(Hiccup's POV)
Hiccup had never built anything this complicated before.
And he had built a lot of complicated things.
Most of them exploded.
This one really couldn't.
He tightened the last strap and stepped back to look at his work.
A saddle frame rested across Toothless's back, secured with leather harnesses around the dragon's shoulders and chest. A long cable ran from the saddle down to the artificial tail fin.
Hiccup tapped the metal pedal attached to the saddle.
The cable pulled tight.
Behind them, the artificial fin snapped open.
Hiccup grinned.
"Okay."
He released the pedal.
The fin folded again.
"That's promising."
The Night Fury twisted his head to inspect the contraption now strapped to his back.
"I know," Hiccup said. "Not the most fashionable look."
Toothless snorted.
"Hey," Hiccup continued, climbing onto the saddle, "this is a prototype."
He settled into place and grabbed the harness handles.
"Alright."
Toothless glanced back at him.
"Ready?"
The dragon blinked.
Hiccup pressed the pedal.
Behind them the artificial tail fin spread open.
Toothless's ears perked.
Hiccup released it.
The fin folded.
Toothless flicked his tail experimentally.
The fin moved with it.
Hiccup laughed.
"Okay, that's definitely working."
Above the clearing, hidden among the branches overlooking the basin, the bat-winged dragon watched closely.
Her ears angled forward.
This was new.
The Night Fury crouched low.
Wings spread wide.
Hiccup tightened his grip.
"Alright, bud," he said.
"Let's try flying."
Toothless launched.
The wings snapped downward with tremendous force.
For a brief moment they lifted cleanly from the ground.
Then the dragon tilted sideways.
Hiccup reacted instinctively.
He pressed the pedal.
The tail fin opened.
The balance corrected instantly.
The dragon leveled out.
Hiccup's eyes widened.
"Oh!"
They climbed higher.
The basin dropped away beneath them.
Toothless gave a surprised rumble as the air caught his wings properly for the first time since the crash.
They were flying.
Hiccup laughed out loud.
"We're flying!"
Toothless roared happily as he soared above the trees.
High above the clearing, the bat-winged dragon watched the Night Fury rise into the sky.
Her wings slowly opened.
For the first time in many days—
The grounded dragon had returned to the air.
She launched from the branch.
Silent wings carried her upward as she followed the two rising shapes into the open sky.