited a medium-sized bundle covered by one of Astrid's blankets on the ground in front of them, nothing could have prepared them, either Hiccup or Toothless, to see what was inside it.

"Oh, for the beards of..."

Hiccup's whisper came in the midst of a sigh of hope as he slid his fingers over the black, iridescent scales that covered the little dragon's body, accompanying his touch with the curious sniffing and deep purrs that his friends uttered beside him. He could almost feel the excitement in his eyes as they searched his to make sure they were both seeing the same thing. Looking for an answer, he turned to Astrid and murmured softly:

"Is it what I think it is?" Isn't it really some kind of hallucination?

All they both needed to see was the nod and genuine smile the young woman showed them for it. Hiccup's smile also expanded, much more so when he heard the soft roar that Toothless let out in the air as he wagged his tail over and over and over again, unable to contain the excitement he felt.

Another night fury.

A night fury cub, indeed.

Hiccup turned his gaze to the small sleeping dragon, noticing something. It was a baby, yes, but he realized that it was not one that had just hatched. It was bigger than that, but it was still far from fully grown.

The young man felt ecstatic as he thought about all the future research into the mysterious process of growth of the Night Fury, but even more so when he knew that there was a new member in their held, a pack that grew larger every day. While Toothless... well, Toothless was simply happy with the fact that he had not only found one but two members of his species in such a short amount of time. It showed him that he would never be alone again, because he was sure that this baby was the dragon that Onyx had wanted to protect.

And if his future partner protected her, if she was as important to him as he had shown, then he would also protect her with his own life if necessary.

Finally, several minutes later Hiccup and Astrid drew up the plan regarding the captured hunters to prevent them from running back to lend their report to the enemy's base. The young man's face was a mask of absolute seriousness as he determined what they would ultimately do.

"We took the chief to the village as a prisoner, maybe he knows something about the troops or Grimmel's plans," he said as he looked back at the group of unconscious Vikings with a frown. "If we manage to achieve something, then we can draw up a much more exact plan to beat him at his game."

Astrid nodded and contributed her own idea.

"The others can be left stranded on the island, if they can hunt dragons they can also fend for themselves," she concluded with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Then we set fire to their ships and erased all evidence that we were here."

"I think it's a good plan," Hiccup smiled and began to get ready to fulfill the last thing she had proposed. "Okay, so Toothless, Stormfly, and I split up both groups and flew as fast as possible to the island, do you agree to stay here and keep an eye on our friends while we do that?"

Astrid agreed with him in a calm gesture, knowing that it was necessary for her to stay in place, not only because she could keep watch, but also because Toothless could not fly alone without his rider. The only thing she could do was give them a good-luck send-off.

"Of course Hiccup, I'm just telling you to be careful."

Several minutes later, Astrid calmly watched as the three of them turned into dark spots in the blue of the sky that began to lighten with the next dawn, moving farther and farther away with their load on their backs.

Then a sigh, somewhat exhausted by all the previous agitation, escaped her lips as she turned to both sleeping dragons. She herself would sleep for a long time once they returned home. But for now, as she thought about it, she couldn't help but notice how much their figures contrasted: one large and powerful despite being chained, and another small and fragile, curled tenderly next to the older one.

A small smile appeared on the young woman's face as she approached, but suddenly, something stopped her when she arrived in front of him. The unmistakable whisper of movement, the jingling chains, and finally a large eye that opened with a lot of drowsiness were the three things that left her breathless and paralyzed in the place. She saw herself reflected in the deep turquoise of that orb that seemed to dig deep into her being, as if he wanted to reveal everything she hid or what she had simply forgotten in a distant past.

She held her breath as she saw herself analyzed by the gaze of the dragon in front of her, feeling the innate power that prevented her from pushing it away or even deflecting it an inch in any direction. She felt intimidated.

She couldn't help it.

Astrid prided herself on being a girl who had rarely been intimidated, both by the raw power of the men in the village and by the lethal power of the dragons she had faced so many times with her friends. But she wasn't stupid.

She knew very well when the animal was openly willing to be hostile to her or to anyone, and she had never trusted herself in the face of this. But now... She just couldn't see any of that in the dragon's piercing gaze. In fact, she could almost notice the opposite. Which, in itself, was something quite strange.

But before her body listened to her mind and sought a prompt solution to the problem that was presented, the protective membranes of the dragon's eyes and his eyelids closed in a slight movement, causing his head to fall back in the same place, limp and motionless.

Astrid let out the air she had been holding as she saw that the night fury had apparently only had a small moment of awareness amid the effects of the poison dart that still lingered in his body. A fleeting moment but one that felt longer than it really was. That last fact did not leave her calmer about what had just happened, but she did not have time to question it too much either.

Hiccup and the other two dragons returned a while later, after completing their raid on a nearby island and leaving the bandits to fend for themselves deep in the forest. She greeted them with an expression of unusual joy that she rarely showed and began to help her partner prepare the makeshift stretcher where they would both remain in the night's fury on their journey home.

Soon, both dragons took flight gently, with their riders leading them step by step. The young Viking gave him a quick glance at the chief hunter's unconscious charge that his friend was holding tightly between his front legs, and another glance at the stretcher that they both leveled with great precision and care. But before setting the course for New Berk, they had to do something very important first.

Toothless and Stormfly charged the maximum power of their fires and, at the respective command of their riders, unhesitatingly launched a powerful blast at the ships that symbolized the worst that could happen to their species.

Losing their freedom.

The ships exploded from the force of the impact. The fire spread rapidly throughout the deck, bow, and stern, until not a small corner was left that did not burn under the flames. The wood crumbled under the fragility of its weight, and the iron that reinforced them became so hot that it soon melted, further contributing to its speedy destruction.

Then, a long time later, the ocean claimed and sank into its dark depths the burned, twisted, and charred remains of what had once been an arrogant display of the power and slaughter that humans still perpetrated against dragons.

However, they did not stay to watch as they burned until the end.

The group resumed the course back home, as the rising sun of dawn peeked over the horizon of the ocean, and knowing that a new rescue mission had been successfully completed.

Chapter Text

The return trip was proving more difficult than they imagined. First, the valuable cargo the two dragons were carrying forced them to fly slower than usual, turning a journey that at first lasted only half a day into such an extensive feat that they soon saw the sunset begin to grow darker and darker. Because that was another problem.

The afternoon was not darkened by the sun about to set behind the ocean horizon, but by a huge, dark bank of black clouds from storms that had formed over the waters.

And it went straight to them.

Because of this, both had to deviate from the original course they were maintaining and fly with their backs to the storm, while looking for a nearby island that would serve them, at least, as a temporary shelter. But the latter, against all odds and logic, was being complicated.

Astrid's brow furrowed slightly again as she turned her head over her shoulder and took a fresh look at the storm unfolding behind them. She knew that they must soon find an island to shelter until it passed, and that was what they did, when she saw how her partner was busy with such a task.

Hiccup adjusted the spyglass he held in his hands again, maximizing his view of the object in his quest to find an island, just one at least, in the endless blue that surrounded them from all angles. He had been focused on that task for a while, but his efforts were proving to be in vain, at least until that moment. And he had no idea why it didn't work.

Suddenly, the murmur that Toothless emitted below him, and which sounded to his ears worried, caused him to increase his efforts to see something as soon as possible.

"Haven't you had any luck yet?" Astrid asked, trying not to let the concern she felt be reflected in her tone.

Hiccup lowered the spyglass as he let another exhale escape from his mouth, more from exhaustion than worry. Still, that sentiment prevailed as he put the object in his bag and pulled the map out of it, unfolding it carefully in front of him.

"Not yet, but I know there must be one around here, at least that's what the map says." His brow furrowed as he analyzed it, highlighting the piece of land drawn that must appear in front of them at any moment. "If only we hadn't strayed so far from the direction the village is in..."

"I don't think we would have had a choice, Hiccup." In case you didn't notice, the storm clouds are right in our path, backing away was the smart thing to do, and you know it," Astrid said, reminding him of the obviousness of his decision in an attempt to make him not think too much about what would have been. She knew that the latter was something difficult to achieve, she knew him quite well in that aspect.

Hiccup clicked his tongue slightly, not because of disagreement, he knew perfectly well that Astrid was right because of how much he also valued her opinion, but because the situation had already gotten out of hand. Holding back a sigh, he continued to scan his surroundings with the spyglass. Maybe this time he would be lucky.

"I know, but that's also why that decision bothers me, because I could have chosen another path that would have left us close to some..." His voice dropped completely, and his expression changed when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. "Some island..."

Astrid immediately noticed her partner's unusual silence as she watched him focus the spyglass and his gaze on a spot far in front of them, with a fixed expression on his face of something that could only be pure concentration. She wanted to confirm the immediate suspicion that formed in her mind, so she ended up murmuring his name to get his attention.

"Hiccup?" She asked, with a slight raised eyebrow of interest, accompanied by the murmuring sound of Toothless who also noticed the agitation of his rider.

Silence was the only thing that answered them for a few seconds before a big smile ended up lighting up his face. He turned his head to Astrid quickly to inform her of his find.

"An island at last!" he exclaimed, caressing his friend's scales and also observing his partner's smile.

"Come on, we need to change course in an easterly direction," he said as he and Toothless prepared to turn in that direction, to the right, flying at the same pace as Astrid and Stormfly in an attempt to ensure that the stretcher carrying both wounded dragons remained as stable as possible during the flight.

Toothless and Stormfly flew carefully, guided at all times by their riders. Toothless in particular couldn't help but take another look at his fellow human beings before focusing on his target. It took several minutes of flight before they could see it and see it completely with the naked eye: a large piece of rock in the middle of the sea, saturated with trees that covered it like a green blanket, as well as the occasional mountain.

Hiccup found a clearing that would serve as a landing field in the middle of a small parent, guiding his friend in that direction. First, they placed the improvised stretcher on the ground very carefully, and then untied the ropes that wrapped the torso of both dragons, letting them fall on the ground. It was only a temporary measure while they searched for a suitable shelter: some cave or formation large enough to house them all.

Toothless and Stormfly landed a few feet from there. Toothless let go of the semi-unconscious load he was carrying on his front legs, causing the man to emit a slight sound of pain that did not subside due to the ropes that tied his hands and feet; Similarly, his head was covered by a burlap sack that would prevent him from assessing his situation when he woke up. The subsequent weight of the dragon that held him still in place ended up silencing him.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes slightly as he lifted his head, assessing the weather situation that was beginning to deteriorate. The leaves of the trees stirred in prelude to the rapidly approaching black cloud front. The sky darkened with each passing second, leaving them with little time to seek refuge.

The young man approached his dragon, who stood erect and vigilant beside the sleeping forms on the stretcher, and reached out to scratch the scales from the bottom of his snout, reminding him of what they still had to do.

"Come on friend, let's find a safe place for all of us," he urged him with a pat on his neck, climbing into the saddle a second later.

Toothless made a low chirp in agreement with his rider and left the place to take flight. Hiccup gave Astrid a silent look, and she returned it with a calm nod, making it clear that he didn't need to worry too much. He entrusted everything to her, so he was sure that nothing would happen under her and her dragon companion's watch.

Toothless also knew that he could count on them to protect Onyx and the little calf, to guard them from any wandering dragons that happened to inhabit the island, and from the hunter who, despite being held back by ropes, could still be dangerous. He didn't want to take any chances on the latter.

Finally, and with no further distractions in his mind, he stretched his wings and took flight with several rapid flaps, stabilizing in the air a minute later and heading for a corner of the island that his rider suspected might find some large cave sheltered from bad weather for them and the rest of the group.

When they finally found it, they returned to report their discovery to Astrid, who eventually nodded and once again began to pull the ropes of the stretcher around her dragon's torso. Hiccup soon did the same with his friend, who stood still the entire moment while his rider attached to the stretcher, despite the anxiety he felt about Onyx and the little calf being safe from the rain and wind once and for all.

The first drops had already begun to fall when they took flight, the strong wind that had risen hit them in the face during it and finally, when everyone was safe inside the cave, the storm had already been unleashed with all its fury outside.

Hiccup looked at the entrance with concern for a second. The cave was not located under a cliff, so there was no risk of a landslide by chance and they would end up with the bad luck of being trapped, but it could not be trusted yet. Not when everyone's safety depended on him.

"Well, this place isn't quite... ideal, but at least it will prevent us from leaving here as soaked as a Sea Shocker", Astrid commented as she let her gaze sweep over the walls of the cave and entrance, silently analyzing them and evaluating any other possible exit routes.

Hiccup let out a soft sigh when he heard his partner's comment. Tired, he dropped down next to Toothless, who had positioned himself next to the stretcher where both dragons were resting. From his posture and the tireless gaze he directed towards the entrance, the young man noticed that he was alert, vigilant and willing to defend them at any cost if he only sniffed, saw or heard the slightest movement outside. He only hoped that the torrential rain would not diminish his senses too much.

"I don't think we should have much of a problem with that," he replied to Astrid's comment, in a joking tone as he distracted himself by stroking his friend's scales. Suddenly he remembered the other important thing that was very close to them, and finally he turned his gaze, seriously and apprehensively, to the Viking who was beginning to awaken. "Unlike our 'friend' here."

The rest of the group became alert and turned their gaze in the same way in that direction when they heard the whisper of movement and the muffled moans that the captured man uttered as he tried to get up against the rock. Still disoriented, the Viking hunter's body became completely tense when he began to understand (even though he could not see anything) that he was not alone. The grunts he began to hear confirmed that fact.

Hiccup and Astrid rose carefully, not taking their eyes off the man and backed by the deep growls of Stormfly and Toothless behind them, ready to defend their riders instantly if something went remotely wrong. Neither of them said it, but deep down they were relieved to always be able to count on them to watch their backs.
The man left when they both stopped in front of him, sensing it perhaps thanks to the sound of their footsteps. Then everything fell into a deadly silence, wrapped in the tension of an atmosphere that not even the dragons were able to break. Until suddenly, Hiccup crouched down and went straight to the point on issues with his question.

"You work for Grimmel, don't you?" he asked; a slight frown of disgust appeared on his face, even though the man could not see it.

There were a few seconds of tense silence between the two, until at last he was broken by a low laugh from the hunter, as if deep down his question had been funny. The young Viking's frown deepened, but he decided not to say anything. The mockery was implied in the other man's tone as he finally responded.

"I work for anyone who will give me a good reward," he said gravely, and though he couldn't see his face, Hiccup had the feeling that he was smiling under the sack that covered him.

A new growl was heard from Toothless, an angry squawk from Stormfly, and a warning look that eventually appeared on Astrid's face as she held the handle of one of her axes in her hand. Despite this situation, Hiccup did not let the hostility of his friends envelop his own voice as he spoke.

"What reward is that?" He asked cautiously and slowly, looking for any clues that might be useful.

The older Viking laughed again, this time letting out a hearty laugh that made his hair stand on end and caused the menacing growls of the dragons to increase. The man stopped instantly when he heard them and cleared his throat.

"Dragons obviously, you must know that hunters live for that, after all they are a good source of treasure, constant and valuable," He gloated with the same tone of mockery as before and began to ramble suddenly. "Ah, rare dragons, with scales, teeth and eyes that are worth more than your entire village. Do you have any idea how much they pay just for that? But the best thing is the trophies, the honor of having killed someone who gives you as much value as it itself..." He stopped whatever he was going to say next, and this time he addressed his words directly and only to him. "I don't think you can understand it."

Both remained silent for a few moments until the young man answered.

"No, I definitely don't understand."

Hiccup got up and began to walk away slowly, walking towards where Astrid and the dragons were. He had a feeling that he was not going to get anything from him that would be very useful to him, at least not at that moment. Perhaps when they arrived on the island he would be able to find a more persuasive method to make him talk.

However, as soon as he walked away, a movement behind him ended up indicating that he was not the only one who had something to say.

