[HTTYD] {DWTV} Little Guy

Title:  Little Guy ( archiveofourown.org/works/4119… )

Adapted from:  A Small Addition To Berk's Flock ( archiveofourown.org/works/1656… )

Author:  Raberba girl ( archiveofourown.org/users/Rabe… )

Fanfiction derived from:  The "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise by DreamWorks Animation

Hiccup was not thinking very far ahead when he came across Drago's Bewilderbeast lying in a cave.

Of course he was afraid at first, but when the giant dragon didn't move, Hiccup started feeling angry.  He actually threatened the beast that had helped kill his father, as if he had any chances of hurting it.

The Bewilderbeast was so pathetically unresponsive that Hiccup's anger cooled.  When he paid more attention, he realized how dry and unhealthy the creature's hide looked, and realized that the sea dragon had been away from water for too long.

"What's wrong with you?" Hiccup asked.  "Why don't you just go back out there and swim for a while?"

The Bewilderbeast didn't even open its eyes.

"Are you just going to lie here until you die or something?"  Hiccup's better judgment finally gave way to compassion.  He spent a while hauling water back and forth before it occurred to him to look for some kind of tunnel that would allow seawater to stream into the cave and pour directly on the Bewilderbeast.

Once Hiccup had found such a passage and unblocked it, he was able to make a shower of sorts for the giant dragon, and the Bewilderbeast finally looked at him.  The dragon seemed a bit healthier with salt water bathing its parched flesh.

There was confusion and curiosity in those eyes.  The creature was just as intelligent as any other dragon, which made Hiccup wonder why it chose to obey Drago Bludvist, who was about the size of one of the Bewilderbeast's toenails.

"He doesn't care about you," Hiccup said.  "He put those chains on you and ordered you around.  He hid behind your spikes and made you fight our entire flock even though we were hurting you.  He doesn't love you, you're just a tool to him!  Why do you obey him when he tells you to do horrible things?!"

The dragon breathed a bit of frost on him, which reminded Hiccup of the last Bewilderbeast who had done that.  Hiccup felt like crying, because that Bewilderbeast was dead now, just like his father.  "Don't do that," Hiccup whispered.

The dragon made a rumbling sound, looking almost as sad as Hiccup felt.

It occurred to Hiccup that he couldn't just leave this Bewilderbeast lying around.  Drago would probably come back at some point and make it attack Berk again.

"Well," Hiccup said, "we certainly can't have that.  I think you should come home with me, little guy."

It turned out to be easier than Hiccup expected to coax the Bewilderbeast out of the cave.  When he started moving away, the dragon looked dismayed to see him leaving.  It made an anxious sound, struggled to its feet, and followed him.  Hiccup was very relieved, because he had no idea how he would have gotten the Bewilderbeast home if it hadn't come willingly.

The Bewilderbeast's arrival at Berk was more difficult to deal with, but Hiccup and Toothless eventually managed to calm down the dragons and Vikings.

Hiccup called the village together for a meeting by the racing stands to explain the situation.  "Everyone, we've got a new dragon for our flock.  I know you all met him under...less than ideal circumstances...but he belongs to us now, not Drago.  His name is Squirt, and I'll be--"

"Are you kidding me?" Snotlout interrupted.  "SQUIRT?"

"Hiccup," Ruffnut said, "you are the worst dragon-namer ever."

"I like the name 'Squirt,'" Fishlegs mumbled.  "He's less scary when he has a cute name...."

The villagers were all clamoring now, and only Astrid was able to cut through the noise.  "Everyone, shut up," she ordered.  "The dragon's name isn't the point here.  In case you didn't notice, our chief has tamed the Bewilderbeast, which means that Drago's lost his most powerful weapon against us."

Hiccup appreciated her support.  "That's right," he said.  "I'll be working with Squirt, and don't worry, the safety of the village is my first priority."

After Hiccup had done his best to reassure the tribe, he was able to consider the interesting prospect of training a Bewilderbeast.  "Okay," he said, standing on a hilltop where he and Squirt could look at each other more or less eye-to-eye.  "The first order of business is to get you to come when I call you.  Like a normal person, I mean."  He didn't want to have to wave his weapon and bellow the way Drago had.

"I'm going to fly over there with Toothless," Hiccup said, pointing to a sea stack, "and I'm going to call your name.  All you have to do is come when I call your name, okay?"

It was a bit more difficult than Hiccup expected, because Squirt seemed to want to follow him around without waiting to be called first.  Eventually, however, Hiccup did manage to teach Squirt to come when his name was called, and to stay put when Hiccup said 'Stay.'

"Okay!" Hiccup cheered, rewarding the giant dragon by scratching above his eyes.  Squirt rumbled happily.  "We're going to have to figure out where to put you soon.  You're way too big to sleep in the stables, huh.  If we let you hang out in the sea, you won't run off and leave us, right?"