Hi everyone. Since I posted the last chapter, all of people have comment asking was that it this the end. Will this chapter will answer that. I hope you like.
Chapter 7
My deartest one, my darling dear,
Your mighty words astound me.
But I've no need of mighty deed
when I feel your arms around me.
Merida sang to herself, her tail half in water. It had been 4 weeks since she gone back to the home that she missed. When Merida got home the first person she saw was her mother. There was silence before they cried and hugged each other, happy and apologetic. Her father and brothers were also over joyed that she was ok, they shared a huge group hug. After that the young Selkie told them about her adventures, also sharing her treasures which she had brought back. They were fascinated by her stories even if it made the Queen sick with worry. One thing Merida didn't tell them about was Hiccup. She knew if she did, the king would want to kill him just because he was a human. When the king talked to the other Selkies and merpeople about the humans, mostly the Vikings. She was disgusted and horrified by them and she felt sad and angry.
Merida missed Hiccup so much. It felt like years rather than 4 weeks. She would day dream about him, that he was waiting for her on the shore and imagining the day they will meet again, that is if they met again. It was hard to not think of Hiccup when she was with her family. Her brothers always asked her to tell them her adventures again and again but Merida didn't mind. She burst out laughing at the dinner table as she remembered a funny moment that she and Hiccup had shared. When she was alone Merida felt lonely. She didn't do much archery because it just reminded her of him. Sometime she found herself in tears, it was not bad at first, but it got worse when she had that nightmare.
It started with her and Hiccup, hand in hand, swimming together, something grabbed Hiccup and pulled him from Merida. He called to her and they tried to reach each other but Hiccup was pulled away to fast. The Selkie swam as fast as she could and tried to get Hiccup back. Merida screamed when Hiccup was pulled out of the water and before she could brake the surface, it had frozen over. In anger and fear, she tried to break it while crying out "bring him back" over and over. She was woken by Elinor (Merida's mother) who heard her daughter's cries and hugged the teen close. The rest of the family soon were in the princess's room, watching in worry as the queen rocked her child softy, speaking calm words hoping to sooth Merida. All that Merida could do was say Hiccup's name but it came as a whisper.
Later on she sat on some rocks, looking out to a the horizon, Merida hugged Hiccup's fur vest close to her, burying her nose into it, it still smelt of him. She cuddled into it and imagined that it was her Viking she was holding. She only wore it when she was alone but it wasn't the same as being with him. Merida needed some space after last night and thought the surface was the best place. The Selkie couldn't help but think of Hiccup, was he ok?, is he coping like she was?, did he stop flying because he missed her?, she really didn't know. All these thoughts were becoming too much for her. Merida sobbed into the vest, tears running down her face.
"Merida" called a soft voice, Merida looked, turned and saw her mother. She had a look of concern as Elinor swam closer to her. The queen lifted herself out the sea to sit next to her daughter, the tail still in the water as well her long brown hair.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm...I'm fine mum" the princess said looking down trying to hide her tear stained face..
"Merida, I know something is wrong" her mother said softly. "I know we havn't had the best relationship for a long time, but I promise myself that things will change"
Merida looked up to her mother, breathing in some air. Since she'd returned home, they both have spent more happier times together than before. She was really surprised when Elinor asked to see her archery and even tried it herself but Merida thought she needed to practice. Elinor told Merida that she didn't have to be married if she didn't want to, because she just wanted her child to be happy.
"It's just that since you come back home, you haven't been yourself"
Merida knew she'd have to tell her, she might not like it but it would only get worse if she didn't. Merida breathed and finally spoke,
"When I was in the cove, I met someone. He's absolutely the most wonderful person that's ever lived. He's smart, funny, kind and gently."
The Selkie queen was really surprised by the way she spoke, it was like she was in a dream.
"He was here to listen and made me smile. I helped him swim again and celebrated my birthday and...we fell in love"
"Oh, darling" Elinor exclaimed and hugged her daughter. "That's wonderful!"
