Chapter Nine

A/N: I've got a lot of explaining to do, don't I?

In response to...

The Galloping Cupcake: You're about to find out if they can revive him or not...

XxPinkMustachexX: Well, you'll get your answers here. :) And I'm glad your wrist feels better! :D

Jesusfreak: Yesssss! XD

GuardianDragon98: Lol, I'm sorry!

Blue -The First Traveller: Also: the entirety of Deranged, the climax of Escarpment, pretty much all of Bewitched & Captivated, and the climax of Ice! XDDDD ...poor Hiccup. He is NOT safe in my hands.

Snowflake: YESSSS! XDDDD

InfinitiumAce: That's alright, although admittedly your review required just a bit of deciphering XDD Lol, I'm just kidding! Hope your cycling-wounds feel better soon!

Johnriley245: Oh, I'll think about it I guess...

skyle1412: I'm sorry about your emotions... XD But just read the chapter, I think you'll be pleased. :)

Breyannia: Good :) It's risky business sometimes making cliffhangers that...dangerous. Some people just DO NOT like them. And you'll find out wh Johann left in this chapter.

HTTYDFanaddict, midnightsky0612: LOL! XD

Nahelo: Well, here it is! :D

A random surprise: LOL! And Toothless knew he was dead because he stopped being able to hear his heart.

Guest: Because torturing you guys is the highlight of my day! XD Lol, thank you though! I'm glad you're enjoying it and I hope you like the outcome...

Nightfury101: Lol, yup! Guilty as charged! XD

fictionreader16: Okaay, that's an extremely creepy thing to say. e_e

dancingRAINBOWS: Oh wow! :D Thank you so much! (I feel like a total dope because that's all I can think to say in response to such a nice review...) but SERIOUSLY WOW! I'm sooo glad you like the story and enjoy my little twists and turns and the effort I put into it. So...THANKS AGAIN!

He can't hear a heart beat? What does he mean he can't hear a heart beat?! There HAS to be a heart beat...! There HAS to be...!

Astrid lifts a shaking hand to cover her mouth because she feels like she might be sick. Tears roll freely down her cheeks and doesn't try to stop them. Gods...Hiccup is...

He's so still. And pale. He's not breathing, and now, Stoick says he can't hear his heart. But that means...he's...dead.

Toothless howls again, even more despaired than the last. And downstairs, Gobber, Johann, and Gothi momentarily freeze their movements. They know too. They're officially out of time.

The sound of boots thundering up the stairs barely manages to cover the Night Fury's sorrowful shrieks as Toothless desperately tries to hear his Rider's heart beat...but finds nothing but silence.

Gothi pushes her way past the other two, a wooden bowl clutched in her hands. With a strength surprising for such a little, old woman, she practically shoves Stoick out of the way and grasps Hiccup's arm.

Setting the bowl down on the bedside table, she brushes his fur vest open and places an ear to his chest. The elder's expression darkens as she, too, determines his heart has stopped. They might already be too late.

But that doesn't stop her from trying. She takes Hiccup's wrist, which already is starting to feel cold, and rolls up his sleeve to reveal the red bite mark. It almost glows against his pale white skin, looking almost triumphant. As if it's about to win some long-fought battle.

Gothi scowls at it as she dips her fingers into the pale pink creme they've mixed up in the bowl. It still smells strongly of the Basilisk Lilies as she applies it to the bite. Everyone stares in desperate fear as the salve seems to...absorb into his skin.

...but Hiccup still doesn't breathe. And Astrid's eyes squeeze shut, positive that they've failed him. That Hiccup is gone...and the wails of his dragon are only a testament to that fact.

However, Stoick has suddenly decided otherwise. He can feel it. He doesn't know how, but he knows that if he can get his son to breathe again...if he can just get Hiccup's heart to just beat one more time, the medicine will kick in and he'll be fine. He knows it's crazy. Hiccup is dead. But he still has to try.

So as Gothi draws away, having done all she can, Stoick takes her place. He presses his interlocked fists on Hiccup's chest and grimaces. The boy looks so fragile right now, like glass. He's so afraid he'll simply shatter if he tries this...though it's not like he has a choice. So he pushes down as hard as he can, Hiccup's body jolting limply under the force.

Nothing. He doesn't wake up.

Stoick tries again, his eyes nearly wild as he prays for Hiccup to breathe. And his hopes aren't silent either. "Come on, son...!" He growls as he pushes again. "Just breathe...!"

A fourth try and still nothing.

Gothi shakes her head and leans it in her hand, sighing in misery as Gobber pats her back. His head is bowed.

