Found again (HTTYD FF)

★4★

It had been several days since Bewilderbeast had sent Hiccup and Toothless to the ship. Moments after their departure, the patrol that had been heading in the same direction just a few hours before they did, came to him. None of the dragons saw them, nor did they see the ship. Bewilderbeast was growing restless, his fears growing.

When they didn't return the next day, he thought they were just stuck somewhere. It happened quite often, he didn't even know the real reason for their delay, they never told anyone. But with each passing day, he began to doubt it. After a week, he sent out a group of several dragons to head in the direction the ship was originally supposed to be. They were to find and bring back Hiccup and Toothless, if they found them - they would return empty handed. They did not find them.

Bewilrderbeast was resting in the pond in the middle of the nest, his usual spot. He only left it at feeding time and in very urgent situations. He didn't like to leave the nest unattended. There were dragons who couldn't defend themselves from danger without help from the others.

Watching the dragons, he decided to do something. Hiccup, being half human, was the most important of all the nest's inhabitants. He did not know it himself. Bewilderbeast suspected he didn't know how important he was to the nest. They needed him. He could easily solve problems the dragons could hardly handle. Bewilderbeast just couldn't indicate it to him, so he decided to tell him - as soon as he returned from his mission. Only they still weren't here.

"Cloudjumper!" He called to the four-winged dragon just off the edge of the pond.

"Yes, my king?"

"Get some tracker dragons and try to find Toothless and Hiccup."

"Yes, my king." Cloudjumper bowed and flew off to complete the task.

However, Bewilderbeast could see the uncertainty and doubt in his gaze as he turned. He let it go, Cloudjumper was a loyal dragon. He would do anything he was asked, but he had a mind of his own. He would never obey an order that was wrong. He wouldn't do anything to harm the nest. That's what Bewilderbeast admired about him, that's why he was his favourite, that's why he always trusted him with important tasks.

He sighed and let out some icy steam. It was time to prepare for the worst. He dreaded the moment when Cloudjumper would return. With or without Hiccup and Toothless. Even if he came back with them, they weren't guaranteed to come back safe. They had been gone so long...

As important as Hiccup was to the nest because of his abilities, there was something Bewilderbeast hadn't told him yet. Something that would turn his life upside down.

Bewilderbeast had once known a dragon that wasn't quite a dragon. He just pretended to be one. He used to say that being a full dragon was much better than being only a half dragon.

Hiccup didn't know this, he probably thought his transformation was complete, and Bewilderbeast knew that the day when he would truly reach the final stage of transformation was coming. He forgot to tell him about it the first time and with passing time, he copmletely forgot to tell him later. He was only the second in all of known dragon history. And if it didn't happen under the right conditions, he might not survive - and Bewilderbeast wasn't about to let that happen.