"Also he's the son of a chief and a hero".
"Well that's is amazing, he must a great Selkie lad if you love him"
When Merida heard her mum say 'Selkie', her eyes slightly widen. Her mother thought Hiccup was a Selkie. She really wished he was one now because she hoped her mother wouldn't have a heart attack.
The Selkie princess laugh nervously "well he's not a Selkie or a merman, he's a...a...a human" she quickly shut her eyes, she expected the queen to explode but she nervously opened one eye, her mum look more surprised than disbelieving.
"Is this true Merida" she said in a soft tone. Merida nodded and showed Elinor Hiccup's vest "I love him even if he's different, he's different to the other people in his tribe" she told her mother about Hiccup. Elinor now understood her daughter's odd behaviour.
"Well that explains a lot" the queen finally said when Merida had finished. "As well as all those questions you've been asking" Merida had asked her mum about feelings and relationships, at the time Elinor thought it was strange for Merida to ask about these things, Now it make sense.
Merida staired at the fur vest " I wanted to say why but I know you and Dad hate humans so I..."
"I don't hate humans". Merida was a bit surprised by that
"but I thought.." She began, but her Mum hugged her as she told her story.
"When I was a little girl, I enjoyed swimming with the fishes and collecting things, one day I was so busy finding a perfect shell I didn't see a net closing over me, until it was too late"
"Weren't you scared?" Merida asked slightly worried.
"Terrified" Elinor replied before she continued.
"The net was nearly out of the water when I was able to see, I was next to a boat. I knew it was a human boat, I became more scared. I cried for help, hoping someone would hear me. Someone did,but not who I was expecting."
The young teen had a feeling what it was that answered. "It was a human?"
"Yes, a boy to be exact"
So Merida wasn't the only Selkie to meet a human, why hadn't her mum told her this before.
"He was the one who cut me out from the net. I was surprised by that, I think he was surprised too. I could've be killed or eaten but thankfully that never happened"
Merida still couldn't believe it. She tried to think of what to say, finally she asked "And you never told anyone, not even Dad"
"No" the queen sighed "It's something I couldn't tell because most Selkies believe that humans are all monsters, after that I believed they were not all wicked creations but I see now that I am not the only one who think that"
She smiled to her daughter and Merida smiled back. "So the nightmare you're had was is about Hiccup" Merida smile faded and held his vest closer. "We were together, like we were before I left. Then something was pulling him away and I couldn't do anything to get him back" Merida tears rolled down her cheeks." I feel like something horrible will happen if I don't see Hiccup again, I will never forgive myself" she said as more tears fell.
Her mum felt sorry for her daughter, seeing Merida like this was heartbreaking. "Sh, sh, it's ok to cry" Elinor said softly as she wiping Merida's eyes.
The Queen looked at her daughter and said "Merida, if you want to see him, you could just ask and we would let you go"
"Honestly?, I can" Merida said wiping the rest of her tears away.
" I can see even talking about Hiccup makes you happy" Elinor could see Merida's mood had brighted when she talked of Hiccup.
"It does" the young Selkie admitted, "And I want to spend the rest of my life with him, but we can't be truly together, life made us different".
The Queen wanted Merida to be truly happy and this boy, this human was the only thing that would bring her true happiness. She then remember that there was way for them to truly be together, but it came with a price.
"Sweetheart" she asked and Merida turned to face her " Do you truly love him"
"Yes, with all my heart."
"Then I need to show you something" the queen then dove under the water followed by the princess. They swam to their underwater castle, Merida wondered where they were going her mum was leading her to a place she never knew was there. Finally they came to a door, which was odd because the Selkies removed all of the doors and windows years age.
"Behind this door is where we hold are most unique treasures, from the humans" Elinor explained as she removed a curtain that hid a key. Onces the door was open, Merida stared in awe.
