Archive of Our Own ^beta

The boy from the fence just stood there, unblinking, unmoving, always staring at the dragon below. Disturbed Toothless had to admit the boy reminded him strongly of his late rider and once more pain shot through the place in his heart where the bond to his rider had been located. Wincing, he turned away, unable to look at the boy still standing there staring until a man Toothless had long since identified as the boys father dragged him away on the scuff of his shirt.
0oOo0
Whole Berk was mourning when their hero had died of old age, the last to go from the first riders, but none of them suffered more than a certain black dragon standing on the cliffs and watching the boat sailing away with his riders remains.
“You won´t fly anymore, Hiccup” the Night Fury whispered, the impossible feat of a dragon crying just happening. “So I won´t, too” and so he ripped saddle and prosthetic fin off and threw them on board just as the first burning arrow struck.
Watching the mourning family and village setting his riders boat ablaze was hard, for it made the cruel reality clear as day: his rider – Other Half, Soulmate, Brother – was gone.
“Take care of them for me, bud” “I will.”
0oOo0
Generations passed and Berks dragons were forced to go into hiding. A giantic cave, closed by boulders and sealed with magic was now their resting place in the sleep of the forever young until the time was riht and the cave would be opened again. Toothless was last one to see the light of day, the last thing he saw was the green eyes his rider had had in the face of Hiccups great-great-great-granddaughter, before the stone was pushed in front of the enrance and the magic started to take place.
Toothless went into the corner the farest away from the entrance and curled around one of his riders tunics, the last on left and mercfully given to him by the family. While the scent softly lulled him into sleep he only thought: “I´m sorry I couldn´t hold my promise, Hiccup. I´m not able to protect them anymore...”
0oOo0
“45 years ago, there was a storm breaking a hole open on the Hidden Cave of Berk. A wanderer accidently fell inside and found and woke the mythical beings sleeping there: Dragons. He barely came away with his life. Today we are proud to present the opening of our themepark, made by the most modern technics: Dragon Land. Here you can meet the dragons, touch them and sometimes people are even able to ride them. Here´s a list of...”
The news-lady was aprubtly cut off when Steve Haddock put the TV out. “You´re not seriously watching that again, kiddo, are you? You do know everything about that park by now” he asked his fifteen year old son, Henrik “Henry” Harold Haddock.
The boy in question pouted: “I´m not, Dad. I just can´t wait to see them, meet them and...” “...and maybe even ride your own dragon, am I right son?” Steve finished. Henry nodded, looking ashamed, knowing exactly what his father thought about dragons.
“Son, you must understand how hard it is for a human and a dragon to bond, because in the past most of those dragons were already bonded with someone, deeming them unable to bond with anyone else but the reincarnations of their late riders. It´s also less than one percent chance that one of the dragons hadn´t bonded yet and chooses someone new and an even lesser chance that the reincarnation of the former ridersshows up. And you know I can´t loose you” he said, his strong and loud voice for once almost calm and quiet.
The dragons had one island for themselves in that themepark, but weren´t allowed to roam free or go anywhere else than there. And if they had choosen one rider, the person had to stay on the island forever, for if they go the dragon would follow.
It was an amazing park, but had his downsides, too. Visitors were allowed in only for maximum one month each vacation and not before agreeing to stay if they bonded to a dragon, after which they were classified as Rider.
And one of those Riders was Henrys mother, Valeria, who was also suspected to be a reincarnation of someone.
“Well, at least we´ll see Mum again. I bet she´ll be happy” Henry muttered, trying to loosen the tense mood.
0oOo0
When the left the ship, Valeria Haddock was already waiting at the port with her Stormcutter Cloudjumper. Henry was the first one to happily bound down the planks until he jumped in his mothers arms. “Henry!” she sqealed, happily. “Just look how big you´ve become, sweetie. You are almost a head taller than the last time I saw you!” The boy grinned: “Now you´re lying, mum, I didn´t even grow an inch since January.” “And we have June” Steve added into the talk. “I wonder when he´ll finally grow a bit.” “I´m sure he will” Valeria said confidently, letting go off her son in order to hug and kiss her husband.
“I´m so happy to see you again, both of you” she finally said. Valeria leaded her boys to her big house up the hill, where she lived and where her family slept when they came for their vacations. After getting his suitcase and backpack the stairs up into his room and quickly stuffing the few things he hadn´t already here, Henry bounded down the stairs into the living room, where he knocked on the door leading to his parents room. Valeria slipped out, for Steve still needed more time unpacking, and grinned at her son: “So sweetie, how about some mother-son time?” Henry grinned happily: “Any new dragons?”