"Then it's a shame really, your father was one of the best dragon hunters we had ever seen in all the hundreds of tribe chiefs we worked with", Another laugh of mockery and sarcasm escaped from his mouth, directed only at the young man in front of him, who had simply frozen in place. "I can tell that the son just doesn't meas-"

Suddenly there was a sudden rustle of metal, a movement and finally the weight of a boot that slammed into the side of his body and cut him off whatever it was about to say, leaving him stunned by the unexpected blow.

"You talk too much to be someone who is at the mercy of his captors," Astrid's voice murmured in a threatening whisper and squeezed the Viking's shoulder tightly, drawing a groan of pain. "The situation is not favorable for you right now, I hope you remember that very well."

Still, the man laughed and had the guts to mock her warning with a laugh, accompanied by a hoarse cough.

"Is that threat the best thing you have? What a small thing."

Astrid's face revealed nothing more than a slight eyebrow arched by her audacity. Suddenly, she turned her gaze to her dragon and called to her with a quick, accurate whistle, and she came in less than a second.

"Very well," she said, turning for the last time to the man on the ground; then she smiled and slapped Stormfly on the side of her neck. "Do your thing, girl."

Astrid walked away as she heard her dragon chirp in agreement and began to slowly approach the captured Viking, who soon sensed that something was wrong and fidgeted in place. His voice, unlike his previous bully tone, came out slightly shaky this time.

"What are you going to do?" The tremor in his voice intensified as the growls began to reach him, deeper and deeper. "W-wait! No!"

His call was interrupted, once again, when the dragon's weight on him slammed him to the ground and began to suffocate him. He gasped and stirred violently for air, but all that came to him was a thin thread and the squawks of the animal on top of him. Until finally he fell into the unconsciousness of running out of oxygen, only fainting.

Astrid walked to where Hiccup was sitting next to the sleeping dragon, healing his wounds with a soft cloth and the special ointment they had brought; Stormfly followed her now that her prey had ceased to amuse her. She sat down next to him, concern reflected in her eyes as she saw his silent posture and almost automatic movements as he healed the dragon, a sign that there was another matter that was spinning in his mind.

A sorrowful sigh escaped her lips as she suspected what it was. Then she stretched out her hand and left it resting on his shoulder, as a silent sign of the mutual support that the two had always given each other.

"Hey, don't let it get to you, do you?" She said in a whisper and finally let out another soft sigh, preparing for the next words she was to say to him. "You know that the times of your father and most of the older Vikings in the village were different, and it is true that you have had a lot of work on your hands to consolidate your position as Berk's chief after his death, but you nevertheless earned their respect and that of all of us by making us see that there is much more to dragons than just beasts or pesky plagues as before", A small smile formed on her face, of support and understanding. "So don't eat your head so much with what that man said, after all his word is worth nothing and even less coming from a hunter, the opposite of what you are and represent."

After saying that and reminding him of his real value, Astrid gave him one last pat on the shoulder and got up to go to her dragon, leaving him alone so that he could organize his thoughts in a better way. There was a quiet silence that settled between them after that.

Hiccup let out a sigh that even Toothless managed to worry about. He moved a little closer to him and touched his rider's hand with his muzzle in a characteristic gesture that said he didn't have to be alone. He managed to get a slight smile from the young man, who began to caress him gently. Then his thoughts began to swirl eventually in his head, fueled by that thoughtful, calm silence.

He was aware that the man had only said that with the sole purpose of provoking him, but despite this, he had managed to uncover a pair of insecurities that until that moment he had not yet been able to fully overcome. Because sometimes he wasn't even sure he could overcome the legacy his father had left him as village chief, the changes he himself had managed to get implemented for the good of all.

However, despite admitting that Stoick had made many mistakes, both as a boss and as a father, Hiccup could sometimes not help but see him as the man he had wanted to be as a child when he grew up. In that sense, he had always been a boy who deep down had admired him as much or more than the people of his town had.

Therefore, even now, he could not prevent the desire to live up to the expectations that had been generated in him and that had taken root deep within him, from coming to light along with his thoughts.

Hiccup knew that he was obviously not his father. He could not be exactly like him or lead as he had done, as his mother had reminded him; for their methods, even if they had both wanted and wanted the best for their village of Vikings and dragons, differed from each other as much as they had been from their respective personalities. However, he was still finding his way and purpose after becoming so unexpectedly and prematurely the leader.

But the words Astrid had said before were true, and even now that he was looking at them again in more detail he realized what she had wanted to achieve with them. Not only to remind him, but also to make him understand what they all meant to the tribe and to himself.

The well-being of his people and the dragons was his top priority, and his friend, as Alpha of the held, shared that responsibility as well. Everyone trusted him to guide them on the right path, so he couldn't afford to hesitate.

Not at that moment.

Toothless raised his head when he noticed the change in his rider's attitude, as the tension that had been present in his body previously now dissipated and he began to adopt a somewhat more relaxed posture, leaning against him and seeking his support just as he did in the old days, when it was just the two of them and there were not so many worries occupying their minds.

Encouraged by this, he laid his head in the same place as before, under his hand, and began to emit faint murmurs and purrs that spread between his rider and the two sleeping dragons that he kept very close to them.

Hiccup returned the gesture with a smile and continued to run his hand absentmindedly over his scales. He felt a little better doing so, but what really made the difference in quelling the distressing feelings inside him was talking to Toothless and knowing that he was listening even if he couldn't respond.

"It's complicated, isn't it, buddy?" He murmured with a sorrowful smile and lowered his hand to stroke the scales of his snout; Toothless reacted to his touch with a low chirp, Hiccup sighed and looked at the two sleeping dragons in front of them both. "But for them it is worth doing it completely."

Because if there was one thing that the two of them completely agreed on, it was that now, protecting them had become their most absolute purpose. Hiccup knew that the latter would not be easy, especially with the constant threat of dragon hunters stalking them in such a way that they had to be forced to leave their old home, and with the helplessness of not having been able to do anything more to prevent it.

Although he remembered how difficult it had been to make that decision and flee from his pursuers in the face of the threat of the destruction of the village, he did not regret it. Every time he saw them, he remembered how necessary he had been.

However, even though the desire to regain his home one day gave him enough reason to act and do what he had to do, Hiccup had to admit that he didn't know what to think about the fact that his people seemed to take their stay on the new island as something permanent rather than temporary as he had told and reminded them.

Despite being the chief, he knew that in that sense he could not prevent the Vikings from starting to build new huts for their families, nor that the dragons decided to form new nests where they could house the future young they would later have; but in a way it was sad to him that they accepted the new situation so calmly while he still could not and would not let go of everything he had always known.

Hiccup only hoped that finding the legendary and somewhat hypothetical Hidden World would be at least part of the solution to all these problems. Because against all odds, he still held out hope that it would be possible to find it.

Suddenly, Hiccup let out a brief exhale when he was finally able to collect the thoughts in his head and free himself for a moment from his bad habit of overthinking problems that had no apparent solution. He rose from his place and stretched slightly, removing the numbness from his body as he felt the slight creaks of his back in protest.

Then, before going and approaching the fire that Astrid had made with the help of Stormfly to warm himself a little from the cold outside, he crouched for a moment next to the night fury asleep from the unconsciousness of the poison and dedicated himself to observing him for a few seconds, detailing from the geometric pattern of his dark scales to his leathery wings and the rhythmic and constant way in which it raised and lowered his chest, a sign that for the moment he was free of danger.

Then, carefully and under Toothless's attentive, curious gaze, Hiccup stretched out his hand and gently touched the moonless, starless scales of the beautiful creature before him. He realized that even at that moment, they still felt really warm under his touch. The latter made him smile.

A smile that expanded a little more when he turned his gaze to the calf equally asleep next to him. The feeling of feeling lucky and thankful to the gods for having found them both mingled within his chest and caused him to get excited again as he had the first time he had seen them.

"By Odin..." he said in a whisper, and let out a slight sigh of disbelief, as if a part of him still could not believe his eyes. "This is really amazing..."

Still amazed, Hiccup stretched out his other hand and touched the side of the baby's head. Now he was united to both at the same time, and with equal desire to imitate him, Toothless soon joined him, slightly extending one of his wings to encompass them both, giving them a little more of his warmth.

Hiccup closed his eyes, sighed softly again, and finally stood up, going to where Astrid was by the fire. He sat down next to her and from there he dedicated himself to contemplating them from a distance, surrounded by a quiet silence that was only broken by the constant crackle of the fire.

Neither of them said anything to break it, anyway they had nothing to say to each other at that moment. They simply leaned against Stormfly's side, side by side, and spent the next few hours enjoying the warmth of the fire that kept the cold outside at bay, listening to the rain pouring down beyond the cave entrance.

The rest of the night passed in this way, but the next morning greeted them with a pleasant, renewed freshness that was felt throughout the forest as the first rays of sunlight warmed the damp earth. The scent of petrichor rose from the ground and the leaves of the plants filled with small drops of dew, making the landscape glow in the morning light.

They both resumed their flight in this way, with enthusiasm and good humour, and there were no further mishaps to prevent them from returning to the new village before the afternoon fell again on that land.

Chapter Text

The peace and silence that reigned around him felt so good that it ended up costing him a monumental effort just to have to open his eyes. He didn't know why, but he still felt as if he was in an endless dream that he had never wanted to get out of. Sometimes pleasant, sometimes accompanied by excruciating pain that rose to his limbs and left him immobilized, helpless to protect himself and the little he had sworn to protect.

But there was also something else... Something that suddenly appeared like the flash of a fleeting comet in his mind and that he thought he had forgotten long ago.

The laughter of someone with hair like the sun, lively and enthusiastic. A baby human who had come to forge a bond with a wounded dragon, aiding him in his recovery. He never thought that something like this could be possible, that he had been partly wrong.

However, all of that ended on a fateful day that he simply didn't want to remember.

She had nurtured, fed, and protected them when he was too weak to even feed himself, even when it wasn't her obligation, even though he had been hostile to her at first. Thanks to that, he had shown him that not all destroyers were the same.

But instead, in return for all that she had done, he had failed to protect her from her own people.

That was why it had seemed all too surprising to him that he had seen her at a time when he did not know whether he had had a strange vision or, in fact, was already dead. Most likely he was already dead, for the fleeting flash of the sun he had seen at that moment was too unmistakable with what had once been that cub.

However, when his eyes widened and began to adjust to the light coming from some nonspecific source, Onyx knew that he would actually live to take care of himself and the one creature he cared about for one more day.

The dragon slowly raised his head as the numbness in his muscles began to subside, allowing it to look around and define his situation in detail. From this he realized in the first place that he must be in a kind of cave, judging by the smell of the light moisture impregnated in the rock together with the walls of the same material that hung around him and only let in a short halo of light through the narrow mouth of the cave.

Or perhaps he simply hadn't seen well because of the disorientation of his awakening and actually the opening of the cave was much larger.

It didn't really matter, because secondly he realized that he was lying on a kind of nest made of small flexible sticks of a kind of yellow material, in addition to grasses and leaves that someone had used to fill in the gaps that remained.

It was a rather meager nest that, although it would never pass his test to be a proper resting place, at least gave him enough comfort to make him forget for a moment that he was still not entirely sure. Despite also the flexible sticks that seemed to dig into his scales when he began to move his body.

But more importantly, that nest made it clear to him that he was still in the clutches of both legs. He didn't know if they were saviors or destroyers, but he couldn't stay to find out.

He checked his situation again by taking several more looks around him, with which he finally verified that he was really in a cave. He sniffed the air once more, allowing him to catch a scent that surprised him at first, because it reminded him too much of the island that had been his previous resting place.

The saltpeter from the sea seeped into his nostrils and called him to leave that place, and he was about to do so.

He was about to get up, despite the pangs that ran down his entire body and every portion of his limbs, both in his legs and his wings, and that made him feel as if even the smallest of his scales hurt. That's when he noticed a foreign object on his body. Or more precisely on his wing.

Intuiting her suspicions, he stretched out one of the two limbs, the same one he had suffered from the wound that those dragons had left him and that apparently had reopened when all the weight of his body fell on it when he was unconscious and numb after the hunter shot him. Around it had been placed the same object as the previous time that immobilized it, only this time completely.

A slight snort escaped from his snout, disgusted with the fact that he could not fly and go looking for him. However, despite the state of his wing, he did not give up in his efforts to leave that place, to see what had happened to the little cub, it did not matter if he had to face a few of them.

He, who had always tried to be so cautious with her safety and his when it came to destroyers, at that moment did not mind taking the risks that were necessary in order to rescue her.

However, as soon as he put his first leg out of the improvised nest, the shadow of something or someone appeared in front of him and covered the little light that entered through the opening. Onyx raised his head instantly and his eyes widened a little more, being greatly surprised when he saw the dark silhouette of a dragon that he was beginning to recognize.

After all, how could he not recognize one of the last members of his species? The only one who had helped him.

Onyx slumped back into the nest, motionless as the other dragon cautiously approached, still hesitant even though his counterpart didn't send him a warning growl or do anything to stop him from entering the lair. But while it was implied in his body language to allow his presence, it was the sound that then came out of his throat that left him as bewildered as he already was.

«How...?», Suddenly, Onyx understood; After all, their savior couldn't have been with the destroyers. «You... you did it again...»

Toothless went a little deeper, always making sure he was comfortable and keeping a distance between them at all times, although it didn't take long for him to grasp what he had meant by that.

It was the third time he had rescued him.

Then he stopped a few feet away from him and sat in his place. Fortunately, the cave and the roof were large and tall enough respectively to house them both, and also to keep the environment from feeling too heavy or suffocating.

«Yes, I think it's getting a little common,» Toothless joked in a slightly amused gurgle, causing the corners of Onyx's muzzle to rise slightly.

They both fell silent for a few moments, one that felt a little uncomfortable for Toothless when he noticed the other dragon's staring gaze. However, it was not a look of annoyance or one that contained a threat inside, but rather the opposite. He could notice a spark of curiosity that flashed in the turquoise sea of his eyes, peculiar to him, and also an interrogative that he did not take long to express.

«Where is she? Did they find it? How is she?» asked Onyx with some urgency. Three questions that made Toothless tilt his head slightly when he was suspicious of who was asking.

«Do you mean the cub?», he asked to make sure, feeling satisfied when he received his confirmation when he saw her look, only this one. «She's fine and safe, she's recovering near here just like you. I know this isn't the place you woke up to the other time, but there was a strong storm, it passed through the island and destroyed the shelter they had built for you.»

Onyx looked at him and that was all the confirmation Toothless got that he had understood what he meant. Then he carefully rose again from the nest as his slanted-pupil eyes peered beyond the entrance to his present shelter.

«I have to go see her,» he said in a determined tone that shook the other dragon and made worry take root inside him again as he saw how he began to rise, despite his weakened state.

«You're still very weak...»

«But I can still do it,» he interrupted, his turquoise eyes shining with determination, twinkling like the sea on the coast that surrounded the island. «Take me with her, I really ask you.»

Toothless hesitated, but there was something in those ocean-colored eyes on a reef that stirred convictions inside him. He didn't know what, nor could he know at the time, but he couldn't deny that the firmness of what he had said had penetrated him.

«Okay, I'll help you get there,» he said at last, turning in the direction of the entrance but not taking his eye off it at all times. «But first you will eat the fish I brought for you, so that you can regain your strength, understand?»

Onyx nodded, realizing that he would accomplish nothing if he decided to contradict him on the matter, and he could not deny that he was really hungry, especially since he had practically exhausted all his energies on the journey and on purging his own body of the poison of the dart.

So he obeyed of his own free will, much to the satisfaction of the other dragon who soon presented him with a large and varied collection of fresh fish, from small herring to large trout and many more, which soon made him feel the rumbling of his stomach and the smell of his next banquet whetting his appetite. He hadn't realized how hungry he really was until he saw that little mountain of fish in front of his eyes.

