Secret of a Dragon (An HTTYD Story)

Chapter Sixteen: The Monstrous Nightmare

I can't believe how long I've kept you all waiting. That was ridiculous. I can't promise it won't happen again but I can promise I'll try to update faster!

Also, I'm still looking for votes on the Hiccstrid vs. Hiccup and Crystal. So far I have two votes for Hiccstrid and three for Hiccup and Crystal. These added to the votes I get on this chapter will be the final result!

This chapter was really hard to write which is why it took so long :)

Beware: it will be a very emotional chapter and I will probably get a lot of hate!!

Enjoy! Maybe!

"Hiccup! Wait up!"

Crystal's call is no surprise; she has always managed to find him after a visit with Toothless. He stops and turns, waiting for her to catch up. She asks no questions about his basket of supplies, as she never has, and for this he is grateful.

"How do you always find me?" he wonders aloud as she comes to a stop.

"Why do you seem so easy to find?" she counters with an easy smile. Hiccup laughs, and they turn back toward the village.

A rustling of leaves pulls Hiccup's attention to his left, where he sees the little Terrible Terror weaving its way through the underbrush. If Crystal notices, she doesn't say anything; and Hiccup hopes the little dragon will stay concealed. Despite Crystal's being seemingly indifferent to dragons, he doesn't know how she'll react to him being friends with it.

As they walk toward the village, a comfortable silence settles between them. Crystal doesn't ask why Hiccup is here, and Hiccup doesn't ask what she was doing. The darkness slowly gathers around them. The Terror doesn't show itself again, but Hiccup knows it is still there, just out of sight.

As the sun sets, Hiccup hears more dragons start to stir. The two (three, if you count the Terror) aren't making much noise, but he can't help but worry. He was not the first person one would want nearby in a dragon attack.

The village lights are beginning to shine through the trees when Crystal trips. Her cry echoes loudly through the trees, causing the Terror to scatter and Hiccup to jump. He looks down quickly, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark before he can see Crystal. She appears fine, albeit flustered and bruised. She glares furiously at her prosthetic, as if it had somehow caused her fall — and Hiccup suspects it did.

"Stupid thing," she mutters. Hiccup allows himself a small smile and extends a hand. She uses it to pull herself up, then releases him to brush herself off.

A low growl resonates behind Hiccup, and he freezes. Of course a dragon appears when it's just him and Crystal, alone, in the forest, with no weapons, and not close enough to the village to get help.

Crystal's eyes lock onto the dragon, and Hiccup gets the feeling she can see it perfectly even despite the darkness. Her eyes widen, and then fill with a hatred so deep, Hiccup wants to shy away. And then something ignites in them, a feral sort of rage that actually makes him step back. A snarl erupts from her throat, and she shoves a fully bewildered Hiccup behind her.

"What do you want?" she shouts.

The Monstrous Nightmare regards her, a mocking light in its eyes. It sneers, glaring at her as if considering her for its next meal. Crystal's lips upturn into a grimace. A dragon-like noise spills from her mouth, and it doesn't hit Hiccup that she is speaking to it until she blanches and casts a horrified look at him.

Without turning away from the dragon, she immediately begins trying to amend her mistake. "Hiccup — I can explain —" she says hurriedly, but Hiccup isn't listening, still trying to wrap his mind around what just happened. He takes a small step back, shaking his head in disbelief.