Inside the large room were shelves of human objects there and boxes with maps and weapons. On the walls were handmade tapestries and sheilds. Also chests with gold and jewellery that shone so bright, Merida knew what these things were because Hiccup had taught her so much.
Elinor watched her child for a while before she swam to a shelf behide a curtain. Merida turned and saw some oddly-looking shaped bottles, something was glowing inside them.
"What are those, mum" she felt a little uneasy about them.
"They're magic spells, made by powerful sorcerers. We have to hide them because...they're dangerous" the queen explained as she moved her hand over them muttering something. Finally she pick out a large purple bottle that twist from the top but was round at the bottom.
"But this one is the most powerful of all"
"Why?"
"It was created for a Selkie lass who was in love with a human man, that loved her in return" her mum replied. Merida put her hand to her mouth. So she wasn't the first to love a human.
"So, she ask a sorcerer to make this so they could be together, but the man's father killed both of them before the potion was used"
"how sad", they wanted to be together forever like her and Hiccup.
"We hide it, in case it is needed, I think it may be ment for your use"
"For Us?" Merida asked knowing she meant her and Hiccup.
"Yes dear, a human can be changed into the Selkie or the other way around."
"It can do that!" Merida said as a smile appearing on her face. It was the answer, a way for they to be together.
"It's perfect mum, it's solves everything and we'll..."
"But it will come with a price." Elinor interrupted, Merida looked at her mum and wondered what she meant. "Once the potion is taken, they can never go back to the life they had before" the smile faded and was replaced with look of sadness and worry. Never go back. Merida didn't want to leave her home and the sea, it was a part of her and she would never see her family again. But she didn't want to take Hiccup from his life on land. His father, his village, Toothless. Especially Toothless and flying was a part of him.
The queen could see how torn she was. It was a big decision that will affect them both. She placed a hand on the princess's shoulder which made Merida turn to her.
"You don't have to decide on your own, you and Hiccup can talk about it before one of you takes it." Elinor said rationally.
Merida felt slightly better, she knew that one of them must take it, but being able to see him again was all she needed. "Thanks mum" she said happily after hugging her mum like she use to when she was little.
They talked and agreed that tomorrow would be a perfect time to see him. They found a map that showed where Berk was. (Which was good for Merida because she was only there thanks to a wild dragon) Merida put the bottle in her bag, she wanted that to be the last thing on her mind. That night when she was lying on her bed, she thought about Hiccup and what may happen tomorrow.
She imagined Hiccup sitting by the sea, waiting for her, she'd jump out of the water and land on him. They would embrace each other and kiss... a long-awaited kiss. Merida smiled at her happy thoughts, holding his vest close as she fell asleep thinking.
"Goodnight my Hiccup, we will be together again".
When the Selkie awoke, Merida grabbed her bow and her bag, she remembered about the bottle and the choices. She looked at it for a moment before closing the bag and leaving for breakfast. Elinor told her husband that Merida was going on a journey, the king wasn't sure about this because he had just got her back but agreed, for he knew Merida was a sensible girl. The queen made Merida some food for the trip and the young Selkie said her goobyes and hugged them all. She really hoped this wouldn't the last time she'd see them.
On the journey to Berk, Merida recognized some places on the way but she mostly use the map.
She surfed from time to time and hunted for food to eat. Soon after searching for a week she saw the island of Berk. Merida smiled and swam towards the island. She thought how happy and surprised Hiccup will be but when the Selkie reach the huge statues in the sea she felt something was wrong. She saw deep black smoke coming from the houses, lots of Vikings on their dragons were trying to put out fires and help each other out of ships, something looked very sinister. Out of curiosity and panic Merida swam underneath the docks to get a closer look at what was going on.
From there she was able to see the peoples faces, they look like they'd been to war. She saw Vikings getting attended to, children crying and holding their parents close. Putting handcuff on what Merida thought must be their enemies. She recognized a few people Hiccup had told her about, she saw Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut caring and talking to their dragons.