Onyx lowered his head and began to devour them slowly, giving a single quick glance at the other dragon that had already moved away and was now just looking at it in silence. He was grateful, even though the other night fury was the Alpha and he could force him to eat, he was really grateful that he didn't take advantage of that and decided to leave him his space.

Toothless's eyes seemed to sparkle as he watched the other dragon.

«Do you like them?» he asked with genuine interest, and soon explained what he had said when he saw the other dragon's inquisitive and curious expression. «I caught them especially for you, I don't usually go hunting very often, you know? So I hope they live up to what you always eat.»

Onyx looked at him with some amusement when he heard it, then lowered his head to take another fish and grab one of the larger ones with his mouth; then he placed it in front of him.

«Thanks, the truth is that they are delicious.» He didn't lie, he didn't know if it was hunger or gratitude, but he really savored every bite as if they had been brought to him by the gods themselves.

Toothless glanced shyly at the gift Onyx had placed in front of him, then looked at him with the same expression, the question implicit in his eyes. Onyx simply nodded his head, as if telling him that he could continue, and that alone was enough for the Alpha to chirp happily and accept the fish in front of him.

It was a while before both of them, and Onyx in particular, felt full and strong enough to go where they belonged. Toothless got up without saying much and walked towards the entrance of the cave, turning his head once in his direction to make sure he was following him.

Onyx also got up and walked behind him silently.

He trusted. He trusted that everything had gone well, but seeing the body language with which the night fury in front of him had been presented to him, he realized that he didn't have any bad news to hide under his wings.

The place where Toothless was taking him was not too far away, fortunately for Onyx who sensed that the long rest or the poison of the dart that had pierced his scales until it reached his skin had affected him more than he had thought at first. They soon arrived, when just a couple of dozen meters from the cave a small clearing opened, a perfectly circular one where several trees had previously been cut down to build the new huts of the human settlement.

In the middle of it stood a tent with a roof and walls of leather canvas held by four poles placed in a way that gave stability to the structure, but it was still too small for both of them to fit in, especially him due to his large body. He soon noticed that while the building appeared to be solid, it was certain that it had been erected in haste, in quick replacement of the shelter that had previously been destroyed by the storm.

As they approached, Onyx began to understand why he had been left in the nest made in the cave and the little cub in that peaceful place. It didn't take long, because reason manifested itself before his eyes as a white form, healed but still unconscious, lying in a nest very similar to his against the back wall of the tent, when he saw her when he poked his head out of the entrance.

He was happy to see that the female of light had been rescued and that her wounds, marked by the bandages that wrapped a good part of her body, had also healed, but in his mind he decided to ask about her later. His real priority was the other, much smaller, black silhouette that was lying on another bed of hay, located much closer to the entrance.

The oppression that the night fury felt inside his breast for her well-being disappeared the instant of seeing her without any wound or bandage to cover her small body; she only seemed to be asleep in a deep sleep. He let out the air he'd been holding in his throat, feeling relieved and grateful that he was the one carrying the wounds he'd earned for both of them, all the more so due to the fact that he hadn't been able to protect her as he really should.

Yet, despite the guilt that had taken root within her, Onyx let a low purr come from deep within his chest and envelop her in a warm embrace that he soon expressed as he rubbed his head with hers in a gentle gesture. The cub stirred and made a short but comforting sound at his touch, although she did not make the feint of waking up.

Onyx parted slightly and turned his gaze to the other Night Fury. His eyes sparkled with gratitude as he spoke to him.

«It may be in these very unusual circumstances that I introduce her to you, but at least you know you're not the only one.» He didn't move, but Toothless sensed that the other dragon wished to be closer. «Thank you for saving my sister.»

The expression on Toothless's dark, scaly face changed slightly at the sound of him, surprised that he hadn't expected him to specify the relationship between the two. His pupils dilated and he couldn't help but take another look at the sleeping cub, although he decided not to say anything at that moment and simply recomposed his countenance as quickly as he could. Despite this, he could not deny that he had really thought she was his cub.

In the end, outside of those thoughts, he decided to focus on the other thing that was missing: letting him spend some time alone while he was always vigilant near the nearby trees.

Although first, he had to tell her everything that had happened while he was unconscious from the poison.

«You're welcome, although it wasn't just me,» Toothless told him, almost shrugging his wings when Onyx gave him a questioning look, wanting to know why he had said that. «My rider and his friends also helped a lot in that.»

Then he began to explain everything that had happened since he had left the island after their first encounter in the previous shelter, from the premonition he had had of something that might go wrong with him during his flight to the moment when they had found the hunters' boats and executed the plan that had finally freed him and the little cub from their hands.

Onyx listened to everything he said silently, without interrupting on any occasion. He seemed to ponder every word in his mind, though Toothless thought he saw a gleam of satisfaction in the night fury's eyes as he told him how he and Stormfly had destroyed the ships with a respective blast of their fires, leaving them to burn until dawn or until the ocean claimed its remains.

In the end, he had also told him about his time on an island in the middle of the sea that had been used as a shelter to escape the storm, the same one that had reached that place and destroyed the previous shelter. He ended his story with a quiet silence, not too uncomfortable, while his companion continued with his musings.

"I can see it now... I guess there are really still some that are very different,» Onyx muttered, snapping out of those thoughts, and then let out a short snort, almost seeming as if something had cleared in her mind. «If everything you told me is like this, then maybe soon I can meet your rider.»

Toothless's fins rose instantly at the sound of this, and he was somewhat surprised, though he soon regained his composure even though his chest vibrated with excitement inside and his tail moved slightly uneasily behind him.

«I think there's nothing that would make me happier... or him,» he replied with a bit of amusement in his tone, before getting up to leave him alone for a while. «I'll leave you with them then, I'm going to stay around here if you need me.»

Onyx didn't need to nod to agree, Toothless saw it all in his eyes. Even so, he took one last look at the dragon that had already put all his attention on the little cub, which caused a daring, almost intrusive thought to appear in his mind without him having expected it.

He would surely be a good father.

On the other hand, Onyx, oblivious to the thoughts of the night fury that had already gone with unexpected speed, judging by the swift sound of his footsteps, crouched down in front of her and lowered his head to the side of his small body. He felt her slow and calm breathing along with the constant rise and fall of her chest, deciding to stay in that position for as long as necessary.

Then he closed his eyes, and didn't know how long he stayed like this as he forgot about the world around him as sleep began to claim him, forgetting also the strange mixture of mixed feelings, both gratitude and guilt that bubbled up inside him.

However, when he was about to get carried away by exhaustion, there was a sudden but subtle, almost unexpected movement that made him open his eyes instantly and raise his head quickly. Despite everything, his gaze remained fixed downwards.

The little body in front of him stirred gently, with the disorientation of someone who has just awakened from a deep sleep. She yawned, gave a long yawn that revealed a small toothless mouth, until a small paw scratched her muzzle and closed it again. She didn't raise her head, though a second later she opened her sleepy eyes slowly, revealing a soft but unusual magenta that soon met the turquoise of his own.

The cub narrowed her eyes, not out of mistrust, but because she had no idea or was sure if what she saw was an illusion or really had her older brother in front of her. But his gaze softened much more at the sight of her confusion.

«Nyx... You're here,» she whispered in a childlike voice, still incredulous.

Onyx erased that disbelief completely with a look of pure affection, as he lowered his head and gave a gentle lick to hers, accompanied by a low purr that slowly spread throughout his being.

«I'm here, little one,» he replied, getting rid of all her doubt. «I'm so sorry that I'm so late.»

The little cub didn't seem worried about those last words. She just moved closer to him and snuggled close to his body.

«Don't leave me, don't go,» she whispered again, closed her eyes, and yawned as if that short encounter had exhausted all her strength.

Onyx gave her a tender look as he watched her fall asleep again.

«I'm not going to leave you and I'm not going to leave,» he let out an exhale, also exhausted, and stroked his head once more. «Sleep now, my little gem.»

But he slept too, with most of his body outside the makeshift shelter while his head was held in support of the cub's body. He wasn't at all worried about some human or dragon suddenly appearing. After all, he knew they were being guarded while he watched over her dreams.

Chapter Text

Night had not yet fallen when the two dragons met again at the edge of the forest, where beyond it opened a cliff with an incredible view of the ocean. But sunset was near and the setting sun on the horizon of the sea drew flashes of light that were reflected in the waters, in the leaves of the trees, in the stones and in the scales of both dragons, enveloping the atmosphere in a calm atmosphere only harmonized by the natural noises of the forest around them.

Toothless found Onyx sitting at a careful distance from the high precipice. He seemed to enjoy the last rays of sunlight that fell on his scales, meanwhile his gaze seemed lost on the horizon. He thought that before long they would not be able to hang out with those moments, now that the days were beginning to get shorter and the nights colder and longer.

Winter was approaching, and the storms that battered the seas were the most indisputable proof of it.

But for now they were safe on that island, along with the combined herd of both the other dragons and the Vikings who were finishing the construction of their houses and making the final preparations to spend the season with all the provisions they had brought from their previous island.

Both Hiccup and Toothless had had their work cut out in those last few days, one preparing the dragons to pass the season, especially the hibernating ones, and the other busy with the problems of the people of the village. It was because of so many things that they had not been able to see each other long after returning from the mission, but every time they met again to patrol either alone or accompanied, or to follow the healing progress of their more recent companions, they enjoyed the moment to the fullest.

But now, Toothless had a chance to spend some time alone with the other dragon. A moment he had really hoped for and desired.

However, he decided to stay for a few more moments at the edge of the tree line, protected by the wide canopy that hid him and allowed him to observe him from that privileged position. He had already paused on that observation several times in the past, but now he was really doing it, without him being unconscious or inattentive to his presence as he had been most of the time since he had been lucky enough to meet him.

Suddenly, the gentle breeze blowing through the clearing changed direction and began to bring in the smells that came from the forest. Toothless watched Onyx's fins rise instantly, but he made no sign of turning or making it clear that he had noticed his presence.

Or at least that's what he thought before his words startled him.

«Are you just going to stand there staring at me...?» said Onyx in a whisper, and it didn't take long for the other dragon to realize that he was looking at him out of the corner of his eye, calmly. «... or are you here for me?»

There was no reproach in his voice, it was simply a question that sought to satiate his apparent curiosity, and that had the side effect of making Toothless relax the tension that until that moment he did not know he had been maintaining. Soon, he decided to approach slowly, although in the end he couldn't help but ask himself his own question.

«How...?» he asked as a gleam of curiosity formed in his eyes. That curiosity was soon satiated when Onyx turned completely in his direction and looked at him with a slight tilt of his head.

«Your smell is unmistakable,» he said in a simple tone, not without a bit of amusement that he reflected through it.

The curiosity that Toothless felt also transformed into bubbling amusement inside his chest as he walked all the way over and sat next to him. Neither of them said anything for a long time and they simply stopped to watch the sunset looming on the horizon.

Then, as the last rays struck the calm waters of the ocean, Onyx turned to him without turning to look at him. Luna... How is she? What can you tell me about her?" he asked calmly, but in his tone Toothless realized the concern that was latent in him. Despite this, he could not help but be surprised by what he had said.

«The Light Fury?» he asked suddenly, as if to make sure, and he soon responded when he saw that calm look in his eyes. «She is fine for now, recovering but slowly. Her injuries were much more serious.»

It was then that the other dragon decided to turn to look at him, and it was the moment when Toothless stood still before his eyes.

Unconsciously, he admired them.

«I understand,» Onyx got up and began to walk away, though he left enough time for him to follow. «I have to admit that she was one of the few creatures who helped me and was by my side and my sister before I almost got trapped, in fact she sacrificed herself and let her be captured in my place so that I could flee, something I partly regret having done if it weren't for the fact that I had to get to where my little girl was as soon as possible.»

«Ah...», Toothless did not know what the cause of that confession was, although later he could not help but point out another fact. «So she's something like your friend?»

Onyx stared at him for a moment before answering.

«Friend? Perhaps, I have to admit that some concepts created by two-legged creatures are beyond my comprehension.»

Toothless did not know why those words rejoiced him.

«As my friends have taught me, they always help each other; then I guess she could be,» Then an idea came to him so sudden and brilliant that he had to stop in his place, right in front of him. «Wait here... Could I teach you my friend if you want?»

The other night fury cocked his head, in a gesture that reflected curiosity and at the same time caused a strange tenderness in his companion. He didn't notice this, but he did notice the sudden glint that appeared in his eyes.

«Is your friend your rider?» he asked in an apparently disinterested tone, although he did not manage to hide it completely.

Toothless moved his head quickly up and down, as he had seen humans do many times (except never so fast), while his tail accompanied him in the movement as he moved a few feet ahead of him. Onyx understood him with that gesture and let him go look for him.

«Okay, I think I'll wait for you here this time,» he told her and sat down again on a small mound of soft grass; they had barely gone into the forest, so the cliff was still visible between the first line of trees.

Toothless nodded again and then ran off in the opposite direction, making long jumps as only he knew how to do due to his inability to fly on his own. The noise of his flock, of dragons and humans alike, soon made himself heard even long before he could see them. He also did not fail to notice the characteristic smell of leather, sweat, wood and fire that constantly enveloped them.

The clearing where the camp was located opened after a pair of minutes. He continued further, guided by the scent as he dodged Vikings and the occasional dragon in his path, and soon reached the tent he and his rider shared. He determined by smell that his partner was also there, although luckily for him their smells were not mixed. Not at least at that time.

Anyway, he didn't mind interrupting them and going completely into the tent while they were discussing something unimportant in front of a table.

"And that's why the provisions... Toothless!" Hiccup smiled at the sight of his friend, and touched his snout in greeting when he reached him. Astrid was about to do the same, but suddenly the dragon began to push her partner with his head, urging him to leave the tent. "Hey! What's going on, buddy?"

Toothless grunted low and continued to push him. Hiccup gave Astrid a look of confusion, though he then shrugged and simply let the dragon guide him wherever he wanted. Once they were out of the store, Toothless ran out and only stopped for a moment to see if the young man was following him.

Surprise crossed Hiccup's face when he thought he understood where he wanted to take him, so it didn't take long for him to follow him and run as fast as his artificial leg would allow. His friend was fast, but he noticed that he had slowed down his run to stay in front of him, but without leaving him behind at any time. That fact made the young Viking feel a sudden wave of affection for his companion.

Finally, after several minutes of running and just as he was beginning to wear out, Hiccup stopped in front of a clearing into which the dragon had entered. He rested his hands on his knees and took several recovery breaths, not yet aware of the presence that was in his surroundings.

He did so just as he stood upright, looked up, and found a pair of turquoise orbs with a slanted pupil staring at him. He froze in place instantly, knowing that he shouldn't be hostile to the great dark dragon in front of him.

However, on the other hand, Onyx didn't seem to pay attention to his attempt to prevent him from getting excited and simply continued to watch him. Unlike the many two-legged ones he had seen before, with their typical thick and burly bodies, the one in front of him was not imposing at all. In fact, he wondered how he could be the leader of his herd.

He decided to express that fact to the night fury that was next to him, without taking his eye off the young Viking.

«Is it a cub? Why is he so skinny?»

His curiosity and doubts were genuine, but without knowing it and without it having been his intention, he caused the other dragon to look at him with a confused expression in his eyes and then let out a short and strange noise that despite everything was almost contagious. However, that little noise did not seem to please the two-legged one.

Hiccup knew his dragon and knew that sound could only be made when he was taunting him, like a kind of laughter that mixed several strange noises. Toothless soon calmed down, but his rider continued to stare at him seriously until he finally reached out to comfort him, pushing him slightly with his head forward.

Hiccup became very still again when he saw the other dragon slowly approaching him. It seemed as if his friend had wanted them to meet, which could be as far-fetched as it was astonishing.

Perhaps he would have time to analyze it later, as soon as he came out of the scrutiny of the night fury that had approached him and was now beginning to sniff him cautiously, keeping a prudent distance between them.

