"I'm sorry I almost said something," Tooth squeaked, nudging Jack's side.

"It's okay. It happens sometimes when you get excited." He nudged her back. "You just gotta learn to stop that mouth of yours from swimming off without you."

"I know, I know. He just scares me sometimes."

"He's good at scaring people. That's why he's the king." Jack carefully pulled his treasure book out from under the bed again. "I think we'd better take this to my cave before anyone accidentally finds this. That was too close when Dad came in."

"Sandy can watch over it."

"Sandy? Yeah right! That little pudger would probably use it as a temporary bed and then forget about it when he finds another place to sleep."

"I guess so."

"But speaking of Sandy, why don't we go hide this beauty and then go look for him?"

"And then find your two-leg love!"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Maybe. And he's not my love. We already went over this."

"You like him. And he'll teach you how to fly whirly birds and you'll fly away from here."

"I'd give him a big ol' kiss if he could teach me that." He carefully hid his book in a satchel so he could carry it undetected. "Too bad that'll never happen though. Race you!" The prince took off through the city, swerving in and out of pathways to reach his cave before Tooth. The orca squeaked and raced after him, just trying not to get hit by all the passing merfolk. Jack collapsed back against the ice hiding the entrance to his cave, his chest heaving from the race. "Beat ya!" He was still smiling when Tooth finally caught up. "Check to make sure the coast is clear!"

She glanced around. "It's clear! I checked!"

"Good!" The merman made his wall of ice recede to an opening big enough for them to fit through. "Quick!" After they darted in, the ice regrew to cover the entrance again. Tooth darted around, playing amongst the icicles that covered the wall.

Jack ran his hands along the walls as he made his way through his treasures. Ice sculptures of the dragons he'd seen were scattered around, more frozen pages or art he'd picked up over the years were plastered to the walls, and carvings big and small he'd found were on ice shelves. He stopped when he found the perfect empty space in his collection. With a few well placed magic carvings there was an exact sized hole for the book. Jack carefully froze it over again to keep the book protected while he was away.

"Are we going to go bother Sandy now?"

"Let's do it!" Tooth flipped through the water and chased after Jack.

After a few hours of searching for their friend, the prince decided to call it quits. "Clearly we aren't going to find him anytime soon. Let's take a break. I know just the place!" He headed for his favorite sunbathing spot: a small glacier he'd been modifying to perfection over the last couple months. Jack swam up through a center tube tunnel he'd he'd carved until he lounged in the pool of water at the top.

Tooth swam up next to him and flopped in the shallows. "If you could choose a whirly bird, which one would you choose?"

"That black one the two-leg was talking to the other day," he answered without a second thought. Jack stretched back so he could rest his arms on the side of the pool.

"I wonder if the two-leg would share with you."

"The two-leg doesn't even know we exist. Why would he share?"

"Because you like him."

"I like his whirly bird." He rolled his eyes.

"You like him and his whirly bird."

"I never should have told you I like guys," Jack sighed. "Now I can't even look at another boy without you thinking I'm interested in him."

"You're not interested in all guys. Besides, I saw how you looked at the two-leg. It was different."

"It was different with him because he…" he paused, looking up at the sky wistfully. "He has a way with them. The same way we can communicate with all the creatures in the ocean, he can understand the ones in the sky."

"He must be magic, like you."

"Do you really think? I didn't know the two-legs could have magic."

"How else could he talk to them?"

"Who knows. I wish I had that magic."

"Maybe he would teach you...after you got done kissing."

Jack let loose a groan. "I told you there won't be any kissing. We aren't even from the same worlds."

"So? If he can talk to whirly birds, he can kiss you."

"Whatever, Tooth."

"And you can ride off into the sunset, kissing and talking to whirly birds."

"You shush!" He used his arm to send a huge splash her way. "You don't get to tease me about boyfriends until you're old enough to have one yourself."

"Mama won't let me. She says I'll mate with a good bull like she did and have a pretty calf like she did."

"Then 'til you're old enough to do all that," he laughed.

"That's no fun!"

When Jack turned to face the sky again, his eyes widened. "Tooth! Get back in the water!" He slipped back into pool, hiding just inside the tunnel and keeping an eye on the figures in the sky.

Tooth squeaked and slid back into the water beside him. "It's scary, Jack."

"Not scary. It's the boyfriend you apparently think I need." He pointed up towards the dragon and its rider who were getting closer by the second.

"Why are you hiding? You should talk to him." Tooth excitedly leaped from the water, trying to get the dragon's attention.

"What are you doing?!" he hissed from where he hid in the tunnel. "He can't see me!"

The dragon landed on the side of the glacier, and the boy jumped down from its back. "Well, what's a baby like you doing all alone out here?" He knelt down by Tooth and reached a hand out, which she rubbed against. "Friendly, huh?" Tooth clicked and looked back towards Jack. The boy looked up curiously. "What are you looking at? Got a friend back there?"

