I needed to protect this nest. It may not be my nest, or my eggs, but I wouldn't forgive myself if I let anything happen to them.

Instead of staying crouched, I got up and circled the nest. The mother would understand me protecting her nest. She would probably do the same to anyone else's unattended nest.

As I paced, I let my thoughts wander.

The mother left her eggs, which meant they didn't need to be warmed...Which meant it couldn't be a ice or water breathing dragon, for it wasn't a water nest, and wasn't in the cold... It couldn't be a paw-less dragon like a timberjack, since it wasn't a nest up high or in a clearing. Maybe a rock dragon like a gronkle? Nah. The nest was made of leaves and sticks, not rocks. They could be a fire dragon's nest, because they warm themselves in the later stages of the egg. But the eggs obviously weren't close to hatching, since the mother hadn't moved them close to a water patch for the explosion.

Their coloring was also odd...

In the dark light, they seemed to spark. They were white with purple spots. In the night light, they seemed to ripple with electricity.

I shivered as a gunshot rang through the air. I hope Toothless is okay.

More noises of battle greeted my ears with fierce blood lust. Dragons fighting humans. It was happening again. Where ever I went, the tides of battle seemed to follow.

I sighed and groaned as another shriek was heard.

I gingerly placed a paw inside the nest. I didn't want the eggs to feel unsafe. That would delay their hatching. Another paw was placed gently in the nest. I tenderly nudged an egg with my snout. It wasn't my job to warm them, however it was my job to comfort them. I mean, since I was here, it wouldn't hurt. I sat down next to the four eggs and tenderly stroked them with my tail.

I cringed as more sounds of battle rained down on me, and a human war cry of joy bounced off the trees around me.

I bared my teeth. I WAS going to protect this nest.

A sound of pain and a whimper of regret came from above.

A dragon was falling toward me like a clipped bird.

She was hurt, her left wing torn in half. Blood circled her like a red ribbon of beauty. Her eyes were fierce and bold. Her breaths were determined. She was beautiful.

She landed a ways away from me with a resounding crack booming around me. Not forgetting the nest, but wanting to help her, I stepped out a little ways from the nest.

She looked up as I approached. Here eyes were full of hope and joy.

"So long have I waited for my Alpha to come back. Now my eggs can hatch in protection." She said, her voice strong.

She started coughing from the bottom of her lungs. Blood sputtered out of her mouth, and dripped down her chin and neck.

It was then that I noticed the wound to her side. It was gashed deeply, blood pooling out around her like a scarlet red blanket.

"Thank you for coming back. I was wondering if i was going to need to move to a different island." She looked behind me, to the eggs and sighed. "Thank you also watching my eggs. My babies. I love them so much. I wanted them to grow up under your protection. Thank you for coming back. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She launched into another coughing fit. I wanted to say something, but I felt she wanted to continue.

There was nothing I could do. Licking her wound wouldn't work. It was too deep. Something like this couldn't heal. And i felt bad... I didn't know that the dragons on this island needed me so bad. I would've tried to return sooner if i'd known.

"I'm not going to make it. Please... Find a mother for my eggs. Please. Anyone will do. I don't even care if it's a different species of dragon. I need them to have a loving parent. I can't stand the thought of them growing up as orphans, struggling to survive each day. Please... Find someone, anyone, to watch them, Love them. Please help them grow up to be big and powerful." She said, struggling through each word.

"Wai-" I started.

"No." She interrupted, her voice cracking along with the dried blood on her. "Don't speak. My mate. He's dead. Died at the hands of the man that is hunting me right now. I need someone, anyone, please, to watch my babies. Their in their fourth stage of hatching. They will hatch in a week and a half. Please. Give them the life of love i won't be able to."

I gently nudged her head and stroked her paw with mine. She was dying. That was obvious. And here I was, useless. I couldn't do anything for her. Other than protect and care for her eggs. In a few moments she would be dead, never to see her beloved babies grow up.

I will have witnessed it. I will have to tell the kids how their mother died and that i was there. And how there was nothing i could do.