However, that distance was enough to allow him to appreciate the real differences that the dragon had with respect to his companion, despite being of the same species. Unlike the previous times, when he was unconscious, now that he was fully awake things changed a little, or a lot actually.

In this way he noticed that his body was more robust than Toothless's and that the appendages of his head had a slightly sharper shape, as did his eyes, which lacked the slight roundness of his friend's. He also noticed that his scales had a more symmetrical pattern and were even deeper black than his friend's body; and he couldn't help but think that this color was ideal to be invisible and go unnoticed on the darkest night.

Despite everything, in his body there were also the signs of the hard life he had led until that moment. Hiccup had seen them before, but ignoring his wounded and bandaged wing at that moment, he couldn't help but notice again the various scars that covered him, although they were mostly imperceptible if you didn't get close enough to notice them. The most noticeable scars were on his legs, torso and more recently on his wings.

Fighting for food or territory with other dragons? Do he fight to defend the cub he were carrying? Dragon hunters or traps that he would have fallen into?

The truth is that any of those options could be perfectly possible and valid, which ended up provoking an expected pang of compassion for him.

On the other hand, oblivious to the young chief's thoughts, Onyx continued by sniffing to determine the cause of a curious smell he had detected earlier. He wasn't surprised when he realized what it was.

The smell of the other night fury was in him, subtle as an aroma that has been impregnated with the passage of time, and he was also in Toothless in a light way, never mixed but always present, as a sign of his bond between rider and dragon. He had already noticed that smell in the other night fury, but he had never been able to determine what or who it was.

Until now.

Onyx pulled away slightly once he had finished, though he was then surprised to see the five-clawed paw that the young man had stretched in his direction, slightly hesitantly. He looked at it with confusion, more so because he felt as if the situation had been tremendously familiar to him before.

He had a very strange inner feeling and quickly glanced at the other dragon out of the corner of his eye. He simply nodded his head as his eyes sparkled, as if urging him to continue.

Once again he felt doubtful, but this time he decided to listen to his instinct. Instead of accepting the boy's hand, Onyx let out a low snort and walked away, though he did so with a certain hesitation. As he did so, he noticed that the young man seemed a little disappointed, although he saw that it did not take long for him to recover.

He knew he wasn't bad, but at least for the moment he would keep his distance. He turned to the other dragon after walking away a bit, expressing what he meant while scratching his snout with one paw.

«I like him... for now,» His tail wagged slightly behind him, a sign that he was feeling a little more at ease. «I think we can let it stay.»

Toothless couldn't have been happier to hear that. He let out a brief roar, to the surprise of his rider who could only watch in confusion as his friend made a quick circle around the other night fury and then pounced on him and knocked him to the ground.

Hiccup recognized his excitement, even when he had no idea what had caused it, and laughed with him as he stood up. He couldn't help but think that whatever it was was was aptly related to the other dragon. Because of this, he also couldn't help but wonder if there were more of his hidden species or if his new friend would guide him to such a possible place.

"Yeah, buddy! Let's go!" Hiccup tried to control his breathing; another giggle escaped as he leaned against Toothless's side and patted him lightly. "It was enough emotions for a day."

Toothless barely contained his, so his partner had no choice but to try to stand firm for both.

Meanwhile, Onyx watched this entire exchange with eyes of interest, more curious than he had ever been. He could never remember seeing such a relationship between creatures as different as the two of them, who nevertheless shared more similarities than all the dragons he had dealt with in the past.

Not even his recently discovered friendly relationship with Luna came close to the camaraderie they were showing him.

He did not know why, but a sudden nostalgia suddenly invaded him; A feeling so strange that he hardly heard what the scrawny Viking had said to his companion.

"Boy, I need my mother to check the Light Fury in the shelter," Hiccup said as he patted his side again. The look he gave to the other dragon told his friend what he really meant without needing another word.

Toothless tilted his head slightly, got up and walked to where the other Night Fury was, and if he wanted, his perhaps future companion.

It didn't take long for him to tell him what his rider planned to do. Onyx's eyes emitted a quick flash of discontent. Although he understood that it was all for the sake of the dragon, he was still aware that she wasn't the only one in the place.

He had to look after the good of the little cub.

«I will not leave Agate alone,» he said after a pair of minutes. «Still, I can tolerate the presence of another human as long as it doesn't endanger my sister's life. And he can only be one, no more, apart from your rider.»

Toothless nodded quickly, happy that he agreed. After a while they were in the shelter, though Onyx stood slightly apart, protected by the darkness of the trees behind which he was hidden but always present.

Several minutes ago he had seen a two-legged older female enter, who appeared to be the mother of the young cub he had met earlier, Toothless told him, with a bundle of leather on her back. He had remained calm when he had explained what he intended to use it for, but in spite of everything he remained vigilant from his position, without intending to let his guard down.

"You can trust us, I promise you and I swear I won't let anything bad happen to her either."

He still remembered and guarded the sincere words of the other dragon, but if life had taught him anything, it was that trusting could be as beneficial as it was harmful.

He was willing to do the former, but he could never erase the latter from his mind.

Chapter Text

"Are the preparations for winter still going well?"

Valka's question remained unanswered in the middle of the air. The woman raised an eyebrow at her son's silence, which was prolonged by the papers and notes in which the young man was immersed behind the table. In fact, it seemed as if he hadn't even heard her.

She tried again, clearing her throat a pair of louder than usual clearings as she approached.

"Hiccup? My son." She called out to him a little more forcefully this time, just enough for him to finally react with a brief startle and look up, with several contradictory emotions inside.

"Mom," a slight blush of embarrassment tinged her cheeks. "I... I don't think I heard you."

Valka approached again while slowly shaking her head, giving him an apologetic smile as she made a quick unimportant gesture with her hand.

"Don't worry," she said, hoping he wouldn't worry about it any longer, though his tendency was usually the opposite, and as such was the cause of her deciding to change the subject. "I asked you about the provisions, the people in the village say that everything is going well, but how are you doing?"

Hiccup let out a sudden murmur as he arranged certain scrolls that he had left scattered all over the table, avoiding his mother's gaze until he finally decided to answer.

"Fine, fine... Absolutely fine, why do you ask?" He questioned with a smile that appeared to be calm, but in the end it turned out to be the opposite.

The raised eyebrow that her mother expressed again made it clear that she had not achieved her goal. Somehow, she had managed to see beyond it and knew that although he wasn't lying, he wasn't quite being either. Maybe his tone of voice had given him away?

Be that as it may, Hiccup put down the papers he had been arranging and let out a sigh that he didn't bother to contain, not in front of her at least. And when the woman answered the rhetorical question he had asked, he finally confirmed that it was not something he had imagined.

"Because, for this time, it is not like you to stay locked up almost all day alone in here when there is still a lot to do."

Hiccup couldn't help frowning when he heard his mother's words. He was aware that she was only saying this because she was worried about him, but he still felt the need to refute what she had said and make it clear that his tasks with the scrolls were also important. Much more than she really imagined.

"But I've been doing a lot, of course," he replied, rising from his seat and beginning to walk around the table as he made his points. "I've been taking the opportunity to put several things in order with the village accounts now that we have a certain... rest of the hunters in our seas, due to the arrival of winter. Besides, I have not been alone if Astrid or Patapez help me with that."

Valka walked over, still incredulous as she heard her son's almost imperceptible tone of doubt. What he said was true, she knew it perfectly, but she also knew that those were not the only thoughts that occupy a good part of his mind and that almost made him isolate himself from his friends and his dragon.

No, the real issue was something much bigger.

"Sure?" she asked, pressing a little harder on it. "So your isolation has nothing to do with the problem of the hunter you keep captive or with Toothless's strange behavior?"

A sudden grimace appeared on Hiccup's face as he heard her words.

The truth is that his mother was right. Of all the problems he had, those were the two that gave him the most headaches, and not because there were no solutions, but because he simply hadn't found them yet.

He hardly wanted to think about the problem of the hunter captured in one of his last missions. There was little progress with him and no information related to Grimmel and his henchmen that was really worthwhile, so in the end he had left him with Snotlout's father and other Viking guards in the hope that some time in his custody would make him, in some way, 'reflect'.

And with respect to the Toothless thing... That was another thing that gave him headaches and had him intrigued in equal parts.

The dragon's current behavior was the strangest he had had the chance to see in it so far. Even his friends had noticed this, especially Astrid, who complained that her dragon had also been influenced in some way.

Hiccup didn't miss an opportunity to tell his mother what he thought about it, although in his mind it had ended up sounding better than in his mouth.

"Well, I admit I have no idea why Toothless has taken to chasing Stormfly through the air or making a strange attempt at a courtship dance with her... But it must not be such a bad thing, right?"

His mother's skeptical look confirmed that, indeed, such an event was as strange as he thought and much more. After all, she was the one who had spent a good part of her life observing the behaviors of different species of dragons and knew when something was unusual.

It had all started a few days ago, at the same moment that Astrid had approached him with an expression on her face that Hiccup couldn't define, and that had really worried him. Then, as she guided him to what was apparently the source of her distress, he realized that the matter seemed to be much more serious than he had first imagined.

After all, what could have been strange enough to cause such a feeling in his partner? One that he had rarely seen.

Astrid had guided him almost to the other end of the island, to a clearing far away from the village, the herd of dragons, and curiously from the place where the other adult night fury and the cub that accompanied it dwelt. Hiccup had been surprised by that fact, obviously, but nothing was stranger than seeing the scene that had suddenly formed before his eyes. The dark shadow of his dragon's silhouette had passed with unusual speed across the clear sky above their heads, and just behind him Stormfly had flown just as quickly. He had seen how they chased each other through the sky in a strange dance, mostly with Toothless imitating the movements of the dragon. After that they had gone ashore in the middle of the clearing, and performed the second part of the strange procession, a dance which Stormfly had begun and which Toothless had seemed to be striving to follow. That was what had ended up giving Hiccup the most headaches when looking for an explanation for the cause of such unusual behavior. Had his dragon resigned himself to the fact that he could never find a female of his kind and decided to try another? Hiccup decided that the latter didn't make much sense, after all his friend had been widely interested in the female Light Fury before the male Night Fury appeared. Then he had turned away from it and had shown, and was still showing, a new unusual interest in him. However, that fact did not even answer the pressing question that had been on his mind since he had seen it. Why had his dragon discarded the other female but now practiced courtship dances with his partner's dragon? On this occasion he also did not miss the opportunity to express to his mother what he really thought about it. He had already resigned himself to not expecting a response from her when he ultimately spoke. "I don't think we need to worry about whatever Toothless has in mind anyway, though I'll admit I'm intrigued," he said with a sigh as he sat back down, then waved his hand and continued without waiting. "Mating season doesn't start until within a season, so I guess he's just practicing." Valka approached him again, and this time she sat down in an empty chair in front of his desk. "Maybe you're right about that, but, Hiccup... Practicing why? Or for whom?" Hiccup looked up suddenly and immediately. What his mother had said had reached him deeper than he had imagined, and now his own mind had taken it upon himself to continue the work. "What do you mean?" He asked with doubts and curiosity at the same time. Valka leaned back in her seat and let out a short, equally tired exhale. "You saw them and you realized the same thing I did," she said with a steady look, hoping her son understood the implications of what she was about to say. "Toothless at no time begins the dance and Storm rather stays away. Their behaviors make no sense at all." Hiccup, deep inside, had to admit that he agreed with his mother. But that was what confused him the most and caused him so many headaches. His frustration soon showed and he let out an annoyed murmur as he held his head in both hands. "Maybe... maybe not everything has to make sense," he reasoned. "Maybe there are simply behaviors that we can't explain and that's it, or they're more similar to us than we think," he said, visibly frustrated, although he didn't really feel much conviction about it with his words. "If I've learned anything all these years regarding dragons, it's that they don't always seem to be tied to following their instinct, so maybe it's just that, as I said." Valka folded her arms and sighed, as she pondered the possibility that her son's choices were true. She believed in him, but she knew he still had so much more to learn. "It may be..." She uncrossed her arms and looked at him, rising from her seat and resting her hand against the table as she hinted at her true suspicion. Unless it's actually for a purpose." Hiccup's expression changed instantly but he said nothing, looking for a silent explanation for it. His mother looked at him softly and nodded as she returned to her seat, taking a moment to answer him. "You have to pay a little more attention and realize that Toothless is just imitating her," she said with the softness of someone who knows what she's saying, because she's really had a chance to see it with her own eyes. "For what purpose? I admit that at the moment I have no idea, but you can start from that thought and look for its cause; If you wish, I can also help you with that." On this new occasion, Hiccup knew that the veil of deliberate ignorance, or perhaps of the desire he harbored that it was really some other cause, had begun to fade like autumn leaves being blown away by the wind. And as it happened, his mind went back in search of every clue and every sign that had been missed. As such, it had been clear. The dance of both dragons had appeared to be a strange display of companionship, as if one of them had been helping the other. The idea of that theory was popping into his mind right then and there, taking root despite how illogical it was when you took into account other factors he didn't want to think about in the first place. Still, his mind lingered on it. Could that option be possible? Could it be possible that Toothless had actually been imitating her? Either way, Hiccup decided it was time to pay his friend another visit. He got up from his seat, not without a previous communication to his mother. Strangely, Valka seemed delighted with that option. "I'll accompany you then, I have to go through the shelter and follow up with the unconscious dragon," she said as she took the things she needed and put them all in a special basket, although at the same time she couldn't stop a frown from appearing on her face. "In fact, I'm quite worried that it still is." Hiccup's expression also furrowed upon hearing it, acknowledging the truth in such words. He lingered for a few moments as he walked here and there and arranged his things before leaving. "I'm worried about it too, I just hope we don't lose it." He didn't know why, but he had a strong feeling that the light fury was the key to finding what he wanted. "And I also hope that everything is fine with the big boy's wing." At least in that last sense Hiccup knew that they had done everything necessary to cure him, although he was the only one who had been able to check the state of the wing's wounded night fury after he woke up. He was the only human he let approach, which was a new confidence that had really pleased him. In a few weeks he would be ready to remove the bandage that immobilized it, although it was still going to be a little more time before it was completely healthy and ready to allow him to fly. Valka gave her son a soft smile after that and walked out of the cabin with him. They surrounded people who were on their way, taking a moment to greet them as they passed despite the fact that most of them were completely immersed in the work to welcome the harsh winter that was coming. But before reaching the edge of the forest surrounding the nascent village, Hiccup paused for a moment in a wide area slightly away from the main village, near a cliff, where Fishleg, the twins, and their dragons were busy removing several dozen huge rock formations. They cleared the area without much difficulty under the orders of their older friend, though as almost always neither Ruffnut nor Tuffnut seemed to agree on what they intended to do, causing their dragon's poor heads to look at each other in confusion before continuing their work. Fishleg rolled his eyes at this and gave his dragon a short pat, comforting it as he stroked the little calf's head on her chest with his other hand. Hiccup's presence relieved him for a few moments from the madness of both brothers. "Apparently everything is going well around here," said the young boss with a smile, amused to see his friend's annoyed expression. "Moderately well, you mean, bad luck Astrid isn't here," he said with a sigh, pointing to the fact that his friend was off the island on a reconnaissance mission. Anyway, what brings them here? I thought they were planning to go see the Light Fury." "Let's go there now, I just stopped by to ask you a favor that I think might be important, if my idea doesn't fail me," he sighed. "I think you already know what has happened in recent days with Toothless." Fishleg's eyes shone slightly, and it didn't take long for him to nod quickly as he began to catch Hiccup's idea. "Yes, I found both of them to be as strange as it was fascinating," he said with some enthusiasm, but before he could begin to explain what he thought about it, Hiccup beat him to it. "Well, because what I really need is for you to investigate as much as possible and have to do with it; you are the only one who can do it," he said with complete sincerity, placing complete confidence in his friend's abilities. "It doesn't have to be now, just when you have some free time. You know that if I could I would do it myself, but I hardly have time as you also know." The burly young man's expression, if he could fit more into his astonishment, became even more enthusiastic when he heard his boss's request. A bigger smile appeared on his face as he made another gesture of confirmation. "You can count on me for that, Hiccup," he said surely, though he suddenly looked away. "In fact, I admit that I had already started researching it." Hiccup could not have been more astonished by his words. His mother noticed it and let out a brief chuckle when she saw the expression on his face. "That's great! Let me know then as soon as you have any clear answers you can find", he said lastly, patting his friend's shoulder as a farewell before returning to his mother and leaving in the original direction. Both spent the time of the walk talking about other topics that concerned them, until they reached their destination. Then the clearing opened, and silence fell immediately between them, broken only by the faint sound of leaves swaying in the breeze. Hiccup made a quick sign to his mother to stop. There, in front of the shelter, stood the two night furies, sitting opposite each other with their eyes closed and their heads united in a way in which they strangely seemed to be comforting each other. It was undoubtedly a vision that neither mother nor son expected to find. A twig was broken in an unexpected movement and quickly the older dragon's eyes opened. His body moved away a little, rose to its full height, and let out a deep, menacing growl toward the unknown presence beyond. Hiccup raised both hands in submission and began to emerge into the clearing, moving slowly throughout. "It's me, boy, see?" He said in a whisper, still staring at him as his own dragon approached him and touched his hand in greeting. Onyx relaxed in little more than his presence, although he never let his guard down completely. He folded his only good wing against his side and, this time, it was he who decided to get closer. Hiccup had not yet lowered his hand completely when the night fury breathed very close to it. His warm breath shook him in surprise and lifted a light breeze that stirred the dark strands of his hair. He stood very still as the dragon checked him with his nose, as part of what he had determined to be his greeting routine. In the end, the Night Fury snorted and sat very close to them. The side he gave to the young man showed his limb immobilized. Hiccup's smile expanded a little more when he saw it, but before he could approach to check on him, something happened that he had not anticipated. The gentle breeze blowing from one side changed and began to blow from another direction, bringing with it new smells. Strange smells coming from somewhere too close. The next thing that happened was inevitable. The older dragon's pupils immediately contracted and he stood up while letting out a loud roar in that direction. Hiccup and Toothless froze for a second before reacting.

