Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of the "How to train your dragon" franchise or the "Rise of the Guardians" franchise. This story has been written for enjoyment only and does not collect any monetary compensation. I do lay claim to the plot/story.

May the Valkyries welcome you and lead you through Odin's great battle field. May they sing your name with love and fury, so that we may hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla and know that you have taken your rightful place at the table of kings. For a great man has fallen; a warrior, a chieftain, a son... a friend.

#

They came the same night. Drago's men arrived in the shadow of dusk, taking the complacent Berkians by surprise – they had forgotten about the mad mans' army. They were led by Drago himself. He was bruised and battered from his earlier battle, but still very much alive. The people of Berk had welcomed their new chief with open arms, celebrating the life of Stoick, honouring the duty of his son, and rejoicing in the victory of their tribe. It was a short-lived victory.

He was mostly alone on the cliff face, with only Toothless and Drago for company. The pair had cornered the desperate man near the beginning of the fight. Drago had been raving about controlling the dragons and killing all those who stood against him. His lunacy had made him easy to trap. Behind Hiccup, he could hear explosions and yelling cut through the brisk air. He could imagine the fireballs flying into the night sky, crackling and popping as they fell into the fray, forever seeking their targets. He could not bear to think of those lost once more to this man. The mark of the chief rested heavier on his forehead as he thought of his people.

His prosthetic foot clanged on the rock beneath him as he took a step closer to Drago.

As devestating as a surprise attack could be, the fighting was dying down behind them; an army of men didn't stand much chance against dragons and their riders. Astrid and Valka were breaking away from the main crowd and were making their way towards them on their dragons. Hiccup felt resentment swirl in his chest as he gazed at the man who killed his father. Drago backed closer to the edge, knowing that the end was approaching, and quite quickly too. Without thought, a deep, hysterical laugh burst from his chest. He wouldn't go without a fight; that was for sure. He could see the so-called 'dragon master's' friends advancing on the oblivious boy.

He lunged at the boy as he was startled by the arrival of his friends. He knocked aside the flaming sword without warning and wrapped his arm around the little nuisance as the boy kicked and struggled. Drago ginned darkly as his rival called out in shock and pain. Hiccup struggled less as he felt Drago's dagger brush to a stop at his neck. Drago pulled the boy backwards, mostly dragging him, towards the crumbling side of the cliff. Toothless growled and pushed forward to attack, but stopped in his tracks as his sharp eyes picked up on the growing line of red running down Hiccup's neck. His ears snapped back and he growled as Drago pressed the blade closer to Hiccup's throat.

Time seemed to slow for a moment and all the noise banging at his eardrums slipped away as Hiccup took everything in. The slight breeze making Astrid's hair drift up around her face, the fear evident in her eyes as she looked at him, the insults she was throwing at Drago falling from her lips, her arm reaching out towards him. He saw Toothless as well, snarling and growling and ready to attack.

Hiccup looked up, feeling nothing of the sting at his neck. He felt the moon shine down on his closed eyes and breathed deeply, savouring his brief glimpse of clarity.

Drago was oblivious of the silent communication and tugged the boy back with him closer to the edge; he didn't like the way he was looking at the moon. The one-armed man glanced back nervously, slightly relieved to see that in a few steps, he and the boy would be falling through the air. "Not so clever now, are you, dragon master?" He saw the boy wince as he brought the blade closer. The boy was looking up again, captivated by the moon. He saw the girl with the dragon was crying, the weakling. She was staring at Hiccup, captivated as much by him as he was by the moon. Valka and the dragons moved forward and he stepped back, drawing more blood from his young victim. "Enough! I alone rule the dragons!" He raved. "All those who think they can defy me are forsaken."

Hiccup's breath hitched in his throat. He couldn't let Drago escape justice for all the deaths he had caused - all the deaths he would cause. The time was coming. Hiccup could guess Drago's plan - the simplicity of it gave it away. He would throw Hiccup off the cliff, and then he would take on Toothless so the dragon wouldn't be able to save him.

His hands moved by themselves, taking a firm grip on Drago's hairy forearm. His eyes fixed on the details of the moon, unable to make eye contact with the ones he loved. A tear fell down his cheek as he made out a reassuring face staring down at him from the moon's surface. He blinked and his gaze flickered between Astrid, Toothless, and his mother, giving each a small smile, letting them know it would be okay.

