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Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Explanation

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Hiccup's ears went straight up when he woke up by some rustling sounds coming from outside the cave. He opened his eyes, revealing Toothless trudging into the cave. He walked up beside Hiccup, and stared down at him. Hiccup answered with a more drowsy stare, and looked a bit confused.

"Something wrong?" Toothless asked.

"I thought you were going to get me food" Hiccup said while stretching himself.

"I have."

"Then where is it?"

"Oh, it's coming up, just wait."

"Eh, up what?"

As an answer, Toothless took a brief moment, then regurgitated three half-eaten cods. He let his gaze fall over to Hiccup again, expectful. Hiccup looked down at his slimy meal, suddenly not feeling so hungry anymore.

"Toothless...that's digested fish, from your stomach...which you've already eaten.."

"So?"

"I'm not eating that! It's disgusting!"

"Hiccup..."

"I've clearly told you before that back in the cove was the very last time I ever would eat re..ohgodsthatsmells SO good!"

Hiccup walked closer to the fish, and inhaled once more. It didn't smell like it used to. The scent of it was so much stronger now, so delicious...and when it touched Hiccup's nostrils, it was like it paralyzed his brain. It felt like nothing else was more important than to have some of that cod. Hiccup looked up at Toothless.

"Did you do something to the fish? It smells so differently, so good."

"No, nothing. A lot must have changed since you've become a dragon. It's only natural for a Night Fury to like fish, regurgitated or not."

"It still looks disgusting."

"It doesn't matter. Go ahead, take a bite!"

Hiccup looked down at the cod, a little skeptical, but forced himself to take a bite. Disgusting or not, the taste was unbelievable good! Heck, it was even better than roasted chicken! He took big chunks in his mouth, and while not realising it, gave out loud purring noises while doing so. Toothless just watched him, seeming satisfied with having him eat the fish. He indeed remembered Hiccup didn't want to eat regurgitated food, but he also knew that he'd maybe act differently after the transformation, which now proved him right.

"Just look at him now! It's like he has completely forgotten what he said just minutes ago." He tought.

-{}-

Not even a bone was left when Hiccup was finished. He licked his mouth, before turning to Toothless.

"Does cod always taste like this?"

"It has never tasted any different."

"Well, it's so much better now than what it was when I was a human. I'm already starting to like being a dragon! I got my leg back, and now this!" Hiccup said with a smirk.

Toothless returned the smile. It was good that Hiccup was accepting all this so easily. It made him feel better to think that the consequences of his action didn't affect Hiccup that much in the wrong direction. Hiccup had to deal with it anyway, for Toothless had no idea how Hiccup could be turned back to a human, or if he ever would be. Neither did he want him to be human again, he quite liked Hiccup as a dragon.

His thoughts were interrupted by Hiccup.

"Hey, bud! I think now would be a good time for an explanation. I'm in a cave in the middle of nowhere, so I'm kind of oblivion to the whole situation. I need you to tell me all that have happened before...all this." He gestured to himself.

"I've never thought of not telling you" Toothless replied. "Find yourself a comfortable position, it might take a while."

Hiccup walked up to the wall at the end of the cave, and tried to lean his back against it, without much success. Pain immediately started to grow in his spine.

"Hiccup, that looks anything but comfortable."

"For a dragon!" Hiccup snorted, a little irritated. "I was a human just a day ago you know." He got up and curled around himself like he had done before, and waited for Toothless to begin.

Toothless started by telling from the night Hiccup got sick and passed out. He recounted how the healers had failed to find a cure for Hiccup's disease, and how hopeless the situation seemed to be taking. When he got to the part with Astrid, Hiccup stopped him.

"Toothless, It's good that you only were trying to help me, and I'm grateful for it, but don't you think that what you did was being a little overprotective?"

A growl escaped Toothless.

"If the healers couldn't help you, she couldn't either. You needed rest, and having her there wasn't helping it."

It was a dumb answer, Toothless knew it, but telling him that he mostly did it just because he simply didn't like Astrid would surely seemed even dumber to Hiccup.

"It still seemed unnecessary" Hiccup mumbled.

Toothless just let the topic drop, and continued telling him rest of the story.

-{}-

It left Hiccup thinking when he finished. "Toothless did right to take me with him, or else I'd surely be dead by now, but I can't figure out what he did to me. He has never done anything like that before, nor have I seen any dragon do it either."

Silence filled the cave, and only the blowing wind was keeping it from being completely silent. Toothless shifted a bit, but otherwise waited patiently for Hiccup's response.

"Why am I a dragon?" Hiccup suddenly asked.

"What?"

"I mean, why did it happen? What you did last night isn't something that happens in one's everyday life."

It took a brief moment before Toothless answered.

"Magic."

"Magic?"

"Yes, that's what I believe it was, though this is the first time I've done anything like it. All dragons are magical creatures, we know it by instinct. We Night Furies are the one with the strongest connection to it. We are the only known dragon race to ever have used it before."

