Song of the Sea

A/N: To all those who haven't given up on me and are still reading my sporadic and rare updates, hello again! How about The Hidden World, huh? A show of hands for those who bawled at the end? I sure did. Who knew my own little fanfic prediction would actually be reasonably accurate to the ending we got? (See Chapter 32, "Saying Good-bye" in this collection if you need a refresher.)

As always, I'm sorry for not updating regularly, but I've been in a creative funk for quite some time now. The story about my grandfather you know, but…well…

As those of you who follow my Untold Stories From Berk know, my horse Mojo, the center of my world, my best friend, my very own Toothless, passed away from colic at the end of last year. His death was devastating to me. You see, one of the main reasons I love the How to Train Your Dragon franchise is that Hiccup and Toothless's relationship always reminded me of mine and Mojo's: it was sweet, meaningful, a little snarky, sometimes infuriating, but always full of love. I owned him for twelve years, and he pretty much trained me from the ground up. And not just about horsemanship: he taught me things about myself that I never realized, or maybe knew but never wanted to admit. I am the person I am today because of that sweet old gelding, and even now, almost four months later, I still miss him terribly. (This also has a lot to do with why I cried so hard at the end of the third movie. I might have regardless if he hadn't died, but with him gone I didn't stand a chance.)

I'm only now getting back into writing, and I hope it's not a fluke. Writing is a passion, something I love to do and used to take great pleasure and pride in doing. And more than anything I want to return to it, to get back in the habit of telling stories that entertain, excite, scare, and thrill. I hope this little story is a sign of good things to come, but only time will tell.

As for this story, it's called "Song of the Sea." Some of you may remember waaaay back in 2015 I wrote a story called Out of the Sea, which was a retelling of Disney's The Little Mermaid with the Dragons characters. I had a lot of fun writing it as well as the spinoff stories Tales from the Sea and its sequel Return to the Sea before life got in the way and I left it unfinished. (Sorry about that.) Somewhere in all that, I had the idea to tell another merman-Hiccup story. This one would have had absolutely no connection to my previous stories and would exist in its own separate universe, with different character dynamics, new lore for the merpeople, and a more original story. It obviously never got written (hell, it never even got named!) but the idea still lingered, and I decided to write it as a short story instead. I worked on it off and on for several years and have only now completed it. Going back over it, I'm reasonably proud of the way it turned out, but as always I'll leave that for you to decide. I hope you enjoy it!

From looking at the Isle of Berk that fine, sunny afternoon, no one could ever have guessed that it had been the site of a truly spectacular battle only that morning. Indeed, there was nothing about the island to suggest that anything out of the ordinary had happened. The Vikings in the village went about their tasks as usual, and while their idle chatting had been replaced by bewildered whispering, there wasn't much in their demeanor to suggest that anything had changed at all.

In fact, the only visible sign that something was amiss was the creature reclining atop a large rock that rested on the beach. From the waist up, it had the body of a handsome young man: lean, slender, and slightly rugged, with thick auburn hair and sharp emerald-colored eyes. From the waist down, however, its body morphed into the smooth scales of a fish's silver-green tail, complete with a pair of large, powerful-looking fins.

The merman didn't move from his position on the rock. His gaze was turned up in the direction of the village high above him, nestled a short distance away from the craggy cliffs of the island. She was up there. The woman he loved. She was there, out of his sight. He had no idea if she was even still alive. All that blood pouring from the open wound…

Hiccup Haddock shuddered and flopped onto the rock, his eyes now turned toward the sky. The sun shone down on him, but he wasn't too concerned. He didn't have to worry about becoming dried out for another few hours. A little sunlight wouldn't kill him. Not yet, anyway.

Dad might, though, he thought. Just because he called off the fight and apologized to you doesn't mean that you're out of trouble yet.

He pushed these thoughts aside. He had much more pressing matters to deal with at the moment. Besides, this was hardly the first time he'd made his father angry. King Stoick the Vast of Hyacinth was not known for his patience, especially when it came to his son and his eccentric ideas and actions.

Still, though…to actually declare war on humans…

Hiccup sighed and rolled over onto his side, facing the island, his back to the ocean. How had everything gone so badly wrong so quickly? One moment he'd been here, spending some time with the woman he loved, the woman he wanted desperately to spend the rest of his life with, and the next he was defending her from his father's soldiers as they threatened to attack the humans living in the village. He supposed it shouldn't have been all that surprising: after all, as Stoick had said more times than he could count, contact between the underwater world and the human world was strictly forbidden. And if he had to be honest with himself, he'd suspected that his father would find out about his secret trips to the surface sooner or later. But that didn't stop the experience from being frightening when it finally came to pass.

She could have died! She might be dead now, and you have no way of knowing!

No…no, she wasn't dead. She was alive, he could sense it. He wasn't sure how, but he could feel it in his bones that she still clung to life. But for how much longer…?

He sighed. He wished he could turn back time, go back to a point when he didn't have to worry about such things. They had spent so many great moments together. If only he could stay in those brief seconds of his life and never have to face the uncertainty of the future…

He closed his eyes, and before long, his memories turned into dreams…

Astrid sighed as she leaned into him, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. He held her around the waist with one arm, keeping her close. They didn't say much, but the silence wasn't tense or uncomfortable. It was an easy silence, companionable, the kind of serene stillness that didn't need to be disrupted by mere words.

It was Astrid who eventually ended the silence. She straightened a little and asked, "Hiccup? Would you do that thing with your voice again?"

Hiccup smiled and nodded, looking out at the sea stretching out before them. He shifted a bit on the rock they were perched on, cleared his throat, and started to sing, his light tenor voice drifting out across the still waters. It was a beautiful voice: indeed, some said it was the most beautiful voice any merman had ever possessed. And with its beauty came incredible power.

It took a few seconds to start, and when it did Astrid had to strain her eyes to see it in the darkness of the night. The moon wasn't bright enough to illuminate the scene properly, but she could just make out a series of tall shapes that suddenly jumped from the no-longer-still surface of the ocean. To eyes that had never witnessed this phenomenon before, it would have been impossible to identify what was happening. But Astrid had seen this before. She knew what was going on. Hiccup had explained it to her that night so long ago, the night after he'd rescued her using this very kind of magic. The magic of a merman's song.

Hiccup's voice rose in an elegant scale that peaked, trembled a moment, and then spiraled down in a perfectly controlled tumble. The water responded to each and every note, leaping and dancing and spurting in little jets that performed in ways water simply could not move, at least not under ordinary circumstances.

Astrid loved to watch Hiccup as he sang to the water, enticing it to move as it did. All merpeople had this talent, he'd explained to her, but only a few could fine-tune it as he had, could make the water obey his every command with a simple melody. But, as he'd said, this power could be used for ill as well. His song, so pure and lovely, produced a spectacle that was pleasing to the eye and wondrous to behold. But a song made in anger had the potential to destroy entire islands.

Even so, she enjoyed watching him as he sang, reveled in observing the sea respond to his song. There was something so…well, magical about it, like something from a fairy tale.

Hiccup's song came to an end, and the ocean calmed once more. If she hadn't known about it beforehand, Astrid might have suspected she'd been dreaming, for the water showed no sign that it had been manipulated mere seconds before. For a moment the only sound was that of the waves lapping gently against the base of the rock. Astrid snuggled a bit into Hiccup, who smiled and pulled her closer, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

At length, Astrid asked hesitantly, "Hiccup…remember what you said that day when I asked you about…about whether merpeople could do any other kind of magic?"

Hiccup stiffened a little but replied easily, "Which part?"

"The part about the magic you didn't want to talk about," Astrid replied, still gazing out at the sea. "Your exact words, if I recall, were, 'Yes, there is one more thing we can do, but it's complicated and very dangerous and no one dares attempt it.' When I asked for more details you said you'd rather not discuss it."

He said nothing, but his heart was suddenly hammering in his chest.

Astrid waited for a few seconds before asking the question he knew had been lurking in her mind: "Will you please tell me what kind of magic that is?"

Hiccup sighed. "Is it really so important to you?"

She shrugged. "I'm just curious, I guess." Then, after a beat, she went on, "No…it's more than that. I just…I love you, Hiccup. But while you're a merman and I'm a human, there's no chance of us being together for the rest of our lives. We both know that. I…I was wondering if there's some way for one of us to change our form so that we could stay together forever."

He slumped a little, accepting defeat. "Yes," he said quietly. "Merpeople have the power to transform humans into mermaids."

She blinked, stunned. Then she choked out, "There's really a way?!"

"Astrid," Hiccup said sadly, "please don't ask it of me."

She frowned, drawing back for the first time and looking at him as if he were speaking a foreign language. "Why not?"

Hiccup looked suddenly much older than his twenty years. "Because it's so risky that I don't dare try it. No one does. Of the dozens of merpeople who have tried it in the past, only one has ever succeeded. And…it's not the kind of thing you get a second chance at."

He fell silent again, but Astrid wasn't satisfied. "I'd still like to know. Please?"

Hiccup hesitated, and then he sighed. "All right…I'll tell you how it's done…"

And he did.

Astrid never asked to be turned into a mermaid after that…

Hiccup woke up quite suddenly. Some inner defense mechanism had alerted him to the presence of spying eyes nearby. He sat up on the rock and looked over at the beach where, sure enough, four young Vikings were staring at him in what seemed to be a mixture of awe and fear. They seemed a little startled to see him awake, but they didn't stop gaping at him.

There was an awkward silence for a moment.

Hiccup finally broke it by saying, "Can I help you with something?"

One of the humans, a stout boy with blond hair sticking out from under his helmet, blushed and replied, "Uh…sorry. It's just…we've never seen a…a…"

"Mermaid," finished another one of the boys, a brawny black-haired lad with a swaggering, self-assured attitude that, to Hiccup at least, seemed a bit forced. "We've never seen a mermaid before."