"Mom, don't move!" He exclaimed as he ran towards her and Toothless immobilized the other dragon with difficulty, preventing it from rushing towards the woman.

Valka had not moved, hidden and paralyzed at the same time by the shadows of the clearing, but the fury of the roar had made her stumble and only Hiccup was the one who prevented her from falling and hitting the ground.

Until suddenly a small dark shape rushed at them and made them fall once and for all. Hiccup rolled away on himself due to the force of the impact until he hit the trunk of a tree that left him breathless. Her mother, on the other hand, was struggling with something that was on top of her.

But it didn't take long for her to realize that what was above her was a small dragon with black scales and a plump body with a shape that seemed very familiar to her. The surprise was greater than fear, because she quickly realized that it did not intend to hurt her either. In fact, it seemed to be looking for something inside the basket she had brought with her.

Then silence prevailed and it heard nothing but the small roars of the baby as it remained with its head tucked to the bottom of the basket.

Even Onyx stood still as Toothless let go of him and slowly moved away from him, somehow sensing that he no longer intended to attack. He no longer cared about the older female lying near them, but about the fact that his little cub had hit her target: the body of a dead chicken half plucked.

He saw how she took it out of the basket with some difficulty, lay down next to it and began to devour it very slowly. She growled in a low sound as her retractable teeth tore through the flesh and crushed the bones of the dead animal.

Onyx watched her calmly, paying no attention to the fact that both humans and Toothless also observed this attitude, they with amazement that they could not hide.

Hiccup helped his mother off the ground and pick up her basket, looking occasionally at the lesser night fury. When they both began to recover from the shock and were sure that they were no longer in danger, it was Valka who spoke first.

"You don't see this every day."

"I think so," her son pointed out and helped her to the shelter, without taking her eyes off the older dragon.

However, he only allowed himself to give them a brief sideways glance before returning and approaching the little cub. She continued to eat, with no apparent signs of aggression when the other dragon who was older than her but younger than her brother also came over and sat next to them.

Toothless wondered vaguely how it was possible for her to eat such an animal, when Onyx had told him that small cub of their species always preferred fish or any other seafood.

Oblivious to the other dragon's thoughts, Onyx turned his gaze to that makeshift hut, wondering, «How did she know?»

Toothless blinked and looked at him in confusion.

«What?» he questioned in the same way, and he did not take long to answer her.

«That she...», suddenly stopped, without knowing why, and shook his head slightly. «No, forget it.»

Toothless looked at him and decided not to insist, refocusing on the vision of the cub. Onyx, on the other hand, immersed himself for a while longer in his own musings and troubles, completely ignorant of what was about to happen.

Until a sudden roar cut through the air with force.

Chapter Text

The wind swayed the leaves of the trees with such a lulling calm that it was almost peaceful to watch as it did. The normal noises of the forest provided the necessary tranquility to do so. The chirping of a bird on one side, the running of water from a stream on the other, the distant noise of the herd of dragons.

For now, everything was where it should be.

It wasn't the first time Onyx had paused for a moment to enjoy that seeming calm before several soft roars around him reminded him that he wasn't entirely alone, besides his thoughts.

The refreshing breeze he felt on his scales soon turned into a small body that stirred lightly and ended, as always, to settle in the middle of the birth of his wings.

He felt tenderness and a warm sensation inside his chest, as he did every time the little calf stood still or delighted him with her antics.

After all, he had to protect the only family he had left, he had promised his mother before those destroyers destroyed his nest and his brothers' eggs, taking the life of the female who had stood firm in his defense, the only one who had always been there for him.

But now it was he who had to be there for the little cub who fell asleep so peacefully on his back. He would continue to protect her with his life, as he had always been doing.

Onyx raised his head and looked away for a moment to the clearing where the young human had built the temporary home for the female Light Fury. He was still present and a little worried about Luna's condition, but he knew that she was strong enough and that sooner or later she would awaken. He didn't need to worry too much about that.

A slight movement on his back distracted him from his observation, causing him to turn his gaze to the place. His little Agate had moved in the middle of the sleep and now slept in a somewhat strange position for him, with her legs and herself on her back, positioned in a way that exposed her belly.

Who had she imitated to make her decide to sleep that way?

Onyx was beginning to have a growing and amused suspicion of what the answer might be and who might be responsible for such an action. A single dragon responsible that he had in mind and that did not take long to be seen.

Toothless emerged from among the trees, walking slowly because of the fact that he had a blind spot while dragging a makeshift support surface made of branches and leaves with his mouth. He had managed to get a small mound of fish, which he had to defend from the seabirds and scavengers that had gathered around it, which would be exclusively for Onyx and the calf.

He put the food aside once he reached them, and ended up standing proudly in front of the other dragon for what in his eyes was a kind of achievement. Perhaps their courtship hadn't officially begun yet, but he was already behaving like the Alpha provider of his herd that he was.

Onyx looked at his food curiously and tried to stretch his neck, trying to determine that they were good and safe for both of them, although someone else ended up beating him in the lead. He only felt another movement in his back and a small shadow that fell on the repertoire of dead fish. Soon she began to get her fill of them.

Onyx looked at her, with an expression of tenderness and joy inside her eyes that did not go unnoticed by Toothless. The young Alpha stopped and stared at him as he did so, perhaps longer than he really should.

He observed the sharp scales on the dragon's face, framing the adult features typical of his species. He noticed that it curved around his eyes, becoming a little thicker at that vulnerable point of his face just as it also did when it reached the appendages shaped like fins or ears on his head.

A natural dark armor that protected their vital areas, from a black so deep that it did not even reflect light or create shadows around it.

A quick, sudden, unexpected volley shook Toothless's body as the other Night Fury turned his gaze to him. Quickly, he pushed his own aside so that he wouldn't realize what he'd been doing. Whether the other dragon noticed it or not, he did not let it be glimpsed and simply decided to explain the reason why the baby devoured such a large amount of food for the size of her body.

«At this age she needs to eat a lot, you can imagine that it is essential for her body to get stronger»

Toothless looked at him once, with a simple blink, after that. Then he looked at the young busy with her dinner, and a flash of contagious amusement appeared in his eyes that somehow dazzled the elder dragon.

«Okay, I can still get her a lot more, let her fill up as much as she wants. And for you too,» he added quickly, giving him a new sideways glance.

Onyx simply closed his eyes and responded with a single nod of his head, though Toothless couldn't determine whether he had denied or agreed. The other dragon was enigmatic at times, perhaps a little more reserved than he should have, but he couldn't deny that he liked that in a way.

Suddenly Toothless was interrupted from this new state of contemplation to the other night fury by the calf, who had boldly run towards him, climbed on his back, and now looked at him from the top of his head, with her smaller head looking at him backwards.

Toothless's green and surprised eyes met the reddish eyes of the calf, who looked at him with her head tilted.

Are you Nyx's dragon yet?" he asked with the innocence typical of any infant creature, it didn't matter if it was a dragon.

The confusion that was instantly reflected in poor Toothless's eyes was only surpassed by the bewildered expression that appeared in Onyx's. He almost couldn't believe that his little sister had asked him again, precisely that.

«Agate...»

Onyx denied, somewhat exasperated, and approached her, causing the calf to quickly curl into a ball in place with her tail and wings when the older night fury grabbed her by the neck with his muzzle and lowered her from the head of the other, who willingly bent down to let him do so.

«What have I told you before? You can't ask a dragon if it's someone else's, let alone one of ours.»

The baby looked at him without understanding that reason, and her mind suddenly searched for other words that he had said to her and that turned out to be inconvenient for Onyx that she remembered them right at that moment.

«But we are the only ones. Isn't it normal that he is?» said the minor to the night fury that watched them with a varied, and in Onyx's eyes, a tender mixture of bewilderment, confusion and curiosity mixed in equal parts.

Onyx needed to close his eyes to relax and look for an answer that would satisfy her and not leave him in evidence of the other dragon any more than she had already done. He understood that she was just a cub, innocent in her actions, but he was also aware that he had to begin to guide her so that her tender naivety would not be her downfall once she grew up and developed in that world so hostile to them.

He didn't want the same thing to happen to her that had happened to him.

With that in mind, Onyx gently pulled her closer with his paw and lowered his head to touch hers with the tip of his snout, then gave her a gentle lick. The baby stirred amused by the unexpected sensation it had left in her scales.

«Even so, little cub, it's not right, do you understand?»

Agate appeared to sulk for a second, but then looked him straight in the eye and made several strange gestures with her head up and down before stopping and leaving the place. Onyx found it amusing to think about who she might have imitated him from.

In all that time, Toothless could only observe that interaction with a wide interest in his eyes, eager to know every detail of the relationship they had. Although at first he had been confused by what the calf had asked him before, later he had managed to understand enough to realize what she had meant.

That thought prevailed and seemed to increase now that they were alone, filling the atmosphere with a slightly tense and awkward silence that neither of them dared to break until after a few minutes.

Onyx broke it as he got up and walked towards the last fish that the little cub had left among the remains of leaves and branches that the other dragon had brought. He ate the remaining ones and devoured the last one as he walked towards the clearing of the shelter.

Toothless followed him behind, always in silence and maintaining a small distance between them, which he had allowed him until that moment.

Onyx stopped in the middle of that open space. Suddenly, he looked up at the treetops and the sky; then downwards, towards the hut, the ground and the rocks, towards the thick logs on its sides that closed that secret place with unwanted eyes... And finally to him.

A growing excitement flashed in the depths of his gaze, and Toothless noticed it perfectly.

«Thank you,» Onyx whispered, and that word alone needed to leave him unsettled.

I..."

Onyx wouldn't let him continue, because he wasn't done yet.

«For everything, for rescuing me and rescuing my sister and Luna, for being the dragon who did it...,» he murmured at last, as he lowered his gaze and closed his eyes. «We really are so lucky.»

Then it happened; his words caused the desired effect and moved the other dragon as he had never done before. A new tingle, strange but pleasant, nestled again and took root inside his chest.

«It was nothing, I would do it again if something like that happened to you or the little cub again,» he whispered, not expecting any answers other than his silence.

Onyx listened to him, he didn't open his eyes but he didn't need to either. He knew that his words had been more than enough to reflect what he felt, however, he did not expect his new partner to take the liberty of doing something that in a certain way caused a more than strange feeling within him.

Toothless came over and joined his forehead to his, a little closer as he rubbed his head carefully. Onyx was shocked by this, but he didn't open his eyes or walk away. He let him do it. He let a low, comforting purr spread throughout his being. He let it make him forget for a moment that they were the last.

In the end, they stayed in that position for a few more minutes, but neither of them really set out to find out how much time had passed. Until he realized they weren't alone.

Onyx opened his eyes and raised his head immediately; his posture became tense, his gaze alert and sharp like the predator he was. The instinct to protect his family took over him in the presence of the stranger. However, when he realized who it was, he allowed himself to relax a little more.

Although he greeted the young man two legs as he normally did and then walked away, it did not prevent that instinct from reappearing when he detected another presence. This time definitely strange.

However, his subsequent attack on the woman and everything that happened afterwards with the calf made him realize that perhaps he had not done quite right to stay away from the clearing when they were present. Perhaps if he had become familiar with the smell of the older female who was in charge of caring for the light fury, he would not have endangered his little cub in that way.

That's what he thought as he looked at the cabin in the clearing, stood near Toothless and listened to the soft grunts that Agate let out next to him as she devoured one of the chicken's crispy legs.

Of course, he thought so while the forest was still immersed in a silent stillness. The roar that rose from the hut in the clearing cut through that atmosphere shook the three furies that, but more so Onyx. It was he who recognized whose roar it was.

He quickly ran towards the cabin, dodging a frightened Hiccup, the woman who had fallen in his arms in the same way and the dragon that had spread his wings as an instinct of protection over them. The roar died down, but was instead replaced by a deep growl that came from inside the place.

Onyx approached cautiously, not wanting to disturb the other dragon any more than she already was. A pair of blue eyes and fine pupils met his gaze, and she recoiled even further as she did so. He tried in spite of everything.

«Moon.»

The light fury receded again, but this time, in her eyes there was no longer that fear and the consequent feeling of threat that had caused her to wake up in the middle of the clutches of both legs. A sense of familiarity changed the dragon's gaze.

«Onyx...?» She stepped back suddenly and let out a plaintive squeal. The price of her abrupt awakening had already begun to take its toll on the wounds that were still healing from her aching body, and soon she ended up falling against the straw that covered the floor.

Onyx got a little closer, not too close, just enough for the female to catch his scent and realize that he was not another stranger. The dragon opened her eyes again, but there was only pain in her eyes when she met his.

He knew what he should do when he looked away at the two humans who were looking at him with equal expressions of bewilderment and hope.

«Let them heal you.»

The female's pupils re-affiliated at the sound of him, and she also turned her gaze to them.

«They're destroyers,» she said with a low growl. Onyx simply looked at her, without making any other gestures.

«They are allies,» he corrected, continuing when he saw the female's look of distrust. «They've been taking care of you all this time that you were unconscious, I assure you, you know you can trust what I say.»

The female did not find a reply to his words. The pain didn't leave her strong enough to answer or argue, so she had no choice but to relax her head in the straw and growl, a reluctant sound that Onyx interpreted as her "agree" to what he had said.

Satisfied with this, he walked towards the two humans, who stood very still when they saw him, and extended his only good wing to guide them in that direction. Hiccup instantly understood what he meant, and a gleam of interest appeared in his eyes as he walked slowly beside his mother.

The light fury had already fallen asleep again (or perhaps she was just pretending to sleep) when Valka continued her work, although this time she was much softer in placing the ointments on the female's wounds. She didn't want another sudden roar for causing her some pain in her procedure.

