Ladies and gents… BRACE YOURSELVES. KatieMarie999 and I had a RIOT collaborating on this and by Odin's bead assuming he were real and had one, this is hilarious!

At least I think so ;) Onward!

Chapter 4

The sky was beginning to turn purple with the dwindling hour when Hiccup got to his house. As he neared the top of the hill, his stomach grumbled and his exhaustion made itself known. Toothless bounded up to him from the porch, knocking him to the ground and licking his face.

"Ughhh Toothless!" he laughed, trying to shove the black creature off his chest. "Come on bud, let me up." Toothless relented and helped Hiccup back onto his feet. The duo walked into the house, Hiccup firmly closing the door behind him.

He deeply inhaled the smell of salmon roasting over the fire. "Ahh fooooood."

Stoick cocked an eyebrow at him. "You alright, son? You look a little… peeky."

"Haven't eaten all day," Hiccup whined as he got himself a drink of water and nearly drank the whole mug in one swig.

"Don't hurt yourself, I'm not going to take it away from you," Stoick chuckled, plating the fish. Good thing he'd decided to make extra; Hiccup might want more than one fish tonight. "Anyway, you were in the forge all day?"

Hiccup sat across from him and nodded. "Yeah, I finally got the ring made today. It looks great."

"Ring?"

"Oh yeah," Hiccup rolled his eyes at himself. "Didn't tell you my plan. I made a ring for Astrid."

"Oh that," Stoick nodded. "Gobber told me what you were planning."

"Hopefully Gobber hasn't told anyone else," Hiccup muttered through a mouthful.

"Nah he hates it when people ruin surprises. You should be good, considering how big this one is." Stoick replied, then frowned. "Would ya slow down, ya're going to hurt yourself."

Hiccup had to smile but it was difficult with a full mouth. He held up a finger, trying not to laugh. I will not choke.

Stoick rolled his eyes and kept working on his dinner, giving Hiccup time to chew. He finally swallowed, took a drink, and looked back up at him. "I haven't eaten since nearly five thirty this morning. Don't judge."

"Oh I could beat you in a food eating contest."

"By amount I have no doubts. But by pure skill of stuffing? Nah."

"I'd say let's go, but I'd rather not." Stoick replied, effectively squishing his son's competitive smirk.

"What?" Hiccup frowned. "You can't just get me worked up about a competition and then smush it."

"I just did." Stoick smirked. "And I'm the chief, so I win."

"Pshh…" Hiccup grumbled, then he looked up evilly, eyes narrow and a clear defiant smirk. "I could bump you off."

Stoick's brow furrowed. "Try me."

Hiccup met his stare and lastly nearly ten seconds but he finally had to look away. "Okay, yup; you win." Stoick smirked in response. "So…" Hiccup changed the topic, plating himself another fish and eating it slower this time. "I need a weapon."

Stoick's eyes lit up. "Thor Almighty, he finally sees the light."

"It's not-"

"You need a club."

"A club, dad?" Hiccup gaped as his dad stood and hurried to a chest by the stairs. "Come now, I've built some muscle but you can't be serious!"

"You never forget your first club." Stoick stood, proudly wielding a club nearly twice his son's arm length and wider than his head.

Stoick dropped the club in front of Hiccup, effectively smashing his remaining fish and plate. Hiccup gaped at it. "Erm- dad?"

"Yes?"

"I just need something easy for me to show-"

"Easy? We're Vikings, Hiccup. We don't do easy!"

"-to show Mr. Hofferson that I can indeed wield a weapon. I'd like to live to see my wedding day if that's okay with you."

Stoick paused. "Wait… what?" The two men failed to notice Toothless' head on the table, his tongue trying to nab a fish off the plate on the table.

Hiccup sighed, "Mr. Hofferson wants me to prove to him that I can handle a weapon before I propose to Astrid. Besides a sword that is, since I can do that."

"Ah," Stoick nodded. "A worthy challenge. You're lucky he didn't come up with something harsher."

"I was thinking my next best thing would be archery…"

"Archery? You can't be serious, just use the club."

"Just use the club, he says," Hiccup said in mock Viking accent to Toothless. "The man's clearly lost his mind." Toothless snorted in response, and returned to trying to snatch the fish off the center plate.

"Come on, son," Stoick stood and picked Hiccup up by the shoulders. "Thor's beard, when did you get so heavy?"

"Why does no one believe me when I say I've actually gained some muscle?"

"Then you'll have no problem throwing a club. Pick it up and give it a good swing."

Hiccup tried to argue, but Stoick wouldn't hear it. "No, just give it a shot! It's a good weapon!"

"Ughh…" Hiccup frowned at the weapon. Clubs were as savage and old-fashioned as you could get. He grasped the handle and picked it up, but still strained under its weight.

"There ya go. Now just-"

"Gah this thing weighs like forty pounds!"

"Stop being a wimp. Just give it a good swing."

Hiccup scowled at the word 'wimp', but said nothing. "And what exactly am I supposed to hit?"

"Can we just focus on swinging it and not hitting anything yet? No more questions, just swing it!"

Hiccup tried to hold the weapon up by one hand as he threw the other out in frustration, "Dad, a club is not my weapon of-" He jerked when the club began to sway. He grasped the handle with both hands but it came back toward his face with a definite, hardy swing. It hit him in the temple beside his right eye with a doleful clunk and Stoick honestly winced. "Owww…choice. Oww…"

The young Viking leaned on the handle of the club, giving up on it already, and holding his face. "Oh gods that hurt…"

"It did thunk you pretty good." Stoick admitted and heavily sighed. "Alright Bertha… you and Hiccup just aren't meant to be."

