DRAGONHEART

###

This, is Nótt.

Its a few degrees west of Hopeless from Berk, and seven days south of the Ill-Advised Islands. We have hunting, fishing, and beautiful mountains to fly around. It is the place I never planned on returning to.

The main problem is the colony of dragons living here. While most places have Deadly Nadders or Gronckles, we have… Night Furies.

Fate is cruel that way. My abandoned home, the only possible sanctuary for the human that my race would seek to destroy. My race will see me as a traitor for befriending a human… But if I had to tell them what I had done now…

None of them will understand how much I hate myself for it.

Despite the fact I wanted to be with Hiccup for as long as possible – human lives are short in comparison to dragons' – I never even considered trying the process. It would mean risking his life, and it wasn't a risk I was prepared to take.

No human has ever been a Dragonheart.

Until now.

###

CHAPTER ONE:
Stranded

A black dragon darted through the snowy woods, a body in its mouth. The body was limp, frail and bloody, but the dragon's teeth weren't out, so it did no harm to the body.

The black dragon's large green eyes flickered over the white landscape. White rustled the trees, sending more snow to the ground. There were slivers of a frozen lake off further north, but the caves off to the west seemed to be the better option, despite the fact the dragon's natural homing senses were tingling as he sprinted towards the caves.

No, going home would be a terrible, last resort.

"Toothless…" the boy groaned. He let out a whimper of pain and shivered.

:: Oh Freya. :: Toothless thought. The boy's blood was pooling on his tongue. He hated the taste. If it had been anything but a human he would have relished in the taste – three years ago if it had been a human he would have relished in it still. But now it left a bitter taste, even stronger since it was this human. :: Hold on Hiccup. You're going to be fine. ::

Finally, the snow capped caves came into better view, nestled in a clearing in the forest. Toothless stood a good distance away from the mouth of one, contemplating what to do. It would be unwise to go in without using his echolocation, but that would also mean dropping Hiccup in the snow and the boy was already freezing…

Reluctantly, Toothless lowered his head to the ground and let Hiccup roll of out his toothless mouth. The frail body shivered. He shifted his body weight forwards, covering the boy with his body from the elements and then checked that his human was properly covered. Once the dragon saw that his boy was, he looked into the cave and shot a plasma blast into it.

He saw the plasma blast scan the cave walls and disappear around the corner before the sound quickly bounced back into his ears, which were located just below his head nubs. No potentially dangerous creature was inside.

Toothless picked the scrawny boy back up in his gums and carried him inside carefully. He laid Hiccup on the stone again, but curled his body around him, pressing Hiccup against his side in order to transfer warmth.

Hiccup's shivering subsided after a few minutes. Toothless bent down and licked the boy's various injuries for the fourth time that day – Night Fury saliva had incredible healing properties – and half watched the orange sun dip into the snowy forest until the stars came out.

Hiccup's heart beat steadied as he fell into a sleep. Toothless found the rhythm soothing and rested his head on his paws. It would be a while, but Hiccup would be okay, thank Thor. Despite his human's stature, he was stronger than most thought.

:: I was helpless once when it came to his safety. :: the dragon reflected, thinking back on their disastrous first flying attempt. :: I won't let it happen again. ::

:: I'll protect you. :: promised Toothless, nuzzling his nose into Hiccup's auburn hair. Hiccup's lips curved into a smile, but it didn't please the dragon.

Sadness welled up inside of him. How could he had done this? Do this to Hiccup, who had had no say in the matter at all? It would ruin his life!

:: It saved his life :: said a nagging voice in the back of his mind. :: If you hadn't he would have died from his injuries. Besides, your own strength is waning because of the choice. He will definitely live now. Once he's better he and you can fly back to Berk. You can contact dragons all over the world to see if there is a way to reverse it ::

The single word Toothless hated most was the "if".

But the thing he hated most in the world were the savage tribe that did this to his boy. The duo had been flying to the largest island – the mainland, if you will – to do some new mapping. Since the war had been over for two years, Berk's trading options had opened exponentially, and new routes for trading ships were needed. Hiccup had readily volunteered: a day full of flying – what could be better than that?