Onyx moved away from them slightly but remained close in the clearing, waiting for the presence of the other dragon, who soon appeared. Toothless sat next to him and stayed to watch what was happening inside the cabin, always on the lookout for something else and ready to intervene if necessary.

They were like that, silent for several minutes until Onyx spoke again. «By the way,» he began, averting his eyes to him for an instant. «Sorry for not saying it sooner, but I should have warned you that Agate has a diet... a little more exotic than usual in our species.»

Toothless's eyes widened a little wider in surprise, but he soon understood.

«Okay, don't worry, I'm sure we can get her all the birds she wants. Or anything else she asks.»

Onyx said nothing and simply answered him with a single wave of his head. His eyes focused on the cabin again. It would stay that way for the next few hours of light, even after both humans had left.

Suddenly, something small and cold settled on his muzzle and wings, something that had fallen slowly above his head, through the open canopy of the trees until it reached him. He looked up at the sky, a dark gray wall that had already begun to stretch out from the horizon.

The first snowflakes began to fall.

Chapter Text

The fine and annoying rains of the first days and the snowfalls that followed that first one, ended up diminishing after an approximate moon.

All the dragons, both hibernating and non-hibernating, and humans in the village had taken refuge deep within their respective huts and caves during that time, almost unseen by each other, until one sudden morning the sun appeared, the clouds cleared, and the snow shone under a vast blue sky that was only punctuated by the occasional white cloud in the clouds. the top of it.

A perfect winter's day had opened up before everyone's eyes, and every creature on the island had decided to make the most of it.

Even the older Vikings stopped their activities for a while to enjoy the freshly fallen snow that seemed to transform their world in ways they could not have imagined. And not to mention the little ones.

Everything they saw was covered in pure white: the rooftops, the paths that hadn't been cleared of the snow, even the hair of the adults who had spent a lot of time outside, along with the dragons that occasionally shook the snow from their wings.

The village was more alive that day than it has been in all the past few weeks. The children ran everywhere, playing with the snow, making snowmen, declaring snowball wars, and using their parents' dragons as a natural shield for their amusement, as long as the latter stayed still and willing long enough.

Others simply leaned against the broad, soft scales of their bellies, seeking comfort and the warmth of their inner fire, always ideal for warming their bodies without the need to make a fire.

Such was life with the humans and dragons of the village, but beyond that joyful hubbub, in the silent forest painted white, everything was much more peaceful.

Except if you ignored the fact of the soft excited shrieks that a small night fury let out while flapping her wings hard. She was flying over the roof of the hut, under the watchful eye of the female of luminous fury who had her neck turned at an almost extreme angle as she sat at the entrance of the hut.

Hidden among the trees was Onyx, watching the little calf from a distance, curious and cautious, always ready to intervene if her frantic flight ended with some strange curve that might disorient her and make her know the ground. And not in a good way.

He had to hide like this, that way he would help her to improve. He knew that if the baby saw him she would go straight to him and flutter around him until one of them ended up dizzy, or until the little dragon exhausted her unusual amounts of energy and fell on his back, like a fun game that he too, he must admit, enjoyed.

For this reason, he would remain hidden until the calf finished her morning flying 'exercises' and decided that playing with the snow was something much more interesting. At which point he would have to use all his patience to prevent her from disappearing from his sight, although that last one would not be very difficult, after all her black scales contrasted perfectly with the whiteness of the snowy carpet on the forest floor.

Onyx opened his jaws and let out a long yawn, stretching its healthy wing along. He was certainly bored after spending so much time on the ground. He missed heaven with all his might, but he knew he had to be patient.

His wounded wing had already been freed from the strange stick that the human had put on it to keep it still, although it was still bandaged. But the cold of the atmosphere did not help much in the recovery of his wound. It hurt sometimes, and he feared that when the time came it would not be able to support his weight and would end up falling without any other choice, helpless.

However, not everything seemed to be hopeless.

The strange mixtures and pastes made of herbs that the mother of his companion's rider cub put on him helped to relieve the pain. They even prevented any cold burn in the most sensitive parts of his wing, something that had been quite good for him in recent times.

The cold had never displeased him too much, but he definitely preferred the heat of the mountains of fire or the warm humidity of a thermal cavern. The cave he had taken as a new refuge had an underground river, but the waters of this were not warm. Even so, the interior of the house was warm enough and well insulated from the low temperatures outside to make a good home.

Who knows? Perhaps in that same place he would make his nest once spring came.

And with it, mating season.

But before that he had to find his new partner. He had a surprise for him. He only hoped that it would still be safe from the opportunistic dragons that roamed the area.

Onyx slipped smoothly and stealthily through the undergrowth. Each tree served as a shield as he slid through the forest, the freshly fallen snow serving as a good buffer to lessen the subtle sound of his claws.

He still did not want to be seen by the two-legged creatures that dwelt in the nearby camp, home of his companion's rider, so he stood at a distance when he spotted the cabins through the trees and his smell and ears were touched by the characteristic smells and sounds that betrayed their presence.

The noise of the amused laughter of the little ones, the smoke that the fire of some hearth spewed from the highest part of some cabin, the shrill cries of the adults, the squeals and roars of their fellow dragons, the delicious smell of roast meat, whatever kind of meat it was.

The place was full of life despite being winter, that was more than clear to him.

It was also well protected with all those humans around it, ready to defend him and the other dragons from any attack by the true destroyers, those who with their deadly weapons had done so much damage to his species and in particular to him and his small herd.

But on top of that, he had also seen the strange constructions they had made near a precipice, a kind of long wooden arm with a wider base at the end that they used more to throw things, things like big chunks of stone. Another cabin had also been built on the site and the two legs used it as an observation site overlooking the vast sea.

Yes, he and his entire growing herd were definitely well sheltered in that place.

Sometimes he couldn't believe how lucky he had been when he found him and later rescued them from that destroyer ship. He literally owed him his life, and all he wanted was his company.

Onyx let a soft exhale out of his snout as that thought crossed his and began to circle the camp from his position, staying at the hidden edges of the forest but paying attention with his eyes and nose for the scent of his companion, or the characteristic flash of his scales black as night.

Where could he be?

He caught the distinctive scents of other dragons and the two legs that stood nearby, but his nostrils were nowhere near the soft earthy smell of the other's Night Fury or the smell of wood and smoke from his companion's young rider chief.

It was a bit strange, though he soon came up with a possible reason why the two of them weren't in the village at the time.

After all, even though seasonal storms were whipping the seas, preventing any kind of deep-sea navigation, destroyer ships were always on the lookout. He knew that some of those destroyers even had other dragons under their command, like the ones that had attacked him the first time in that storm.

Onyx decided to return to the clearing once he was sure that the other dragon was not there, a little dejected that he had not done so. However, the cold breeze carried a distinctive scent coming from the place, one that made all of his senses kick in.

His nostrils dilated and he quickly ran towards the place, but suddenly stopped before announcing his arrival. He had caught another scent, a feminine but unknown one that stood next to the smell of the big puppy and his companion.

Hidden by the trees and in a posture favorable to the blowing wind, Onyx carefully approached to check. On this occasion he had nothing to fear from the stranger if she was with his companions, besides his little cub was safe inside the cabin; he had detected her scent in that place.

Still, he was curious to know who that strange female was.

Finally, the thick forest opened up a little, and Onyx could see the three of them in front of the cabin. Toothless stood by his rider's side, and the latter seemed to be talking to the unknown female, though all he could see of her was her blonde mane gathered in a kind of braided hairstyle. She had her back to him, so he couldn't identify her face from that position.

But by her smell he could tell that she was the young chief's partner.

His interest increased because of it.

However, when the young woman moved and allowed him to see her face for an instant, something shook inside him. The young male's eyes widened as he saw who was in front of him.

No... it couldn't possibly be her... Or could it?

After all, he had seen her perish with his own eyes.

Onyx didn't mind arriving unexpectedly or hearing the sudden cry of surprise that the female emitted when his imposing presence rose right in front of her. He wasted no time and quickly began to surround her, to sniff her, vaguely thanking that she did not run away or that his two companions decided to intervene.

But he soon realized the truth.

She looked very, too much like the human who had helped him in the past. It awakened his memories suddenly, as when he had recognized her on the destroyer ship and he had had a brief moment of lucidity in the midst of the unconsciousness of the poison that had run through his body.

But what he thought was a hallucination was now shown to be completely true, though not in the way he had hoped.

The female in front of him had a distinct smell and was mixed with the young chief's, just as his was mixed with hers. The features of her face were also slightly different, a little sharper than he remembered.

It wasn't her.

Onyx couldn't help but be a little disappointed, but he took comfort in knowing that this female was closer to them than it had seemed before. She was part of his herd, and he decided to make it clear to anyone with a quick lick to her face.

Then he moved a little further away from them and walked to where the other dragon was, who could only observe him with a mixture of surprise, confusion and obvious intrigue that could be seen in the depths of his eyes. He gave a low grunt, not in the mood to explain to him the reason why he had appeared in that way.

But while they were distracted by each other's company, both humans could only watch the older male in bewilderment.

Astrid was still affected as she tried to arrange her hair and wipe the dragon slime from her face. Hiccup didn't say a word and simply passed her a rag he was carrying with him for her to do.

Obviously, that didn't stop him from asking questions.

"What just happened, Hiccup?" The young woman murmured slowly, turning her gaze to him. Confusion still prevailed in her eyes.

"I think... he just claimed you as part of his herd..." Hiccup replied with a slight hesitation, slowly, still looking at the two dragons. "Or at least that's what I've seen them do with herd members who are close to them, such as calves, or other relatives..."

"And me believing that your dragon was the only one that had strange behaviors", Astrid sneered gently, a short laugh escaping her and causing Hiccup to look at her with feigned indignation, supposedly upset.

"Don't think I've forgotten Toothless's strange behavior," he said with a short snort, looking back at where his dragon and the other stood together, sharing whispers and low shrieks. "Fishleg and I have investigated, we still don't find anything but I know that we are close to doing it..."

Astrid looked away from both dragons and turned to him, slightly arching an eyebrow at the ear. Couldn't he really see the obvious that was in front of his eyes?

"I think the answer is closer than you think," she said in a simple tone as she crossed her arms, catching the attention of Hiccup, who stopped muttering to give her a curious look.

Astrid rolled her eyes immediately and pointed her head at both dragons, more specifically the turquoise-eyed male. The young Viking's confusion only increased when he saw her and then the two of them.

"Him? What does this have to do with this?"

Astrid looked at him. A simple look that said everything without really saying anything.

"You're so clever about some things but so blind about others..." she muttered in a consciously loud tone so that he could hear her on purpose, rolling her eyes again as he grimaced her. "Yes, what I said Hiccup, because anyone would realize that it's your dragon trying to woo the other Night Fury."

The young man's face was a total mixture of confusion and bewilderment that internally amused Astrid, more so when he almost babbled what was quite obvious.

"B-but the other one is also a male... How...?

The young woman shrugged.

"These are strange things, it's true, behaviors that even your mother hasn't had a chance to observe in other dragons," she put a hand on her chin when she looked at them again. "No doubt that's why she's so fascinated with the two of them."

On the other hand, Hiccup had a pretty clear purpose about what he intended to do. There was a riddle in front of him, and he had intentions of solving it.

"There must be an answer to this. There has to be, so I'll start researching from that line of thought." A soft smile curled the corners of his lips as he approached Astrid and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Thanks for the idea."

Astrid also smiled softly and made her belonging clear by putting her arm on his shoulder, her posture relaxed and carefree. This was something that amused the young man and made him let out a short laugh, although from time to time he missed the playful blows that the girl gave him.

Well, that last wish was quickly fulfilled.

On the other hand, oblivious to the human drama of his rider and his partner, Toothless stepped aside for a moment, disappearing for a second among the trees, and then slowly approached Onyx. He carried in his snout a dead sea creature, with a grayish-red body and slightly larger than an ordinary fish. A lobster.

It had been difficult for him to capture it, but since the other dragon had told him that it was his favorite food, he tried to do everything possible to find one of them. And now, he left it in front of him as a well-deserved offering.

Onyx sniffed the gift and it didn't take long for to open his jaws and devour it completely. Even so, he left a small piece for the other dragon, whom he urged to take it while using his paw to carry it towards him.

Toothless looked away at the piece of lobster, then at him, then at the piece again, and finally bent down to satisfy his hunger. A gleam of satisfaction flashed in Onyx's eyes as he saw him do this, but he wasn't done with it yet. After all, he wasn't the only one who had a gift.

«I'd like to teach you something,» Onyx said softly and stood up to guide him where he wanted. «Come with me.»

Toothless followed instantly, into the thick forest past the cabin. They walked slowly, unhurriedly, and only stopped when they reached the entrance of the cave. Then Onyx turned to him.

«Wait for me here.»

Without waiting for an answer, he went deep into the place.

Toothless stayed at the entrance, waiting as he had asked but with a certain impatience that was demonstrated in his attitude. His tail moved behind him as did the fins of his head, seeking to catch the noise of his claws on the ground, a sign that he was approaching.

That signal came a few moments later when Onyx left the place. He was with his back to him and was dragging something with his snout, something heavy enough to make it a little slower than usual.

At last his companion turned and showed him what he had brought for him.

«I want to give you this.»

Toothless had never been more surprised than at that precise moment, for in front of him was the intact carcass of one of those little deer that dwelt in herds all over the island.

That Onyx had taken the trouble to hunt it down and bring it right to him, could only mean one thing.

And he knew perfectly well what it meant.

He accepted his courtship.

Chapter Text

Daylight began to diminish as the movement of the sun on the horizon marked the time of its zenith. However, the daily activity of the village was still far from over.

Dragons and Vikings, the children of the latter especially, were striving to enjoy the special moments they had left together before the sky began to darken in more ways than one.

Gray clouds and other dark clouds announced the imminent arrival of a new snowfall, so the adults worked in an almost frantic way to close the forges, put away the work tools, herd the cattle to their stables and verify that everything was in order with the fire in their homes. The day had been good up to that point.

Some dragons that prowled around the edges of the village, who did not belong to any Viking family and who did not have a fellow rider, shook off their scales, took flight and returned to the flock that had settled in one of the coves of the island, ready to pass the storm in one of the many caves that were under the cliff.

The dragons that were attached to a family remained inside the homes—the smaller ones—while the larger ones remained lying on the sides of the tents and other huts, like sleeping sentinels who kept watch over the rest of their own herd.

And it was in one of these huts that the dragon of one of Hiccup's friends lay down and yawned heartily as she lured her calf into a small sleeping space between her claws. A low snore escaped from Meatlug while her rider and the village chief were busy with some new work in one of the lighted corners of the hearth.

A multitude of papers, books, and parchments were scattered in the middle of a wide, circular table. A pen with its inkwell scattered on one side, a piece of paper with the illustration of a dragon with a serpentine body on the other, even a pair of boots that someone had left on a chair.

The disorder was evident, but curiously it did not seem to be too chaotic. Both young men seemed to know where everything was going and where what was necessary for their search to continue without problems was.

Even though it was not yet fruitful.

"Could you repeat that to me again?" Fishleg's voice was heard, in a tone between interested and somewhat incredulous.

Hiccup looked up from the scroll in his hands and gave a sudden spurt on his chair, then let out a slight groan of tiredness that was accompanied by a sigh of equal exhaustion.

"Do I need to?" He stammered as he rested his head on both hands and gave him a look of some annoyance.

Patapez shrugged slightly at the sight of his boss's apathetic expression.

"I still don't understand how Astrid thinks Toothless wants to mate the male Night Fury," he said, a little uncertain about it, though he soon put a hand to his chin. "In other words, it is true that if it were so, it would be a really fascinating behavior... But I still don't understand the reason and we haven't found anything in these books to help us find out."

Hiccup let out another sigh, so bored of doing this same act over and over again every time he had a spare moment in the past few days. He looked at Patapez with the same feeling and rested his head in one hand.