A fifth and no response.

Astrid has slid to the ground, her face buried in her knees.

A sixth, nothing.

Johann outwardly curses and sinks into a sitting position as well. He looks over at Astrid, who has lifted her head and is staring broken-heartedly at Hiccup.

A seventh and still-

"GAAAASP!" Hiccup's body lurches forward as he drags in a lungful of air, only to immediately fall back onto the bed, coughing and wheezing and shaking terribly.

For a split second, everyone just stands there and gapes. Their mouths fall open and they all glance at each other in utter shock. Even Stoick doesn't move from the position he gained against the wall when he fell back in surprise.

No one moves and, ironically, no one breathes as Hiccup seems to come back to life in front of them. His coughs die down and, although his forehead is scrunched, his eyes blink open and he shakes his head. His green eyes fall on all of them, one at a time, and then down at himself.

He looks pale, sickly, and weak. His body is trembling and sweaty and his bangs have stuck to his forehead with the stuff. His throat, stomach, arm, head...they all ache terribly. But...there's a sort of relief in his chest. Like he'd been holding his breath for a long time and now he can finally breathe again.

He wants to ask everyone why they're staring at him but before he gets a chance, Johann suddenly cries out as he's violently pushed aside by a fast-moving black figure. Toothless skids to a halt about an inch away from Hiccup's bed, his own green eyes narrow and the pupils slitted as if he isn't sure this is real.

Hiccup hesitates. This is all so weird. He feels like he missed a lot. But this is Toothless so he simply forces a little, weak grin from where he's laying and whispers, "Hey, bud."

And then it's like the whole world explodes around him. Before he even knows what's happening, he's suffocating in his father's beard and he's pretty sure he feels his bones creak as all of them jump on him simultaneously, their embraces tight enough snap his spine. Luckily though, it never gets that far. Because no longer than a second later, Gothi wacks Stoick across the back of his head with her staff and points an aged finger in the other direction.

Hiccup gasps for air again as he's released, offering the medicine woman a grateful smile as his friends also pull away. All but Toothless, who has quite literally climbed onto the bed and has somehow managed to get all the way around him and is now almost cradling Hiccup against his belly. But the wheezing boy doesn't mind that, his dragon's warmth feels good against his cold body and he relaxes into it while he waits for an explanation as to what in THOR'S name is going on here.

"Hiccup," Stoick begins as he beams with happiness. "You've been to Helheim and back, son..."

Water laps the edges of the docks where Johann's ship has been pulled back into port. The air is chilly, as usual. Berk's heat wave has gone at last and there's even a thin blanket of frost on the ground. Dark grey clouds hang low in the sky and little flakes of snow dance through the air.

Hiccup shivers and tries to rub his arms, only to frown at the sling that keeps his right hand from moving. Although he can't see his skin below the layers of bandages that wrap his wrist, he knows the bite is still rather red. But nothing like it was before. Gothi told him the damage wasn't too bad and feeling should return to it within a few days...but for now, it has to stay wrapped.

He looks over at Toothless, who is supporting most of his weight as they stand there a few feet away from the docks, and smiles. "Come on, bud." He says as they start carefully walking across the slippery wooden port. "I want to say goodbye to Johann before my dad finds out I'm up..."

His dragon snorts, frustrated that his Rider refuses to rest, but at least he's here and can keep an eye on him. Besides... The dragon's ears twitch as he listens to the strong thumps of his human's heart. With a little purr, he decides the boy will be fine. As his father put it, he's "no longer in the woods".

"Johann!" Hiccup calls once they're close enough and the merchant turns around, his eyes wide with shock.

"Master Hiccup? What are you doing out of bed?" He demands in a voice that sounds not unlike Stoick... "Didn't your father tell you to rest?"

Toothless's Rider smiles sheepishly and nods. "He did...but I wanted to say goodbye to you before you left!"

Johann's firm expression softens and he, too, smiles before patting Hiccup's shoulder. "Well, it's a relief to see you back on your feet, at least..." Although he looks a little guilty. "I'm sorry I almost poisoned you because I didn't know what I was doing." He grumbles, guiltily.

But Hiccup only sighs and nods his head. "I know. You've already apologized...fourteen times. I'm not mad, Johann! If not for you, I'd be dead right now!"

So the trader pats his shoulder again and says, "Thank you, Master Hiccup."

And Hiccup smirks at him, shifting his weight so that he's no longer leaning on Toothless and instead standing straight up on his own. "Thank you, Johann. You saved my life." Then, he glances over his shoulder at the ship full of Vikings about to sail for the island Snotlout marked on their map. They're going to find where those Basilisk Lilies grow and bring some bulbs to Berk so they can grow them here as well, just in case. "Mine and some others as well, I'm sure."