At his words, Hiccup slapped his tail irritably against the rock. "Excuse me?" he said indignantly. "Merman. I'm a merman, thank you very much." He gestured at his chest. "I'm missing a couple of feminine essentials up here, if you catch my drift."

The boy looked as though he couldn't think of a single response, so he said nothing.

"Whoa," said another of the Vikings, a long-haired blond boy who, along with his female twin, was staring unabashedly at Hiccup's tail. "He's half-fish…I've never seen anything with a tail like that except…except…"

"Except a fish," finished his sister, looking equally impressed at the merman's fins.

Hiccup frowned at them and made no reply. Really, what was there to say to that?

"I'm Fishlegs," said the first boy, and Hiccup's eyes flitted back to him. "And these are Snotlout, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut." He gestured toward his companions.

"A pleasure," Hiccup said, somewhat halfheartedly. "I am Prince Hiccup Haddock, son of King Stoick the Vast of Hyacinth…oh please don't do that!" he added quickly, for Fishlegs had let out a strangled squeak and bowed at the word "prince." "Get up, please! I hate all that bowing and pomp and circumstance."

"Sorry, Your Highness," Fishlegs said, straightening, his face pink.

Hiccup barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "Just call me Hiccup, all right? There's no need for all this 'Your Highness' stuff."

"Yes, Hiccup," Fishlegs murmured, looking as though he didn't quite know what to do with himself. "Uh…Hiccup, I wonder if I could ask…um…"

"Ask away," Hiccup said kindly. "I imagine you have a lot of questions after what happened today."

Fishlegs nodded. "Well…what exactly happened? Why did the merpeople suddenly attack us? Did we do something wrong?"

Hiccup sighed and shook his head. "No, you did nothing wrong. I did. I broke the one rule my father told me never to break under any circumstances: I made contact with the human world."

Fishlegs blinked. "That's illegal for merpeople?"

"Yep," Hiccup said, shifting a little on the rock. "Contact between humans and merfolk has been forbidden for years, ever since my mother was killed by a fisherman. My dad hates humans and forbade me from visiting the surface. But…" He chuckled humorlessly. "I'm afraid I'm a curious merman and I disobeyed. I visited the surface frequently, though not for long. I didn't want to raise any suspicions. But one day, I saw a ship…" His eyes misted over as he remembered. "The water was rough that day, and I lingered nearby in case there was trouble. Then someone fell overboard into the sea." He smiled faintly. "It was Astrid. She went into the water and hit her head on the hull of the boat. I…I couldn't just let her die, so I influenced the waters around me to push her back to the surface. She caught a glimpse of me, though, as she hovered between wakefulness and sleep. A man – her father, I learned later – pulled her back into the ship, and they returned to shore.

"I returned that night to ensure she was all right. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting to find: I guess I figured I'd overhear someone talking about her. But of course, it was night so everyone was asleep. Everyone…except Astrid. She'd snuck down to the beach to see if I'd show up. It took a while, but I eventually revealed myself to her and explained how I'd saved her…"

"And how was that?" Fishlegs asked. "You said you influenced the water, but I don't understand…"

"Merpeople have the power to control the water with their song," Hiccup explained shortly. He didn't really feel like going into specifics. "Anyway, we talked all through the night, and the night after that, and the night after that. I kept coming up to see her, and soon we became great friends. Not long after that we became…something more…" He trailed off, his eyes turning up to the village above.

"Then what?" Fishlegs asked timidly.

Hiccup looked back to him and sighed sadly. "What happened next? My betrothed, that's what."

Fishlegs sucked in a breath. "Your fiancée found out?" he gasped.

"What's a betrothed?" Tuffnut whispered to his sister, who merely shrugged. Hiccup ignored them.

"Yes," he answered Fishlegs. "As the prince, I was betrothed to marry Camicazi, the daughter of one of the noble families. We grew up together and…and we were great friends…" He faltered for a moment. Cami, sweet Cami…how had it all come to this?

"She followed me one night," he continued after a moment. "She heard me confess my love to Astrid and, well…she kind of flipped out. Understandable, I guess. She accused me of leading her on, of being disloyal, of…things that don't bear repeating. She told her parents, who then told my dad, who then confronted me. I confessed everything, he disowned me, and then he ordered me to stay behind while he and his army went to the surface to declare war on Berk. Of course I disobeyed and rushed up here to try and stop him." He shrugged. "The rest you know."

"Wow…" Fishlegs whispered. "All this time, there's been a whole world under the sea, a world we didn't even know existed. And now…"

Hiccup spread his arms and deadpanned, "Surprise."

"That's one word for it," Fishlegs returned, chuckling weakly.

"How is Astrid?" Hiccup asked. Thinking of the battle had reawakened his concern for his beloved, and he was suddenly desperate for answers.

"Oh!" Fishlegs seemed to return to himself. "She's going to be all right. The healer took a look at her and did what she could. She says she should make a full recovery."

Hiccup breathed a huge sigh of relief, feeling as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Thank the gods. I was afraid that she…" He didn't finish the thought.

"Well, it looks as though she's going to be fine," Fishlegs reassured him.

"Thank you, Fishlegs," Hiccup said earnestly. "Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome, Hiccup," the young Viking replied, smiling. Then, after a moment's pause, he added, "Well…I guess we'd better head back up to the village. I'll keep you updated on Astrid, if you'd like."

"Yes, thank you," Hiccup said. "I'd appreciate that so much."

Fishlegs nodded and then turned, leading the other teens back up to the village and leaving Hiccup alone on his rock.

But not for long.

There was a quiet splash from the water behind him, and he looked around in time to see a big black mass with glowing green eyes leap out of the sea and onto the merman's stone perch. Hiccup gasped in shock before realizing who it was. "Toothless!" he said with a chuckle, stroking the Night Fury's forehead. "There you are. I was starting to wonder where you'd gone. Enjoy your swim, bud?"

Toothless crooned in answer and nuzzled his friend. Hiccup smiled and leaned into his dragon's affections. "I know, bud, I understand. You don't want to just sit around here all day. I totally get it. But…" He sighed and looked back up at the cliff. "I just can't leave here until I see Astrid for myself. I…I have to talk to her, tell her how sorry I am for bringing all this down on her, beg for her forgiveness, tell her how much I…how much I love her…" His voice quieted to a mumble. Toothless warbled and nudged him, trying to cheer him up, and he got a small smile for his efforts.

At least she's alive, he thought. Fishlegs said she's alive and should make a full recovery.

And it was this happy little thought that allowed him to recline back on the rock, resting slightly against Toothless's side, and gently drift back to sleep.

…

Astrid Hofferson was also asleep, and she was dreaming. Or, perhaps more accurately, she was remembering…

She heard the merman song before she saw the creatures emerge from the sea. At once the water started to churn and froth, and one by one merpeople rose out of the surf, swords in hand, ready to fight.

She felt her heart contract and she thought of Hiccup. Where was he? What had happened to him? But she pushed these thoughts aside and yelled, "Soldiers attacking from the water!"

This got everyone's attention, and soon all able-bodied warriors were down on the beach to welcome the newcomers with freshly sharpened weapons.

The battle had been fierce and wilder than anything she'd ever imagined. Hiccup had told her that merfolk voices, when used for ill, could cause great destruction, but only now did she truly understand what he'd meant. The mermen were singing a brisk, low chant that caused the sea to roil violently, great waves forming and crashing on the shore with enough force to throw anyone in their path aside like ragdolls.

The Vikings of Berk – Astrid among them – were standing in knee-deep water, brandishing axes, knives, and maces, but they were all but useless against the invading army. The mermen had weapons too: swords mostly, sharp and shiny blades that reflected the early morning sunlight. But they weren't using them…not yet, anyway. At the moment they were seizing their full advantage by singing, and the Vikings were at a complete loss over how to combat this mysterious power.

Where was Hiccup? Why wasn't he here defending her, the village? He'd promised he'd never let anything happen to her, yet everything she knew was on the brink of total destruction.

One merman in particular grabbed her attention, in part because she thought she recognized him. He was vast in build and had a huge red beard, but she saw something in his face that reminded her of Hiccup. So that must mean this was Stoick, the king of Hyacinth.

And he didn't look happy.

His rough bass voice rang out above those of the other mermen and mermaids, and at his call a gigantic wave came rushing for the shore…

…right where she was standing.

There was no time to retreat, nowhere to go. Astrid could only watch as the wave rose above her, threatening to throw her against the rocks. Thor only knew what that kind of impact would do to her body. Would it injure her, cripple her, even kill her?

She was about to find out.

She braced herself for the collision…

And then a shape rose from the water, positioning itself between Astrid and the coming wave. It was a merman, and he had his back to the girl, facing the ocean. He threw his arms to the side and let out a sharp, piercing note that echoed and reverberated over the scene, louder than the other mermen's songs.

At his command, the wave fell apart, the wall of water toppling harmlessly back into the sea.

It was then that Hiccup half-turned, looking over his shoulder at Astrid. His eyes were full of emotion: fear, anger, sorrow, relief. "Are you all right?" he asked urgently.

She found she couldn't speak. So she simply nodded. In that moment she thought she'd never been happier to see him.

Hiccup smiled at her. Then he turned to face his father.

There was a long, tense silence. Stoick looked as if he couldn't believe his eyes. His face was perfectly blank for several seconds. Then he scowled. "Stand down, Hiccup," he snarled.

"I will not," Hiccup replied, and while his voice shook a little, his back was straight and his face was set determinedly.

Stoick's eyes narrowed. "How dare you!" he growled.

"What have I got to lose?" Hiccup returned. "You've already disowned me. I have no loyalty to you anymore, Dad…oh, excuse me…" He bowed rather mockingly and corrected himself, "Your Majesty. Any ties between us were destroyed when you refused to listen to me. But…" He let out a hollow laugh. "I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. You've never listened to me, have you? No matter how many times I tried to explain to you that humans weren't as bad as you made them out to be, you just ignored me and went on your merry little way. Oh never mind Hiccup, it's not like he knows what he's talking about."