Jack watched from his hiding spot, thankful that his coloring helped him hide so well. To be safe, he darted back down the tunnel and came around the side of the glacier. Pale arms pulled his body up to curl behind one of the many chunks of ice that were scattered around the surface. He peeked out from behind to watch the boy carefully. He is kind of handsome in a dorky way I suppose. Can't tell Tooth that though. His eyes drifted down the armored form to finally settle on the metal prosthetic. Why is his leg made of that material? The boy stroked Tooth's head one last time and mounted his dragon, taking to the sky again. Tooth squeaked excitedly, looking for Jack.

When the prince locked eyes with the his orca friend he glared and pointed back to the surface. Back under the water he lost it. "How many times have I told you already? I cannot be seen by him! It would endanger all of Santoff Clausen!"

Tooth nodded and dropped something in Jack's hand. "His name is Hiccup and he told me to give that to the boy with the white hair and pretty blue eyes." In Jack's hand was a small, shiny blue gem that matched his eyes. "I think he likes you."

"Hiccup…" The name seemed to roll of his tongue perfectly.

"You like him, don't you? He said he'd let the boy with the pretty blue eyes ride his whirly bird. But he didn't call it a whirly bird. Stupid two-leg."

"Okay. Maybe I like him a little. Just a little." Jack looked up from his gift. "What did he call it then?"

"A drakon? No, not that. Drab…dram...dragon! He called it a dragon!"

Jack grinned. "That sounds much better than 'whirly bird.' So what do you think? Should I turn this into a bracelet or something?"

"Oh yes! Maybe a pretty ring! Or a lovely necklace!"

"Let's see what we can find to use."

"Something pretty and shiny from your true love!" Tooth took off, jumping through the waves excitedly.

"What do you think, Tooth? Does it do it justice?" Jack slid the arm cuff into place, the pearls they'd found intricately woven into the design.

"He gave you a present! He's courting you! And you accepted!" Tooth clicked and bopped her nose against the cuff. "You like the two-leg with the big whirly bird."

"He can't court someone he's never met. He probably thought he was just seeing things or something."

"Hiccup's courting Jack! Hiccup's courting Jack!" Tooth swam around Jack until she became distracted by a shiny pebble, which she began to play with.

"Who is courting Jack?"

The prince whipped around to see his father in the doorway, Aster beside him. "Uh, nothing! Tooth is just messing around!"

"Who is this Hiccup you are talking about?"

"No one! I mean, you wouldn't know him. Never met before. Nope." He tried to cover his arm cuff nonchalantly. "Right? Tooth?"

"Yes! Never met that stupid two-leg...oops!" Tooth squeaked and swam out the window in fear at the look on North's face.

"TWO-LEG?! You been to surface again?! You know how I feel about surface! Those creatures fly rampant up there, taking and destroying what they wish. What if they take you next?!" The king's face grew red in rage.

"They are not just creatures, Dad! They're beautiful and graceful and amazing. They've changed in the past few years." He crossed his arms with a huff. "But you wouldn't know that since you never go to the surface!"

"You are not to go to the surface! I forbid it. Prince or no, you will do as I say." He gripped his son by the arms, pausing when he felt the band on Jack's bicep. "What is this? This is from that two-leg?" He ripped it from his son furiously. "You are never to go to the surface again. You are never to see this two-leg and his creatures again!"

"Dad, no!" Jack tried to get the cuff back, but he was no match for his father's brute strength. He was easily swatted away.

North didn't hesitate again to crush the cuff in his fist. The entire thing burst into pieces that slowly floated to the floor, not unlike the pieces of Jack's broken heart. The prince choked back a sob before turning tail and darting away.

"Jack?" Tooth nudged Jack's side. "Jack, I didn't mean to tell."

"Just leave me alone." He swatted her away.

Tooth looked at Jack sadly and swam away. As soon as she was gone, a large shadow shrouded him. "Poor little prince," a voice whispered in his ear. "If only there was something that could be done." A leopard seal swam around him, eyeing him deviously.

"Who- who are you?" Jack pulled his tail closer to him, afraid he might get a bite taken out of it.

"I work for Pitch, the sea witch. He can make all your dreams come true."

"What would you know about my dreams?" He sniffed.

"Plenty. Pitch can help you."

"Really?" The merman looked over his shoulder back towards where home was. "Take me to him."

The seal smiled, a mouth full of sharp teeth. "Come, prince. My master awaits."

Jack followed the leopard seal through the deepest sea canyons. He shivered nervously as everything started to darken around him. "How far is this place?"

"Not much farther." Jack nodded, following as close behind as he dared to. Eons seemed to pass before they finally reached what he could only assume was their destination.

Living on the ocean floormeans you see darkness more often than not. This cave was another story entirely. He had never seen a darkness so fully devoid of light, shifting around almost like it was a living entity. Fear struck him for the first time since choosing to follow the seal. "H-hello?" he called into the darkness.

"Come in," a soft voice purred out, sending chills up Jack's arms.

