It has somewhat of a dismal first chapter, but it will get better in a little bit; seeing as Hiccup's pretty stable with the fact of Toothless' absence by the time that Stoick is banging on the roof. You know the ending is okay; but the beginning is sad. Read at your leisure, reviews are appreciated.

Hiccup thought his heart stopped beating. His mouth felt empty, like he had tried to eat thin air. His chest actually hurt. But what was worst was the pain in his throat, the burning in his eyes that would come out as tears. But he couldn't let tears come, at least not while he was in the village.

He turned, clenching his fists, willing himself not to cry, and walked with stiff, wooden steps back into his house. His dad was just getting up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and stoking the fire.

"Toothless left," Hiccup said in a slow, very controlled whisper.

Then he turned again, went to the door, and looked back. His dad was at a loss, but seemed glad Hiccup had confided in him. If he could call it confiding; he was sure anyone looking had seen what happened.

He tried to push it out of his mind. Because if he thought about it, even let the feelings wash over him, then he would cry, and then he would be less than them again.

"Son," began Stoick, looking like he had no idea what to say.

Hiccup saved him the trouble. "It-" he gulped, and tried to start again. "It's nothing. Toothless…well, he can…he can fly now. So it's okay." It sounded weak, even to him. It sounded like a question, but he wasn't very hopeful. And no explanation would be forthcoming to Toothless' sudden ability to fly solo.

For some reason, he felt –

No. He didn't feel anything.

"I'm…I'm going to go."

Then Hiccup opened the door and went outside. He slumped against the thick, sturdy wood, the opposite side of which he'd once pressed his back to. Except now cold was seeping into him, instead of steady, burning heat, and now he was trying to keep his feelings in, instead of the dragons out.

If he started thinking he'd never make it to the woods.

Hiccup ran. Running was not a fun activity for Hiccup. He never knew where his prosthetic would land, especially in a few inches of snow uncleared in the forest. It could hit anything, from branches to rocks to roots, and he would fall on who knows what. He also did not enjoy running because it involved…well, running, and running wasn't very fun with an iron leg.

But if he didn't get clear of the village within approximately two minutes he would explode.

He ran as hard as he could, short, quick breaths encouraging him to run faster.

He needed to just…go. And be alone.

Now that he was so sought after, Hiccup had fully come to appreciate how much he'd liked solitude when he'd had it. He wouldn't have given up Toothless for the world – it was just a… it was the first thing on his mind. But Hiccup managed to duck under a tree root and hunker down behind a rock in his cove before the tears came.

He yelled; there was no one to hear him. No one would ever find him here. It hurt to be in such close proximity to where he and Toothless had spent so much time – just over there – but it was the only place he knew well enough to go and be safe while everything was slippery with ice.

Slippery and iron leg didn't go so well.

Which reinforced the reason he was here.

But it also made everything sadder.

But now that he could get his feelings out, Hiccup didn't mind.

His breath came ragged, and tears coated his cheeks. His face burned red with cold and emotion, and he sat in a little ball; his back up against a freezing rock, seeping cold into his skin; clutching his legs to his chest, his head down.

But what disgusted him most was himself. Here he was, crying like a four-year old, going to the one place that would make him even more upset. He…he hadn't really gone through anything anyone else hadn't. Sure, the..the little kids were upset, but everyone else had…gotten over it already.

Everyone else had lost their dragons days ago.

The only reason he hadn't was because he'd accidentally crippled the thing months ago.

And now…and now it didn't need him anymore.

It. Was that how he was reduced to referring to Toothless now? As an it?

Everything Hiccup thought he knew was thrown into a dazzling, harsh new light. What if…what if Toothless only saved his life because he knew he would never fly without him?

Hiccup blinked, wondering where the dark thoughts were coming from. He'd never thought of anything that bad before. Probably…probably just…grief.

He wondered for a moment if this was how his dad had felt when his mother had died; then immediately discarded it. His mother had died because she got sick. That was all. She hadn't…been friendly one minute, then, set...free, and left. Without him.

His mother would be in Asgard. She would be in Valhalla right now, because she was a great Viking woman.

Vikings didn't cry.

Hiccup thought he had determined weeks ago that he was never going to be a Viking.

But without Toothless, almost everything that had ever bothered him when he was younger washed over him in waves now: disappointment foremost.

Without his dragon, he was just the screw up again; the boy who managed to get everything wrong.

Did he even matter to anyone?

And… and what he'd lost today wasn't any different than what everyone else had. He shouldn't be feeling this miserable.

Except…Toothless meant so much more to him than the other dragons did. Even Astrid couldn't understand how much he loved the Night Fury.

He'd been there for Hiccup when he needed him, he was the first being to care for him, and love him. He'd given Hiccup a purpose in life. He'd given him a friend. Toothless was still his best friend.

Well, he thought he was before he left.

He was so arrogant, Hiccup thought to himself. Not Snotlout's kind of arrogance, but a quieter, more painful breed that only announces itself in sorrow.

He thought he mattered more to the Night Fury than other Vikings meant to other dragons. He thought that, despite everything, Toothless would stay with him.

He was wrong.