Hiccup had heard stories about magicians and wizards before, but never of magical dragons. He didn't really believe in magic, but now being a dragon and all, he was practical believing in anything. He wasn't really surprised by Toothless answer either, it kind of made sense. "What else could have done it anyway?" He thought.

But by hearing it, more questions started to take form in Hiccup's head.

"Since you can use magic, why don't you just use it on yourself to heal your missing tailfin?"

Toothless sighed.

"It's not as easy as you might think. We cannot use magic at will. You need have the right feeling, and be at the right place at the right moment, which is extremely hard to archive. That's why it almost never happens. I've tried before, without luck, but last night.." Toothless paused.

"Last night just felt like the right moment" Hiccup said, finishing Toothless's sentence.

"Exactly! I was looking through the memories of the time we've spent together when I got this feeling. Suddenly, the magic flowed through my whole body, just waiting for me to use it. When I directed it at you, I wished for it to make you better again, which it did..in a way."

"But don't you see what you've just done!" Hiccup burst out. "It's not that I'm not happy that you saved my life, but now that I'm a dragon, I can't ride you anymore, and you won't be able to fly again! Didn't you think about it before you used the magic?"

"My intention was to heal you again, I didn't know that you would become a Night Fury. I was just as surprised as you this morning. I didn't even know it really was you before you spoke to me! Besides, losing you would've been worse than losing my ability to fly. I don't know what I'd do if I really had lost you that night! You're my best friend Hiccup! You were the one who brought peace between the Vikings and dragons, and together we defeated the dragon queen. I will never forget that! My ability to fly will probably be gone forever, but that means nothing to me compared to what you mean to me Hiccup! Losing a tailfin I can live with, but losing you would be like losing a part of myself, and I don't want that to happen, ever!"

Hiccup was left speechless by Toothless's sudden outburst. He had never thought he meant so much to Toothless. He knew their bond had gotten much stronger after the death of the dragon queen, but flying was the most important thing for a dragon! He had experienced it himself when flying with Toothless. The wind blowing in your face, and the feeling of being completely free, without a care in the world. Having himself valued higher than that...it was true friendship.

Hiccup fumbled with his next words, almost crying. He also started to make whimpering noises, without really wanting to.

"You sacrificed a lot by having me transformed into this. I just don't know what to say..I.I."

"Say no more. You're safe now, and that's all what matters to me"

Hiccup walked up to Toothless and nuzzled him.

"Thank you" he whispered. "Thank you for everything!"

Toothless nuzzled him back, their purring sounds almost syncing perfectly together, like it created a song. A song about their growing friendship. They sat like that for a long time, just cuddling with each other. Toothless enjoyed every moment of it, he felt like they were getting really close together now. Hiccup was the first to end their connection, which disappointed Toothless. He wanted it to last longer, forever if it was possible, but it had to end at some point though.

-{}-

Hiccup sat just outside the cave, looking at the sun as it was disappearing behind the horizon, giving the sky a red-like color. It had started gloaming, and a few stars had appeared, giving the whole scene a nice touch to it. "I guess this is..what would Astrid call it?..Romantic" he thought.

He watched the sun until it had completely disappeared, before returning into the cave. Toothless sat there waiting for him.

"I'm still feeling a bit weak after the fever, so I'm going to rest now" Hiccup said, letting out a yawn.

"That might be the best" Toothless agreed. He lay down and prepared to sleep. He too was feeling tired. He was surprised when he felt Hiccup curl himself up to him, pushing himself as tight to him as he could. Toothless happily accepted the body contact, which made them both feel warm and comfortable.

"I love you Toothless" Hiccup said, while laying his head against Toothless stomach.

Toothless ears went up by the words escaping from Hiccup's mouth. He looked down at the dragon. It was deep words he used, but Toothless knew it only was love by the friendship they shared. He took to his senses, and relaxed his muscles again. He licked Hiccup's head twice, affectionately.

"I love you too, Hiccup."

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Morning came, and sunbeams broke into the cave, causing both Hiccup and Toothless to wake up.

Hiccup yawned and stretched himself like a cat, feeling fully recovered. He was in a good mood.

"Morning Toothless!" He said happily.

"Good morning Hiccup" replied Toothless. He stood up and walked to the opening of the cave, and let the refreshing air fill his lungs. The sun was already high in the sky, and there were barely any clouds to be seen!

"Looks like a good day to teach you some hunting" said Toothless, looking back at Hiccup.

Hiccup gave Toothless a confused look.

"I'm going to hunt! ?"

Toothless gave a low chuckle at Hiccup's expression.

"Why of course! You're a dragon now, and you should probably learn to live like one as well."

"I suppose you're right" Hiccup agreed, and followed Toothless into the forest.

-{}-

They had walked a few minutes in silence before Toothless started talking again.

"We're going to track down a deer or something similar, maybe a rabbit. It would be the easiest one to start with."

"Why not fish?" Asked Hiccup. "Like cod, for instance." He licked his mouth by the thought the delicious taste of it.

