Well, um... honestly, I'm not sure what to say. I guess I'm sorry is a good one. I know I haven't really been committed to any of my stories as of late, but this one especially. I wish I could explain. I've just been... well, busy I suppose. I've just been really distracted and... not as motivated as I used to be. It's not that I wanna stop writing, I never wanna stop! I've just... been going through some stuff. I've felt a bit overwhelmed recently, and it's affecting everything I do, even this.

But hey, you guys aren't here to listen to lame excuses like that, right? Right. Enough about my issues. I know you've waited a long time for this, longer than you deserve. Again, I'm sorry. Hope you enjoy it. Bye.

Ch. 8
Flight Test: Take One

WOODEN TOWER; EVENING- Hicca, Gobber, and the rest of the teens are sitting in a circle around a metal fire pit, eating their meals and listening to Gobber tell another thrilling tale.

"Oh boy," Hicca sighed. "Here comes another one of Gobber's infamous dragon stories."

"Ey, what's wrong with my stories?" Gobber asked offensively.

"Oh, nothing… except I've heard them all about a million times before, and you insist on telling them over and over anyway."

Gobber gave Hicca a small glare before waving an airy hand and turning away to look back at the screen.

Gobber: …And with one twist, he took my hand and swallowed it whole! And I saw the look on his face; I was delicious! He must've passed the word, because it wasn't a month before another one of them took my leg!

Hicca: Great story, Gobber. Not like I haven't heard it fifty times before already.

"See? Told yah."

Gobber glanced over at Hicca, and nudged her arm playfully. She smiled at him before looking back down at her fish.

There they go again, Stoick thought. He was really beginning to notice just how much closer they were than he and Hicca were. He was noticing it a lot.

Fishlegs: Isn't it weird to think that your hand was inside a dragon. Smashes his drumsticks together. Like, if your mind was still in control of it, you could've killed the dragon by crushing its heart or something.

Hicca and Tuffnut both give Fishlegs a creeped-out look.

It seemed that the teens on the screen weren't the only ones who were creeped-out by this statement. Practically every Viking in the vicinity had turned to look directly at Fishlegs, looking disturbed and curious as to what would make him say such a thing. Even the dragons were giving him disgusted looks. Fishlegs sunk deeper into his beanbag chair, looking very uncomfortable.

"It… it was just a theory…" he muttered. "I didn't actually mean it, or anything…"

'I'd like to think not,' said the female Gronkel.

Fishlegs turned to give her a weary look before turning back to the screen, his whole face a bright red.

Snotlout: I swear, I'm so angry right now! I'll avenge your beautiful hand and your beautiful foot. I'll chop of the legs of every dragon I fight- with my face!

Gobber: (shakes his head) Uh-uh. It's the wings and the tails yah really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away. A downed dragon is a dead dragon.

Hicca sighed slightly.

"Don't you go feeling guilty," Toothless told her firmly. "Everything is perfectly fine now, right? Nothing to worry about, yeah?"

Hicca looked up at him. She knew it would be pointless to argue, so she smiled and nodded.

The camera pans over and zooms in on Hicca. A look of dread is clear on her face, and it is quickly replaced with a look of determination.

Gobber: (stands up) Alright, I'm off to bed. You should be, too. Tomorrow we get to the big boys. Slowly, but surely making our way up to the Monstrous Nightmare. But who will win the honor of killing it?

The camera pans over the whole group, showing their anxious but excited faces, especially the twins. But when the camera stops to where Hicca had been sitting- she's gone! The camera snaps back over to Austen, who stares in disbelief and looks around. The camera snaps down to the stairs, showing Hicca slowly creeping down, trying not to make a sound. Austen leans his head over to stare at her, but he shakes his head and walks back over to his seat.

The image snaps over to show Hicca sitting at her desk in the forge. She pulls out her sketchbook and flips it open to the picture of Toothless. She then takes out her pencil and draws a larger, more obvious fin where the original had been missing.

Is she doing what I think she's doing? Stoick thought to himself.

A long montage starts up; Hicca is shown lighting fires, and burning and melting metal. She's hammering away at parts, and pulling nails out. It then goes to her shaping and cutting away at some brown leather, resewing it and hammering nail into it.

