Mama Fishlegs

A/N: This idea occurred to me about a few months ago I believe. I absolutely love Fishlegs and Fishmeat in the movie. They are so cute together, and I just gush over them. I have a bittersweet theory that have lead me to create this fanfic. So, we all know that Fishlegs carries around Meatlug's baby, Fishmeat, throughout the whole movie, right? Did you ever stop and wonder, "Why is he only caring for one of Meatlug's babies and not the others?" Now, possible answers could be that the other hatchlings are too difficult for him to handle OR Meatlug doesn't have any other babies... alive. I know this is dark, but what if Fishmeat's siblings died early just after their first few breaths of birth because they were too weak to survive? This heartbreaking tragedy upsets Fishlegs and Meatlug, and because of that, he turns into this really protective mama bear to Fishmeat. He goes out of the way to take care of the little hatchling just like every parent would take care of their children. Fishlegs makes sure he has the proper love and nutrition that he needs, and he doesn't let him out of his sight. Not. Even. One. Time. As we can see in the movie, the two are basically inseparable. I mean, every time Fishlegs appears, Fishmeat is with him, showing his mama bear instincts. I can't even remember ONE scene where he doesn't have the baby with him with the exception of Hiccup and Astrid's wedding at the end of the film.

So, here we go. This is my theory on why Fishmeat is the only hatchling of Meatlug's that we see throughout the movie. Let me know if you agree on that theory or not. I hope you enjoy this one-shot. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon and any of its content in any way or form. The wonderful characters, story, art, etc. do not belong to me. It is proudly owned by DreamWorks and the one that started it all, Cressida Cowell.

The cold winter's breeze gave way into the historic village of Berk. The leafless leaves rustled simultaneously against the cold air. Some of them were topped with snow. No animal was in sight in the air or ground for where the naked eye could see. Not one single bird was in the cloudy sky. For the sake of survival, birds migrated up north for the winter, and animals like rabbits were under the ground for the few months of hibernation. The humans, however, had a different story to tell on how to survive the inescapable winter. In Berk, it snowed nine months and hailed the other three. Basically, it was winter all year round in that place, but nothing could compete in the winter holidays. In that season, it was a nightmare. Temperatures would drop so low, that you could get frostbite immediately when you walk outside with no warm clothing on. Fortunately for the Vikings, they were made to compete in the winter. Their preparations for the cold season would start before the first snow would hit around early November, possibly even earlier than that.

Vikings were determined, stubborn creatures who would do the impossible. Getting ready for the winter was just a long chore they would have to do every year... the longest chore of the year. It was hard for the Berkians to deal with the few months of winter as far as food abundance and population rates go. Clothing was the easiest part for them. Bundles of warmth would stock up in their closets throughout the spring and summer seasons. When fall arrives, they would slowly approach to new clothing changes. The Hooligans made sure they wore the most comfortable clothes possible on everywhere of their bodies, mother's especially. Children and babies especially had to keep warm from the harsh cold. They were delicately vulnerable to the strong, nasty winds and the snow. It stated that really young children and babies were the pinpoints on being wiped away from existence because of the winter. This type of season was the deadliest of them all. Innocent youth couldn't cope with the cold like adults could, so parents had to put in all their effort and strength to shelter and protect their offspring. Any clothing like sleeved tunics for the boys, long-sleeved dresses for the girls, mittens/gloves for their little hands, caps for the strands of hairs on their heads, scarves around their necks, leggings for their short legs, boots snug on their feet. They were all stitched together and made from materials like wool and linen, all crafted for the necessity of proper wear. Children wore clothing similar to what the adults wore, but in the winter time, it had a little extra layer added to it for the sake of their health. Their immune systems were not exactly strong. Babies were required to stay inside with their mothers at all times during the whole time span of the winter as these weak creatures couldn't even survive five minutes out in the cold.