She moved at little closer to hear better, hoping to see Hiccup. She heard Gobber's voice talking to two other Viking men.
"That Dager, that monster. I know he was deranged, but this is too far. Thank Odin Hiccup saw them coming but..." He trailed off and placed hand on his face, Merida could see tears running down his face. What had happened? The Selkie then saw Astrid and a black haired boy, young Macintosh was holding onto her, she didn't look well, Merida thought as they made their way toward Gobber.
"Astrid, you should be lying down"
"I know Gobber but..." Astrid said sitting down on a barrel.
"Astrid you did what you thought was right, I just can't believe what you did to Dager the boy said while hugging reassuring his girlfriend, Astrid held his hand for comfort. Merida watched and saw Astrid hands shaking .
" I'm fine, it's my anger that took over and everything was a blur, but Stoick is dead!" Merida put her hand over her mouth in shock. She felt tears and feel sorry for them, this Dager must have killed Stoick and now she was really worry about Hiccup.
"And what he did to Hiccup..." By the mention of his name, Merida looked up as Astrid continued "Hiccup look heartbroken when Dager killed his Dad right in front on him, and when Dager stabbed Hiccup, I knew I had to do something. But I did...I..." The Viking girl wasn't the kind to show sadness but what had happen made her cry.
Young Macintosh and Gobber tried their best to calm her down, while Merida turned away and closed her eyes.
"No Hiccup, Please don't be dead, please" she prayed.
"I knew Dager would have done something evil, if I hadn't stopped him. Hiccup wouldn't have escaped with Toothless."
" Well, I am sure he will be fine with Toothless, those two are the best you know" Gobber said hoping to reassure Astrid. " but Hiccup was stabbed very badly in the back and was bleeding, I really don't know if he is ok". Astrid hugged herself with worry.
Merida's eyes widened, Hiccup badly wounded, all alone, he could be dead. She needed to find him before this was too late. The Selkie dove and swam, she was going to find them. What she didn't know was that Astrid saw her as she dived "Merida?" She whispered quietly so that nobody could hear her. Astrid got up to see if she could still see the Selkie but her boyfriend and Gobber made her sit down thinking she was dazed. The only thing she could do was look out to sea and hope. "Find him Meirda, find him"
Merida wasn't sure how long she searched for her Viking and his dragon. She couldn't see Berk anymore, she felt so tired but she had to keep going. Before Merida drove under again she heard a faint sound that she recognized. The sound of a Night Fury.
"Toothless?" the Selkie whispered under her breath and she spun around desperately in search of the source of the sound. She eventually tracked the sound to an island, she noticed something black on the beach, as Merida got closer she saw it was Toothless. The poor dragon looked hurt he had cuts and bruises, he could barely keep his eyes open.
"Toothless" the Selkie called before she swam to the shore, the dragon looked up and was surprised to his Selkie friend. Toothless struggled to get to her as he had little energy. "Toothless, oh what have they done to you?" The wounded dragon growled softly and pressed his face into Merida's, he was so happy to see her.
Merida feared that Toothless wouldn't survive, she then thought about the potion. It might save toothless she could only try. She took the potion out of the bag and opened it "Toothless you have to have this, it will help" she said gently. She thought if Toothless took one or two drops, it could heal him. The dragon felt so tired but he opened his mouth for Merida, she gave him three drops.
Merida placed both her hand on either side of the Night Fury's head "Where's Hiccup? Is he all right?" She asked, Toothless raise his head up, looking down to the sea. Merida looked and realised that he was showing that Hiccup was in the ocean.
The Selkie knew there was no time to waste. She dove into sea and Toothless watched her go. Merida scanned the water for any sign of her love. She swam deeper and deeper until she saw something far in the distance, the Selkie moved closer to see. Merida's eyes widened to find the last thing in the world she wanted to see.
Hiccup was still in the water, lifeless.