It soon pans over to a shot from behind Hicca as she holds up her creation; a large, brown leather replica of the Night Fury's missing fin. She shuts it, to reveal the large sketch of it hanging on the wall.

For a moment, everyone was silent as they watched everything unfold on screen. Sure, they knew that Hicca was skilled in smith work due to years of experience, but none of them had seen her in action, or create something so impressive. Gobber just folded his arms, smiling as he nodded. He taught Hicca very well.

INT. COVE; EARLY MORNING- The camera pans over an image of Hicca walking into the cove. Toothless is there, and he is curled up in a ball, just a few feet away from the pond.

Hicca: (sweetly) Hey, Toothless…

Toothless opens his eyes, slowly stretching his limbs and yawning as he wakes up.

Toothless: M-morning, Hicca. Shakes his head a little bit. You're a little early today. I didn't think you'd be back until noon.

Hicca: Change of plan. I got other stuff to do later today, so I decided to come early. I brought you something.

Toothless: What?

Hicca: Breakfast! Swings the large basket off of her back and onto the ground. I hope you're hungry.

Toothless: Starving, actually.

Hicca raises her foot and kicks the basket over. It lands roughly and falls open, the fish inside spilling out into a giant heap.

"Eww…" a few people moaned in unison.

"Yeah, imagine having to carry that the whole way," said Hicca.

Hicca: Okay, that's disgusting.

Toothless: Not to me. Sniffs. Wow, that's a lot of fish.

Hicca: Yep. Got a whole lot for yah. Some salmon, little Icelandic cod, and a whole smoked eel-

Toothless: WHAT?!

The whole audience jumped, surprised at the Night Fury's tone and volume

Hicca jumps in surprise as Toothless growls at the pile, his pupils turning into slits. Hicca bends over and a second later picks up the huge, black and yellow eel. Toothless rears his head back and hisses.

Toothless: BE GONE WITH YOU!

Hicca: No, no, no! It's okay! Quickly tosses the eel away. What's wrong?

Toothless: (breathless) I forgot to tell you… Dragons are severely allergic to eels. It makes us sick and we end up hallucinating for over a week.

Stoick, who had been sitting angrily in his seat with his arms folded, straightened up a bit at that. So the beasts hated eels, eh? Maybe he could use that fact to his advantage.

Hicca, though quite a distance away, noticed her fathers' movements, and had a bad feeling about him knowing about the eels.

"Don't worry," Toothless whispered. He had heard both Stoick's and Hicca's thoughts. "We won't let him do anything bad."

Hicca nodded, leaning into Toothless' chest.

Hicca: (horrified, timid) I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to…

Toothless: It's okay, you didn't know. I don't blame you. Nudges her gently. No harm, no foul. Right?

Hicca nods. Then, a second later, she laughs.

Toothless: What?

Hicca: (shakes her head) Nothing. It's just… I don't like eel much either.

Stoick went back to sitting grumpily in his chair. Yet another thing that Hicca just had to have in common with dragons.

Toothless chuckles and goes back to the pile of fish, beginning to eat. Hicca nodded, slowly picking up the artificial fin.

Hicca: (quietly) That's it, stick to the good stuff. Circles around him. Don't you mind me… I'll just be back here… minding my own business…

All of the teen and a few adults chuckled.

"Very subtle," laughed Austen.

Hicca rolled her eyes.

Toothless doesn't seem to hear her. Hicca kneels down beside Toothless' large tail and tries to place the new fin beside it. But, his tail moves away. Hicca tries again and again, but the tail continues to move.

Hicca: (thoughts) Can't he stay still?

Toothless: I will if you leave my tail alone.

Hicca: Head snaps up. (thoughts) He can read minds now?

Toothless: Why yes, yes I can.

"Is there anything you can't do?"

"It's not that bizarre," said Toothless. "I mean, you hear my thoughts all the time."

"What do you mean?"

"That's pretty much how we communicate. We allow other people to hear us by having them hear our thoughts."

"So… every time you've spoken to me with your mind…"

"That was you hearing my thoughts," he said. "But, you can't hear anyone else's thoughts though. The only reason you can hear mine is because I allow you to; that's how it works. But, dragons are capable of hearing everyone's thoughts just as well as letting someone else hear theirs."