Toothless had been nervous; his old pack was only a few towns over, just off of the Frightful Forest, located in a secluded the villagers whispered about, called Nótt. He had tried to quell his nerves; everything should have been fine.

They didn't account for the Völsungs, a group of Vikings who had settled into the town decades ago and ruled over it with brute force. Hiccup had gone into town with Toothless, out of charcoal, and needing to buy more for the maps. "I'll be back in a sec bud," he had promised before disappearing into the store.

What happened afterwards was a blur. One of the Völsungs must have recognized Hiccup for who he was, and the group of dragon-hating Vikings had attacked him. Within minutes Toothless had heard the yelp of pain and busted in, almost causing the shop to collapse in on itself. But even a Night Fury could only do so much to over twenty Vikings armed to the teeth.

Eventually, when the Völsungs felt that they had had enough of their sick entertainment, they left, roaring with laughter. If it hadn't been for Hiccup's bloody and bruised body on the floor, Toothless would have ran after them and ripped them to shreds.

None of the villagers helped them out of fear of the Völsungs.

Fearing that the savage humans would come back to finish the job, Toothless had picked Hiccup up in his gummy jaws and took off. Any human settlements were days away, even by flying, and neither of them were safe in the Völsung town, so he had headed into the Frightful Forest. Now they were stranded out here in Night Fury territory.

If he ever saw those Völsungs again, he would make them see that Hel was more merciful than his wrath.

Toothless looked anxiously down on his boy. :: I'm sorry :: he whispered. :: You did not ask to become this. You will outlive everyone else you love. I did it out of selfishness… I cannot bear the thought of living without you Hiccup :: He nuzzled the boy, the only light in the cave his luminous green eyes throughout the whole night, steadily watching the entrance and never wavering.

Nothing would ever hurt his human as long as he was still alive, but unfortunately if he died, Hiccup would too.

##

Fresh snow had fallen in night, so all the tracks left the other day had been covered, for which Toothless was grateful – hopefully the Night Furies of Nótt would never even have to know they were there.

Toothless felt Hiccup stir beside him, and loosened how tightly he was holding the boy. Hiccup squirmed and his eyes fluttered away.

"The Völsungs…" he murmured. "Did they hurt… you bud?" Toothless didn't speak – that would be dealt with another day – but shook his head as to not startle the boy. It seemed to satisfy Hiccup. "Good."

There was a growling sound and Toothless realized it was Hiccup's stomach. The Viking had explained when humans got hungry that was the reaction. Toothless had been full of mirth – a stomach making noises, who ever heard of such a thing? – when he found out, for it wasn't the same with dragons.

Toothless put his head under the crook of Hiccup's arm and licked the boy's scarred face, grateful more than ever for his unusual ability.

He would have to go hunting; he could even roast the meat with his fire. Human stomach's couldn't usually handle raw meat, as Toothless had discovered when Hiccup continually politely refused his regurgitated fish heads.

But hunting would mean leaving the cave – leaving Hiccup unprotected, injured and alone for possibly a few hours. Humans could only survive so long without proper food and water, and while the water could be provided by the snow, food would help Hiccup heal faster, and they could leave this dangerous place sooner.

Assuming Toothless' prosthetic tail could be fixed. Hiccup's latest model, better than any of the others, had been ruined in the fight, although right now it was the least of Toothless' worries.

Bringing Hiccup would be an issue (the boy could barely move) but at least he would be able to protect the boy should any problems arise.

Toothless spent the next hour licking Hiccup's injuries while the human cradled so vulnerably – so trustingly – in his claws drifted in and out of sleep. The more layers of saliva put on them would allow them to heal faster. The cuts on Hiccup's face were already fading. Toothless knew the boy hadn't broken any bones, but the dried trickle of blood in his auburn hair was worrisome.

When Hiccup awake again, carefully and cautiously, Toothless got up, making sure that he helped Hiccup stand. Toothless jerked his head towards the saddle.

