You didn't really think I'd let Tuffnut die, did you? Oh no, he's gonna be back to his old self in no time! Don't forget to R+R, I love to hear from you guys :)

He awoke through a cloud of fog, his nose stuffy and his head spinning slightly. There was a buzz in his ears, though this cleared slowly, along with everything else, to leave him in a bed. A strange bed. Tuffnut didn't really use beds, so being in one for once was strange. He looked around himself. The room was dark and musty, with a fire sat in the middle, keeping a stifling heat. There was a stove in the corner, a table a chairs nearby. He quickly realised that this was the chief's house.

The twin heard a sharp snort, sitting up to find his sister fast asleep at his side, her head resting on his chest. He looked at her for a second, slightly bemused, as if he couldn't quite work out where she'd come from, and then, with an overly loud shout of; "Ugh! Girl germs!" He gave her a rough shove that sent her sprawling to the ground, limbs flying in all directions. With a loud shout of indignation, she dusted herself off and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey! What was that for?" She snarled, teeth bared. Her brother shot her a look.

"You're gross. Why'd you fall asleep on me like that?"

"Well, perhaps I've been sitting here, not sleeping for three days, waiting for you to wake up!" She stood up, in a huff, and headed for the door, glancing over her shoulder to add, "No, don't say anything. I know when I'm not wanted."

He barely had time to shout out to her before the door slammed behind her, and he was left with a feeling of regret and remorse writhing in his breast. Looking down, he barely noticed the figure pacing placidly down the stairs to see what the noise was all about. Hiccup walked calmly up to the bedside, startling Tuffnut slightly, though the twin tried his best to hide it. His calm gaze fell on the weakened boy.

"So... how do you feel?" Hiccup asked quietly.

"Better than before. A bit like I do after a bad landing," The brother mused. The chief's son regarded him with a certain amount of bemusement.

"And that little argument with your sister; what was that about?"

"Oh, I pushed her and she freaked out. I don't understand her sometimes."

Hiccup nodded, smiling slightly in understanding. "She's really tired, for a start, which always makes a person cranky. As well as that, she's been worried about you. Not like other people, not showing anything, but really worried on the inside." Tuffnut nodded soundlessly, his lips pursed. "You want me to go talk to her?"

He seemed to brighten at the idea. Sitting up, Tuffnut nodded eagerly, smiling slightly. "That would be awesome, thanks."

"Bear in mind, she might just want to go to bed..." Hiccup warned as he turned for the door. He heard the twin flop back down onto his bed as he closed it behind him.

The night air was cool, filled with the warm smell of burning torches, a rich, woody smell, and the salty tang of the sea that lapped at the cliffs on which the village was built. The houses, their roofs overgrown with mosses, stood out, warm and inviting in the firelight. He looked up to the star-filled sky and through the dark streets to a small, hunched figure, moving very slowly away, as though dragging themselves away from something very dear. He could hear her feet sliding along the dirt track. Launching himself forwards down the steps, he jogged to catch up with her, reaching forwards as he did so.

His hand met her shoulder. "Ruffnut! Where are you going?"

"Home! I'm done with this!" She shot back, grabbing his wrist and tossing it roughly away.

"Tuffnut needs you! I know he does! If you would only go back and-"

"No, Hiccup, can't you see? He doesn't even care!" She looked away, lips pursed in her signature scowl. "He's got you anyway."

"Come on, Ruff, just for a second. Just come back and tell him goodnight. Just to show you're not mad at him."

"But I am mad at him! He shoved me into a wall!"

"Yeah, but he doesn't need to know that..." Hiccup felt his argument losing more and more sense even as the words came out of his mouth. Instead, he just gave the sister a pleading look. Looking ready to smack him across the cheek, she hunched her shoulders, hostile. He stepped back out of range, just in case.

"Why should I be nice to him? He wasn't nice to me."

Suddenly, an idea bloomed in his head, and so, he shrugged, turning around. "Fine, I'll just tell him you're not coming. I'll tell him you went to bed without him. I'm sure he won't mind..."

He was suddenly shoved aside, the girl storming past him, back towards the house. "Words can't describe how much I hate both of you right now," She spat, stamping back up the steps, Hiccup grinning at her heels.

She barged through the door and folded her arms across her chest, glaring at her brother, who looked delighted, the light from the moon outside falling across his bed in a door-shaped shaft.

"Hiccup says you wanted me." She spat.

"Did he? Oh, I don't know where he got that idea from," The boy shrugged, wrinkling his nose.

"Fine, I'm going to bed then," She snorted, turning.

"No, Sis, wait a sec..." The girl couldn't resist the call, turning to look over her shoulder as her brother tried to pull the blankets off his bed and get out. Hiccup bit his lip. He wasn't sure whether the boy would yet be strong enough to stand. However, he needn't have worried, for the next moment, Ruffnut was there, roughly shoving her brother back into the bed, pulling the covers back up under his chin and forcing him down.

"Stay in bed, will you? You stupid idiot, you'll get yourself in an even worse way than you're in now!"

"Will not," He argued, but was silenced by his sister's glare as she perched on the end of his bed.

"Go to bed and rest. The longer you take to recover, the worse Barf and Belch will get and the longer it will be until we can blow things up again."

"Yeah, you're right," He breathed, smiling. For the first time in days, Both twins had a smirk on their faces. "I remember it, you know. I remember everything you said to me, when we were waiting for Astrid and Hiccup."

"You were unconscious!" The sister said scathingly.

"Was not. Not in my mind, anyway. My body just wasn't working."

"Oh, go to sleep!" She gave Tuffnut a slap across the forehead, and then stood as he rolled on to his side, closing his eyes obediently. Exchanging a glance with Hiccup, she left his side, staggering towards the door.

"You can stay here, you know. I've got a spare bed." Hiccup offered, but she waved away the suggestion with a sweep of her hand.

"I'm fine, Hiccup. Stop worrying!"

And with that, she left, disappearing into the night once again.

Sorry for the extraordinary wait, I know how annoying it must be. My last exam is this Wednesday, and then hopefully I will find more time to write my next adventure, The Runaway. This one focuses on all of the characters at some point. I can't wait to start writing it, it's so full of action I'm not going to be able to stop. This one got a little boring at the end, if anyone happened to notice. Hehe. Never mind, until the next time,

Dissidia180

How to Train Your Dragon and all characters are copyright of Dreamworks Animation

All events and plot are copyright of Dissidia180 2014.