"Hiccup, NO!" he heard Astrid cry as she realised what he would do. Toothless made a crying noise of protest and his mother moved forward to attack.

Taking a deep breath, he musteredhis strength and lifted his metal foot. He could sense the fall that was only steps away and he glanced towards the rekindling fight down in the town. This had to end - now.

He kicked his foot down as hard as he could, catching Drago on the shin and scrapping the skin all the way to his toes. Drago screamed in pain and lost his balance as Hiccup took his chance to tackle the mad man off the edge of the cliff.

This had to end; otherwise, everyone he loved would die. That was all could think about as he fell, that and a silent goodbye to all those above. . .

#

Toothless' scream was the loudest sound in all of Berk. It absorbed the energy from the closest storm clouds and brought a standstill to any who were still fighting. Hiccup felt a sharp tug at his heart as he fell, despaired that he would most likely never see his friend again. The fall seemed to go on forever, but he wouldn't scream, choosing to keep the pain of loss to himself. Drago, on the other hand, was screaming and the top of his lungs.

He turned his glare on Hiccup. "Blasted Boy!" He screamed. He had managed to hold onto the dagger as they had fallen, and now they grappled with each other, Hiccup kicking and punching as hard as he could whilst avoiding a dagger and falling through the air. Above them, they heard another cry from the night fury. It drew the attention of both, making them pause in their fight for a moment.

The black shape of Toothless dove off the cliff, fast approaching and Drago growled in frustration at the persistence of the boy's dragon. He reacted before Hiccup did, plunging the dagger into the boy's chest just below the heart and smiling smugly. Even if the dragon caught him, Hiccup would still die.

Hiccup cried out in pain as a fiery, burning heat bloomed in his chest. His body curled in on itself from the unbelievable pain, it was spreading through his body like a deadly poison, holding the dagger in place. His vision blurred and Drago kicked him away. The falling pair parted. His breath came in gasps as the speed of his decent increased.

Toothless was nearing Hiccup, but not fast enough. He was seconds from hitting the water and if Toothless didn't pull up from the dive, they would both die as they hit the rocky waters. But with dawning realisation, through his pain-hazed state, Hiccup knew that was their fate. Without Hiccup controlling the tale, Toothless couldn't save himself.

Hiccup tried to slow his fall, unsuccessfully ignoring the pain in his chest. It was worse than losing his foot, worse than the pain of loss, worse than the fear he saw in Astrid's eyes as he said a final goodbye. He screamed as he finally managed to unfurl his body. He did it for Toothless. He had to save Toothless.

He didn't know what happened to Drago - he was out of sight. Hiccup felt another painful throb at his torso and a slight tingling from his chest. More tears leaked from his eyes. Hiccup could see nothing but black ocean beneath him, but he heard the waves as they crashed against the rocky shore. He wondered if death would hurt, he wondered if he would see his father again.

He rolled over in the air, feeling a sense of slow motion again. Toothless' silhouette was reaching towards him, flapping his wings quickly in an effort to catch Hiccup. He could hear his friends' cry as the pair approached the water. Bright green eyes stood out against black scales. Again, he saw the moon… shining down from above as a quiet observer. More tears came to his eyes as he closed them, this was the end.

Hearing one last roar from Toothless, he felt the dragon's arms encompass him and they hit the water's surface together. They sank into darkness.

#

Astrid had trouble seeing anything as Hiccup fell; she dropped her knees as Toothless jumped from the cliff side and had to block her ears as the night fury's piercing cry filled the air. Hiccup had fallen too far. He was clearly fighting with Drago as they fell. Seconds later, Valka was kneeling with her at the cliff's edge, fear evident in her eyes. Neither noticed the cloaked figure standing with them. Their dragons approached from behind, but the two humans didn't seem to notice them either. Slowly, the other teens from the training academy joined them, their dragons following behind.

Below them, they heard Hiccup scream in agony, and they saw the two figures moving away from each other. Their friends' silhouette became smaller in the air, clearly in pain. Toothless howled and bellowed, speeding towards Hiccup. They heard another scream as Hiccup started falling straight again. Both Hiccup and Toothless were shrinking from view.