"You are a traitor to your own kind!" Stoick bellowed.

"And so are you!"

A collective gasp went up among the merpeople. Even Stoick looked taken aback.

"You've always taught me about the honor of the merfolk," Hiccup went on. "How we always act with honor and dignity and respect. You've been hammering that concept into my head since I was a child. Yet here we are, in the middle of a fight that these people…" He gestured at the Vikings standing on the shore. "…were not prepared to face. You sneak up on them in the early hours of the morning and attack without reason or justification. How exactly is that honorable? You're a hypocrite, O Great Sea King. Oh sure, honor and dignity are all fine and good when they suit you, but when you get angry with your son, you choose to attack innocent people who have done nothing to you. I can think of no greater dishonor."

Stoick looked flabbergasted. For the first time in his life, he'd been rendered totally speechless.

"And on the other side," Hiccup continued, "is this human behind me. Astrid." He glanced over his shoulder at her. "In the short time I've known her, she has shown more genuine kindness, affection, and love to me than I've ever known before in my life. And I'm half-fish, for Thor's sake! So clearly your assertion that humans are incapable of love, particularly toward someone like me, is way off the mark."

Stoick finally unstuck his throat. "Your mother—"

"Was killed by a human, I know," Hiccup snapped. "I know there are evils in the human world. But there are evils in the underwater world too. And you know that. Yet not all merpeople are bad. So doesn't it stand to reason that not all humans are bad too?"

Stoick clearly didn't know how to answer that. He looked from Hiccup to Astrid and back again, his brow furrowed. Slowly, the sword in his grasp lowered until it hung at his side. "Hiccup," he said, and now his voice was softer, gentler, "you…you broke the law. You know contact between our world and theirs is forbidden."

"Then punish me. I can accept responsibility for what I've done. But not them. Don't take your anger at me out on them. They haven't done anything wrong. And besides, maybe that law needs to be rethought. Being with this human has made me happier than I've been in a long time."

Stoick looked at Astrid again, his eyes sharp and calculating. But before he could say anything, a young mermaid who had been drifting nearby cried out, "Being with a human has made you happier than being with us?! How can you say that, Hiccup?! How could you turn your back on us…on me?!"

Hiccup flinched and looked over at the beautiful blond mermaid. "I'm sorry, Cami," he sighed. "You've been a dear friend, but—"

"Friend?!" Camicazi shrieked, and Hiccup recoiled as if physically struck. "I loved you! I've always loved you! And this is how you repay my love?! By consorting with a human girl?! You…you TRAITOR!"

And before Hiccup could do or say anything, she hurled her dagger through the air, aiming directly for the merman she had once hoped to marry.

Time seemed to come to a standstill for Astrid as she watched the knife spinning through the air. Hiccup was totally unprepared for this assault and merely stared blankly at the weapon as it approached. Astrid's heart clenched painfully, and she blurted, "No!" lunging forward, pushing the prince out of harm's way…

…and putting herself into it…

"Wha…?"

Hiccup twisted around and looked up at her. She was standing in the spot he'd been in moments before, her back hunched, her hands clasped over something protruding from her stomach…

…the hilt of Camicazi's dagger…

Astrid woke with a start as she remembered the awful, searing pain. She gasped, her hands automatically coming up to the thick layers of bandages covering her torso. Her body was still aching, and it had little to do with the lingering remnants of her dream. After all, the dream was merely a reflection of reality.

"Astrid!"

She blinked and looked around to see her mother, Helga, seated in a chair beside her bed. She looked pale and haggard, but a relieved smile was spreading across her face. "Mama?" Astrid mumbled. "What…what's…?"

"Thank Thor! You've been unconscious for hours, dear! I was starting to think…well…" She trailed off uncomfortably. "How are you feeling, dear?"

Astrid considered this for a moment before replying softly, "Well…I'm alive…"

This apparently wasn't the answer Helga had been hoping for, but she smiled tightly and nodded. She twisted around and looked at the door, calling, "Josef! She's awake!" before returning her attention to her daughter. "Yes, you're alive," she added. "But you need to take it easy for a while. Gothi says the wound was…pretty nasty…"

Astrid shifted a little in the bed and winced. "Nasty" was, she thought, a bit of an understatement. But before she could say anything else on the subject, her father – Josef Hofferson, the chief of Berk – came rushing into the room. "Astrid," he sighed, sounding wearier than she'd ever heard him before. "Thank all the gods!"

"Hi, Papa," Astrid murmured, trying to smile for him.

He sat down on the edge of her bed and reached out to take one of her hands in his own. For a while he didn't say anything. He seemed too relieved to see his daughter alive with such an awful wound to be able to say a word.

I have to explain, Astrid thought, and her heart sank. Dear Odin, how am I supposed to explain this? They must think all merpeople are monsters…they won't believe me when I say that Hiccup is sweet, that he cares about me, that I…I love him…

She thought of her dream, the memories of the battle. She remembered collapsing in the surf, the knife still embedded in her body. She remembered Hiccup yelling and cradling her, his wide, fearful eyes hovering above her, his gentle fingers trembling against her cheek. She remembered hearing him plead and beg with her to stay alive, to fight against the darkness threatening to overwhelm her. She remembered hearing him say that he loved her, that he couldn't lose her…

"Astrid, did you hear me?"

She gave a small start. "What? Oh! Sorry, Papa, I was…uh…" She shook her head. "…lost in thought. What did you say?"

"I asked you, what happened out there today?" Josef repeated patiently. "Why did that…that merman…" He had to force the foreign word from his lips. "…come to your defense? And why in Thor's name did you take that dagger in his place?"

Astrid sighed and proceeded to explain everything to her parents, telling them of how Hiccup had saved her life, how she'd been unable to sleep that night because of the vague memory she had of his eyes and voice, how she'd gone down to the beach in the middle of the night to clear her mind, how she'd met the merman prince and coaxed him into a conversation, how they'd become close friends and come to love each other…

When she was finished with her story, her parents exchanged long, bewildered looks. "I know," she said with a small laugh. "It's…a lot to take in."

"That's one way to put it," Josef agreed. "Last night when I went to sleep, I had no idea that I'd wake up in time to defend my village from attacks by half-human, half-fish creatures and to find that my own daughter had fallen in love with one."

Helga shook her head. "Are you sure we aren't sleeping still and stuck in some bizarre dream?" she asked faintly. "This whole thing doesn't quite feel real."

Astrid smiled. "It's quite real, Mama." She lifted her arm and snaked her hand under her pillow. Her fingers closed on a small object, and she pulled it out, showing it to her parents. It was a necklace, a simple cord with a tiny seashell charm attached to it. "He gave this to me a week or two ago," she explained, gazing fondly at the little shell. "He said that…as long as I carried this, a part of him would always be with me…" Her voice trailed off, and slowly her smile slipped. Did Hiccup even know she was alive? What must he be thinking right now? Where was he?

Then she stiffened as a new thought occurred to her. What had happened after she'd been stabbed? The last thing she remembered was gazing up at Hiccup, trying to smile through her pain and promising that she'd be fine. Then she'd passed out. Her mother had said she'd been out for hours. What had happened during that time? Had the battle continued? Was anyone badly hurt or even…but no, they couldn't be…they'd have said something…right?

"What is it, dear?" Helga asked, concerned.

Astrid looked up at her. "Is…is he okay? Hiccup?"

Josef nodded. "Aye, he is. He's down on the beach, sitting on one of the rocks. Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins went down to talk to him, and he asked about you. Seemed really concerned for you, according to the Ingerman boy."

Astrid sighed in relief. Then she asked, "Mama, Papa…may I see him again? Please? I…I just…" She clutched the shell in her hand. "I need to see him…please?"

Josef and Helga exchanged another look, and then the chief sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

…

Hiccup woke up the moment Toothless warbled a warning. Sitting up, automatically alert and cautious, he looked over at the beach. Then he relaxed: it was just Fishlegs and Snotlout again. The twins weren't with them this time, but honestly he kind of preferred it that way. He still didn't quite know what to make of those two.

"Hi, Your Maj—uh, Hiccup," Fishlegs said.

"Hello," Hiccup replied, putting a hand on Toothless's head to soothe his agitated friend. Fishlegs' eyes went to the dragon as well and then widened in shock. "Yes," the prince went on hurriedly. "He's a Night Fury. His name is Toothless. He has retractable teeth."

Fishlegs chuckled. "I guess you get asked about that a lot?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Not as much as I used to, really. Most of the kingdom is used to him by now. But every time someone meets him for the first time, we pretty much go through the same little dance. I figured I'd speed it up a little bit."

Fishlegs looked appropriately awed. "Whoa…that's incredible…" Then he cleared his throat and collected himself. "Astrid wants to see you."

Hiccup sat up straighter as his heart leapt in his chest. "She does? Great!" Then he looked up at the cliff that separated him from the village, and his smile faded. "But…how am I supposed to get up there?"

Fishlegs just grinned and gestured towards something Hiccup hadn't seen previously: a wheelbarrow. "We'll carry you up to the village in this. It might not be the most comfortable ride in the world, and it's certainly not very, well…princely, but…"

Hiccup waved this off. "Don't worry about that. Let's do this!"

Fishlegs, however, hesitated, looking nervous. "What about your father? Should you perhaps tell him that you're coming with us? I wouldn't want him to think we've kidnapped you or anything."

Hiccup shook his head. "He won't. Before he left, I told him I was going to stay here for a while. He told me to come home when I was ready. He won't be coming to the surface again to look for me, I can promise that."

Fishlegs looked mollified by this, so he stepped forward and held out his arms. Hiccup maneuvered himself over the rock and into his grip and was soon placed gently in the wheelbarrow, his long green tail draping over the edge. "All right," the prince said, sounding excited. "Let's go!"

