Dancing Scales

Chapter Four

Toothless's P.O.V:

I groaned aloud. It was the only thing that I had been able to do for the last while.

Food was unappetizing, and I wasn't thirsty. I was so tired that I couldn't get up, but my consciousness wouldn't leave me for even a moment.

How could I have left her? I remembered mocking her about not wanting to get wet, and then muddled senses, as I had gone under control of the red death. If I tried, I could remember Dancer crying in the water as I emotionlessly flew away. How could I?!

It was enough to make me want to die. Of course, I wouldn't kill myself, I still had Hiccup, but I felt so terrible inside.

I could hear wingbeats, the pattern of which belonged to a terrible terror. I didn't care.

The only thing that I could have cared about at that moment was the moon, which always reminded me of Dancer. It was white, too.

The terror squawked at me.

"Hey!" it yelled into my ear. "Are you a night fury?"

I almost bothered opening my eyes, just so that I could have given the terror a skeptical look. I simply stated, "No, I'm a potato." He was lucky that I was feeling good enough to muster that response.

"You don't look so good," he said. "She used to be like that, but she tries to be happy around me."

He paused, as if waiting to see what I would say. I stayed silent, I could care less. If whatever dragon he knew was fine now, it was of no concern to me.

He began again. "It's too bad you're not a night fury, though I've never heard of a potatey before, maybe they're better. Anyway, I wish that you were a night fury, it would have made her happy. She used to have a brother who was a night fury, Dancer did. Goodbye."

I snapped to alertness, head going up, and groaned; I was very lightheaded. "Dancer?! What?!" I asked as soon as I came to my senses, only to see an orange and yellow terrible terror flying away, into the town. He couldn't hear me.

I stumbled to my feet, teetering around. I should have stood up slower, but there was no time left to take.

"Hold up!" I roared, racing after the terror. I could hear a door slam open from the house, it was probably Hiccup.

"Toothless?!" he yelled. Yep, I was right.

I ignored his cries, continuing my unsteady run through the street. I was sure I was quite a sight, the alpha dragon, a mess on his feet and running through a busy viking path.

I was disoriented, completely focused on finding that terror again. I wasn't having luck.

Hiccup ran into my side, and I almost fell over. I did fall over, in the end.

"Bud, slow down!" he said, kneeling beside me. "What was that?!"

I groaned sadly, lifting my head. What was I to do?

~~}•{~~

Hiccup's P.O.V:

"I don't know, guys," I said. All the gang had gathered together, once again, to discuss Toothless. "If I let up my guard, he'll dash straight through the door!"

My dragon was by my side, and I was holding onto his saddle. His habits, sadly, hadn't improved much, but he was always sitting up and looking for a way out. It worried me what happened, and what could have happened.

"Maybe we should see where he wants to go?" Astrid suggested.

"I've already tried that, he just wanders around the forest, like he's looking for something," I explained.

"Well then, let's just find what he's looking for," Snotlout snorted. "Easy."

"But what is he searching for?" Ruffnut asked.

"'Tis a grand question, dear sister," Tuffnut joined in, "A home? No, he already has one. A family?"

Ruffnut took a turn. "A sibling?"

"A little sister! Who's an albino! Yes!"

They high-fived, as if they had come to the perfect, completely correct solution.

"Come on, guys!" I roared. "We need to get this figured out, stop joking around! Focus on what you need to do, instead of goofing off!!"

I frowned deeply, supporting myself on the table with my hand. I hunched my shoulders, what had yelling ever accomplished? I had not been myself, with Toothless so out of it.

A suffocating silence engulfed the room.

I didn't realize that I had cried until my shoulders started shaking. I felt a prescence on my right shoulder, then blinked open my eyes, noticing how wet they were. I quickly wiped them off with my sleeve, and turned to see Astrid on my right.

"Hiccup," she said with a smile. "We're behind you, all the way. Just tell us how we can help."

I took a breath, then glanced to Toothless. He was still staring at the door.

"Yep," I said. "I know. Thanks. I'll tell you if I think of something, okay?"

They nodded, then filed out of the room, one by one.

~~}•{~~

Toothless's P.O.V:

I grumbled in annoyance as Hiccup tried to bribe me.

"Come on, Toothless," he said, "If you eat the fish, we can go outside for a little bit."

I didn't think that he knew I could understand him, but that just made it more annoying. He would make extravagant chomping gestures with his hands, put on a really weird smile, and just act strange. If it weren't for his words, I would have thought he wanted me to copy his movements.

I looked at him flatly, what was he trying now?

"Fine," he said. "You don't want it? I guess that I'll have to eat it, then."

I perked up slightly at that. Hiccup hated raw fish, I loved forcing him to taste it. Now, I realised why. I always had to force my little sister, Dancer, to stop practicing acrobatics and eat her food.

Watching Hiccup's fish-induced misery would have probably been the only thing that I wanted to do.

I stared expectantly at him, waiting.

"Oh, Thor," Hiccup stated. "You're really going to make me do this now, aren't you?"

My gaze was unwavering. It was time to have a little fun, maybe I'd feel good enough to do more afterward.

A/N: Yay! Toothless is getting a little better, I can't wait. Thanks for reading, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Now, onto my 8:00 math class...;-;