Once in a Nightlight

Chapter 5

Toothless and Luna retreated away and headed over the ravine inside their new home, and glided up to a slope. Luna landed up the top and flicked her tail at him.

"Come..It's just over here, look." She gestured with her head to a huge crystal wall that had a large cavern carved out at the top, then a few smaller ones scattered into the wall below it. Toothless raised his ears once he had landed silently besides the Lightfury. Toothless's emerald pearls stared around in astonishment, not quite believing how beautiful his new home was. "Let's go." Luna padded down the slope and towards the wall as it glittered glamorously in front of them against the natural light rays that shone so brightly. Toothless watched her glide up to the top and land on the lip of the cave, warbling down at him softly to tell him it was okay. Silently, he flew up a little bit after her and landed effortlessly on his paws at the entrance. Their new den was massive, there was two holes at the back that led into two separate sections of the den, the ceiling was plastered with diamonds and crystals that shimmered like inside stars above their heads.

"God it's...stunning..." Toothless murmured softly as he walked around slowly to savour the moment as he took a good look at his new home. He came in front of Luna and looked her in the eyes, blue meeting green as a memory flashed through his head for a moment, but he shook it away and touched foreheads "It's amazing...this place...it's exquisite.." He purred to her softly and nuzzled her cheek "Thank you...for bringing me here and letting me live the life I was suppose to live."

"I know you deserved more...But I also know that relationship you have with your human is important too...But living a soft fed life forever and sitting at the feet of a man, obeying orders...not being free to fly whenever you please...isn't going to be great..is it?"

"No...I guess you're right...Of course I loved being with Hiccup, don't get me wrong...But I felt that there was more to myself than that.."

"And now you can prove it...Be like him. Rule your own clan and show them you're the King." Luna gave him a proud smile and lifted his chin "Chin up, your crown is slipping." Luna gently patted his head and gave him a nuzzle, then padded into one of the separated sections of the den "This can be ours, it's bigger in here than the other one." she called back to him with a flick of her tail. Toothless peered into the room and nodded to her in agreement then swiftly turned and stalked to the second room and looked in,

"What's the second one for?"

Luna raised a brow with her back to him but shook her head softly with a chuckle "Never mind, we'll sort that out later on in life." She walked out and turned to him "For now we need to get a good night's worth of sleep, I'm exhausted, and so are you." Luna caught him yawn and he immediately clamped his jaws shut "C'mon, settle down and I'll show you around tomorrow."

"Mh...Okay." Toothless walked into the room and looked around for a moment before he came to lay next to Luna, once he settled she started to groom his neck before he fell asleep.

"Goodnight, Toothless." Luna murmured softly into his ear once she had finished and moved her head to place by his paws. 

"Goodnight.." He purred down to her gently and licked her forehead, then settling his chin on his huge paws and shutting his orbs to drift into slumber.

The light of late dawn broke through the den as rays gently shone upon the alpha. Once he had grumbled and complained about the light he opened his eyes  and squinted in the bright light.

"This damned light.." He hissed softly and raised his head to let out a loud yawn with pinned ears.

"Afternoon sunshine." Luna greeted sarcastically as she emerged from the entrance "Took your time waking up didn't ya?"

"...How long have you been up?"

"Ages. Since the crack of dawn." She shrugged "You looked cute and cosy so I didn't wanna wake you, so I went to check on the other Berkian dragons to see how they were settling in."

"How are they?"

"Good, good. All seems to be fine, this...Colt said he was excited for today to roam around with his mother." Luna walked over and gave his cheek a nuzzle 

"Ahh, Colt.." Toothless chuckled softly "Dayflight's son, I carried him here because he was tired and wouldn't stop talking, cute eh?"

"He sounds cute." Luna smiled down at him as her ocean eyes glimmered at him with a soft look in her baby blue eyes. Toothless got up and gave himself a well needed stretch as he groaned at the release of tension.

"Much better...So, where are we going today, huh?"

"Just you wait and see! Come on! Let's go!" Luna ran out to the lip of the cave and leapt off the edge where she roared happily and hovered, waiting for her mate as she saw him dive off and barrel roll off the entrance towards her "Showoff." She scoffed playfully and took off.

Toothless followed Luna through the hidden world as she took him down deeper into the kingdom.  Luna led him down into a narrow tunnel at the front of the crystal high rock at the bottom which opened into a humongous room inside, so big that Toothless had to crane his neck to look at the top. Loud squeals and giggles echoed joyfully inside the place as dragonets (baby dragons) waddled and ran around inside. Four older females were supervising the cubs and gasped as they saw the two.

"Luna!!" One hissed and rushed over "You should have told us you were coming!"

"I wanted to give the king himself a tour around our home and meet the nursery kids, the place looks fine so don't worry yourself too much, Mills." Luna then looked at Toothless and to the four females "Toothless, these are Mills, Lottie and Maya."

"Nice to meet you." Toothless chuckled and bowed his head to them respectfully "I'm guessing you supervise the dragonets when the parents are busy?"

"You got it." Lottie smiled at him and came over to bow "It's an honour to finally meet you, Toothless, and an even greater honour now that you're living among us."

"Pleasures all mine." Toothless sat down and curled his tail to his paws with a warm smile "I can assure you this place will still be the same while I'm here, nothing will change." Mills walked over and sat close to his side and had a little chat to him about the place while Luna padded over to the group of dragonets giggling to each other.

"Hi guys!" Luna heard a series of gasps from the group as they turned to look at her "Luna!!" she was instantly dog-piled onto her side as the cubs clambered over her laughing and screeching happily to have her back 

"Where have you been!?"

"We've missed you sooo much!!"

"Luna! Luna! Luna! Luna!"

She smiled happily and nuzzled each one in return for their excitement to have her back. Two of the cubs leapt off her and gave her cheek a lick. "Who's that?" one whispered to the dark scaled male talking to Lottie.

"Him?" Luna lowered her head with a smirk "That's the mighty King Toothless."

"THE KING!!!?" The cubs all turned to him with wide eyes and stared. Toothless looked at him and raised his ears but he had no time to respond. All twelve dragonets ran to him shrieking and screaming happily and pounced on him so he fell over with a yelp of surprise. Lottie and Maya laughed as he was being swarmed with questions already and licks and nuzzles while he was pinned to the floor. Luna laughed also as she watched him being dog-piled after her.

"Oi oi oi!" Mills rushed over and nudged them away "Be careful! He's only been here a day!"

Toothless got up and shook himself with a laugh "Well wasn't that fun?" He smiled to the nurses then to the kids "I suspect you want me to stay awhile?"

"YES!" 

"Hmm, alright, I think I can spare some time." Toothless settled down on his belly and curled his paws to his chest while the kids gathered around him, listening to when he told them the story of him being captured years ago and lived in a human village. Luna smiled and nuzzled Toothless and laid down herself, listening to him and looking at him with awe.

'You'll be a great Dad one day.'