Fishlegs nodded and started pushing the cart back up the path that led to the village. Snotlout had to help propel the merman's transport up some of the steeper parts of the incline, and Toothless stayed cautiously behind them.

And then they emerged into the village.

Time seemed to come to a stop as each and every Viking froze in the middle of whatever they were doing to stare at the newcomer. Jaws dropped and eyes widened as Fishlegs pushed Hiccup through the town square. The prince looked all around, twisting his neck this way and that in order to take in as many details as he could. Despite his worry for Astrid and his relief at the prospect of her recovery, he couldn't help but be curious about everything, and he bombarded Fishlegs with questions all the way to the chief's house. He didn't even seem to be aware of the stir his presence was creating among the townsfolk. Toothless too was attracting a fair bit of attention, but no one said a word as they passed through. "They're not usually this quiet," Fishlegs remarked, and Hiccup chuckled.

When the wheelbarrow came to a stop in front of the largest house on the island, Fishlegs once again lifted Hiccup into his arms and carried him through the front door. "Her room's at the top of the stairs," said the stout young man, panting a little as he started tromping up toward the second floor. For a moment Hiccup felt a twinge of guilt. Really, he was causing so much trouble for these people. Never mind the indignities of hauling a half-fish prince through town, the whole battle that morning was a fiasco for which the village would surely come to resent him. He started to apologize, but Fishlegs silenced him with a brief, "Nah, nothing to be sorry for," and he decided not to argue.

Then they reached the heiress's room, and Hiccup's eyes darted immediately to the form lying in the bed. His eyes lit up and a smile split his face in two. "Astrid!"

She grinned up at him, and in that moment he thought he'd never seen anyone or anything so beautiful. It didn't matter that her golden hair was disheveled, nor that her face was paler than he'd ever seen it. Her bright blue eyes, eyes the color of the sea on a clear sunny day, were alight and shining, and their radiance more than made up for her otherwise fragile state.

"Hiccup," she sighed, and then she chuckled as Toothless warbled from behind them. "And Toothless too. Hi there, boy. Good to see you again." She looked back up at Hiccup. "Both of you." Then she added to Fishlegs, "The barrel's over here."

Fishlegs nodded and carried Hiccup to the other side of the bed, where a large tub of water was sitting on the floor. Hiccup chuckled. "You remembered."

"Of course I did," Astrid replied with a laugh. "How could I forget?" Hiccup had once told her that merpeople couldn't stay out of the water for very long, a few hours at most. Otherwise their tails would dry out, which was followed pretty quickly by total dehydration and death. This wasn't the kind of detail one simply forgot.

Fishlegs gently lowered Hiccup into the tub, and the prince sighed happily as the water covered his scales. It wasn't quite long enough to completely hold him, so his fins protruded from the far end, but it would be more than adequate for his visit. "Thank you," he said to the young Viking, who grinned and nodded in reply.

"Yes, thank you, Fishlegs," said a voice from the far corner of the room.

Hiccup twisted around to see and blinked in surprise. In his delight at being reunited with Astrid, he'd failed to notice that there were two other people in the room with them.

Astrid smiled and said, "Hiccup, these are my parents, Josef and Helga."

"Oh!" Hiccup leaned forward, the best bow he could perform in his current position. "It's an honor and pleasure to meet you, Your Majesties."

Josef chuckled. "Just Josef and Helga will be fine, er…Your Highness."

The merman smiled. "Then please call me Hiccup. I was never really one for formality anyway."

The chief and his wife laughed pleasantly, though there was a slight edge to the sound. Hiccup was pretty sure he knew why and so he said, "Please accept my apology for what happened today. I would never have imagined it from my own father, and I'm terribly sorry for all the trouble we've caused you."

"We accept your apology," Josef said kindly. "And we must give you our thanks in return. You stopped the battle, saving many lives, including that of our daughter. And for that I cannot thank you enough." His eyes flicked over to Astrid, whose eyes were fixed unwaveringly on the merman prince.

Hiccup turned his head to look at his beloved, his eyes moving down to the bandages covering her midriff. His smile flickered. "I didn't do a good enough job of that, sir, so please don't thank me. That knife was meant for me and I should have taken it, or else used the water to deflect it instead of just sitting there like an idiot. Then it wouldn't have—"

"Oh Hiccup, stop it," Astrid said, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. He squeezed back, feeling reassured by the pressure of her fingers. "I would gladly have taken a hundred knives to keep you from harm."

Hiccup frowned momentarily and looked as though he wanted to say something about that, but then he sighed and smiled weakly. "Love," he remarked half-playfully. "It makes people and merfolk do stupid things, doesn't it?"

Astrid giggled faintly, a sound so unusual for Astrid to make that Josef and Helga exchanged silent, bewildered looks. This merman must be someone special indeed for their daughter to actually be giggling. "We'll leave you two alone for a while," Helga said, backing away toward the door.

"But not too long," Josef added, ever the protective father.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Relax, Papa, I'm in no state to do anything scandalous."

Hiccup blushed. "Did we really just go there?" he inquired, making Astrid and Helga laugh. Josef, looking slightly more appeased, followed his wife from the room, leaving Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless alone. (Fishlegs had slipped quietly out earlier.)

"Are you all right?" Hiccup asked almost the moment the door was closed. "When they took you away I thought for sure I wouldn't see you again. I was so scared, Astrid. I can't bear the thought of losing you."

"Hiccup," Astrid cut into his rambling, "I'm all right, really. The healer treated it and bandaged it and said I'd be as good as new in a few weeks." She reached out and took his hand again. "What about you? Is your father still angry with you?"

Hiccup pondered this, envisioning Stoick down on the beach, an expression of confusion and guilt twisting the face behind his red beard. "I don't think so," he replied slowly. "In fact I think he's sorry."

"You think?" Astrid repeated skeptically. From all she'd heard about Stoick, he wasn't one to be sorry for much.

He shrugged. "Well he didn't actually say it, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes. I think I actually got through to him. For once," he added with a wry grin.

Astrid smiled sympathetically and reached out to stroke his cheek, but the movement disturbed her wound and she winced, gasping in pain. "What's wrong?" Hiccup yelped, sitting up in the tub, not sure himself what he thought he was going to do.

"Nothing, I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. "I just need to be careful when I move, that's all. I'll be okay."

Hiccup hesitated. Then he hoisted himself up out of the water, his long green tail flapping uselessly in open air. Toothless, figuring out what his friend was trying to do, crooned and hurried forward, letting the merman support himself on the dragon's snout as he transferred himself to Astrid's bed. "Hiccup?" the young heiress said, bewildered. "What…?"

Then Hiccup was lying beside her, his fins pressed gently against her legs. "As long as you remain under the sheets, I don't think we need to worry about a scandal."

Astrid smiled and nestled up to him, resting her head on his chest. Hiccup wrapped his arm around her shoulder and laid his cheek upon the top of her head. They both sighed contentedly, Astrid listening to the steady thumping of his heart as though it was the sweetest music in the whole world…

…music…

"Hiccup, would you sing for me, please?" she asked suddenly.

Hiccup smiled and complied, letting a soft, sweet melody of timeless love and adoration flow from his heart and out of his lips. Toothless warbled and swayed slightly as if entranced, and in the tub beside the bed, the water started to ripple and swell in response to the merman's voice. Astrid noticed and giggled. "Even in a small tub it's impressive," she remarked as the water rose in little pillars, waving to and fro and leaping from one end of the tub to the other. "I don't think I'll ever not be impressed by it, actually."

Hiccup smiled and continued singing, pouring his soul into every note, quieting only when Astrid fell asleep to the sound of his magical voice. Then he leaned forward and kissed the top of her head, murmuring, "I love you, milady."

Hiccup stayed with the Hoffersons for three days and did his best to make himself as small a burden on them that he could. Josef and Helga were pleased to help him, dumping his tub and refilling it with fresh water once a day and preparing fish for both him and Toothless to eat. He was very grateful to them and thanked them at every opportunity. "Oh don't mention it," Helga told him once, smiling and waving a hand airily. "It's not every day we have royal guests, after all, and it's our pleasure to have you with us."

Hiccup was a little uncomfortable being thought of as royalty when he made every effort to have others see him as just another merman (a feat that, to be fair, was a challenge in the world above the waves, where being a merman was a novelty). But he had more pressing matters concerning him: Astrid didn't seem to be getting better. On the contrary, her condition seemed to be getting worse every day. Hiccup watched carefully as the healer, an aged little woman named Gothi, changed her bandages, and the look of worry that crossed her face each time made his heart sink. An unpleasant smell rose from the wound when the strips of cloth were removed, and it only got more pungent every time. Astrid was brave through it all, insisting that she was fine and that of course it had to get worse before it could get better, but Hiccup still fretted. He sang to her often, silently lamenting that it was the only service he could offer her. He couldn't help when her temperature started to rise, and even though he stayed beside her all night while she shivered he couldn't warm her. Josef and Helga watched on helplessly too as their daughter became sicker and sicker, and no combination of herbs Gothi gave her seemed to do any good.

Hiccup would have stayed longer, but after three days Fishlegs knocked on the door and poked his head into the room. "Your Maj—er, Hiccup," he said, sounding uneasy, "we just saw your father down by the beach. I think he wants to speak to you."

Hiccup's throat tightened, and for a moment he considered asking Fishlegs to tell the king he couldn't come down right now. But then he sighed and decided he couldn't send the innocent Viking to deal with Stoick. So he said, "All right," and bent down to kiss Astrid's hot, sweaty brow. She smiled weakly up at him and tried to act brave, but he could see the pain in the depths of her dull sapphire eyes. "I'll be back soon, I promise," he told her quietly. "After a day or two at most."

"Don't worry about me," Astrid murmured. "Go on. I'll be fine."

Hiccup seriously doubted this but he didn't argue. He called Toothless to him and slid onto the dragon's back, and together they returned to the shoreline.