0oOo0
“Yeah, this Rumblehorn is only allowed free since last week and then there´s of course my favourite...” Valeria said, leading her son through the path of the forest until they came to a stop at a cove surrounded by fence able to absorb the strongest fire. “...the Night Fury.”
Henrys eyes widened and he ran to the fence to look, his eyes widening when he finally saw the dragon sleeping headdown hanging from branches.
“He´s been told to be the most elusive and dangerous dragon in this park. The researchers trying to get data were almost killed in their quest. He seems to be only wanted to be left alone, poor thing. He woke up the day of birth, sweetie, did you know? There was a storm here, raging and he suddenly woke up and was just there. The researchers before hadn´t noticed him in the dark cave. He was the last one to wake up. And today is the first day this place is openly allowed by visitors. Look how they are all staring at him all day, poor thing. And the worst thing is he can´t even fly and no one dares to get close enough to help him. It´s so sad, poor thing. It´s a wonder he didn´t go mad yet. Let´s go, Henry, he shouldn´t need to put off with us staring a him, too...”
0oOo0
Henry couldn´t help himself, even though his mother didn´t like it and his father even forbis it, he was so fascinated by the black dragon that always came back to stand for hours at the fence watching the dragon in the cove.
His notizebook was stuffed with scribbles and drawings of the dragon and everyday he would only to go home when curfew neared to escape penality and be able to watch the dragon the next day again.
And so he sat there drawing and taking notes in his book when a girl followe by a dragon neared from behind him: “What are you doing, Henry? The Night Fury again?” Henry yerked up, quickly pulling his notes close and jumping up, before grinning and looking at his childhood friend: “Hey Astrid, hey, how you´re doing. You, too, Stormfly. I´m not doing anything and...” “Your obsession with that dragon is not healthy” Astrid said, deathpanning. “And why didn´t you tell me or Friedrich that you are visiting your mom? I would have liked to say hello and not have to run headfirst into your worrying parents in order to learn about that.” The Deadly Nadder crooned in agreement.
“Sorry, it´s just...I kinda forgot?” Henry admiited sheeplishly. Astrid just glared at him: “Typical.”
Astrid was just as his other childhood friend Friedrich a Rider. Since his mother had been on the island since he was a year old thanks to bonding with Cloudjumper, he knew the islands teenpopulation too well and almost belonged to them. Aside from Astrid and Friedrich, there were also Henrys cousin Sebastian and the twins Rachel and Timothy. Sadly the key word was almost, because he hadn´t a dragon and therefore not a rider and allowed to stay all year. And only here on Berk, the island of dragons he felt truly free and alive and only here he had contacts and friends.
0oOo0
Toothless wasn´t sure what to make of the boy from the fence, he seemed nice and curious and had that special hiccup flair Toothless had missed so much. The other first generation dragons had already found their riders reincarnations and bonded, happily living their life with them once again. Somehow Toothless wished the boy from the feence would have been allowed closer so he could smell and touch and see if he was his rider reincarnation, but sadly he was unable to fly and the boy not allowed to come closer, so it was impossible...
And the only reason had been his riders shirt those humans had taken from him and had angered him so much...he stopped short.
...or not? A crazy idea came to his mind and he quickly called the other dragons for help.
0oOo0
“When you´re so fascinated with that dragon, I say go for it. And maybe do him a favour: Build him a new fin, so he can fly again” Gerd Belch, resident sport- and historyteacher at the local school as well as blacksmith as well as saddlebuilder, answered his small friends thoughts. Whenever younger Henry had been on Berk, the man had babysitted him and had become something of a uncle to the boy.
“But how?” the teen asked. “I might have ideas...but I can´t realize them because I don´t know how.” “Have you forgotten who I am?” Gerd asked jokingly strict. “I can teach you if you wanna.” And with a grin Henry agreed and gerd gestured for his lazy dragon to start the fire of the forge.
...
While Henry was working hard under Gerds instructions and the head caused him to sweat so much he pulled off the green Hoodie he wore about a black T-Shirt and throw it in a corner, a Terrible Terror snuck inside and stole the clothing article. Flying proudly with his prize he came to an excited Deadly Nadder: “And?” “Got it as instructed and have to admit, it smells like he did” the terror reported. Stormfly nodded: “Good job, Sharpshot.”
Taking the prize carefully in her jaw, she took a sniff from it and almost fell over with joy: “You´re right! It is him! Toothless will be so happy...and Astrid will be, too. Stupid me to not take a closer sniff before...”