The last thing they saw of Hiccup and Toothless was their speeding impact against the water's surface. Disappearing through what was clearly a one-way passage, closing the door behind them as they went. The group was silent. There was no way either of them could have survived the fall. Toothless had been too late. Astrid broke into loud sobs and felt the darkness of grief consume her. Vlaka followed suit behind her with broken tears, discarding her pride. Both known for not shedding a single tear, they couldn't help crying for their lost loved one. The others were crying as well, mourning the loss of a second chief in one day. They all knew that the truth was undeniable; Fishlegs began to hyperventilate and the twins were for once silent. The dragons were huddled together a short distance from them, seeming unshocked by their strange behaviour. They too were mourning the loss of a friend and leader.

With a satisfied smirk, the cloaked man dissolved into shadows.

#

Deep below the surface of the water, the pair sank, succumbing to eternal darkness. Cold pierced Hiccup's skin, only lessened slightly by the fading heat of Toothless' dying body. The thought made him panic. His best friend was dying, I'm dying. Or were they already dead? The pain he'd felt moments was gone, replaced with a drowsiness that was taking over his mind and controlling his body. By all rights, Hiccup knew that he and his dragon should have left their world the moment they had hit the water. But now they were sinking and a pitch black density was pressing in on Hiccups' mind.

He heard a sickening laugh, evil in every way possible, and Toothless tried to roar. The sound was drowned by water, becoming muffled at best and the voice laughed again. "Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup…" The man laughed again. "Always trying to foil my plans, but no, not anymore. Darkness will be your only friend now… You and your pesky dragon will sink to the bottom of this ocean and be doomed to eternal fear. No more shall you bring order to all those who should worship me in the chaos of fear." The man in the dark laughed again, sending shivers of dread rippling down Hiccup's spine. He felt he should know the voice; the one that had whispered to him in the night, bringing on nightmares and telling him he was worthless.

The darkness seeped into his very core and Hiccup felt his connection to Toothless waver for a moment. They were linked, beyond dragon and trainer, one feeling the others fear and desperation. But as the darkness overwhelmed his being, it threatened to break the bond they had formed. He could feel it fading as he disappeared, becoming a part of his surroundings. His hair turned black, his eyes following course. He felt himself slipping away, paralysed by the sickening fear overcoming him.

But no - Hiccup wouldn't be silenced, whoever this man - this villain - was, Hiccup wouldn't let him win. The darkness fled for a moment and Toothless' mind came rushing back to him. Above him, Hiccup could see the moon. The dragon stopped thrashing beside him and was suddenly still, alight in the shining moon. "No!" The man screamed. "He is mine!" But the moon mesmerised the pair, and both became calm, all traces of fear lost in the sea. A different kind of drowsiness filled them and safety blanketed them in a warm embrace as they drifted away.

#

Hiccup woke slowly. Dim memories of sleep clogging his mind, he groaned and tried to stifle the light coming from behind his eyes. He vaguely remembered something like this happening to his father, one morning after a long council meeting and a lot of mead the night before. All he remembered of the occasion was a fair few broken pots and complaints of people being too loud. Hiccup groaned again, this time rolling over.

Beside him a warm body shifted, emitting a canine-like groan. Slowly but surely the world around him came into clarity, despite his eyes still being closed. He was on hard ground, being poked in the stomach by some annoying object. He heard soft chirping, and something tickled him on the face. Huffing at the need to get up and discover what was going on, Hiccup stretched from fingers to toes, trying to loosen his stiff body. His eyes snapped open; he rolled over, staring in wonder at his feet. His two whole feet. Disorientated and a little dizzy, he put a hand out to steady himself. It landed on the body beside him. Toothless.

The dragon was stirring now as well, but Hiccup was backing up in shock, barely recognising his best friend. If not for the distinct feeling that it was Toothless, Hiccup felt that he would not know the dragon at all. His friend was awake now and was looking for him, not realising the difference in his appearance. The dragon turned slowly and saw him.

A vicious growl tore itself from Toothless' jaws before Hiccup could register the lack of recognition in his friends face. The seemingly wild dragon prowled toward him, about to eat him whole. The murderous growl cut off abruptly and a look of confusion crossed the beings intelligent face. Toothless pounced on his trainer seconds later, his normal reptilian smile gracing his face. Relieved, Hiccup laughed. "You had me worried there for a second, Bud," He chuckled again as the large beast licked him, almost trampling him. "Toothless! You know that doesn't wash out!" Hiccup groaned, laughing as he sat up slowly, finally free of his pet dragon.

