Down to the Sea
A/N: This takes place probably about a year, maybe a little longer after Out of the Sea. Essentially, I like the song from The Little Mermaid II (one of the very few things I like about that movie) and wanted to give Hiccup et al an excuse to sing it, as the scene would have no place in the sequel I have planned. So here it is. I hope you enjoy it.
As dawn broke on the Isle of Berk, a little Terrible Terror found itself scurrying about the village, searching for its breakfast. It sniffed and squeaked excitedly as it picked up the scent of fish, and it followed the smell to a cart being pushed by a burly Viking with a gigantic black beard. Its mouth watering, the Terror flapped its wings and took flight, streaking over the cart and seizing a cod in its toothless jaws. It hurried away as the Viking shouted after it, waving his fists furiously, but the dragon was already out of reach, chuckling in triumph.
It landed a safe distance away and gobbled down its meal, licking its lips approvingly. It was about to take flight again, this time to go for a lazy trip around the island in search of something to do, when the faint strains of music reached its ears. It paused, listening intently. The singer was male and clearly knew how to make beautiful music with his voice. The notes floated on the air, high and long and flawless in pitch. It was almost inhuman in how utterly perfect it sounded.
Its curiosity getting the better of it, the Terror took to the skies again, following the sound of the voice all the way to a big house near the top of the hill overlooking the village. It settled on the windowsill and peered cautiously inside. The singer was a young man, thin and of average height with an untidy mop of auburn hair. He wore a thick cloak made of brown fur atop his green tunic, the mark of a chief.
Hiccup didn't notice the Terrible Terror as it landed and watched him. He was far too intent on the little bundle in his arms. As he continued singing his wordless tune, the baby wrapped up in colorful cloths cooed and giggled, reaching her tiny hands up and grasping at thin air. Hiccup smiled down at his daughter, his firstborn child, and felt his heart swell with love and joy. His emotions got the better of him, and before he knew it lyrics replaced his wordless vocalizing:
"You are my world, my darling
What a wonderful world I see
You are the song I'm singing
You're my beautiful Melody"
The front door of the house opened and Astrid walked in, her arms crossed and an amused smile curving her lips. Hiccup looked up at his wife and grinned. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to the punch.
"Come on, Hiccup, we'd better be going," she said, stepping toward him.
Hiccup nodded and looked again at the little girl in his arms. "Look at her," he said, pure awe and wonder filling his voice. "She's so…so beautiful."
"Mm-hm," Astrid agreed, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "She is. But we have some important business to attend to, remember?"
Hiccup turned his head to look at her. "Is it time already?"
"Yes," Astrid replied with a faint laugh. "Now come on. The ship's all set and ready to go."
Hiccup nodded. "All right then. Let's do this."
Astrid hooked her arm through his and together they stepped out of the house and into the bright early morning sunlight. Toothless and Stormfly were both waiting for their human masters to emerge and crooned happily. Hiccup chuckled as Toothless stepped forward, reaching his nose out to sniff the bundle in the chief's arms. He warbled happily, and Melody giggled.
"There they are!" Gobber called jovially upon seeing them, and he waved them over with his hook.
Hiccup grinned and inclined his head to the blacksmith. With his arms full, it was the best he could do. Melody cooed and burbled happily, and Hiccup glanced down at her, beaming with joy and pride at his infant daughter.
And as he, Astrid, their dragons, and an assortment of their closest friends started their walk down to the docks, he resumed his song:
"Down to the sea we go
Down to a world I know
There's never been, not ever before
A child born of sea and shore"
Astrid, smiling, joined him in song. Living with the merman prince as her husband had brought music into her life in a way she'd never imagined possible. It was amazing how they were able to play off each other, often singing together even though their music was always unrehearsed. There was something almost magical about it all.
"Down to the sea we go
Down to the world below
A journey to bless an heiress-to-be
Under the sun and under the sea"
As the procession reached the boat and started to climb into the little craft, another Terrible Terror, woken from its slumber by the singing, flew over to investigate the source of the commotion. Seeing Hiccup, Wodensfang suddenly remembered what day it was.
He also remembered that he had a very important duty to attend to.
Squeaking with excitement, he took off and streaked out toward open ocean. Then he did a loop and dove into the water. The moment he was submerged, he started calling at the top of his lungs, "They're coming! They're coming, everybody! Hiccup and the others are coming!"
This was the signal that Fishlegs had been waiting for. He'd been drifting close to the surface with his dragon Meatlug for over an hour now, waiting for the little Norse-speaking Terror to give the word, and now he turned around and swam at top speed back toward Hyacinth, where King Stoick was waiting.
As he swam toward the kingdom, Fishlegs noticed that Wodensfang's animated chirpings had reached other ears. Several merpeople were getting excited about the eminent arrival of their prince and his newborn heir, chattering and whispering gleefully. Fishlegs too was getting keyed up. He couldn't wait to see his best friend again. And so, as he reached Hyacinth's borders, he too broke out into song:
"What's all the big commotion
That's spreading through the ocean
From sea to shining sea?
There is no hesitating
Today we're celebrating
Hiccup's Melody"
He'd reached the palace by now and was swimming up the stone corridor in the direction of the throne room, where Hiccup's younger sister Camicazi was waiting to receive word from him that it was time to ascend. Even though he was close to the rendezvous point now, he continued to sing.