" No, No!" Merida cried before diving like a arrow to reach for him from sinking even further. The Selkie wrapped her arms round him and propellling herself upwards hard, bursting from the water with Hiccup. She was totally exhausted but still feeling determined, Merida held Hiccup's head up while she swam him to shore. Toothless saw them coming closer, he smiled when he spotted Hiccup but it soon disappeared when he notice his best friend lifeless and unmoving. When they made it, the Night Fury helped Merida pull the boy out of the sea and sat him up against a huge rock.
"Hiccup, Hiccup, it's me Merida" Merida said as she shook him, hoping that he would wake up but he didn't. The Selkie looked up to at the dragon, he was just as worried as she was.
She grabbed the bottle, undone the top and held Hiccup's head up.
"Please work" she whispered, Merida opened his mouth and then she poured the potion down his throat, making sure he had every single drop. Soon the bottle was empty, she put her Viking back down and waited. She didn't know how fast it would work, was it too late? Would it work? How long would it take? Would his body change? Would he be ok?With every second, Merida hope faded and she felt tears running down her face. "No, Hiccup" she softy murmured and sobbed for her lost Viking, cupping his head, stroking his check with her thumb.
"I...I'm so sorry. I came back to find you but I never imagined this, I was too late" Merida spoke with despair.
"you didn't deserve this, your'e... meant to be alive, to fly." She moved her hands to Hiccup's and held it close. " I can't live without you, please, come back to me " she moved close and lay her head on his chest, she cried and interwined her fingers into his like they did before.
"I love you"
Now Toothless had tears coming down, he curled up next to his best friend. For a while everything was quite despite Merida's crying, when she could feel Hiccup's fingers twitch then she heard a voice she thought she would never hear again.
"Merida"
The Selkie girl's eyes widened and looked up disbelieving. Merida watched as Hiccup's eyes open. Hiccup looked at Merida and gave her a warm smile. Merida couldn't put into words how happy she was, her tears of sadness were replace with tears of joy.
"Hiccup" she cried happily and then began to kiss him all over his face.
"Merida, I can't believe it's you" he placed his hand gently on her cheek "I thought I'd never see you again" Hiccup said. Merida placed her own hand on top of his, it still felt right.
"Me neither" she simply replied then they shared a long awaited kiss, one that both of them thought would never be.
After they kissed, Toothless rubbed his head into Hiccup's " Hey bud" he laughed rubbed his best friend and hugged him. "Are you ok, you did get hurt?" Hiccup checked for any scratches but he was surprised that there was not one cut on the Night Fury.
The Selkie's eyes widened for Toothless had been hurt but now he was healed and full of energy, that made Merida think. The potion did work, Toothless had healed and he had only had a few drops, Hiccup had drank the whole bottle, what will happen to him?.
"Um...Hiccup, I really need to tell something" she said nervously,
Hiccup could sense that something was wrong "What's wrong Mer, you've not got married to someone else have you?"
Merida couldn't help but smile and laugh a little "No I'm not, but it's really important," she tried to be calm when she spoke. Hiccup had a strange tingling in his legs and it grew and grew. "You see I told my mother about us and she told me of something that could actually help". Hiccup's eyes kept moving to his legs, he wondered what was wrong with him. "She knows a way for us to be together, but when I found out what happen to you, I..."
Merida got cut off by Hiccup " I'm sorry Mer but somethings wrong with my legs, they... they don't feel right" The Selkie instantly knew the potion was working.
It had brought him back and changing him on the inside, it was starting now on the outside. Hiccup didn't know but something was different, his senses were becoming heightened and when he looked at Merida, the feeling became stronger. His boot, his fake limb and pants were off. He could now feel an urge to put his legs together, he didn't know why, but he did it.