Stoick was sitting on the rock that Hiccup had occupied days before, waiting. He smiled when he saw his son approaching, though Hiccup rather thought the expression looked guarded, uncertain, and it did nothing to ease his sense of dread.

"Hiccup," Stoick said when Toothless landed, "it's…it's good to see you again, son."

Hiccup didn't dismount from the Night Fury's back, watching his father warily. "Am I your son again?" he asked tonelessly. "Or am I still disowned?"

Stoick flinched. "No, I…I have retracted your disownment. What I said that day…Hiccup, I was angry and I wasn't thinking clearly…"

The words echoed in Hiccup's memory: "You've thrown your lot in with them! You're not a merman! You're not my son!"

"…I spoke without considering what was coming out of my mouth and…Hiccup, I'm sorry. For everything. Those things you said to me during the battle, they were right. I was so consumed by my hatred of humans that I refused to see sense, and it took you standing up to me and watching that girl come to your defense for me to realize how stupid I was being." He bowed his head, and Hiccup's eyes widened in surprise. He'd never seen his father act so submissive before. It was a little disconcerting. "Hiccup, I'm sorry. Will you please forgive me?"

There was a pause. Then:

"I forgive you, Dad."

Stoick's face split in perhaps the toothiest smile Hiccup had ever seen it wear, and he couldn't speak for several seconds. Then at last he whispered, "Thank you, son. That means so much to me, to hear you say that."

He took a moment to compose himself, and then he added in a more businesslike tone, "I'm afraid there's another reason I came up here to see you. I need your advice, son."

Hiccup blinked. "My advice?" Stoick had never asked for his advice before. It was usually the other way around.

"About Camicazi."

Hiccup's heart missed a beat. "What about her?"

"She's been imprisoned for attempted murder," Stoick replied, and Hiccup was surprised to see a flicker of anger in the king's eyes. "Personally I'm all for executing her, but—"

"No!" blurted Hiccup, his heart contracting painfully. His ears rang with his father's words, refusing to believe what they'd heard.

"I figured you might react that way," Stoick continued quietly. "So I've come to ask you if you want to see her in prison before I come to a decision about punishment. If you're still against the idea of execution after speaking to her, then I'll consider lessening the sentence to exile."

Hiccup nodded curtly. "I'll go. But I can't be long: Astrid is ill, and I don't want to be away for more than a day."

He half-expected Stoick to balk or frown or give any indication he was displeased with this decision, but to his surprise Stoick merely said, "Then we'd best be heading on." He started to turn, preparing to dive beneath the surface, but then he paused and added, "I'm sorry to hear the lass is not well. Is it the wound?"

Hiccup's throat tightened. "Yes. It…it looks bad, and it's getting worse. The healer doesn't know how to combat it. I…" He swallowed thickly. "I'm worried about her, Dad. If she doesn't get better soon…" He trailed off, unable to put the terrible thought to words.

Stoick observed him in silence for a moment or two. Then he murmured, "You really do love her." It wasn't a question, but Hiccup nodded anyway. "Then let's not waste any more time. Let's get you back home so you can return as soon as possible."

Hiccup smiled weakly. "Thanks, Dad."

Stoick inclined his head and without another word dove into the water. Hiccup rested a hand on Toothless's head and murmured, "All right, bud. Let's go." And with a roar the Night Fury followed the king into the sea, the prince riding atop his back.

…

"Hello, Cami."

The blond mermaid in the cell stiffened, her back to the prince. Then, slowly, she turned to face him, the merman whose presence she had once delighted in, with whom she'd hoped to spend the rest of her life. Her golden hair drifted about her head in a wavy halo, framing her stunning, fiercely beautiful face. Her lips turned up in a sneer. "Well, if it isn't the human lover."

Hiccup flinched but didn't contradict her. "Cami, I…"

He didn't finish. He didn't know what to say. This mermaid floating before him was not the happy, carefree creature he'd grown up with. He'd never seen this cold, steely glint in those beautiful blue eyes before, nor had he ever seen the lovely red-gold scales of her tail dulled by the prison's shadowy confines. He was much more accustomed to a radiant smile, her scales flashing in the sunlight filtering down from the surface above. A wave of memories threatened to overcome him as he floated motionlessly before the cell bars…

Playing hide-and-seek out on the reefs, her red-and-gold tail blending in with the coral so that he couldn't find her, then watching as she hurried away from him, laughing joyfully, not a care in the world…

Riding their dragons together across barren seascapes, doing dangerous stunts, her long golden hair billowing behind her like a shimmering veil, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she urged her dragon faster still…

Sitting together at royal functions, giggling and cracking jokes together about how boring all this pomp and circumstance was, wishing that they didn't have to attend and preferring to go riding instead…

And then there were other memories, more recent, which were tinged with sorrow and regret…

Camicazi sat beside him on one of the palace balconies as they silently gazed down at the kingdom below. Her head rested on his shoulder contentedly, her hand nestled securely in his. He tried to smile but feared it didn't look quite right. His mind was full of other matters: night was falling and it would soon be time for him to visit Astrid. He was starting to think his feelings for the human were a little more than just friendly, but as he'd never been in love before he was having trouble figuring out if what he felt was romantic or not. He knew he cared about her, certainly, and he couldn't stop thinking about her every hour of the day. He was coming to live for those moments he spent with her on the surface, talking to her on the beach or out atop their rock, and the sight of her smile was enough to make him feel like he could do somersaults. Was that love…?

His thoughts were interrupted when Camicazi said, "You know, the annual Shell Ball is coming up next month."

"Is it?" Hiccup asked innocently. He knew this, of course, but decided to pretend otherwise. He had a feeling he knew where this conversation was going and ignorance was probably going to be his greatest defense. "I'd forgotten…time sure seems to slip by these days, doesn't it?"

Camicazi giggled faintly. "You're so scatterbrained," she teased. Only Cami could say something like that and make it sound endearing rather than insulting. "Yes, it's next month, and no one's invited me yet."

He felt his heart miss a beat but hitched a grin on his face. "Really? What a shame. Well, there's still time. You would look pretty funny dancing by yourself."

Cami elbowed him playfully. "Silly, I was hoping you would ask me."

Hiccup raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "You were? Oh dear, you see I was planning on skipping the ball altogether this year. I thought I'd go to Shipwreck Cove and throw a little party there instead."

"Your father would kill you," Cami informed him matter-of-factly. Then she chuckled and added, "But that does sound like much more fun."

"It probably would be," Hiccup agreed. "But you're right, Dad would never forgive me. So I guess I could ask you, if you can stand to be seen with me."

"I think I could bear it." The light dancing in her eyes suggested that it would be more than bearable to her.

"Well then, I guess I'll be taking you to the Shell Ball next month."

She beamed at him, and he tried to smile back, hoping his expression didn't reveal the turmoil raging inside him…

"Cami, I'm sorry," Hiccup said at last, mentally shaking himself free of sorrowful remembrances. "About everything."

Camicazi glowered at him. "You're sorry?" she repeated. "Is that all you can say?"

Hiccup spread his arms hopelessly. "I don't know what more I can possibly say. I'm sorry I led you on. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth. I'm sorry I let you believe I loved you. I'm sorry I couldn't give you the love you wanted from me." He broke off and looked down at the floor, unable to gaze into her cold eyes any longer. "I never wanted to hurt you, Cami, you must believe that. I did love you, even if not the way you wanted me to. You're my best friend and…and…" He faltered, his throat tightening. How had this all gone so terribly wrong? "…and I'm sorry. I hope that, someday…you'll be able to forgive me."

Camicazi whirled about, turning her back to him again and crossing her arms. Her posture made her answer painfully clear, but she still said, "I hate you, Hiccup Haddock. And I never want to see you again."

Even though he'd suspected this kind of reaction, Hiccup still felt his heart break. He turned and swam away, leaving the dungeon behind. His eyes blurred with tears but he fought them back. What was done was done, and crying would solve nothing. He had other matters to attend to.

He met Stoick outside the dungeon, where he'd been waiting patiently. Hiccup nodded curtly and said, "I suggest a sentence of exile rather than death."

Stoick frowned, clearly in disagreement, but he inclined his head and murmured, "As you wish, son."

He didn't wish it. He'd have much preferred none of it had happened. But Hiccup said nothing more and returned to the palace, keeping his eyes straight ahead and not acknowledging any of the merpeople he passed on the way. He could feel their eyes on him and heard their quiet whispering but refused to even glance at them. He simply didn't have any energy left to deal with all the gossip. Let them say what they wanted about the merman prince who'd been caught consorting with a human girl. At this moment he didn't much care. He was sure he'd have to deal with it eventually: he'd already faced Camicazi's parents, one of Hyacinth's noble families, and their expressions had been all he needed to see to know what his transgression meant to them. And he'd be willing to bet the other nobles would be disappointed in his choices. But all that could wait. Right now he just wanted to sleep. It was night, and he needed to be well-rested for his return to Berk come sunrise.

Rest, however, eluded him. When he wasn't tossing and turning and vainly searching for a comfortable position, he was gazing up at the ceiling, thinking about his beloved, trying not to imagine what pain she must be suffering at that very moment. Toothless lay curled on the floor next to his bed, opening his luminous green eyes every time his merman friend so much as sighed and warbling in concern. Hiccup ignored the dragon, his mind focused on things out of his control. He closed his eyes only to be assaulted by the memory of Astrid's pale, pained face, her brow dotted with beads of sweat, her mouth set in a hard agonized line, her eyes silently screaming.

He groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face in his arms and closing his eyes so tight he saw stars. The stars were at least preferable to the image of the woman he loved suffering. He focused for a moment on taking deep, slow breaths, concentrating on the steady thumping of his heart. And slowly, bit by bit, he felt his muscles relax and his mind clear. He continued these exercises until he was no longer aware of anything around him, until he slipped seamlessly into sleep.