And so she flew into the cove where the Night Fury was still caged. “Toothless, we got it! We got the shirt as you wished, it´s true, it´s him!” Toothless jumped up and ran to where she had landed, carefully taking the clothing article from her. A sniff and a loud purr broke forth.
“I need to get out of here, now. I have to get to him, now!”
0oOo0
It was night, when they finished. “Do you think this will work?” Henry asked, staring doupfull at the fin and saddle before him. “I´m sure” the blacksmith assured. “With your mind, my work and the old notes that were left from Viking times, this thing is sure to work. Now you just have to magically get to the dragon and somehow get it on him.” Staring out of the forges window, Henrys eyes widened: “Uhm...Gerd? The former won´t be a problem anymore...” Green eyes stared through the glass back at the two of them. Gerd softly cursed.
0oOo0
Nervous and slightly giddy Toothless waited until new-Hiccup came out. Surprisingly the boy carried a fish and...was that a prostetic fin and saddle?
Toothless practically shuddered with pent-up energy while he watched the nervous teen coming closer. “H...hey Night Fury...b...b...beautiful night is it tonight, yeah, night is pretty huh?” The teen akwarly stuttered. “H...hey, I´m Henry, Mr. Night Fury. Please don´t eat me? I have something for you that might interest you...but first may I touch you?”
Carefully New-Hiccup – Henry as Toothless now knew – held the fish to the dragon out. Toothless forced himself only to slowly edge closer in order to recreate the name once given to him.
“Huh? Toothless? I could have sworn you had...teeth...”
“And that would make my name...now about the bond...”
“Uh...no, no, I don´t have anymore!”
“No need to, Henry. And before you complain this is your penalty for letting me wait longer than the others. And you need to eat more...again”
“Eew...”
“Eat it.”
“Oh no, really?”
“Yes.”
“You´re not serious, are you?”
“I´m dead serious.”
“Aww...man...eew...”
“Tasted good?”
“Eew, big, big dislike...I don´t think I can ever eat a fish again...eew.”
“Your fault.”
...
Disbelieving Gerd watched a scene unfold in front of him, that he had only read in the old notes. And then boy looked away and stretched is hand in trust to the dragon and Gerd knew this bond would be stronger than any other...
0oOo0
And then the day of goodbye came. As much as his broke his heart, Henry knew his father needed him and therefore told no one of his bond with Toothless, and Gerd on his wish didn´t, too. And so it left the habitants of the park to wonder how saddle and fin came on the Night Fury and how he suddenly became so peaceful and friendly to humans.
Silently Henry snuck away from the sleeping dragon, leaving him in the forest to snuggle with his Hoodie. And he went to his house and packed his bag and suitcase and got ready. The warm buzz where he knew his bond with the dragon laid was dimming and fastly turning cold.
...
Valeria hugged her boy close to her: “It´s hard to say goodbye to family. But it becomes even worse with your bonded dragon. The pent up magic all those years made the bonds strenghen and now it physically hurts to be away from your dragon. It weakens you, makes you sick and some even turn mad. That´s the reason why riders stay here, sweetie. I´m sorry I can´t be the mother I wish I was, the mother you need. But please now go and take care of your father for me. He needs you.” “I know” Henry whispered
And so they said goodbye and Henry followed his father onto the ship. And so it went away.
0oOo0
A sharp ache woke Toothless up. Then the dragon saw the hoodie and found his boy gone.
“No...no, no, no!” And he ran through the forest and the village unil he reached the port where he saw the ship leaving on the horizon, too far away: “No, Henry, no!”
A sharp pain shot through his bond and he howled up, pushing the watchers aside and ready to jump into the sea. “Come back! Please, Henry!”Confused the onlookers and other dragons quickly held him back. The humans eyes were wide, understanding passing between them. A Rider was secretly on the ship and no one can get them back, now, not immeadly at least.
Finally it was Gerd and Valeria who managed to calm the trashing dragon into a quiet wimpering. “He´scoming back, you bloke, don´t you worry” the man assured. Toothless only wimpered while being cared for by Valeria who he smelled was Henrys mother: “Sht...sweetie, it´s gonna be okay...”
“No, no it´s not” Toothless whimpered. “He´s gone again...and I can´t loose him...again...my rider...why? I can´t...Henry...no...come back...please....”
0oOo0
On the ship, standing at the reiling, which held him there like a fence, the boy from the fence suddenly burst into tears, confusing all the passengers inclusive his father.