"Today when Stoick's own son
Comes back here to the ocean
We're gonna have a spree
The boat is nearer now
I think I hear her now
Hiccup's Melody"
He rounded the bend and almost ran into Camicazi, who was pacing in front of the throne room door impatiently. Her face brightened upon seeing Fishlegs, who didn't say a word. He merely grinned and nodded. Camicazi squealed happily and darted into the throne room without speaking to Fishlegs, but this didn't perturb him. He was already swimming back the way he'd come, joining the throngs of merpeople making their way to the surface to greet their prince, singing in unison as they ascended.
"Up from the sea we rise
Up to the world of skies
There's never been, not ever before
A child born of sea and shore"
One by one, the merpeople broke the surface of the water, where the boat from Berk was bobbing gently on the waves. Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless were standing at the rail, waiting expectantly. Hiccup shifted the bundle into the crook of one arm so that he could wave to the friends and family he'd left behind when he'd chosen this life on land, his heart leaping into his throat. Fishlegs surfaced and swam right up to the side of the boat, grinning at his friend. A short distance away, Camicazi emerged and waved energetically to her brother and niece, still singing with the others.
"Up from the sea we rise
Up to the world of skies
Forever to be together as one
Under the sea and under the sun"
Hiccup looked around at the merpeople all around them, ignoring the awed whispering coming from his human friends behind him. Not since his and Astrid's wedding had the people of Berk and the citizens of Hyacinth been brought together like this, two worlds united in harmony with each other. The sight of it almost brought him to tears. He looked down at the baby in his arm, who was gazing at the visitors with a wide eyed look on her pretty little face. Gesturing out at the water, Hiccup sang directly to her, his voice carrying out over the other ringing out around them.
"This is your world, my darling
One world, the land and sea
My hope for you for always
Is that your heart will hold part of me"
His attention was suddenly diverted by a line of royal guards rising one by one from the water, their swords drawn respectfully and pointed at the sky. Hiccup's heart gave a bound, for he knew what this gesture must mean. Sure enough, a moment later a large merman with a big red beard emerged from the ocean, coming right up to the boat on a swell of water that rose with him, carrying him to eye-level with his son. Stoick the Vast beamed at Hiccup, who smiled wordlessly back and held Melody out for his father to see.
Stoick's gaze shifted immediately down to his granddaughter, and his eyes widened. He opened his mouth but no sound came out. The sight of the little baby had rendered him utterly speechless. But Hiccup could tell from the smile curving his lips that he was feeling more joy in this moment than he'd felt in a very long time.
Hiccup started to sing again, and this time, everyone joined him. The magic and wonder of the moment were so strong that even the Vikings of Berk found themselves joining with the merpeople in song, some perhaps questioning this strange development but singing along nonetheless.
Hiccup, Astrid, and the Vikings chorused:
"Down to the sea we go
Down to the world below"
The merpeople echoed with:
"Up from the sea
Up from the sea"
And then they all joined in as one and finished:
"Together we come forever to be
Under one sun, the land and the sea"
The last note was punctuated by Toothless and Stormfly, who both raised their heads and shot bursts of fire into the sky, creating a dazzling lights display that made the moment complete.
As applause rang out from both the ocean and the boat, Hiccup held Melody out, and Stoick took the baby girl into one of his beefy arms. His expression was one of utter rapture. It was a look Hiccup had never seen on his face before. It was rather endearing.
"This is a momentous occasion!" Stoick called, turning atop his pillar of water so that he faced the merpeople crowded below. "Today marks the day when the land and the sea unite forever! One world joined under the sun!" He gestured lovingly at Melody. "This child, born of both land and sea, represents a new beginning…the beginning of an era of peace and harmony between humans and merfolk, a peace that will last for all time!"
There was a great cheering at this as everyone celebrated the sea king's promise. Hiccup looked over at Astrid, who leaned forward and kissed him, and in that moment, he felt that nothing in all the world could have destroyed his happiness. Stoick handed Melody back to her father, who carefully positioned her in the crook of his arm once again, smiling.
"Whoa!" yelled a voice, and there was a sudden crash. Hiccup looked up in shock, and then he laughed as Wodensfang, returning from his mission, backed away from the ship's main mast, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Who put this thing here?" he muttered. Then he swooped down and landed on the ship's rail. "Am I late for the party?" he asked.
Fishlegs rolled his eyes. "No surprise there," he whispered to Meatlug, who warbled an agreement.
Hiccup laughed good-naturedly. "No, Wodensfang," he said. "You're just in time."
He held out Melody, and Wodensfang peered down at the little girl in awe. "Whoa," he said again, and then he frowned. "Hey, what's with the doodle-dab in her hair?"
As Hiccup and Astrid laughed, Stoick replied in a voice of forced calm, "I believe it is called a hair band. It is something humans use for decorating their hair."
"Well whaddaya know?" Wodensfang remarked with a laugh. "Who'd have thought the king was an expert on human stuff?"
Stoick shook his head, looking as though he was trying to maintain some semblance of patience. But before anyone could say anything else, Melody yawned widely, and her eyes started to droop. "Looks like it's nap time," Hiccup remarked, and he started rocking Melody back and forth, humming a quiet little lullaby. In no time at all, she was fast asleep in his arms.
Hiccup looked up at Stoick in time to see the look of warm approval in his eyes, and he smiled. Everything was as it should be.