Toothless chuckled deeply.

"I knew you would like it" he said. "Fish is our favorite food, but to catch it can be quite a tricky task. The key is to strike quick, and be agile underwater. It takes a lot of training though, so we won't start by doing that."

"I've seen you do it before, it looks easy. I can do it!" Hiccup said, quite confident.

Toothless nudged him.

"Maybe not now" he said happily.

"What, you don't think I could do it?"

Toothless sighed, and let out another chuckle.

"Hiccup, the wings are an important part for a dragon to be agile and quick in the water. Right now, it doesn't look like you use them much, or even noticed that you actually have a pair. You've been dragging them all the way from the cave."

Hiccup stopped and looked at both sides, seeing that Toothless was right. His wings hang down loose from his back. Hiccup flushed, even though you couldn't see it on his black scales. If he still was a human, he would probably be covered all over with red. He flapped his wings a couple of times to get the feel of them, and then folded them before they continued their walk.

-{}-

About fifteen minutes later Toothless caught the scent of a rabbit, and quickly found the trail from it. It didn't take long before he told Hiccup to follow him slowly, and when they were behind a tree, Toothless gestured Hiccup to look past it. He did as Toothless said, and not fifty meters away, he spotted rabbits in a group of five, busy eating from a raspberry bush.

"Now, it's your turn to finish the job" said Toothless to Hiccup.

"What, you want me to kill them! ?"

"You're the one who needs training here, not me. You who bragged about catching fish was so easy, this should be no problem for you."

Hiccup merely huffed at Toothless and walked past him, sneaking closer to the rabbits. The sneaking part was done with horrible failure. The rabbits noticed him, and immediately began to run. Hiccup jumped forth and ran after them, screaming furiously of his prey getting away. He had almost catched up with one of them, but stumbled upon a root sticking out from a tree, causing him to lose balance and fall. Toothless watched it all with amusement, and chuckled while trudging over to where Hiccup was.

"You did fine for you first try" he said, cheering him up. "If you hadn't fell, you'd probably catch that one"

"How did they spot me that fast! ?"

"You didn't use the shadows around you to your advantage. It's was too easy to see you when you were practically bathing in sunlight. I suppose you could need a demonstration before you try again. Come on and let's find something else!"

-{}-

They walked deeper into the forest, and it didn't take long before Toothless found another trail of an animal, several actually. They followed it, and it wasn't until afternoon before it had led them to an opening in the forest, where a pack of deer were grazing.

"Now, just stay here and watch how it's done" Toothless said to Hiccup, teasing him a little.

Hiccup just grunted, and sat down.

"Don't worry, in about a week's time, this will be like second nature to you!" Said Toothless and nudged Hiccup in the shoulder.

Hiccup couldn't possibly stay grumpy any longer, and nuzzled Toothless back.

"Thank you Toothless, you always know how to cheer me up"

Toothless purred affectionately, before crouching away from Hiccup, letting the magic go loose. He started with what Hiccup had done wrong, by hiding in the shadows, either from the bushes or the trees. If it wasn't for Hiccup's improved vision after the transformation, Toothless would been completely blended in with the shadows, making him invisible. He stalked towards the nearest deer, never leaving the shadows. Toothless took it slowly, not making the slightest sound. Soon, he was only about seven meters from the deer, who still hadn't noticed the danger. Toothless stood completely still, targeting his prey, before he leapt out from his hiding place. While in midair, he took one powerful stroke with his wings, making him go lightning fast towards the deer. It didn't stand a chance, or even got to move before Toothless was over it and landed on its back, breaking bones in the process. Toothless quickly finished it off by crushing its neck with his jaws. The deer lay dead on the ground, and Toothless roared triumphantly over his kill.

"Showoff" Hiccup said jokingly, while trotting happily over to Toothless.

Toothless just smiled and took a step back, letting Hiccup have a better look at his kill.

"How you used your wings when you jumped towards that deer..that was amazing!" Hiccup said. "I never knew you could use the wings in such a way."

"I maybe cannot use them to fly with," Toothless answered, "but they get pretty useful when hunting, both underwater and on the ground. It would have worked even better if I had my other tailfin though" he said, swaying his tail to indicate it.

Sadness started to show in Hiccup's eyes. He felt guilty about it, having taken away Toothless flying ability, as well as limiting his hunting skills. He walked over and leaned against him.

"I'm sorry that I shot you that night, it should never have happened"

"Hadn't it, we would never have met, and the war between Vikings and dragons would still go on. You're the greatest that have happened to me Hiccup, and I value our friendship higher than anything else. Remember that!"

Hiccup felt warm and reassured hearing that, and started to nuzzle Toothless, whom immediately accepted it lovingly. Toothless felt they were getting closer to each other every day now, but still he wanted to wait revealing his true feelings for him. He didn't want to ruin this moment by seeing Hiccup running into the woods, away from him. The time wasn't there yet, but it was getting closer. "Always remember that..", Toothless thought to himself, "..my soon to be mate".