A Siren's Song - A Hiccup Love Story (HTTYD/RTTE)

30

Aldru met Viggo's eyes and seemed to realize for the first time his scarred face, and she knew what it was from. One of his eyes was dull and cloudy with blindness. Hesitantly, she reached up and touched his scar. It was rough to the touch, almost like dragon skin.

At her touch, Viggo flinched the slightest bit. He watched her eyes travel all over his face, taking in the new image of her father. Until her eyes landed back on his. They seemed to share a silent conversation, until Viggo spoke up. "Get out of here," he told her, "I'll make sure Krogan is ready to lose this battle, and leave your home."

"So will I," Aldru stated strongly, then she was gone. Changing to dragon form, Aldru let out a shrill cry. Everyone on the island and in the sky heard it, and hesitation lingered for a moment.

Viggo, who was standing outside with Krogan once again, let out a deep, silent breath. Withing seconds, he saw her fly above him toward the battle, followed by numerous wild dragons.

However, Krogan had seen as well. "What, was that?" He wondered aloud, his eyes full of greed as a devious smile crept across his face.

Knowing he'd have to tell him eventually, Viggo replied with a curt grin, "a song wing."

Krogan watched in awe as Aldru led the wild dragons to the remaining singetails. "They really do exsist," Krogan observed, "my master will be pleased to hear this."

Viggo clinched his fists for a moment in anger, but quickly diffused himself. "We should leave before you run out of fliers," he suggested.

"For once," Krogan began, pausing to call his singetail out of the stables, "I wholeheartedly agree. We can't beat that song wing; not yet." The two men climbed onto the massive dragon and flew off.

But as they flew off, Viggo looked over his shoulder just in time to see Aldru change to human form in the air and begin plummeting down. It took all of his strength not to react, and all of his trust to turn back away and allow the riders to handle it.

• • •

The wind suddenly felt different against Aldru's scales. Until she realized, her scales were not there. With no wings, she began to fall from the sky. She tried to scream out, but her voice was lost in the fast movement of her body. Suddenly, she jerked to a hault; Toothless had grabbed her by her shoulders.

Aldru laughed lightly when she saw the dragon peak down to see if he'd caught her, giving her a big, toothless smile. Finally back on the landing platform, Aldru sighed her relief. But the other riders continued to look worried.

"Aldru, what just happened?" Fishlegs asked her.

Unsure how to answer, due to her lack of actually knowing what happened, Aldru hesitated, "I..I don't know. I didn't mean to change, it just sort of happened."

"That doesn't sound good," Astrid responded with a frown.

"It's not good or bad," Aldru began, "it must have something to do with my needing to journey to the Stones of Destiny.."

Hiccup felt his stomach drop. He always knew that the moment would come, but realizing how close it was made him nervous. Although it was selfish of him, he wanted her to be human; he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Aldru.

"When are you planning on going?" Hiccup questioned trying to cover up his nervousness.

Aldru thought for a minute, then responded, "..I can't go yet. This war will be coming to a harsh end soon, I can feel it. I need the convenience of two different bodies, for just a little longer."

There was a heavy silence that followed. Not only was Aldru having trouble with her changing, but what she'd said was true; the war would soon climax. And when it did, they'd need every advantage they could get.

• • •

It had been a few days since the Edge was taken back, and Aldru was acting strangely. She'd barely talked to Hiccup since her changing issues had begun. But on this night, he would catch her alone while she did night patrol.

"Aldru," he called when he spotted her on the highest platform. He climbed up to meet her.

"Hiccup," she greeted with a smile, but there was a tension in the air that was usually not.

With a small frown, Hiccup cut right to the point, "listen, I know what you're trying to do, but--"

"Don't," Aldru stopped him. She sighed and looked away, "please just, don't."

Hiccup was taken aback, but he pushed on, "no, Aldru, we have to talk about this, you know that." Although she didn't agree, she didn't object; Aldru only stared out at the ocean. "We'll accept you no matter what form you take, you'll always be one of us," Hiccup told her.

"But that's not what's going through your head," Aldru saw right through him, "you know what you want, and I know that you want me to stay human." She finally looked at him and concluded, "but I don't know what I want."

Hiccup approached her and hesitantly took her hand. "I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through," he began, a look of deep sorrow in his eyes, "but there's no way to predict what's going to happen."

Aldru looked up at him with wet eyes. Gently, Hiccup wiped away a single tear that escaped her eye. "Don't make yourself suffer trying to figure out something you're just not supposed to know yet," he told her with a small smile.

The girl heaved a deep sigh and looked away for a moment. More silent tears threatened to fall when she responded in a quivering voice, "...I'm scared."

"I know...we all are," Hiccup told her, "but that's why we have each other; the second you try to block anyone out, you're fears will take you over."

There was silent for a moment, then Aldru flung herself into Hiccup's chest. Her tears soaked his cloth shirt as he pet her head comfortingly. "It's okay," he cooed gently, "everything's gonna be okay."

But as he stared out at the sea, his chin resting over Aldru's head, Hiccup realized that everything was not going to be okay. For Aldru, either way, she was going to lose something huge, a piece of her life. But he continued to speak these comforing words, in hopes that if they were said enough, they'd come true.