He still dreamed of Astrid that night, but not of how he'd last seen her. Instead he dreamed they were sitting on the rock on Berk's beach, which they had come to call "their rock" as they often sat atop it as they talked…

She was radiant in the moonlight, her hair shining white and her skin glowing. Her eyes reflected the stars above yet twinkled with a life all their own, and he was suddenly sure that if he looked hard enough he could fall into their depths and never reach the end. He yearned to be closer to her, but he didn't dare and was careful to leave a few inches of space between their bodies. He could feel his heart hammering away but forced himself not to eliminate that space, too afraid of what she might say if he did.

He knew now that he loved her, knew it beyond all doubt. How else could he possibly explain the way he felt? If it wasn't love that drove him to distraction whenever he wasn't with her, that made him think about her day and night, that made his heart rate spike when she smiled at him, then what else could it be? But did she feel the same for him? It was the question that had plagued him for days now, the question he couldn't answer or bring himself to ask her for fear the answer would break his heart.

Astrid's eyes suddenly clouded over, and for a moment he was strangely certain she'd somehow read his thoughts and was about to tell him as gently as she could that she only saw him as a friend, perhaps as an adopted brother. Instead she said in a forced casual tone, "Did I mention my father and I had a little talk this afternoon?"

Hiccup frowned faintly. She hadn't mentioned it, and he felt somehow sure she knew that full well. "No. What was it about?"

She looked away from him, turning her eyes out toward the open sea. "He told me that I was getting to an age that I needed to think about…my duty to the tribe."

Something stirred uneasily in his gut. "What duty?"

She took a deep breath, and he could hear it shake a little. "Marriage."

Hiccup said nothing. Indeed, he couldn't think of anything to say in response. His heart was suddenly much more active, and he thought that she must be able to hear it drumming against his ribcage.

"As the daughter of the chief, my marriage will help secure ties between Berk and some other tribe, allowing for better trade and ensuring peace," she went on in a matter-of-fact tone that didn't quite hide the tremor of unease in her voice. "It is a great responsibility, and I must select a h-husband…" She struggled with the word for a moment. "…with great care. Luckily Papa is a kind man, and he promised that he won't rush me into a decision. Some fathers just throw their children into a marriage with or without their consent, but he's promised that he'll do everything he can to ensure my happiness. I don't have to make a choice right away, but he said it's something I should start giving a lot of thought to." She finally looked back at him, and he hoped his face didn't betray his panicked thoughts. "What do you think?"

He chose his words carefully. "You're lucky to have a father who loves you enough to give you advanced warning like that."

Her eyes searched his, and he wondered what she was looking for. "What about your father?" she asked. "Has he mentioned anything to you about getting married?"

"Well, no…not exactly." This was true. Stoick hadn't mentioned marriage to him as of yet. However, there could be no mistaking the look in his eyes whenever he saw Hiccup and Camicazi together. Is that my future? he thought with a stab of genuine terror. Am I going to end up marrying Cami?

In fact, it was. Unbeknownst to Hiccup, Stoick was already in marriage negotiations with Camicazi's parents and would be announcing their engagement to the kingdom in less than a week. And he had to admit, it made sense. Camicazi came from nobility and had extended family in a neighboring kingdom, so the match would be beneficial to Hyacinth. And he'd suspected for some time that Cami loved him in a way that he'd never be able to reciprocate. It wouldn't be the end of the world to be married to her, but the thought of it filled him with despair. How did I not see this before now?

He realized Astrid was gazing at him, waiting for him to clarify his last statement. "Um…he hasn't said anything about it, but…well it probably won't be much longer before he does."

She bit her lip. "And what happens then? I mean, with us? What do we do when we become engaged to other people? Do we stop seeing each other completely or…?" She trailed off uncertainly.

There was such a raw vulnerability to her query that Hiccup felt his heart break for her, and suddenly he knew he had to come clean. He had to tell her the truth. He scooted closer to her, closing the gap between them and wrapping his arms around her. She leaned into his chest, and he could feel her trembling. "I don't think I could bear that," he whispered. "I can't stand the thought of never seeing you again. I care too much about you to cut you out of my life."

"But will we have a choice?" Astrid murmured. "Once I'm married, I won't be able to sneak down to see you. And if either of us is ever caught…" She left this thought unfinished too, as its implications were simply too terrible to put to words.

"I don't know how, but we'll make this work," Hiccup promised, pulling back so that he could look into her eyes. They were bright and shining with emotions threatening to spill over. "We have to. I can't live without you, Astrid." He reached up and cupped her cheek with his hand, and he felt his palm tingle as it touched her skin. She inhaled sharply but didn't draw away, and that was when he realized that she loved him too, had perhaps always loved him but never said so, knowing that their fates were to be apart and not wanting to make the inevitable separation more painful than it had to be. But now it was too late for that, too late to think about the future or the past. There was only now, this very moment, and the two of them were the only merman and human in the world.

They said nothing for several moments, nor did they move. Their eyes did all the talking instead, his warm green depths promising undying love and affection and swearing that all would work out in the end somehow, that they'd find a way to make it work, while her twin sapphires expressed hope and doubt in equal measure. Later they would never be able to tell with any certainty how long this silent conversation lasted, nor would they remember who instigated what followed.

But they would always remember the kiss.

It started slow, tentative, uncertain, their lips brushing together as if asking for permission. Then, once it became clear that neither party was going to back down, they became bolder, their movements taking on a sense of urgency. Her arms seized him and held him close as if afraid he'd vanish if she loosened her grip, one hand running through his damp, tangled hair. Hiccup's heart thudded and pulsed in his ears, drowning out all other sound as his lips danced with Astrid's, exploring and tasting her and sending electrical impulses from the tips of his fingers to his tailfins. They pulled apart for just a moment, a brief reprieve in order to take a couple ragged breaths, and then they met again. He pulled her as close to him as he could, feeling her own heart beating against his chest, and in that moment he felt as though they were one being, their hearts and souls wrapped together so that one was indistinguishable from the other. For the first time he knew what it meant to be complete.

Eventually the movement of their lips slowed and stopped, and they drew back, panting slightly, each gazing into the other's eyes, searching for any sign of regret or worry but finding none. After a moment or two he broke the silence with a murmured, "I love you, Astrid."

Astrid smiled, her eyes swimming with tears, and she stroked his cheek with her hand, leaving a tingling trail over his skin. "I love you too, Hiccup," she replied, and those words coming from her lips were more beautiful than any song he'd ever sung in his life…

…

Hiccup woke the next morning, not quite fully rested but eager to be going nonetheless. He said a quick good-bye to his father before swimming back toward Berk, Toothless trailing loyally behind him. His head broke the surface and was immediately bathed in sunlight. For a moment he reveled in the cool sting of the morning air, and not for the first time he marveled over how much more clearly he could hear with his ears out of the water. Despite everything weighing on his mind, he actually managed to smile.

Then he turned toward shore, and his smile promptly vanished. Fishlegs was standing on the beach, and if the tracks in the sand were any indication, he'd been pacing frantically. He waved to the merman prince and cried, "Hiccup! Thank Thor! I didn't know how to reach you!"

Hiccup's heart stood still as he swam toward the island. "Astrid," he gasped as he pulled himself onto the beach. "Is she…?" He couldn't bring himself to finish.

"She's still alive," the stout Viking said somberly, "but…oh Hiccup, the wound, it…it doesn't look good. Gothi says there's nothing more she can do."

He didn't need any further persuasion. He clambered onto Toothless's back, and the Night Fury took off with a roar that echoed with his rider's pain and terror. It was fortunate that the dragon knew the way to the chief's house, for Hiccup was completely unable to guide him. His brain seemed to have shut down, producing nothing but a loud buzzing that overpowered all rational thought. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. Not Astrid…

Toothless came to a halt in front of Josef's door and let out a screech that couldn't be misinterpreted as anything other than a demand for entrance. Several Vikings lingering about the village square exchanged bewildered and mildly frightened looks and murmurs, but both merman and dragon ignored them, focusing entirely on the wooden barrier separating them from the dying woman inside. After a minute or two, the door opened, and the chief's pale, haggard face appeared. His eyes were red and didn't quite seem to fix on his visitors' faces. "Hiccup," he mumbled, opening the door wider to allow them inside. "You came back."

If Hiccup had needed confirmation of Fishlegs' words, Josef's state would have banished all doubt. He looked as if he hadn't slept, and he was sure he saw dried tear trails on his rugged cheeks. He opened his mouth to speak but found he couldn't form the words. The chief spared him by nodding toward the stairs, granting him passage. Toothless bounded up to the second floor and stepped gingerly into Astrid's room.

"Astrid?"

She was lying as he'd left her the day before, but the single night had brought about an unfathomable change in her. She was gasping for breath, her face bloodless, her hair wet with sweat. And when she turned to face him, he saw that her eyes, her beautiful, vibrant blue eyes were dull and muted as if being turned to stone. She smiled weakly at the sight of him but couldn't manage to hide the pain she felt. "Hiccup," she breathed, sounding as if just saying his name cost her a great deal of effort. She raised her hand feebly, reaching for him.

Toothless helped his rider climb onto the bed, and Hiccup scooped her gently into his arms, feeling his heart seizing and tightening with grief and fear. Her skin felt as though it was ablaze, clammy and damp. He glanced at her stomach, which was covered as usual with thick bandages, but even with them blocking the wound from view he could smell it. It was rotten, diseased. It smelled of death.

"I knew you'd come back," Astrid murmured, nestling into his embrace.

"Of course I did," he replied, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair from her face. "I told you I would. And I always keep my promises."

"Yes, you always have," she agreed, nodding. "It's one of the many things I love about you."

He felt his heart still. He knew what she was doing. She was preparing herself to say good-bye. He held her a little tighter, silently pleading for her not to say it. He couldn't face it yet. There had to be something they could do to save her!

He heard movement and looked up. Helga was standing up from her chair, her eyes watery and lower lip trembling. He'd been so focused on Astrid he hadn't even noticed her there, nor had he seen Josef join them and stand alongside his wife. They were both looking at him with desperation in their eyes.