"It was my pleasure." The merchant assures him. "I'm just glad Gothi figured out it wasn't meant to be ingested... Luckily drinking it isn't deadly!" He tries to joke, although he only earns a shiver from Hiccup at the memory of that vile flavor it left in his mouth.

"Yeah, luckily..." The boy echos.

Just then, the docks shake as a Nadder lands heavily behind Hiccup. Her vibrantly colors wings folding against her body as Astrid peers around the saddle at Johann. She smiles and says, "Alright, your ship is all ready to go when you-" But she stops herself when she notices the slender teenager standing across from him. "HICCUP!" She barks as she jumps down. "Are you seriously disobeying your father again?!"

"Hey, he never said I couldn't say goodbye to Johann!" Hiccup points out. "Which is why I'm up!"

She sighs deeply and steps forward to take his elbow, trying to support some of his weight. "Well you look like you're about to fall over..." She mumbles, feeling the way he involuntarily leans against her. Then, replacing her smile on her face, she looks back up at Johann. "Thanks for all your help, Trader Johann."

"It was not a problem, Miss Astrid." He insists with a deep bow. Then, turning back to Hiccup, he bows again and says, "I'll see you soon, Master Hiccup. Feel better." And then he excuses himself to his ship, leaving them alone.

Astrid glances sideways at Hiccup and shakes her head. "Honestly..." She mumbles as she pulls him toward Stormfly. "How did you even get down here without collapsing? You couldn't even stand up this morning..."

Hiccup shrugs, wincing at the sudden sharp pain in his hand. But that's normal, Gothi assures him. It happens anytime someone gets nerve damage like this. So he just tries to ignore it and replies with, "I had Toothless to help me. It's not like he's never been my crutch before..."

Astrid stares at him, slightly startled. Her brow creases at the memory of those few weeks after the battle with the Red Death when Hiccup could barely walk at all, even with someone to lean on. Toothless was usually his 'crutch' during those days. "Yeah well...it's still dangerous for you to move around too much."

"Eh, I'm alright." He tells her. "Besides, I'm sick of laying around."

Astrid rolls her eyes at him and mumbles, "Stubborn Viking."

He grins at her and giggles a little when Toothless prods him playfully with his nose. "So...I saw what Fishlegs was making earlier today."

Astrid freezes in place and winces slightly. "You saw?"

"Yup." And then he arcs an eyebrow at her and asks, "You really think going back out there is such a good idea after what happened to me?"

Slowly, Astrid continues leading him toward his house. Her grip tightens on his arm and around his waist at his question. "The whole island has dragons now, Hiccup." She reminds him, earning a questioning look from her friend. "Chances are, we won't be the only people to go exploring. I just...want to make sure no one else gets bitten by one of those things."

Hiccup nods his head in understanding, although his eyes are thoughtful. "And you think a sign is going to stop that from happening?"

She shrugs and shifts her weight to support him with only one arm as she opens his front door. "It's a start." She points out. "We mark the nest and make it so no one gets close. At least until we can learn more about the Venomous Vorpent..."

Hiccup blinks in surprise at her but his lips quirk up into a smile that looks almost...proud. "You still want to learn about it?"

"Of course." She mumbles. "It would only be more dangerous if we continue to know nothing about them."

Hiccup's grin spreads and he chuckles quietly as they hobble inside together, Toothless trailing very closely behind them. "Spoken like a true Dragon Trainer..."

She scoffs quietly and rolls her eyes, but a small smirk has touched her lips as well. "Yeah, I can't help but be curious about them and it's all your fault!" She grumbles, playfully wacking him across his shoulder.

He winces a bit and rubs the forming bruise. "Hey, easy! I have feeling in my arm again!"

"Exactly!" She snickers, but then her smile fades and a distant look crosses her eyes.

"Astrid?" Hiccup asks, his grin also disappearing. "What's wrong?"

Suddenly, her expression sours and she punches him even harder. He yelps in pain and trips backwards into the wall.

"What was that for?!" He demands angrily as he rubs his shoulder. And by the look on her face, he doubts she's going to follow up with their trademark kiss. Instead, he shrinks back as her face turns even darker and if he didn't know any better, he'd swear he could see tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

But of course Vikings don't cry. And Astrid is no exception to that.

"That," She growls. "Was because I just remembered the horrible thing you did to me!"

He only stares uncomprehendingly at her. Obviously not getting what she means.

"You made me think you were dead...!" She reminds him furiously. "You scared me to death!"