Toothless and Merida looked at one another before they saw Hiccup's legs blending into one another and they grew longer and longer. Soon brown hair began growing all over the lower side of his body. To his surprise, Hiccup didn't feel any kind of pain, in fact it felt nice. He wasn't scared at all, he actually found it amazing. Hiccup's mouth opened a little when his right foot changed too. It went flatter and longer until it was a fin, even where his left foot was, a fin started to grow in that place to match its twin. Soon his legs were gone and in it place was a tail, the tail of a seal.
Neither of them made a sound but Merida looked down and said "I'm sorry Hiccup" the boy was now a Selkie turned, seeing her begin to cry "I didn't know what to do, I was going tell you about the potion, but decided to give you the potion when I saw you." She cried and not want to look, afraid he would be angry.
But Hiccup wasn't, he realise and understood why she'd done it. She'd found him dead and the potion had saved him. Why would he be angry at her for saving his life, sure he was no longer human but at least he would be with Merida. The Selkie boy slowly cupped the Selkie girl with both hands and place his lips to hers. Merida was taken by surprise and instantly melted into his kiss. Something about their kiss felt different but a million times better, they could kiss forever if they wanted to.
"It's ok Mer", Hiccup reassured her brushing her check "I understand, I would have done the same" and he meant it.
Even with that Merida still frowned "but Hic, you can't go back, there's no way for you to be human again. I'm..."She stopped because her love softly put two fingers on her lips. Merida remembered this and knew what came next, he removed them and he kiss her again.
"You saved me, and I'll be forever grateful for that" Hiccup whispered.
The two place their foreheads together for a moment staring into each other eyes with everlasting love.
They both heard growls and saw Toothless snifffing Hiccup's new tail. Hiccup smiled at him and sat up properly.
"Well bud what do you think,? Is it an improvement" this made Toothless and Merida laugh. "If anyone on Berk saw me now, they will probably think they've lost it" Hiccup joked but that made the Selkie girl think.
"Hiccup, do you remember anything before I found you?" She asked. Hiccup thought about it, he was so busy being happy to see Merida and shocked about being a Selkie, and forgetting about what had happened before, but he tried to think.
"Well I remember Dager attacking, his stupid yapping, he and his warriors hurts the villagers as well as the dragons, I tried to help Toothless because he got injured really badly. I didn't ever hear Dager coming towards me but...I could hear my dad calling and he stopped him" Hiccup said, tears started to run at this painful memory." My dad saved me and Toothless but Dager took his life, then he stabbed me. I don't recall much of what he said but he did say that I have no one in the world left that I love"
Merida couldn't believe someone would say that to Hiccup while he was dying. She hated this Madman more and more every time she heard about him. "I know he was going to hurt me more, thankfully Astird grabbed him and pushed him to the ground, she told me to go, so Toothless and I did, I didn't know how long we flew for but the last thing I remember was... I called for you, Mer" Hiccup finished as his dragon pressed his head to him.
"Hiccup it's ok, the madman is gone and everyone is safe" Merida said hoping it would reassure him.
He didn't speak for a while finally he said "Maybe it's better if I disappear, you know"
" I think your right" Merida said before they held each others hands.
" So, how far is it to your place" he asked, The red haired Selkie grinned at this.
" It's a long way, it will take a long time but you'll be able to practice" Hiccup let out a small laugh and watched Merida moving to the water followed by Toothless.
Hiccup realized that he still had his shirt on "I don't think I need this anymore" then he removed it and threw it with his other clothes. He was soon swimming, a little awkwardly, to his best friend and his girlfriend who were waiting. They dove under and it took Hiccup a few seconds before he realise that he could breathe underwater. After testing this, he felt like everything around him had become bigger and more beautiful, he had the new sense of freedom. Hiccup was taking in everything when he felt a tap on the shoulder, he saw Merida, smiling.
"So what do you think of the new me?" He asked. She took a moment to look at him, Hiccup was more handsome than before.
"You're still you, no matter what you are" Merida said sweetly and they both shared a kiss. Holding hands, the teens and Toothless set out to their new home and their new lives. Perhaps, new Adventures await them both.