"Jack! Don't go in!"

The prince turned when he heard the two voices in unison behind him. "I'm doing it. And you guys can't stop me."

Aster looked at him from the rock the settled on. "Ya can't do this, mate. I know yer upset and all but you're just like yer father. Ya both do things ya regret when ya get angry. He didn' mean to hurt ya so bad back at the castle. He's only scared for ya."

"So that means it's okay for him to crush my dreams?! I understand he gets worried, but this time he crossed the line. I can't take it anymore. I found someone who will help me." Jack pointed back to the dark cave behind him.

"Ya can't trust that witch, mate. Terrible things happen to those who make deals with 'im."

"If you try to stop me then you're no better than my father." Jack turned to the cave again and barely held back a shiver. After one last look over his shoulder he swam forward into the darkness. Aster and Tooth could do nothing but stay at the entrance and hope nothing terrible would happen to their prince.

"Well, well, well. What an honor it is to finally meet you, your majesty." A figure oozed from the shadows, a body melting into a tangled web of black, shadowy tentacles. "Oh, the runt of the litter. I'd try to ignore you, but you must be used to that by now," the creature chuckled.

Jack's fists clenched. "I was told you deal in dreams. Is that true or not?"

"Indeed it is. Making any dreams, all dreams, come true is what I do best."

"What do I have to do?" Blue eyes locked with the witch's, mesmerized by the swirling gold depths.

"Simple. I'll make your dreams come true, and all you have to do is carry this." The witch swirled his hand, a crooked wooden staff appearing in the water.

"How do you even know my dreams? I've never met you before." He stared warily at the staff. "Why should I trust you?"

The witch looked at Jack flatly before waving his hand again, the misty form of a dragon appearing. "You want to fly, little prince. You want the freedom of the sky."

"How-" He felt drawn to the figure but it disappeared when he tried to touch. Jack looked back at up at him. "How is that stick supposed to help me fly?"

"It won't. It's your contract to me. I can give you legs, and you'll be able to do whatever you want with them. But here's the catch: you must always be holding this staff. The moment you let go and water touches you, your tail returns and you're mine."

The prince reached for the staff. "What happens if I become 'yours'? And what do you want in return? I doubt you'd do this for free." His hand pulled back suspiciously.

"What difference do these little details make? You want legs, don't you? Come now, little prince. Right beyond those waves is the sky, freedom, an endless spread of airy blue. You can marry, have children, ride a dragon or a million. The world will be yours. All you have to do is take the staff."

Jack repeated the words to himself. As much as he questioned Pitch's motives he couldn't pass up an opportunity like this. His eyes clenched shut even as his hands darted out to grab the staff before he could talk himself out of it. The instant his touched he knotted wood, a jolt shot up as his arm. A sense of fear and adrenaline rushed through him as his body changed. His beautiful blue tail split into two pale legs, his hair and eyes changed, his lungs filled with water. Jack struggled in the water, panic gripping him as he realized he didn't know how to swim without a tail.

"Better start swimming, little prince. The fun has just begun!" Pitch cackled, disappearing back into the shadows. Tooth darted forward and slid under Jack's arm, quickly carrying him to the surface.

The prince gasped for air when they reached it. He clung desperately to Tooth as his lungs tried to cough all the water out of them. His eyes drooped with exhaustion, barely able to stay open until the orca found them an ice shelf to keep him afloat. "How do two-legs swim without a tail? These things are impossible!" Jack stared down at his legs in growing fascination, wiggling his toes with a smile.

Tooth clicked and nudged her nose against the bottom of Jack's feet. "Your lovely tail! Who will swim with me now?"

Jack laughed and yanked his foot back. "That tickled!" He shifted around so he lay on his stomach and could touch his friend. "It'll work out; I promise. I'll figure out how use these legs eventually, and I'll learn to swim with them. We'll still be able to swim together."

"Promise, Jack? Promise you won't leave me for a dragon?"

"I promise. I'll come to the shore every day to visit you if you want." Jack gave her a tired smile. "I suppose I won't have to worry about my two-leg recognizing me from the boat, will I?" He looked at the water reflecting his face with brown eyes and hair instead of his original blue and white.

"How will he find you then? He likes you."

"Maybe it's for the best. If he knows me from the boat he'll wonder how I was out there in the first place." The prince let his head rest on his arm, the adrenaline wearing off and leaving him feeling completely drained. "Don't leave me alone here, Tooth. Okay?"

"I'll stay right here, Jack. I won't leave you."

"Thanks...Tooth. Sorry for yelling at you…" Jack fell asleep where he was, one hand tightly gripping the staff and the other draped over into the ocean. Luckily for him it seemed that his transformation hadn't effected his magic so the ice wasn't bothering his naked flesh.

Tooth watched over him carefully until she saw the black dragon flying overhead. She squeaked and leapt from the water until the dragon landed and its rider got down. Tooth watched sadly as he lifted Jack into his arms and carried him away.