If We Had Wings - A Tuffnut Love Story (HTTYD/RTTE)

2

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The sun had just risen on the next morning when the stranger dragon began to wake up. Hearing a quiet, subconscious gurgle come from her throat, Fishlegs was immediately alert. He and the others had brought her into the safety of his den, which often acted as a healing home, due to Fishlegs' extensive knowledge on how to care for injuries.

The sand wraith siblings had also insisted on staying with the new dragon. They claimed that since they discovered her that they needed to be there when she woke. But the reality was that they were just overly-curious. "Hey, she just moved," Ruff announced in a quiet hiss, pointing her paw at the blue and white fury.

"Maybe she's having a dream," Tuffnut suggested just as quietly.

"Hah," Ruff snorted, "I bet it's about chasing bores. Those dreams are the best."

"First if all, I sincerely doubt that," Fishlegs grunted, trying not to lose it after a whole day with the chaotic siblings. "And second of all, she isn't dreaming, she's waking up."

"Or is she dreaming about waking up?" Tuffnut countered with a proud grin, accidentally speaking much louder than before.

The dragon's eyes shot open and she lifted her head slowly. Her half-hostile gaze passed generously over each of the others, who stared at her for a moment in silence. A low growl boiled deep in her throat and, finally, Fishlegs found his voice. "I-it's okay!" He insisted, stepping back with caution, "we're not a threat to you."

"Yeah, we're trying to sap your wing back together," Tuffnut added.

The mysterious fury calmed down a bit, now distracted as she recalled her injury. It didn't hurt as much as it did when she was last awake and alert. Looking over her shoulder, she observed a bandage of wide leaves covering her wounds and holding her torn wing together with, just as the sand wraith had said, tree sap.

When she turned back to the other dragons, her pupils were dilated into a more gentle look. "Who are you?" She asked in a firm, suspicious voice.

"We're just a friendly pack of dragons trying to help," Ruffnut explained coolly, adding with a smooth tone, "you're welcome, by the way."

Fishlegs rolled his eyes, knowing that wasn't what she had meant. "I'm Fishlegs, this is Ruffnut and Tuffnut," he introduced, "we're from the nest on Berk."

At this, the stranger's eyes widened. Her entire attitude seemed to change into one of a friend. "Berk?" She repeated as if for clarity.

"Yeah..you've heard of it?" Fishlegs asked a bit in surprise.

"Of course I've heard of it," she replied, "it's one of the only nests left where furies live peacefully. I was on my way to find it when I got into this predicament." She gestured to her left wing.

"Right," Fishlegs huffed, stepping closer to the stranger again, "what exactly happened to you?"

The female dragon groaned as she recalled the event. "I was in eel water, hunting," she explained, "a typhoomerang came down on me from above; I don't think they even saw me until it was too late."

"Oh, that's terrible! It's horrible!" Tuffnut exclaimed dramatically. Fishlegs couldn't help but agree with the wraith for once. That is, until he went on to express what was so 'horrible'. "You eat eels?!"

Fishlegs glared at him and growled, "why don't you go do something useful? Like telling Hiccup that she's awake?"

"On it," Tuffnut assured with a sudden loud squawk, then he raced out of the den.

"So, what's your name?" Ruff asked as she padded over and sat next to the new dragon. She stared intently down at her with curious, excited eyes.

"Delta," the fury responded.

"Cool name," Ruff complimented with a soft purr, "what kinda dragon are you?"

Before Delta could even think to answer, the dramillion scolded the sand wraith. "Ruff, you can't just ask someone what kind of dragon they are, it's insensative!"

"Woah, chill, I'm sorry," Ruffnut scoffed, "just thought that's what we do now: find new dragons, study them, blah blah blah."

Just then, Tuffnut returned with Hiccup. "Got him!" He roared, as if it weren't obvious.

While Delta was alarmed by his loud volume, the others seemed unphased. She knew that these dragons must've been pretty close. But upon sight of Hiccup she couldn't help grinning; a night fury. Her eyes undeniably fell to the false leg he wore, sparking curiosity in her expression.

"Hiccup, this is Delta," Fishlegs introduced.

"Nice to finally meet you, Delta," Hiccup responded happily, "welcome to Dragon's Edge."

"Thank you," Delta replied, meeting his eyes only for a moment before her gaze found his odd metal leg again. She watched it move in fascination as he approached her. Once he stood just before her, Delta extended her snout forward to sniff at the leg.

However, as she did this, she heard a gasp. "Are those gills?" She heard Fishlegs utter quietly, as if only speaking to himself. Sure enough, three gill lines could be spotted just behind her cheek on her neck.

After carefully assessimg the night fury's strange leg, Delta looked towards Fishlegs with and amused gurgle. She opened her gills for a moment, showing them off before closing them again. "Yes, I'm a water dragon," she explained, then added with a hint of pride, "'tidal fury' is the term I like to use."

"Oh yeah," Tuffnut exclaimed, hopping joyously over to Ruffnut, "Tidal Class rules!"

Delta watched in confusion and alarm as the two dragons smacked their foreheads together. Noticing her expression, Hiccup sighed, "you'll have to excuse the twins, they're a little..."

"Don't worry, us sand wraiths are know for our thick skulls," Tuffnut explained casually, even though he was obviously dizzied by the action.

But something else struck Delta as odd. "Did you say..twins?" She asked. Surely he'd just meant siblings.

"That's right," Hiccup explained in amusement, "two dragons, one egg. It's incredibly rare, but yes: twins."