And he suddenly knew what they were going to ask him.

"Hiccup," Josef began shakily, "Astrid is…is not doing well. Gothi says that the knife did more damage than she first thought, and now it's too late to stop the sickness from spreading. She's…she's running out of time, lad."

She's dying, you mean, he thought. You don't want to say the word, but that's what you mean, isn't it? She's dying, and there's nothing anyone can do.

Except…

"Hiccup," the chief went on, "you are our last hope. We know from what we saw during the battle that merpeople have amazing magical abilities. Please, is there anything you can do, anything at all that might save her? Do you have some kind of healing powers or…or some special herb that only grows on the ocean floor that could help?"

Hiccup shook his head. "If I had that kind of power, sir, I'd have used it long before now. And I don't know of any sea plant that can fix this." He hesitated.

"Then…there's nothing?" Helga croaked. "No hope at all?"

The despair and bleakness in her voice made up his mind. He gritted his teeth. "There is one thing that might, and I mean might save her. But it's not a sure bet, and it's incredibly dangerous. If I do it wrong, I could kill her."

Josef and Helga exchanged surprised looks with wide eyes that showed the barest glimmer of hope. Hiccup hated to extinguish those sparks but knew he had no choice. "What is it?" Josef cried. "Tell us, and we'll do whatever we can to help!"

Hiccup looked down at Astrid, who gazed up at him with a determined gleam in those dim yet still lovely eyes. She knew where he was going with this. "The only thing I can do," he said slowly, putting a great deal of weight on every word, "is change her into a mermaid. It would restore her health and body…if I can do it."

Either Josef didn't notice the hesitancy in his voice or he was too desperate to care. "It can't hurt to try! Let's give it a go. What do you need us to—"

"It can hurt!" Hiccup snapped. "It can hurt a lot! If I don't do it right, then Astrid will die!" Josef blinked, momentarily stunned into silence. "And even besides that, think about what you're asking me to do! If I somehow manage to turn her into a mermaid, that means she'll have to live in the ocean. She'll never be able to walk on land again. There's no reversing this. Once she's a mermaid, she will remain a mermaid for the rest of her life."

Josef looked to Helga, and Helga looked back. "If it would save her life," she said slowly, "then we could live with her transformation. No matter what form she's in, Astrid will always be our daughter." Josef nodded in agreement, and they both turned to face Hiccup again. She stared hard at him, and he held her gaze. "How exactly would you do it? How would you turn her into a mermaid?"

Hiccup looked at Astrid, and Astrid looked back. She nodded once, and he took a deep breath, turning to lock eyes with her parents.

"I would have to drown her."

Whatever they had been expecting, it wasn't that. They gaped at him in silence for several seconds. It was so quiet they could hear a Gronckle roar from the other side of the island. Hiccup sighed and started to tell them what he had once told Astrid, one night as they sat atop their rock, a night that seemed to belong to another lifetime. "A human can only be transformed into a mermaid if she and the merman doing the task love each other, love each other so much that they are willing to risk death in order to be together…"

"…I would take you into the water with me and hold you beneath the surface. You and I would have to focus entirely on our love for each other, without letting a single other thought in. No worry, no fear, no distractions. Anything that interferes could be disastrous."

"That doesn't sound so hard," Astrid said slowly, as though she wasn't entirely sure and was trying to convince herself.

"It's hard to focus on love when you're drowning," Hiccup replied, and she had to concede that he was right. "Not to mention for the one doing the deed. Many a merman has failed because he couldn't stop himself from thinking about how he was basically killing the woman he loved."

There was a pause.

"So…let's say for the sake of discussion that we managed it. We kept our thoughts in line, weren't afraid or distracted and focused entirely on our love…"

"…then what?" Helga asked, sounding as if she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know.

"I'd have to wait until she was almost dead," the merman explained, keeping his voice calm, level, emotionless. "The timing would have to be exact. Only when she is hovering at the precise point between life and death would I be able to do it."

"Do what?" Josef breathed.

"I would kiss her. And if I've timed it right, if both of us have kept our heads and thought about nothing but our love for each other…"

"…then my kiss would initiate a transfer of magic, magic that would then transform you into a mermaid."

He fell silent, watching her. She gazed up at him, her eyes wide with shock and even a little fear. He could even hear her voice tremble as she asked, "And…if we lose our concentration or the timing is off…?"

She didn't finish the question, and he knew she understood without having to be told. But he told her anyway, "If either of us allows doubt to mingle with love, or if I'm a second too soon or a second too late to administer the kiss…"

"…then she dies," he finished, staring hard at them both. He knew his eyes were steely and was glad of it. They needed to know just how serious this was, how easy it was to mess up. And judging by their mirrored expressions of horror, he'd been successful.

Josef was the first to break the pregnant silence. "I understand now why you were hesitant to bring it up. It sounds…tremendously difficult to pull off. How many of these transformations are successful?"

"Hardly any. I know of only one, though many have tried." There was another pause. "Now you know. So please don't ask it of me." He looked down at Astrid and felt his heart clench painfully. "I can't bear the thought of losing her. Not like that."

Helga stepped forward. "I know it would be hard for you, Hiccup. But consider this: Astrid is…dying." He looked sharply at her, and even she seemed surprised that she'd spoken the word aloud. "We know she is, and there's nothing we can do to stop it. I realize this is a tremendous risk and that you're unwilling to try it, but if you don't, she will die, and that's a certainty. It seems to me that if there's even the slightest chance she can be saved, we should try it."

Hiccup said nothing. His mind seemed to have stopped working altogether.

"She's right," Astrid rasped, and he returned his gaze to her, frightened by how frail and fragile she sounded. "If I'm going to die, then it might as well be while you try to save me, rather than just sitting here waiting for it to happen." She reached up and brushed his cheek with her fingertips. "Besides…I trust you, Hiccup. You can do this. I know you can."

Hiccup closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, covering her hand with his own. He trembled faintly at the thought of what she was asking him to do, the thought of what might happen. But he knew she was right. They had nothing to lose at this point. If he failed, he would only be hastening the inevitable. But if he succeeded…

"All right. I'll do it."

…

Less than an hour later, Hiccup watched from the water as his beloved Astrid was carried down to the beach. She was too weak to walk on her own and was held by her devoted father, who waded out into the sea toward the merman he hoped would save her. Along the shoreline a crowd had gathered. Helga was wringing her hands fretfully, and behind her Hiccup saw Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins, along with Gothi and many others he didn't know, all watching in silence. His heart thudded nervously. He wished there didn't have to be an audience for this. But in the end it would make no difference, for he would be underwater, out of their sight.

Behind him, Stoick and Toothless kept a respectful distance. He'd hurried back to inform his father of what he was going to attempt, and he'd given his permission and support, promising to stay back and pray for success. Hiccup was grateful yet still uneasy to have his father so near when he tried to do what only one merman had been able to do before. Even more worrisome was Toothless, who would surely try to comfort his rider if he sensed any uncertainty or disquiet, but even that might be distraction enough to destroy his chances. Stoick had promised to hold the Night Fury back, and Hiccup had tried to explain to his friend that he needed to do this alone and in complete silence, but he wasn't sure if the dragon understood.

Josef met him and held Astrid out for him. Hiccup gently lifted the young woman into his arms and smiled down at her, hoping his expression didn't betray his feelings. Josef cupped her cheek and opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a faint croak. Astrid grinned faintly. "I'll be fine, Papa."

Josef's lips pulled into a taut line, the closest they could come to a smile at the moment, and he said, "I love you, Astrid. And I will always love you, whether you're human or mermaid. That will never change."

She kissed his hand. "I love you too, Papa."

Josef nodded stiffly and then turned his eyes to Hiccup. "Thor be with you," he murmured. Hiccup could only jerk his head once in reply. Then he turned and started swimming into deeper waters.

He came to a stop and looked down at the woman in his arms. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, half-hoping she'd back out yet knowing she wouldn't.

"Surer than I've been about anything in my life." She pulled his head down so she could kiss him, and for a moment he allowed himself to kiss her back, trying not to think that this might be the last kiss they shared. "I love you, Hiccup. I love you more than anything in the world."

He pulled back and smiled weakly. "I love you too, Astrid. More than my own life." He breathed in, then out again. It was time. "All right. Take a deep breath."

She did, and the moment her lungs were full Hiccup dove forward, plunging them both into the sea.

The sounds of the world above were muted as the water pressed in on them, and Hiccup immediately pushed all thoughts from his mind. He focused entirely on Astrid, who gazed at him, her lips turned upward. Here the paleness of her skin took on a glow that was almost magical, and her eyes seemed to regain some of their life. He saw the shell necklace he'd given her drifting around her neck, and he smiled. "It's all right," he said to her. "I'm here. I'm here and I love you and I'm never going to let anything happen to you."

Astrid tightened her arms around him and kissed his cheek. Her expression was calm, serene, as if she was merely reclining upon their rock instead of drowning. "I love you too," she mouthed, pressing herself to him so that he could feel her heart beating against his chest. He held her tenderly to him, brushing his lips along her cheek and forehead, warm affection swelling in his chest.

The seconds passed and he drew back, watching as her need to breathe became more apparent. To her credit, she was remaining calm, but it was clear her body's need for air was starting to take its toll. Her chest started to convulse, and her smile flickered. "It's all right," he said softly, fighting to keep his own emotions firmly in check. "You're going to be all right. I promise."

She nodded and tried to smile, placing one hand on his chest, over his thumping heart. "Sing for me," she said, sending a stream of bubbles to the surface.

He complied, reaching into himself and bringing forth a melody of boundless love and devotion, a song the likes of which no one had heard in recent memory. It filled the whole ocean with its vibrant notes and quavering passion, stirring the hearts of all who heard it. Even the villagers waiting on shore were moved by the faint strains they could just make out, smiling at one another without quite understanding why. Astrid smiled too, closing her eyes and letting Hiccup's song, his magical song fill her and take her. She felt tears welling up and let them fall and mingle with the sea as an offering, a wordless promise to always love this wonderful merman who had risked everything to be with her.