"Well, even I can't deny what is already obvious when we saw them," he made an unimportant gesture with it and reached out to take one of the books that were nearby.

It detailed the courtship and mating patterns of dragon species that may be related to the Night Fury, or at least explain the cause of his dragon's behavior.

Some pages had the illustration of the species they described, although everything that was written there had already been checked in the practical area with the dragons of the herd themselves. However, the young boss still didn't want to give up on his search.

"There must be one that details or at least referenced the reproductive behaviors of the Night Fury," Hiccup whispered, frowning at something else, "but also, so little is known about the species..."

Hiccup clicked his tongue again in some frustration as he closed the book in his hands, put it down to his side, and rested his chin on both joined hands.

"The answer is in one of these books or parchments, I feel it."

Fishleg let out a low sigh at the sound of it and, like him, put down the scroll of parchment he had been reviewing earlier on the side. He rubbed his hands together with some nervousness to express what he would say.

"I don't know if I can agree with you on that, Hiccup." The aforementioned looked up with a confused gesture and an eyebrow raised on his face when he heard him. "We've been checking the same thing for so long that I'm not sure if we can find anything here anymore."

Hiccup frowned, still unwilling to accept that such a thing might be true. He just couldn't do it.

"I can't give up, Fishleg, I just can't... On this depends whether it can be possible for Toothless to have a family of his own." He got up from his seat with a sigh and walked towards the door, remembering that he had to meet Astrid, his mother and the others in the central cabin.

Fishleg looked at him with a compassionate expression, understanding a part of what his friend was feeling, after all he would have done the same for Meatlug if he had found himself in such a situation. That's why he put a hand on his shoulder before the young man left, as a gesture of support.

"You're already his family, but that's okay, I'll continue the search for you while you're busy with the others."

Hiccup was silent about this and left the cabin when the first snowflakes of the snowfall began to fall from the sky, slowly, as if he predicted that there would not be much wind that night.

The cold that had crept through the door subsided a little after Patapez closed it. The fire pit in one corner seemed unchanged by this, and continued to give him and the interior of the room as much light and warmth as it had hitherto. Then he returned to his place.

The books and scrolls waited for him in their place when he sat down and took another one in his hands. However, although he had promised Hiccup that he would find out the mystery for him, he still didn't know exactly how to do it. All he had to do was think.

He had had a chance to see Toothless' behavior with Storm before, and Astrid had told them that he was repeating this same pattern with the Night Fury they had rescued. It could not be mere coincidence or convenience.

It was obvious that there was something there that only the two dragons knew... But what?

The young man then began to focus on what he had read about other species of animals in which the male was usually the one who carried the young, such as the small seahorses or the colorful fish of the distant South Seas, knowledge that had come in books of ancient expeditions, long before any of them were born.

An idea began to form in his mind and he quickly went to look among his belongings, the old book in which he remembered having read it. The search took several minutes of tense anxiety in which he thought that his loss had occurred, although he was simply far below the other specimens.

Luckily he got it soon, however, when he read its contents he realized that it was not exactly as he thought.

There was slightly detailed information about certain reproductive methods that sages in other regions had observed and recorded in their writings almost methodically. It was there that he realized that certain species of fish and frogs had a curious mechanism in which both males and females could change from one to the other depending on certain circumstances in their environment or social group.

And if that could be the case with common animals... Maybe the same could happen with dragons, specifically Night Fury?

Patapez suspected something about it, but at the same time he sensed that it could not be quite like that. After all, in the reports that both Hiccup and Valka recounted to them every time they visited the new male, there was nothing to indicate that the Night Fury was not still just that: male.

Which, to him, meant that there was another method by which it was possible for one of the two to carry the other's young.

Deep down, Fishleg was not surprised that the latter would happen, despite how crazy it could be. He was aware that everything that involved dragons was strange and at the same time too fascinating.

It was when he came to another section of the book and read something much more interesting, which happened.

Fishleg smiled bigger than he thought and laughed so loudly that he woke up his dragon when he knew what was really happening. What he had to go and tell Hiccup right now.

He then gathered his things, put away the books but left the one that showed the evidence on the support surface for a few seconds; after that he held it tightly to his chest and walked towards the door, but not before saying goodbye to Meatball and the calf, and taking a thick layer of dark wool to cover his body.

He left the cabin once this was done and closed the door behind him to prevent the breeze from outside from wreaking havoc inside it.

A light wind had risen into the air from the snowfall and was now shaking the gates outside each house, some lit by the warm light of the inner chimneys. Flakes of white snow fell from the sky and settled on the small mounds that began to form at various points around them.

It was a cold but peaceful night, with no sign that anything bad might happen or that the snowfall might get worse.

However, Fishleg didn't pay attention to this, after all he had to get to the central hut as quickly as possible.

They were all there, both Hiccup and Astrid and Valka, the twins, Snotlout, and even Gobber when he arrived and opened the door with such a roar that he let in a sudden gust of air that nearly extinguished the flame of the torches on the walls, making them sway with an obvious trembling.

"Hiccups! Hiccup! Guys!" The young man almost ran in and his breath was cut off halfway through, which exalted the others.

"Fishleg, what was it...?" Hiccup approached him, but was instantly interrupted.

"I found out!" he exclaimed, as he raised the book above his head; he calmed down a little more when he saw that he was already sure and noticed that everyone, especially the young chief, was listening attentively. "I know why both Night Fury act like that."

None of those present could believe what they heard from their friend's mouth, and there were various reactions such as amazement, surprise and even disbelief that anyone could expect from the other.

However, the most important reaction was that of Hiccup, who ended up opening his eyes wider in surprise and immediately grabbed his friend by the shoulder to urge him to sit in a seat near the table. He did not speak until the young man was finally comfortable and ready to tell what he owed.

"I discovered it while reading this book," he opened it and showed them the specific page. "It turns out that it is quite possible that the method of reproduction of the Night Fury is related to or similar to that of certain amphibians of the southern lands, certain frogs and fish where the male or female can change their gender depending on the situation."

The attention was now completely on Fishleg, while the others looked surprised and some began to conjecture from his words that they did not take long to express.

"Yes, well... I don't know if you've noticed, but neither Toothless nor the other dragon are fish," Tuffnut snapped in a clearly mocking tone, crossing his arms.

Everyone rolled their eyes at that, even his sister who thought he couldn't have said anything more stupid.

"I know very well that they are not, and besides, that's not the point I want to get to," Fishleg refuted, watching out of the corner of his eye as Hiccup took the book in his hands and read the marked section. "What I mean is that these species of animals can undergo a type of transition depending on the circumstances, as in the case, for example, that there are few individuals of either sex in the herd. But in fact, this isn't exactly what would happen with both Night Fury."

Surprise ran over the faces of the secrets again as they realized what those words applied to both dragons meant, but no one but Hiccup really knew how he had come to that conclusion.

A growing smile appeared on the young chief's face when he read that it was the dominant male's pheromones that could cause another lesser male to fulfill the role of procreator of his eggs in the absence of a female.

He would not change gender, but there would simply be another structure inside him that would be activated and allow him to fulfill the same role.

Now everything made sense in his head, and even more so when he realized that it explained the behavior of Toothless and the other male. 

This time, it was Hiccup who did not take long to take the floor and explain it to the others and see with satisfaction how the expression on their faces changed completely. His partner was surprised while his mother's gaze was one of pure interest, in view of discovering something new.

"Then... If that can be so..." Astrid began with a slight hesitation, as if she still couldn't believe that was possible.

Hiccup, on the other hand, smiled, without showing any concern for his partner's reluctance. He knew that he still needed some time to fully process it.

"Yes, maybe it might be possible for us to have baby Night Fury for the spring, after mating season, of course."

"Well, then it's obvious that we should celebrate when it happens," Gobber interjected, looking enthusiastic at the idea. Hiccup also did so when he heard it, although he would have to take it upon himself to report such a thing to the entire village first.

The others were still hallucinating and getting the idea that such a thing might be possible when Valka also chimed in with her own opinion, leaving a hand on her chin that slowly went down as she spoke.

"I had never observed this in other dragons... It really is something totally new," he smiled briefly. "If it turns out to be true then it must be because they are the last adults of their species, it is like an adaptation mechanism that allows them to continue and survive."

Hiccup smiled as he saw that his mother had also grasped the possibilities of what that discovery entailed, which was definitely the best of all. He closed the book gently and handed it back to Fishleg.

"Exactly, it remains to be seen if other endangered dragon species also have a similar method," he shrugged slightly. At least we know that our boy will no longer be alone.

Astrid then walked over and put a hand on his shoulder gently, smiling when he smiled back at her as well.

"Now he will have the opportunity to start his own family."

Onyx let out a low sigh as he lay back in the middle of his nest, trying to curl up and chase away the slight cold that swirled in the air. The cave was warm, but they were in the depths of winter, so not even the moisture of the inland river could do anything to keep it at bay.

Unfortunately he could not heat the nest with the fire of his plasma, at least not if he wanted it to burn completely and vanish all the work he had worked hard to do. Every part in what he had helped her.

Moreover, he was not willing to disturb his sister's sleep either. Near him, he felt little Agate stirring against his body, completely asleep but with a slight sensation in her cold scales that made her tremble against him.

Because of this, Onyx lured her in with his front paws and placed her closer to his side, closer to the fire that was rising from inside his belly. Then he opened one of his wings, carefully placed her under it, and then closed it around her small body, completely insulating her from the cold.

With satisfaction he noticed that she had stopped stirring as soon as she did this. She already felt safe as he always managed to make her every time they met in that way to rest.

He, too, could rest once and for all, without the need to be alert or afraid to make a hasty flight because the destroyers had somehow found the trail of his nest. And everything had been possible thanks to him.

Onyx flicked his ears and turned his head in the direction where the entrance was when he noticed a familiar presence entering the cave. Soon he saw the dark silhouette of the dragon that occupied his mind appear, so majestic from his position and with that haughty bearing when walking that the Alpha was not entirely aware of.

A gentle chirping by Onyx led Toothless to hurry and go all the way into the nest. The home that was already his.

The Alpha sniffed the empty space and looked at his companion, who simply shook his head and ended up raising his wing to reveal the other treasure of his that he was hiding underneath it. The little baby was already theirs, Toothless knew it and called her out with a gentle lick to his small sleeping head.

She moved against her brother's wing and he lowered it again so that she would not suffer from the low temperature of the environment. He could bear it, but the Alpha soon noticed his slight trembling.

Toothless didn't need to think about anything else to get completely inside and snuggle close to his partner. Onyx was satisfied, letting the other stretch his wing and cover his body with it, while he leaned his head against one of his front legs, closed his eyes, and relaxed completely.

The Alpha was also pleased with this, emitting a soft murmur that was born from deep within his throat and spread his soothing note through the body of both. Then he leaned his head against his partner's.

Soon.

Soon his family would grow much larger.

They only had to wait for spring.

Chapter Text

Spring, a season of renewal and new changes, had finally arrived.

The snows had been fading little by little, but in the weeks following the change of moon, the trees that had stripped their leaves in the previous autumn were returning to that bright green that characterized them.

They weren't the only ones enjoying those changes that came with the new season.

In the village, the Vikings and their families seemed to wake up from the lethargy that winter always brought with it, which seemed to be physically demonstrated every time they left their homes in the days that followed and stretched with a long yawn, accompanied by a pleasant stretch of the back.

Most of the village worked with renewed energy in the days following the melting of the last snow. They celebrated the change of season, began to make preparations for the cultivation of the next crop of the year, tended to the cattle that were about to give birth, and generally showed themselves as what they had always been.

In itself, everyone was happy to be able to enjoy a few more moons before the cycle began again.

Not even the prospect of the hunters who would once again roam the seas, looking for them and the hiding place where the herd of dragons under the command of the Alpha was kept, could tarnish the atmosphere that was breathed.

On the other hand, the small animals and the same dragons that hibernated in different areas of the island had already begun to wake up from their slumber, rising from their slumber with a special jolt and roars that could be heard even in the village.

However, these latest roars not only heralded their awakening, but also the beginning of an important season.

The dragons' breeding season had begun two weeks after the last thaw, so many had begun to get rowdy because of it. The village chiefs and the flock in particular, knew that they had a lot of work ahead of them, as they do every year.

However, this year was different from previous years.

Rumors spread throughout the village of the possible expectation of a litter of very special hatchlings, if they were to believe the chief's words regarding the discovery they had made earlier about the pair of Night Furies who dwelt in a cave near the settlement.

Because if it turned out to be possible for both to have young, then there was a new and real chance that the species could be saved from the extinction to which they seemed to have been doomed.

Everyone was very excited that this turned out to be true, but no one was more excited than Hiccup, who had witnessed all his friend's efforts in years past to find at least one dragon that looked like him.

At first he and everyone around him believed that his friend might have a chance to start a family with the Light Fury that had followed them to ancient Berk, but that had completely changed when they found the Night Fury in the middle of that storm.

Her subsequent flight from the island due to the attack of the dragon hunters, the transfer they had to make and the fact that they discovered that the new Night Fury was male had dampened everyone's spirits and had practically taken away their hope that this was possible.

Of course, until they had discovered the latter because of the unusual behavior of both dragons.

Now, they just had to wait.

After all, one moon after the beginning of spring, when the Alpha was already free from his obligations to the flock and most of the dragons were waiting for a new clutch of eggs, one of them began to feel something inside him change.

Because for Onyx, the beginning of mating season had only unearthed that deep longing for reconnection with his mate that deep down he had always wanted to feel.

He always wanted to feel that bond he had witnessed with his own parents before they both disappeared from this world, leaving them the only surviving egg of his last litter in his care and the obligation to protect the then newborn calf with his own life.

He didn't complain.

Caring for Agate had been his reason from the beginning.

Focusing on surviving and escaping the destroyers had been too, but fleeing from place to place and not staying too long in the same place had left him with no options to find another one of his own.

Someone to enlarge his family with.

But now that someone had appeared and accepted them both without reproach, claiming them as his own and repairing a part of his aching heart without even realizing it.

It was simply more than he could have asked for or desired.

Onyx slid like a shadow through the trees, his mind focused on going to a particular place. His wing was already completely healed thanks to the care of the mother of his partner's rider, but he still did not feel strong enough to open it and take flight. In addition, at that time he had another mission to perform.

It was for this reason that he soon came across the clearing where the hut stood, though he was not alone. Even behind the hiding place created between the logs, Onyx could see how the little cub was having fun in the company of his friends: the rider cub, her herd mate and the dragon of his mate, Stormfly, who had also recently joined.

Then his gaze was focused on the empty cabin. Although neither he nor Toothless could move due to the narrow size of the cabin, Agate had plenty of room and besides, he had grown very fond of it now that Moon

 was gone after her wounds healed.

Both had offered to stay in the herd, but she had refused, and after saying goodbye to him, she had decided to return to the lair under the sea. He knew that she would never agree to stay with the humans, even though one of them had healed her wounds, and they wouldn't abandon theirs either, so they had only been left to go their separate ways.

Onyx only hoped that neither they nor the herd would ever need to abandon their saviors, the only humans who accepted them as they were.

A black spot suddenly interrupted his field of vision and rushed at him with a grunt. Onyx let out a murmur, carefully pushed her away, and rubbed his head against hers before asking for what he wanted.

«Stay with them.»

Agate sat across from him and looked at him with his head tilted, which highlighted his large rolled eyes.

«Why?» she asked with the curiosity typical of an infant.

Onyx tried to find a way out, and a good answer.

«Your new father and I... are going to be a little busy, okay?»

The baby didn't understand what he meant, although she wasn't very interested in it either. She just flapped her wings behind her and wagged her tail when she realized the freedom she had been given.

«Then I can go with the flock and play with the other cubs?» she expressed with such enthusiasm that Onyx couldn't refuse.