Hiccup surveyed his surroundings, registering that they were in an unknown forest, at least, it didn't look like any place he had seen before. He spun around slowly, taking everything in. "Any ideas?" He glanced over his shoulder only to see Toothless watching him. "What?" Hiccup asked at the strange expression on Toothless' face. The dragon whined, as if talking and, like normal, Hiccup seemed to understand. He turned back fully. He'd had a sneaking suspicion about his appearance ever since seeing Toothless. Glancing at his arms, he was abnormally pale. "You're not much better yourself, you know?" He pointed at the reptile's coat and the Night Fury turned to examine his tail.

The forest turned into total uproar. The peace of moments ago, with only the sounds of the rustling leaves and the quietly chirping birds shattered with Toothless' wild thrashing. Roars awoke the area with a cacophonous mirage of screeching birds, cracking trees and the echoing howl of an extremely confused night fury.

Toothless had regained the missing part of his tail. While shocking, this was not what had caused the dragon to go ballistic; his normal colour had been completely bleached from his scales. He was now rolling around on the ground as if trying the wash the white from his normal coating. His healed tail waved around, cracking the wood of trees as it thrashed. Hiccup blocked his ears as screeches rent the air.

"Stop!" He finally yelled at his offending counterpart. Hiccup felt their connection growing and Toothless calmed at the sound of his voice. The dragon sat suddenly and curled his newly healed tail around himself, cocking his head to the side, whining again. It was a familiar gesture, sparking a surge of nostalgia within Hiccup. That was when Toothless disappeared.

Panic rose in his chest and he cried out for his friend. In front of him, right at the spot that Night Fury had previously been sitting, the air seemed to shift. There was another howling roar and Toothless was back, looking down at his body in apparent shock. Hiccup found himself yelling all the impossible and inexplicable things that had happened to them, unable to complete a full sentence. "Your tail -! My leg -? You… Poof…" Hiccup mimed the small, hysterical hand gesture of something disappearing. Toothless made a sound of agreement.

Hiccup collapsed on the ground, falling on his back to look up through a gap in the trees.

#

It was still strange for Hiccup to look at his reflection. It seemed like he was a whole different person, despite the fact that he hadn't changed his clothes. His eyes were almost black now; that was always one of the first things he noticed. He couldn't help but feel sad that he had lost the only clear resemblance he had once held of his father. He and Toothless were on an island, far, far from Berk. They were far from any island, and they weren't alone. They had each other, of course, but there were others; other people. But to them, Hiccup and Toothless were invisible. They weren't Vikings; they seemed more sophisticated, and there were no dragons. It seemed Hiccup had failed in his hopes to save the dragons from humans, a fact that had spurred an ache in his chest that he wasn't soon to forget. He had yet to come across a dragon other than Toothless.

He and Toothless were sitting by a pool near the local village. It was quiet, just after dawn, and the sun was coming up over the crest of the mountain. Their surroundings were afire with the flurry of morning glow. The only solace that he and Toothless had been offered came the night of their transformation as worry settled in Hiccups stomach. Do not let fear control your actions. Although brief, the message from the elusive Man in the Moon had eased their fears somewhat. The connection between Hiccup and Toothless was growing stronger with each day of their isolation. The vague understanding they had gained from each other in mortal life now flourished and the subtle movements and sounds formed a new language that they were fluent in.

Hiccup held some hope that there were other beings in the world who would be able to see them. After all, the Man in the Moon wouldn't offer a gift of complete camouflage to a creature that was already invisible to everyone. Toothless murmured next to him, sensing Hiccups sadness and hope. "It's okay, bud. I shouldn't be upset anyway, I said my goodbyes." Yet finding himself in this strange Limbo rather than Valhalla made him wonder what had gone wrong.

He remembered the laughing voice that had mocked him as he and Toothless sank into the depths. Darkness will be your only friend. The thought of his appearance – black eyes, black hair – and the memory of countless people staring through him reminded Hiccup of the darkness. He had faded into the shadows. Toothless nudged his shoulder, drawing him from his increasingly black thoughts. "Thanks, Bud." His dragon reminded him of the warmth that had embraced them when looking at the moon and Hiccup felt grateful as he gazed at the reptile. The man had been wrong; as long as he had Toothless, Hiccup would always have a friend.

The Next Chapter will be available soon.

W-L