Now her need for air rose to desperation, her lungs sending clamoring warning bells to her brain, her instincts urging her to surface. Yet she continued to fight them, shooing them like pesky bugs and opening her eyes so that she might continue to gaze at Hiccup. She noticed vaguely that the water around them was moving, turning them in a slow circle, the sea's response to his music, and she reached up to cup his cheek. His face was becoming blurry, and she knew she was on the brink of unconsciousness. So she mouthed one more time, "I love you," and allowed her eyes to drift closed. A moment later, darkness claimed her.

Hiccup stopped singing as his heart gave a painful jolt. He pressed his fingers to her neck, feeling for a pulse. It was still there, but it was slowing down. Not yet, cautioned a voice in his head. Wait for it…wait for it…

Her heartbeat slowed…slowed…Almost there…

Now!

He kissed her, pressing his lips to hers and allowing every ounce of love and affection he had for this beautiful, vibrant young woman to flood every fiber of his being, remembering all their nights together, their conversations on the rock, their swims through the sea, their first kiss, the feel of her body pressed to his, the vibration of her heart as it beat against his chest, the way her eyes had lit up when he presented her with the shell necklace. And as his lips moved against hers, he thought he felt…something. He wasn't sure what it was. It was like something moved within him, surging forth, a strength or power he'd never known he possessed…

He broke the kiss and drew back, watching her carefully for any sign of life. She remained limp and motionless, her eyes closed and her face expressionless, her mouth hanging slightly open. He checked her pulse. There was nothing. "No…"

He kissed her again with increased urgency and desperation, mashing his lips to hers until they hurt, clenching his eyes shut, willing it to work, praying to every god he could think of to revive her, to let the magic take hold, to save her. He pulled back, hoping when he did that her eyes would be open, that there'd be some sign of life. But there was nothing. She merely floated in his arms, unmoving.

He had failed.

"No," he choked, reaching up to brush one trembling hand along her cheek.

And then he broke. He let out a long, wordless cry of grief and despair and held her body close, sobbing into her hair. Together they sank until his fins met the ocean floor, where he crumpled, still cradling her lifeless form and wailing in misery. A few yards away Stoick hung his head sadly, and Toothless whined, not knowing what to do to help his friend.

Seconds passed in somber silence, broken only by Hiccup's gasps and sobs as he kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her lips, mumbling unintelligibly, wishing he could die, that he would just cease to exist, for he couldn't imagine living in a world where there was no Astrid. How could he possibly face another day? How could he face her parents and tell them that his love hadn't been enough to save her? How could he live with himself knowing he'd had the power to give her life but had failed?

It was Toothless who noticed it first. His eyes widened in shock and awe, and he let out a curious warble. The sound made Stoick look up, and he gasped, his jaw dropping in disbelief. "Hiccup!"

The prince lifted his head, and his eyes fell on Astrid's legs. He blinked, stunned, for they were glowing with a bright golden light. And it was getting brighter. "What…"

But that was as far as he got, for the next second the light intensified a hundredfold, forcing the mermen and dragon to shield their eyes, grunting in surprise. It was as if a second sun had been born in these northern waters and was just learning how to shine. It was so bright that it could be seen from shore, eliciting a series of murmurs from the watching crowd. Josef and Helga held each other tightly, wondering what this meant and hardly daring to hope.

And then, just as quickly as it had come, the light faded, leaving the day somehow dimmer than before. Hiccup slowly lowered his arm, blinking his eyes rapidly as they adjusted, and looked down at Astrid. His eyes widened and he let out a gasp.

Her skirt and leggings had vanished, shredded into nonexistence, and in their absence he could see how her slender body morphed at the waist into a long, graceful tail with silver-blue scales, ending in a pair of powerful fins.

Before he could fully grasp what he was seeing, she stirred and her eyes fluttered open. His heart gave a bound. "Astrid," he croaked, and her eyes found his. She smiled faintly before a frown creased her features.

"Am I…did you…did it work?"

Now grinning, he gestured toward her new tail and replied, "See for yourself."

She did, her eyes lighting up with delight as she lifted her tail, watching the scales shimmer in the light filtering down from above. "Oh my gods," she breathed. "This is for real!"

Hiccup laughed. "Very real, yes. In fact…" He reached down and pulled back the bandages wrapped around her middle. Her wound was gone. There wasn't even a scar. "You're good as new, milady."

"All thanks to you." She kissed him on the cheek. "I knew you could do it."

He chuckled, and suddenly the full reality hit him. He'd done it! They'd done it! That which had been tried by so many without success, that which he was all but certain he wouldn't be able to achieve, had been done. She was alive! She was alive and well and would live with him for the rest of their lives. For a moment he was overcome with emotion, and all he could do was hold her close to him, burying his face in her wavy, rippling hair, laughing and crying at the same time. She returned his embrace, feeling more alive than she had in several days, her heart swelling with joy at the knowledge she could now be with the merman she loved, that nothing in all the world could separate them now.

How long they simply held on to each other in desperate relief they would never know. It wasn't until Toothless, unable to contain himself any longer, swam forward that they pulled apart and remembered:

"My parents!" Astrid cried. "We have to show them!"

They rocketed to the surface, followed closely by the Night Fury and Stoick, who was beaming proudly. The instant Astrid's head broke the water they were met with an almighty cheer from the Vikings gathered on the beach. She waved excitedly to Josef and Helga, who held each other as if each was keeping the other from toppling over. Tears streaked Helga's face, but she was laughing through her tears, and her husband was murmuring, "Thank Thor…thank Thor…" over and over again.

The prince and newly-transformed mermaid swam up to the shore hand-in-hand and were immediately taken up in a suffocating embrace. Everyone spoke at once, overlapping each other and creating such a din that Toothless pinned his ear flaps and grumbled unhappily. The Hoffersons marveled over their daughter's new tail, remarking that blue was most certainly her color. Fishlegs congratulated Hiccup for his success, causing the merman to blush and grin. He didn't say anything, and he continued to glance at his beloved, unable to take his eyes off her for more than a few seconds. She was beautiful, and she was alive, and all of this was really happening. It still felt like a wonderful dream, too good to be anything more than fantasy, yet the proof floated before him in all her shining, radiant glory.

A hand fell on his shoulder, and he turned to see his father smiling down at him. A little surprised – Stoick so rarely smiled at him like that – he blinked and grinned a little awkwardly back. "Well son," the king said, "it looks as though you are stronger than I gave you credit for. I have never witnessed something so incredible as this." His fingers tightened slightly. "I am proud to call you my son, Hiccup."

He was so stunned and overwhelmed that for a long time he could do nothing but gape up at his father. Then, slowly, his grin turned into a full smile. "Thanks, Dad."

Stoick nodded his head, and then in a more businesslike tone he said, "Now that she's a mermaid, do you want me to start marriage negotiations with her parents?"

At the word "marriage" a hush fell over the crowd, for the king's voice was loud enough to be heard even among the clamoring of the villagers. All eyes turned to the prince, who looked around at Astrid. Her eyes were wide, but there was a faint sparkle in them that was growing brighter with every passing second. Soon she was beaming, and she turned to her father expectantly. Josef looked startled, but soon his face relaxed into a smile. "I must admit, it seems a good match. A union between our village and your kingdom would certainly be advantageous to everyone involved, and your son has certainly proved himself worthy beyond all doubt. But…" He turned to Astrid. "…it is ultimately for my daughter to decide. If it is what she wishes, then I will give my consent to the union."

In answer, Astrid threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely. "Yes!" she cried, pulling back long enough to kiss him on the cheek. Then she flung herself into the water and onto her fiancé, who nearly fell backward into the water but managed to right himself just in time, laughing at her exuberance and his own good fortune. "My answer is yes! It is exactly what I wish!"

Hiccup held her tightly in his arms for a second before drawing back to look her in the eye. "Then I have the greatest pleasure in asking you, Astrid Hofferson, for your hand in marriage."

Her eyes brimmed with tears, but she adopted a tone of playful formality when she replied, "I accept your proposal, Hiccup Haddock." Then she abandoned all pretense and pressed her lips to his in a fierce, passionate kiss that made his eyes all but bug out of their sockets before fluttering closed. When she broke the kiss, he looked rather dazed, and a couple of the Vikings on shore chuckled to themselves.

Soon it was time to part. "We'll visit as often as we can," Astrid promised her parents. "And I don't know much about merfolk weddings, but I'll see if we can arrange something on the surface so everyone can attend."

"I'm counting on that," Josef said with a sad smile. Then he turned to Hiccup and said, "Take good care of my girl."

"I will, sir." He gently scooped her close to him, resting his forehead against hers. "On my life, I will."

Astrid hugged her parents good-bye. Helga sobbed openly but smiled and waved as her daughter swam out into deeper waters with her fiancé alongside her. They paused and gave one last lingering look at the island she'd called home all her life, and for a moment she felt a pang of genuine grief at the loss.

Then she looked at Hiccup, who gazed at her with a small, knowing smile, which she returned. I haven't really lost anything, she reminded herself. Instead, I've gained everything. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

And then, hand-in-hand, they dove into the sea, their fins waving a last farewell to Berk before they disappeared from view.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed that!

A big thank-you again to all of you who have stuck with me this long. I have missed the joy of belonging to a community of such encouraging, generous people. It's easy to take the kind words of a review for granted until you stop posting stories, and then you suddenly realize how much it means to have someone give you just a few words of feedback. I just want you all to know that I am grateful for each and every one of you, even those of you who have been more critical of my work, and I appreciate every single review, favorite, and follow. I don't know if or when I'll post here again, but I just wanted you all to know how thankful I am for all the encouragement and kind words you've given me in the past. It may be a simple little thing, but it means the world to me. Thank you.