«Of course,» he said softly and leaned over again to lick her little head. «Just be careful, is it okay?»

Agate jumped with joy and flew back into the clearing after that, where her human friends and the dragon greeted her with some confusion, but in a way also happy about whatever it was that had caused her state.

This done, Onyx returned like a sigh to the cave, to the empty nest that awaited him, but that would soon be accompanied in the next few hours.

The expectation increased in him as the minutes passed and an unknown heat was taking over his body. He had done well, allowing her to be away, but now he was the one who suffered.

He snorted hard.

His pupils narrowed into thin slits as he felt the sound of claws crashing against the rock, inching closer to where he stood. He was helpless and couldn't defend himself, but he didn't need to defend himself against him.

With a soft murmur, Onyx welcomed his partner, who was carrying a basket of fish in his jaws. Toothless left her to his side and then approached to rub her head gently with his, making it clear that he was there and was not going anywhere.

The sweet and slightly earthy scent of the other dragon came like a strong surge to his nostrils. That same aroma had been increasing in the previous days, but just today it had reached its peak.

Just today it had become more urgent.

Onyx separated a little from him, after giving him an unexpected and slow lick on his neck, which left a shudder in his partner, and he stretched his neck to take the prey that he had also hunted for him. Toothless shook off a little of the sensation that had clouded his mind and looked at the offering he had left in front of his paws.

They both looked at each other softly and affectionately before bending down and devouring the gifts they had given each other. Onyx savored the seafish meat that Toothless had brought for him, while the latter feasted on the meat of the wild boar that his companion had hunted.

Once this was done, they cleaned each other with their scratchy tongues, with the devotion of a sacred ritual that was about to begin.

Then Onyx got up from the nest, somewhat slowly, and stopped at a certain distance from his mate. Toothless imitated him, standing in front of each other.

Onyx knew that his companion had never lived with any of the herds of his species, so he could not know exactly how to guide the steps of the courtship dance, but he did. He had had the opportunity to see him countless times each year, with the new couples that were formed, so it was he who decided to take the first step that would lead them to make their union official.

Stepping forward, Onyx looked him in the eye, never taking them away from his own, and spread his wings in a gesture of delicacy. There was an implied elegance to his figure as he emitted soft purrs and moved his appendages in short but measured gestures, touching the ground with his paws gently and circling around his partner, not taking his eyes off him for a single second.

Toothless watched him with rapture, admiring each movement of the other dragon as if he were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. When his partner finished his dance and landed in front of him, he knew that he had to make an effort so that his partner would see him in the same way.

However, Onyx didn't care that his movements were clumsy, uncoordinated, because he had already earned his admiration and affection. He watched her with a soft smile as Toothless completed the second part of the dance in solitude, before joining him with a low roar.

They were just two of the same looking into each other's eyes and uniting their lives, their destinies and their paths at that moment and for all eternity. Two souls who had looked for a place to call home and had found it in each other.

The dance ended with an intertwining of their tails and another rubbing of heads, a little more intense than the previous ones by the Alpha. He sought to leave his smell imprinted on his partner with the desire that everyone would know that it belonged only to him. To him and no one else.

Onyx, unable to contain an involuntary shudder at the feeling of the other male's strong, intoxicating scent in the air, wagged his tail in a playful gesture and rubbed it against the other's snout. Toothless's vision was clouded as he saw how his mate stood up and invited him to join him in the nest, his tail continued to move mischievously and did not cease until he met the gaze of his dark eyes, of a turquoise as deep as desire that floated warmly between them.

It was then that a low growl escaped his throat, feeling his instinct take over completely. Intoxicated by the sweet aroma that his partner gave off, the Alpha got up and followed him like a butterfly after the light that attracted him.

Onyx couldn't define why, but he didn't feel nervous. Every caress of the Alpha and every lick of his neck was like a whisper that spread slowly through his being, a murmur that grew until it became the roaring echo of all the love and desire that they were spreading to each other.

The walls of the cave echoed with the roars of both dragons, their murmurs and their gasps; the only witness of that moment. The instinct was strong in both of them, but even so there was a certain dose of care in every movement, in every moment of that first meeting between the two that reinforced the connection between their beings.

It was pleasant.

It was peaceful. 

They just couldn't help but feel complete.

Onyx shuddered and closed his eyes tightly when he felt the Alpha's fangs wedged tightly into the skin of his neck, breaking his scales and leaving the mark that would last until the moment either of them left this world, but that wasn't his thought, no.

Now he was his, and that was all he cared about.

With a sigh of pleasure, he collapsed forward while his companion cleaned the new wound in a gentle, reverent gesture, sensing that deep down he felt bad for having hurt him; but it was necessary and they knew it. He let him do it and shuddered again when he felt the knot inside him unravel.

He didn't open his eyes again until he felt the Alpha cover him with his wings and give more soft licks to his head. He received them all with sweetness and affection as he rubbed against his body, marking it once again as his own with this last gesture.

«Rest for now, we'll have plenty of time to go on later,» the Alpha said in a soft whisper, looking at him fondly.

His partner looked at him with a calm, loving smile, and closed his eyes slowly as fatigue took over his body. In his dreams, he allowed himself to relax with the sight of the future cubs who would come as small blessings from their sacred union.

Chapter Text

The day dawned with the same radiant brilliance as always. The sun was beginning to rise overhead, amid fluffy, peaceful clouds, illuminating a beautiful blue sky with its light, and bathing the lands that depended on its warm rays gently, like a mother's touch to her sweet baby.

The distant waters of the inland sea were calm, with no apparent signs of disturbance on the part of the hunters who lurked with their boats deep in it. Fortunately, the waters surrounding the island also lent themselves to remain in the same way, not without a storm warning that could endanger the boats of the town of Nueva Berk.

But the village was by no means calm. There were people everywhere: Vikings who toiled in their daily tasks, the day-to-day jobs, while the younger ones frolicked everywhere. Especially now that the new egg litters of their parents' dragons had hatched.

All over the island you could hear the roaring sound and fire of life. New life that delighted with its stubby legs and small wings the children who always seemed to have fun with the arrival of the little hatchlings every spring.

It was also obvious that both the village chief and the Alpha of the herd had had a lot of work to do in the days following the first hatching, especially when the eggs of some dragons that had not been fertilized exploded without warning in the middle of their nests.

Thanks be to the gods, most of the herd's nests were far from the village, but that didn't mean that one or another of the dragons' eggs that had nested in their homes brought them an unexpected surprise. And not in a good way.

In addition to these minor incidents, life was going so well in the new settlement that Hiccup had let the more unruly residents have their time to organize the feast that would soon take place in the central hut.

The whole village had set to work on the preparations, because in addition to celebrating spring, the birth of a new litter of dragons, and the fact that the hunters no longer bothered them with as many raids as before (although Hiccup and the others rescued more dragons whenever they could),  There was also a more special reason to be happier than usual.

It was possible that they would soon have a clutch of Night Furies.

It was completely amazing!

The rumor had spread loudly and now the entire village knew what the young chief and his team had discovered. While it was obvious that some remained skeptical of such a revelation, there were many more who shared the enthusiasm of their leader and those who had been there to testify that it was true.

The herd of dragons, on the other hand, were happy that the Alpha had finally found a mate with whom to procreate, care for, and protect their future young. Each one had watched as their leader gave them the official news with pride and a smile in their eyes, although they all knew of the existence of that morning of scales as black as night.

There was no shortage of congratulations from each member who wanted to come and see him. Even the few who had seen them together proclaimed that they were destined to be a formidable couple, the light and guide of the flock.

Of course they would be, and he had always made it clear in front of everyone. His partner, on the other hand, had loved his enthusiasm. He knew it just by seeing his eyes, and obviously the little cub had joined in too.

Just at that moment, Toothless was coming to meet him, as he glided silently through the bushes and leaves, the thick trunks of old trees or the thinner stems of new shoots. He walked stealthily, even though he knew that this part of the island was completely reserved for both of them.

The dragons of the herd did not approach that area without his explicit consent, and the latter was only reserved for his companions (whom his partner had become quite fond of) and for his dragon friends, his select group.

He understood very well the need for his companion to be protected by more dragons than just him, in fact he had a whole herd that was willing to risk his life for the sake of his mate, the cub... and something much more special.

Toothless finally reached his destination when he stopped at the edge of a small beach that was enclosed by a couple of high cliffs. A cove that only had a single entrance and exit to the cold waters of the sea beyond.

And in the middle of that cove, a dragon with dark scales swam with all the softness that his rough and somewhat bulging body would allow, although it was not too much in reality. Onyx didn't care that any creature might be staring at him or his slightly graceful way of swimming in the water.

His body wasn't quite made for aquatic life like the smooth-scaled fury, but Moon had taught him a thing or two tricks for the waters before he fell prey to those hunters. Luckily, his body floated better than ever in the middle of the calm waters.

His partner watched him from the shore as he slowly approached, until he finally stopped and sat down on the sand. He didn't stop looking at him all that time, and even though most of his body was underwater, Onyx knew very well who it was that was on the shore.

He gave a soft tail and turned in a semi-closed circle to be in the same direction as him; only then did he begin to draw closer. But Onyx wanted to surprise him, so before the other dragon could get up to make room for him, a jet of water shot out vertically right where his body broke the surface.

The water soaked Toothless completely, and he quickly walked away with clumsy steps as he tried to hold back a growl that nevertheless came from his throat. A rhythmic, steady chirp greeted him above his head, so he picked it up and saw him, up there, flapping his wings with the softness and care of one who knows he was wounded and is wary of his recent healing.

Fun flashed in Onyx's eyes and he gave another low laugh at the sight of his astonished face. Satisfied with his reaction, he decided to land on the sand, near him, and shake off the seawater that had been caught on his scales. Then he folded his wings and walked slowly toward him.

Toothless looked at him with infinite tenderness, enraptured, and gave his head a gentle lick once he stood by his side. That and rubbing each other was already part of their greeting routine every time they saw each other, affectionate caresses that stirred the inside of their breasts like never before.

«I'm so glad you're okay,» Toothless murmured, lowering his head slightly for another lick from Onyx.

His companion looked at him with a gleam of insolence in his eyes, something that somehow piqued his interest.

"Much better, I guess I'll have to thank your rider's mother."

His words didn't surprise him, but they caused a smile to transform his features instantly. The older female had been very useful to them in dressing his wounded wing; he would also make sure to show him his appreciation as he only knew how to do.

Suddenly, he paid attention to what he had seen in the middle of the waters, or rather to the way Onyx had slipped through them, with more grace and elegance than he could ever boast of in his life.

«By the way, nothing better than I ever did»

Onyx looked at him, but instantly couldn't help but let out a snort and a quick twitter at it, apparently quite amused to hear it. If he knew that wasn't what he called 'swimming' at all...

«That couple of clumsy tails?» he said this time with obvious grace in his tone, to some surprise from his partner. «I'm afraid this beach doesn't have deep enough water to show you what I'm capable of doing.»

Toothless was a little more surprised by his words, until he remembered how they had met for the first time. Then the expression of bewilderment in his eyes changed to one of subtle mockery when in a soft whisper he said what he thought.

«I seem to remember that I was the one who in the past rescued you from those deep waters,» he said with the softness of someone who tells a truth, smiling slightly when he saw that his partner seemed to look away. «Twice in fact»

Onyx looked away completely this time, a little embarrassed by the fact that this was a pretty obvious truth. His wings moved slightly on his sides as he turned to speak to him.

«You didn't see me at the best time, I admit, but I'm a better swimmer when I don't panic»

Toothless could see in his eyes that he was sincere about that issue. Besides, he believed him, after all the first time they met a storm was raging and he had just been ambushed by a pair of Deathgripper, which ended with him crashing into the frigid waters before becoming unconscious.

The second time he had panicked from a nightmare, as he had explained to him, and his wing was already wounded. It was not surprising that he had not been able to beat the strong currents that surrounded the island.

«Then you will show it to me whenever you want,» he said to encourage him in this regard, while he saw how he began to get up.

Onyx tried to do so, carefully placing both legs on the ground to rise. He was stopped by the unexpected rumble of his stomach. Suddenly he felt as if he hadn't eaten in hours, and the truth was that he hadn't, in all that time he'd spent swimming with no other company and interruptions than that of the little fish too scrawny and small to be eaten.

It was evident that Toothless realized his condition, and how could he not do so if the sound even made him shudder? Moreover, he was soon by his side with a certain expression of anguish that could not help but soften him.

«Are you okay? I can go and catch the sea lobsters you like so much, as many as you want,» Suddenly, his eyes flashed when he came up with something else. «Or maybe you want me to go to the cave and enlarge the nest? Since Agate is growing and is soon about to be filled much more...»

He did not finish the sentence because he was interrupted in the sweetest way possible, with a wing hug and another lick that completely shook his being, but he had perfectly understood what he meant. A feeling of warmth was reflected in those turquoise eyes that he loved to look at so much when they met his.

I love you, you really are the best match any dragon could dream of having, did I tell you that before?"

Toothless nodded gently. He had done it several times, but he still liked it on each occasion. In a way it made him feel proud.

«I would love to... to tell me whenever you want,» he said, and his rapture was quite evident when he did. He could not take his eyes off his own.

Onyx let out one last low twitter that pretended to be a laugh and continued the path he intended to traverse to reach the place he was beginning to call home. Toothless followed him and soon positioned himself at his side.

However, before either of them could take a step off the beach, a dark, swift shadow came into Toothless's field of vision. It all happened so quickly that he didn't even have time to react when his face was covered by two pairs of little legs that, with the sudden impulse, caused him to lose his balance and fall immediately and irretrievably on his back.

A trail of sand covered the bodies of both adult dragons, though Onyx only had to cover himself with his wing to prevent it from falling on his face; Toothless was not so lucky. He grunted slightly and struggled, but the form that had been above him crouched and quickly jumped after something she was chasing.

«Agate!»

Onyx's voice roared in a tone of loud scolding, causing the cub to stop suddenly, paralyzed in the stalking position she had held before. It didn't matter anymore anyway, the rabbit had escaped behind some bushes, screeching with loud frightened sounds.

The little girl shrank slightly in place. Seeing the stern expression of her brother/father figure and the sandy mess on the other dragon's body, made her realize what she had caused. Then a toothless apologetic smile appeared on her face.

«I'm sorry...»

Onyx softened his countenance a little more when he reached where she was; he could never be mad at her too long. The little cub stood up again when she realized that she had done the right thing, although she did not entirely like to see the other dragon's expression. She did not like to see his reproach.

«Just be careful for the next one, spotting obstacles in your prey's path can set you back or give you an advantage, I hope you understand that,» he said softly and firmly enough for her to give him her full attention.

«So can I try to catch a little fish?» said the little cub after nodding to him, pointing with her wing towards the lagoon of the cove. Onyx looked at her with a slight tilt of his head.

«You can try... but I don't want to see you in the depths,» he said, resuming for a moment the seriousness he had shown before, to some dismay of his sister.

Agate didn't lend herself to disobey him this time, so she nodded quickly and walked off into the water as fast as her stubby little paws would allow. Both adults stayed behind, close to the shore, but always vigilant for the slightest disturbance that could cloud that moment of peace.

Then Onyx let out a quiet sigh, muttering something under his breath that Toothless couldn't hear before he said his next words.

«They are so unruly at this age»

Toothless looked at him, then looked at the baby and in the end he knew that he had to agree with him there. He didn't say anything, but his silence was enough to make Onyx even more interested and want to take him with him. When the latter got up, his partner knew that it was not to resume the path they had previously intended.

«Come»

Toothless needed no more incentive than that to follow him back to the water, to the place where he was and where his family was complete. And as such, Onyx didn't need to think about it too much, either.

Gone were the days when he and his sister lived only to hide, waiting for hunters to find them or some other dragon to drive them out of their territory. Not anymore, because now they would live to see a new dawn. And a new generation of little troublemakers who would arrive to harmonize their days as never before.