"But your tail's ruined," said Hiccup quietly, not quite understanding. Toothless repeated the action, hoping against hope he wouldn't have to speak. "Oh, you just want me to get on?" Toothless nodded and almost smiled slightly at the boy. "Okay bud." The young teenager climbed on the saddle with some difficulty, limping especially on his prosthetic.

Toothless padded his way out of the cave and waded into the snow slowly. Luckily it wasn't too deep, so even though Hiccup was lying down on his back, the snow didn't even touch the boy's fingertips.

"Toothless," muttered Hiccup after a long time. They were walking through the forest, Toothless alert for the lookout of any prey, even a hare hopping on its way. "Something's changed, hasn't it? I feel… different. I shouldn't be… healing, as fast as I am… should I?" His injuries prohibited his ability to talk.

Toothless took a deep breath; the time had come, sooner than he had hoped. Most of the time he loved Hiccup's curiosity and observant personality, but right now he hated it. :: Yes :: he said slowly, and waited for a reaction.

He could hear Hiccup's heart beat quicken, feel his body stiffen. "I can… understand you now?" he whispered, awe in his voice.

:: You underwent a process in order to save your life. I didn't want to – it will greatly change your life – I'm sorry Hiccup. ::

The dragon's voice didn't come out as a human's, or even as a sound from the Night Fury. It was hard to explain, comprehend. It was like reading a book, seeing the printed words, but inside your mind.

"What exactly did you… do?"

:: I have to go back to the beginning, for you to understand. In Night Fury society, we are granted an incredible power of choosing one other – a mate, most commonly, but it has also been a brother or a friend – to be our life partner. Our Dragonheart. :: Toothless wished he could see his boy's reaction – was he beginning to become angry? :: This means that two souls are tied together. If one is in pain, the other can feel it. But likewise, if one is perfectly healthy while the other is dying, the first one's health will be transferred, slowly, to the other. The other will not die. ::

Silence from his human, Toothless began to despair. Would Hiccup just stop talking to him?

"So… You chose me, to save me?"

:: I had to; I'm sorry Hiccup ::

"Does this – bond, mean that I'll live… as long as you will?" Hiccup's voice shook and Toothless felt a stab of guilt.

:: I suppose that my aging will speed up and yours will slow down, but I cannot be sure. But yes, you will live as long as I. The process has never been attempted on a human, you see. You are the first human Dragonheart. ::

Toothless didn't talk for a while, letting the information sink in, for it was a lot for him to handle and he was the one who (11: 19 am – 11: 50 am) had made the process happen, and the one who had grown up with learning about it, wondering who would be his Dragonheart.

He could still remember first learning about it.

##

A group of young Night Furies – only two years old – with navy scales turning black, whispered among each other, ignoring their mentor, Starscar. Toothless had been sitting next to his brother, Frostfang

:: Here :: Starscar had began, and the hisses and whisperings died down at once. The female dragon was pleased. :: You shall learn the significance of the process of becoming a Dragonheart. Does anybody know some of what being another's Dragonheart means? Frostfang, perhaps? ::

:: Being another's Dragonheart means you are bonded for life; they are your life partner. :: answered Frostfang promptly.

:: Correct. What else does it entail? Nyxyn? :: said Starscar.

Toothless blinked, surprised – he had almost forgotten his old name, but could remember how his younger self had answered. :: It also means, uh, that if one dies, the other will too? :: said Nyxyn, feeling embarrassed that his younger brother had answered so adequately while he had stuttered and answered uncertainly.

:: Partially correct. The other will know the other's pain, and will unbearable pain before the other dies until they slowly wither away. :: Starscar chuckled at the hatchlings horrified looks. :: However, once one has completed the process with the other, a sense of incredible ease comes over the two involved. The two know that no matter what, they will always find a way to be together, to have support. It is incredibly comforting, as someone who has a Dragonheart. It is a wonderful thing. ::

:: Your Dragonheart is your mate right? :: asked one of the hatchlings.

:: Yes. A mate is the most common Dragonheart :: explained Starscar. :: Now, what is necessary for two to become each other's Dragonheart's? Yes, Mistwing? ::

:: The two both have the feel like life would not be worth living without the other :: piped up the female Night Fury, behind Nyxyn and Toothless.