Fishlegs was stirring in his seat, trying to listen in as much as he could. Boy, what he wouldn't give to have his notebook right now.

Hicca shakes her head and gets back to work. She tries to bring the fin up to the tail again, but it starts to thrash around now.

Hicca: No, it's okay.

She reaches up and grabs the tail, pushing it down with all she had. She starts the put the fin on it, but…

Toothless: No more fish?

Toothless lunges forward to put his head in the basket. This causes Hicca to slip and fall onto her stomach.

Hicca: Bah! Okay, that's it…!

Hicca swings her leg over to straddle Toothless' tail. She quickly put the fin up to the tail and finally starts to strap it on. The camera pans over to Toothless, whose head is still stuck in the basket. Then, he straightens up, and the basket falls off as he shifts around a bit.

Toothless: What on earth are you doing?

Hicca: Just give me a second.

Toothless: Shifts some more, then… No way…

The camera pans back to face Hicca, and it shows Toothless straightening his back as his wings spread out, ready to take flight.

"That can't be good," mutters Gobber.

Hicca sat up, admiring her work.

Hicca: Not too bad. Folds her arms. I suppose that works. Might need a few adjustments, but-

Toothless suddenly lunges into the air, and Hicca yells as she is taken up with him, holding onto his tail for dear life.

Toothless: I'm flying!

Hicca: No, no, no-! Toothless, wait-!

Toothless ignores her and continues to attempt to fly. Hicca, holding onto his tail for dear life, lifts her head and looks at the prosthetic. She frowns. The tail fin is flopping uselessly in the wind, not providing any support. Suddenly, as Toothless continues to try to fly, he starts losing altitude and heads downward towards the ground. Hicca suddenly reaches forward, grabs the tail fin, and yanks it out. Instantly, Toothless shoots up into the air, going higher and higher, far above the cove.

Everyone in the theater was sitting still, awestruck at how well the prototype had worked, even with Hicca's help.

"Wow…" breathed the twins.

"Man…"

"I taught her that!" Gobber shouted, raising his hooked hand. "Me! I did!"

Hicca laughed. "No one's denying that you did, Gobber."

"I know, I just wanted to make that perfectly clear!"

Hicca: Oh my-! It's working!

She lifts the fin, and it helps Toothless to maneuver and turn. He flies in a huge circle before floating down, gliding quickly over the pond. Hicca beams, her hair going everywhere in the wind.

Hicca: Yes! I did it!

Toothless: Eyes widen, and he looks around. Hicca! What are you doing up here? You'll hurt yourself!

Toothless instantly whips his tail around and throws Hicca off of him. She yells as she skids across the water and sinks in.

The whole theater is laughing again.

"Yeah, right!" cackled Snotlout. "He's worried about her getting hurt, and yet he throws her into the water from several feet in the air!"

He continues to laugh as both of the twins fall to the ground, howling and wheezing.

The only one who is not amused is, obviously, Stoick. He was still confused of the idea that Hicca was actually helping the creature, angry that she had the nerve to get on top of him, and furious at the Night Fury for flying around and throwing her off. He could've hurt her! Stoick turned to look at said dragon, still in his humanoid form, and still had his scaly arm wrapped around Hicca. They were both laughing too.

"It seems so stupid looking back now!" Toothless laughed.

Hicca buried her face into his chest, her voice muffled. "I know! What were you thinking?"

Stoick shook his head and turned back in his seat.

Even the dragons were amused at this. They never knew the Night Fury could make such a silly decision in a moment like that. But, again, there was one amongst them who wasn't so entertains. The Monstrous Nightmare merely rolled his eyes at what he saw on the screen. He did not see what was so amusing about it.

The camera goes back up to Toothless, who is staring down at his tail, which is now useless without Hicca. He desends lower and lower, until finally, he falls into the water as well. From the other end of the pond, Hicca's head pops out, and she throws her arms up into the air in triumph.

Hicca: YEAH!

The camera snaps to Hicca's hands, which are tipping a boot upsidedown and draining the water out of it. The image snaps back, showing Hicca sitting on the edge of the water, both boots off. Toothless walks out of the water next to her and starts shaking his head like a dog, getting all of the water off. Hicca laughs as she covers her face, then sets her boot down.