"Please... He's coming to finish me off. You have to protect them. Give them the life I can't give them. And when they're big and strong, tell them I loved them." She said softly, closing her eyes.

The last word ever to be spoken from her, and they were a love message. It wasn't anything like 'get revenge for my death' or something like that. It was just a simple 'tell them I loved them.'

"Wait!" I cried, as her heart slowed to a stop. "No. No. No. No." I cried, pleading. "You can't die. Please. You have to live and raise your eggs. Please. They need a mother. They need their mother. NO. You can't die."

I nudged her face with my nose. She was still warm, but that would change soon with the chilly night air.

My heart filled with sorrow, I took a step backwards. I had known she was dying. But no, now, she couldn't be dead. She couldn't be. She couldn't be. In shock, I kept taking steps away from her. My foot brushed up against her nest. I looked back at it and turned to it. I gathered the eggs into a pile and curled up around them.

Holding them safe and protected under my wings, I wailed my sorrows for their lost mother. I told them that their mother loved them. I babbled like a crazy dragon that just witnessed a death.

When my mouth failed me and no more words would come, i made a decision.

These eggs needed a mother. I would be their mother. It was the least i could do to fulfill their mother's last wishes. I couldn't save her, but i could save her precious babies.

A tree branch snapped to my left. Out of the corner of my eye, i spotted the basket Toothless left behind.

If i fought here, i risked damaging the eggs.

I grabbed the basket with my teeth and tipped it on it's side. I quickly scooped some of the soft nest and the eggs in it into the basket.

I ran over to the mother and bowed my head in respect and reverence.

"I'm sorry." I whispered to her. "Thank you."

With that, i left. I spread my wings and flew upward, grabbing the basket in my paws on the way.

Just below me, and bearded man with an ax emerged from the trees. He yelled horrid things at my receding back, and i kept my head on swivel for any attackers.

I was heading back to berk.

Shoot, twirl, dodge, repeat.

Everything was always the same in the heat of battle.

I twirled to my right as a net flew past my head.

Flying from the island, I spotted Y/n.

I blinked in surprise.

Y/N?

What was she doing here? Wasn't she supposed to be on berk?

WHAT WAS Y/N DOING HERE?

"Focus bud." Hiccup shouted, as he pulled me into a dive.

I would have to clear this up with Y/n later.

Berk came into view on the horizon.

The beauty of the night from earlier was gone. It was replaced by sheer coldness, and a prickling feeling like i was being watched.

I just needed to get to Berk. Just a little bit farther. This basket was heavy, and my muscles ached with the strain, but was going to make it. I had to make it. I needed to get these eggs to safety.

"Just five more. Just five more." I kept telling myself every time i lifted my wings to fly forward.

Gliding down onto the island, I set the basket down gently. I collapsed next to it, panting. I was so tired. I wanted to sleep for years. I closed my eyelids and sighed in delight.

Snapping them back open, and smacking myself awake, i tiredly and grudgingly got to work pulling the basket into the forest.

With a heavy heart and even heavier eyes, i made a new nest for the eggs. As the sun rose in the sky, i was done. I placed them in the nest with a tenderness only a mother would have and curled up around them. They were my babies now. There was nothing i could do about the past. But i could save the future generation. And every time i looked at them, i would be reminded of the protective love of a mother. The kind of love i vowed to have for these eggs.

And then... When they were big and strong... I'd tell them that their real mother loved them... And so did I...

When the tiredness overtook me, I had no regrets.

I had done what my heart told me to do.

I groaned at the pain in my wings, ribs and paws. I snuggled into the familiar warmth that would surround me when Toothless snuggled me. I opened my eyes to see a lovingly concerned face staring back at mine.

"Before I ask everything, like what you were doing, where the eggs came from, and why you were there, there is one question i really want answered." Touching his nose with mine, he glanced at the eggs under my wings. "Does this mean we're a family now?" He murmured against my scales.

"Yes." I murmured back breathlessly.

I finally had a family. It was little and broken, but it was still good. Yeah, it was still good.

The End.