:: Correct :: said Starscar. :: Now, as young hatchlings, you won't have to think about this for a long time, so just worry about your flying lessons, alright? ::

Nyxyn hung back as everyone else left the cave and went into the tunnels around them, wanting to ask Starscar a rather embarrassing question that he didn't want anyone else hearing. :: Are you coming Nyxyn? :: said Frostfang, turning back to look at him.

:: I'll catch up later :: Nyxyn promised his brother. Maybe they would be each other's Dragonheart – he certainly couldn't imagine life without his younger brother.

:: Starscar? :: said Nyxyn hesitantly. His left ear plate twitched, as it always did when he was feeling nervous.

:: Yes Nyxyn? :: said the older dragon kindly.

:: I was wondering if humans had Dragonhearts, or could be one? :: he blurted out. Talk of humans was a hushed subject – the closest village was thousands of miles away – and the Night Furies felt that their intelligence was above theirs. Humans were dumb and could not fly, unlike dragons. They were beneath them.

Starscar studied him carefully. :: No, humans do have the ability to choose Dragonhearts as we do. A human becoming a dragon's Dragonheart is unheard of. Why? ::

:: Just curiosity. :: he said innocently; for really, that was all it was. :: Thank you Starscar ::

:: Goodbye Nyxyn :: the little dragon heard her say as he bounded down the tunnel his brother had gone, excited for the flying lesson after feeding time.

##

"Toothess?" said Hiccup after a long silence. "I'm your… Dragonheart, does that… mean, you can feel my pain?" he said, wheezing.

:: Yes :: admitted Toothless. :: We're sharing it – your initial pain is cut in half and one half is given to me. But dragons are much stronger; do not worry Hiccup. ::

More silence, then: "Have you been…. able to understand what… I've been saying this… this whole time?"

:: Yes. It is lucky you had developed a habit of talking to yourself before we met, otherwise I wouldn't know as much as I do. ::

"You know, I'm… not mad bud," said Hiccup quietly. Toothless blinked, taken aback. Hiccup wasn't furious with him? "To be honest, I've been wondering… about how to prolong my life so I… can be with you longer. If anything, I feel… bad that you've shortened yours. How… long do dragons typically live, anyway?"

Toothless took a few minutes to answer, the anger at himself slowly winding into something that he pushed out fairly at ease. :: Anywhere from five hundred to a thousand years. Humans typically don't make it past one hundred, do they? ::

"No. I suppose I'll live… a few hundred years longer… and you'll live a few hundred… years less; that's not so bad. How old are you… now, anyway?" He could see so much more of the world this way – see the direct changes brought to Berk for the next five hundred years with his own eyes!

:: I'm only 96 – I'm still young for my race. Around the age you are, actually. ::

"Good… Hey bud – where are the other Night Furies? You… had to come from somewhere right… now we can find them!" said Hiccup excitedly.

The happiness in his rider's voice made Toothless feel horrible. He stopped walking through the snow.

:: I'm afraid we can't Hiccup. My race… Night Furies are very hostile towards humans. They kill any they see on sight. I came to Berk by accident; flew too far and the Queen's hypnotic call pulled me in. I was under her control for at least twenty years until you knocked me out of it. But I was in no position to fly home and once I was…::

He gave a little shrug. :: I realized I had found a better one. ::

"You're okay with… never having a mate? Ever?" questioned Hiccup.

:: You're my Dragonheart Hiccup. As long as I have you, I have all I need to be happy. If my safety was in jeopardy, would you run away from Berk without a second thought? Unlike before, where you had no reason to stay? ::

Hiccup didn't stay silent for even a heartbeat. "Yes. I would miss… everyone, but I would… if it meant keeping… you safe."

:: That's the only reason the process didn't kill you. You care for me as strongly as I do for you. :: He smiled to himself. :: There's a rabbit. Hold on tight. ::

He waited a few seconds, sensing Hiccup's body weight shift, and then propelled himself forward as fast as he could with his wings towards the hopping little bunny. It shot off at the night of him, but it fell over when a well-aimed plasma blast hit it.