Toothless: What was that?

Hicca: That, my friend, was your new tail. She undoes her braid and wrings her hair out. I made it for you last night, and I wanted to try it out. Pretty great, huh?

Toothless sits down and stares at her, eyes wide and pupils large.

Toothless: You made that for me?

Hicca: (Smiles) Yeah. I mean… it's my fault that you can't fly anymore, so I should be the one to help you fly again.

She glances up at him, and he has an amazed look on his face. He then turned and lifted his tail, only to see that the prosthetic is destroyed.

Toothless: It's ruined! I broke it, after all the work you did. I'm sorry…

Hicca: Don't be! It was just a prototype. I didn't really expect it to work permanently anyway. I promise, once I get it back home I'll handle whatever needs to be fixed and make it perfect. You'll be back in the air in no time. I promise.

Toothless stares at Hicca for a solid two seconds before he lets out a happy chortle and then suddenly leaps at her, his large paw on her chest, pinning her. He has a huge, gummy smile on his large, adorable face.

Toothless: Thank you so much, Hicca!

He suddenly starts to lick all over her face. Hicca closes her eyes, smiling. A second later she laughs as the licking starts to tickle. She laughs harder as she lifts her hands and presses them against his face to stop him, but to no avail.

Hicca: Ha ha ha! T-Toothless, stop! Ha ha, please- it t-tickles!

Toothless gives one more affectionate lick to her cheek before finally leaning back, keeping his paw on her chest. Hicca calms down as she raised her arm to wipe off all of the slobber from her face.

Hicca: Dude, you're nasty!

Toothless: I can't help it. I'm just happy, and it's fun to make you laugh!

He finally gets off of her and lets her sit up. She wipes off the rest of the slobber and wipes it on her pants.

Hicca: You're welcome, by the way.

Toothless grins, stirring his paw in the dirt. Then, Hicca leans forward, hand outstretched to pet him. He looks at her and then leans in the meet her touch. Hicca pats him a bit before lifting her other hand to stroke his snout smoothly. Toothless starts to purr.

"Are you… purring?" Austen murmured. "You purr?"

Toothless glanced over at him. "Yeah. Why?"

Austen stared at him for a moment before turning his head away, snickering to himself.

"Knock it off!" Hicca hissed.

"I'm sorry!" Austen wheezed. "It's just… so funny!"

Hicca reached forward and slapped his arm, but Austen kept laughing. Toothless sat there, staring at them, confused.

Meanwhile, amongst the dragons, the Monstrous Nightmare was deep in thought. Though no longer suspicious of the Viking girl, remained confused as to what was happening. He could probably accept that maybe not all humans hated dragons. Probably! But, he could not understand why a Night Fury would be so inclined to let her be so close and intimate with her. He'd have to try to be patient and watch to see what else happens.

Keeping her hands on Toothless' face, Hicca turns to look up at the sky. The sun is high up by now.

Hicca: What time do you suppose it is?

Toothless: Probably almost noon. Why?

Hicca: (Gasps) I forgot!

She suddenly starts running around and gathering all of her stuff. She took the fake fin off of Toothless and placed it in the giant fish basket. She then grabbed the previously forgotten eel and stuffed it into her fur vest.

Toothless: What's wrong?

Hicca: I need to get home. I have a, um… Viking class! Yeah, just that!

Toothless: When will you come back?

Hicca: Soon. I don't know when, but I'll come back as soon as I can.

She grins and pets Toothless' nose again. He closes his eyes and purrs for a moment, then she stops.

Hicca: Bye, Toothless.

Toothless: Bye, Hicca.

Hicca then turns and starts running off. The camera zooms in on Toothless' face, and he was a clam, admiring expression as he watches her leave.

"Ah, I know that look," Gobber teased, turning to smirk at the dragon boy.

The bit of Toothless' face that wasn't covered in scales turning slightly pink. "Hehe, yeah…"

He grinned down at Hicca, who blushed a deeper red that him.

Gobber snickered at the two embarrassed teens. Stoick turned to glare at him. Gobber was poking fun at them as though they were a normal, young couple. What was wrong with him?