6/15/10

A Place To Call Home

Summary: Something is wrong with Toothless and Hiccup is going to do whatever it takes to make it right.

Disclaimer: All rights to "How To Train Your Dragon" belong to DreamWorks and Cressida Cowell; I own nothing except an awesome Toothless plushie.

Epilogue

A sleek black dragon sails through the clouds. On his back are two humans and several bundles of supplies, though the cargo is of little concern to the Night Fury. He is simply content to feel the crisp fall air part for him, to hear it whistle in his ears. But he is getting closer: scent of the Brood tickles his nostrils causing his wings to pump harder and faster. Soft human hands on his neck directing him, but he needs no direction. Land looms ahead: land of his sires, land of his Life-mate. It is good.

The Night Fury touches down easily on the soft sand, calls happily to his Brood-mates that have come to greet. Some are fearful of the humans and he tries to calm them, project the energy of trust. The human male and female dismount and remove all bundles and boxes and the Night Fury shakes in anticipation. She's not on the beach yet, but he smells her, close, and the young ones!

The human male has removed the trappings on his back, made of the dead skins of animals, at first constricting but now they represent flight, and so are good; removing them means no flight, but they will return, soon, when it is time. Now the human is at his face making the mouth sounds and touching with his hands. While pleasant to listen to, the Night Fury can't understand the mouth sounds exactly, though some are becoming familiar, yet he usually has no problem understanding his human. It's not really the mouth sounds themselves, but how they're said and the look on the human's face, but the most important of all is the human's energy. All life is energy. The energy is almost – but not quite – a scent, and almost – but not quite – a taste. It is felt the way deep thunder is felt. Smaller creatures' energy is small, weak, easily ignored, but dragons' energy is strong and exhilarating.

Many years ago when the Night Fury had passed from youngling to adolescent, he had set out on the Great Journey that males make before their first mating season. Many seek out new Broods, but the Night Fury had already made his Life-bond and would return for their first coupling – or would have had he not encountered the strongest energy he'd ever known. It was red and intoxicating and frightening at the same time, and for many years the Night Fury was mesmerized by this energy to serve the Great Dragon that wielded it, so strong was it that it even overrode his urge to return to his Life-mate for coupling. For many years he served the queen and her endless appetites, until the night he suddenly found himself ensnared and plummeting to earth, suddenly broken and flightless.

Then the human had come to him, and he discovered a different kind of energy, as powerful as the Great Dragon's, but soft, yellow, warm, like the sun. The humans he'd felt before in service of the Great Dragon had all been hard and angry, black energy that knew no compromise. This human offered food and healing and companionship, and finally flight! They flew together as one, and their energies mingled and connected, and the Night Fury found himself as bound to the human as he was with his Life-mate. He drew strength from his Rider, and even when the other humans trapped and shackled him, forcing him close to the Great Dragon again, his Rider had come for him and together they had destroyed the Great Dragon as one.

Then they had returned to the land of the humans, which was good. Good food, good dragon energy, and good human energy, but still no Brood, and then the time of the Night Furies' mating had come upon again, and all his thoughts turned to returning to his Life-mate. Somehow his Rider had known it, felt it, as if reading the Night Fury's own energy, and had brought him back. There was great joy at seeing his Dam and his Sire again, and of course his Life-mate, and they created the eggs, and it was good.

But something had happened, and the human's energy had grown darker and confusing. The Night Fury had watched helplessly as the human flew off without him. Why? What had he done? It was incomprehensible and he had felt lost and alone, even among his Brood-mates. Then the human's sire had come carrying the trappings, this human whose energy had been the blackest of them all, his energy was now bright and welcoming, hoping. With his help the Night Fury had been reunited with his Rider.

Now they are back. The Night Fury takes a precautionary sniff, just to be sure, but the energy is again yellow, dazzling, and stronger than ever. The Night Fury casts an eye to the female human, his Rider's Life-mate, who is making a shelter further up the beach. They will stay for a while. This is good.

From the trees ahead, his Life-mate finally comes and the Night Fury can barely contain his excitement. She gives his Rider a growl of warning, and then they are together nuzzling and purring as if they'd never been apart. At her feet are the three offspring! He sniffs at them excitedly: two males and a female. They are small now, flightless, so delicate, but they are his.

Looking up he sees the human with lips parted, mouth wide and teeth in full view, though unlike other animals where it is a gesture of anger, this is happiness and peace. The Night Fury returns the gesture for he is happy as well. He will hunt with his Life-mate and feed their young and they will sleep under the stars and watch the sun come up. And when it comes time to return to the land of the humans that will be all right as well, because the Night Fury knows his Rider will bring him back often. Some day when the offspring are old enough to make the trip he may encourage them and their mother to follow, and they could start their own brood amongst the humans! But until then he will go wherever the human is, because that is home.

Many thanks to anyone who's stuck with this story to the end. And extra special gratitude goes to those that reviewed, you rock!