"Oh..." He gulps, too afraid of what kind of violence she's surely going to unleash on him to really understand what she's saying. "I'm sorry..."

She nods curtly and folds her arms. "You should be!" And then she hits him one more time, just for good measure. "And listen up, Hiccup! You ever scare me that bad again and I will make Vorpentitis look like a walk through the park...!"

He swallows in fear because he knows she isn't joking. "Uh, wouldn't dream of it...Astrid."

So she nods again before turning back toward the door, satisfied that he's safely back in his home and she's been thoroughly understood. Astrid throws open the door and takes one step outside before pausing. She chews her lip in thought for a second before muttering, "Hiccup."

"Hm?" He asks sourly as he continues to rub his aching arm. It's only when her hands suddenly cup his cheeks and their lips are pressing together that he realizes she ever came back inside.

His arm still aches but at the moment, he doesn't really care. Hiccup melts into her kiss and his eyelids droop closed, his heart noticeably fluttering in his chest.

When the two teenagers eventually part, they smirk at each other. Astrid begins to say something but is cut off when someone loudly groans behind them. She gasps and spins around, blushing madly that someone caught them kissing. However, her embarrassment is quickly morphed into anger when she realizes who it is.

"SNOTLOUT!" She barks as her hands ball into fists.

"Ugh, why is it that every time I see you two together I get a really sick feeling in my stomach?" He sneers in disgust.

"That's your gut warning you!" Astrid growls as she lifts her fist. "It's telling you to run!"

His eyes snap wide open and he backs away, lifting his arms into the air as a surrender. "Uh...what I meant to say is, we're all ready to go hang that sign at the sea stacks, Astrid..."

She nods her head again before glancing over her shoulder at Hiccup, who is staring distastefully at Snotlout. Obviously he's not very happy that their little 'moment' got interrupted. "I'll see you when we get back." She assures him before pointing commandingly to his room. "Get some rest. And make sure, this time, you stay there."

He rolls his eyes before backing toward the steps. "Yes, ma'am."

"Toothless, you're in charge." She says as she hurries out to join the other Riders, the door closing softly behind her.

Said Night Fury looks sideways at Hiccup, a challenging gleam in his eyes as if to say 'Yeah, that's right. I'm in charge!' But his Rider only shakes his head and hobbles up the stairs.

"She was joking, you know." He says but Toothless only holds his head up high and follows his human up to the bedroom, determined to keep him here this time. After all, he's in charge. He refuses to let his human get hurt or sick again. And he is not beyond sitting on him to keep him still!

Obviously, Hiccup can sense his dragon's determination because he quietly, obediently sinks onto his bed, wincing a bit at his numb hand. With a small frown, he peels the bandage back to get a peek at the bite...and he gasps slightly at what he sees.

It's gone. The mark is gone!

Hiccup smiles and lowers the bandage again. When he rolls over, he finds Toothless curling up on the floor beside him and reaches down to pet his Night Fury's head. "Sorry, bud." He says, seemingly out of the blue.

Toothless cracks open his eyes again and coos gently.

"I know it must have been scary for you." He giggles a little when his dragon lifts his head to nuzzle against his cheek. "But...look on the bright side, at least we have a cure for Vorpentitis now! And we found a whole species of dragon we didn't know existed."

But Toothless only snorts and closes his eyes again, unimpressed. Frankly, he'd rather his human just stay out of trouble. Even if it means just staying on Berk. Of course...Hiccup will never do that. And Toothless knows that, the moment he's feeling back to normal, he'll be out flying again. They might even get into more trouble... Hiccup might get hurt.

But...that's okay. Toothless will be with him and he'll keep him safe. Because he never, EVER wants to hear that much silence in Hiccup's chest ever again. So he'll keep his little human close and protect him from all the dangers of their archipelago home. But at least he won't be the only one with that goal...

"Hiccup!"

Toothless's Rider flinches at the sound of his father's voice and a weak smile touches his lips. "Um, hey Dad."

"What's this I heard about you wandering around at the docks?" The Chief demands.

"Uhhh..." Hiccup looks pleadingly down at Toothless but the dragon only yawns and closes his eyes.

Sorry, Hiccup. Toothless thinks. But your father is the one thing I can't help you with.

A/N: Yup, my endings are always on the strangest notes...and I apologize for that. I'm just REALLY bad at endings... BUT! Thanks to everyone for all the lovely reviews, follows, and favorites and I hope you liked the story!

PS, my next fanfic is called "Siren Sung". If you're interested, you can keep an eye on my profile for information regarding when it'll be posted!