Toothless scooped it up in his mouth. "Good job bud," said Hiccup. "Let me break… of some branches… for fire…" Toothless lifted his head so Hiccup could use it to help support himself as Hiccup stood up. He placed one arm on Toothless' head and the other broke off branches slowly, one by one.

When Hiccup was done he sat back down in the saddle, the branches held securely in his arms. "Let's get back to the cave… bud."

The Night Fury started to run.

##

They spent the rest of the day in the cave, Toothless curled around the fire with Hiccup leaning into him. The boy had taken his prosthetic leg off, which had initially made the dragon worry (what if something horrible came in suddenly and Hiccup couldn't run?) but after a few hours he had stopped worrying and realized that Hiccup, now well fed, warm, was far more comfortable this way.

After a few more layers of Night Fury saliva, Hiccup could talk without pain, which was good, because it was their first day where they didn't have to have seemingly one sided conversations.

"Is your pack the only known one of Night Furies?" asked Hiccup. Toothless licked him one last time on his scarred face.

:: The only one I know of specifically. Night Furies always live somewhere very cold, where there isn't much sun. We hunt at night, you see. ::

"Gee, I never would have guessed that," his boy said sarcastically, and Toothless chuckled – a deep rumbling sound resonating in his throat.

:: Hilarious, as always :: the dragon shot back. :: But we heard of brother packs located even further up North. I believe that my pack is the only one this far South ::

"Do dragons celebrate birthdays? Like the day you hatched or something?"

:: Not individually. The Night Fury mating season is autumn, and all the eggs hatch in winter, usually around full moons. I was considered special… I hatched under a solar eclipse. According to legend in my pack, our greatest warrior was born in the same circumstances. ::

"They might be on to something. You were the first to ever befriend a human, after all."

:: Don't you have a special birthday? I remember the first year we were together, you had a celebration, but not the next two. ::

"Well, humans have these things called calendars and leap years. A leap year only happens once every four years, and it adds on an extra day, February 29th. So we only technically celebrate my birthday every four years. It's considered unlucky, just like how Hiccup means…" Hiccup swallowed hard. "Accident."

:: Looks like your tribe wasn't more wrong :: said Toothless gently, nuzzling the boy who leaned into the gesture.

"Thanks," whispered the Viking.

:: Now you should put your leg back on while you sleep, I'm not taking any chances. ::

Hiccup sighed. "Five more minutes?"

:: No – oh don't give me those eyes. No, you don't let your father give me extra fish, you don't get five extra minutes. ::

Hiccup reluctantly put his prosthetic back on. "Fine, but I'll be changing that when we get back to Berk."

As Hiccup settled in for the night, neither of them spoke the question they were both wondering: when would they get back to Berk?

##

Toothless bright green eyes flickered to the cave entrance, where the sun was beginning to rise. The sky was purple and orange shot with gold and pink.

But there, standing out starkly across the snow in semi-darkness, was a large dark shape with luminous blue eyes and a familiar frame.

:: Hiccup! :: Toothless hissed, starting to stand up. :: Get ready to run! :: The young teenager roused quickly, blinking in confusion, but getting ready to obey the command none the less.

The dark shape came closer, and Toothless felt his body tremble against the boy's. Hiccup laid his hands on Toothless' head, and in a surprisingly calm voice said, "It's going to be okay Toothless."

Sharp white teeth gleamed below the bright blue eyes, the shape becoming clearer as the sun rose. :: Who are you? :: barked the Night Fury outside the cave. The voice sounded strangely familiar to Toothless, but he couldn't place who it belonged to. The male came closer, another one – female, Toothless could tell by the scent – close behind.

Hiccup reeled in his shock; he could understand other dragons too?

The intruding Night Fury eyes widened, and Toothless realized where he knew the voice. :: Nyxyn, is that you? :: called his younger brother – one he had not seen in almost over twenty three years – Frostfang in disbelief.

A/N: Here is the first chapter of DRAGONHEART! :) Anyone who reads "Dragon Drabbles" will recognize the little prologue in the beginning. I'm really excited for this story, and I hope all of you enjoy it too! Please review.