"B…Bertha?" Hiccup winced, finally letting his hand fall.

"Is there a problem?" Stoick asked, placing her on the table.

"Nahh…" Hiccup shook his head.

Toothless nudged his arm as if to ask if he was okay. "Yeah, I'm alright bud. If I can lose a leg at fifteen and survive, I can take a bludgeon to the head. But for the record," he pointed at Stoick. "This is all your fault."

Stoick rolled his eyes, "Oh you're fine."

"Mmm not really," Hiccup winced, touching his temple again. "I feel woozy." He walked over to one of their wooden benches and flopped back on it. Covering his eyes with his arm, he muttered, "Wake me up in the morning."

Stoick raised an eyebrow but said nothing. A knock at the door interrupted any response he may have had. Hiccup moaned in annoyance and Stoick opened the door.

"Oh, come in Astrid."

"Thanks."

Astrid strode through the door, scratched Toothless on the nose and looked around for Hiccup. She was shocked to find him lying on a bench looking utterly exhausted. "Hiccup, you okay?"

"My club's face hit me with the dad…" he muttered.

Astrid and Stoick shared a look. "What?" she asked, sitting behind his head and looking down at him.

"My face's club hit me with the dad. Don't…make me repeat…that."

Astrid glanced up, saw the club lying on the table and Stoick looking rather stoic yet a tiny bit guilty. She got the idea. "Where'd he get hit?"

Stoick tapped his right temple with pursed lips.

Astrid pulled Hiccup's arm away from his eyes. "Look at me. Hiccup, I want to see your face now look at me."

"Mmm donnnnt wannnnnt tooooooo… wanna sleeeeep." Hiccup whined, but moved his arm. He moved it so fast and sluggishly he nearly slapped her in the face, but she caught his wrist.

"Now stop whining-"

"Whoaaaa!" Hiccup's eyes suddenly widened. "Astrid, there are spots on your face!"

It was Astrid's eyes turn to widen. "This can't be good…"

"Cool, there are spots everywhere…" Hiccup's eyes narrowed and he raised an arm toward the ceiling, pinching his fingers at various spots.

Astrid looked up at Stoick, who's eyebrows were raised high, shock clear on his face. He then said, "To the healer."

Astrid nodded resolutely and placed an arm under Hiccup's shoulders, trying to sit him up. "Come on, you,"

"Man you are feisty today."

"Don't make me slap you."

"Is Toothless pink or blue?" He suddenly asked, finally standing and Astrid leading him to the door. "No wait! He's…" He spun around, nearly knocking Astrid over. Where'd this newfound strength come from? He pointed at Toothless, face screwed up in concentration. "Noo.. I can't remember… what color…ow my head hurts. Why does my head hurt? Why are there spots everywhere?"

"Hush son, let's just get you to Elder Gothi." Stoick managed to get him out the door, Astrid and Toothless following closely.

Hiccup screeched to a halt. "I don't wannnna…"

"You have to, you're not thinking clearly."

"I'm tired, just let me sleep-"

"Nope, no sleeping," Astrid wrapped her arm around his and tried to make him walk forward, but his stubbornness won out. He wouldn't budge, even with Toothless nudging him from behind.

"Aaaastriiiiiiiid!" Hiccup was shouting now.

Astrid stood closer to him and said, "I'll give you a kiss when we get there."

That shut him up and they were soon walking.

Stoick leaned down to whisper to her. "Well you have a way of persuading him."

Astrid rolled her eyes with a light laugh. "Assuming he remembers by the time we get there. Which I doubt."

"Whoaaa, is he drunk?" A voice asked. Ruffnut and Tuffnut emerged from a side street a moment later.

"No, he just clubbed himself in the head. We're taking him to Elder Gothi; we think he has a concussion." Stoick informed.

"Coooool!" They high-fived.

Hiccup put his face in his hands and whimpered. "So many spots…"

"Now what're you two doing out?" Astrid asked, having had enough of them that day.

"We're heading home. We're just as tired as you. Sand is a taxing… dirt." Ruffnut saluted as she walked by. "Have fun with battered-brains." Tuffnut soon followed after her without another word.

Astrid shook her head and pulled Hiccup forward, who was muttering something about his head. "Come on, Hiccup, we're almost there," she gently told him.

A few minutes later they arrived and Gothi was looking into his eyes as best she could with her candles. She soon shook her head and tisked her tongue.

"How bad is it?" Astrid asked, biting her lip.

Stoick read her drawings on the floor. "He definitely has a concussion. He can't sleep tonight but he definitely needs to relax. He can't batter his brain any more than he has."

"So he really hit himself pretty good then…" Astrid sighed, running her hand through Hiccup's hair when he rested his head on her shoulder with a whine. "So who's going to keep him up?"

Stoick sighed, "I will-"

Gothi shook her head vehemently and she didn't have to write in the dirt to explain why. He'd been working since that early morning, as always; he needed his rest for the next day.

"I could?" Astrid offered, but Gothi and Stoick both shook their heads. Gothi because she wanted an adult to watch him; Stoick because he wouldn't want Hiccup to accidentally blab about the proposal in his state. Astrid frowned but didn't argue. "Well who then?"

The trio thought for a few minutes before Stoick snapped his fingers. "Gobber."

Xxx

"So he's not allowed to sleep but he has to stay relaxed." Gobber relayed before his chief and blonde friend left his home. "You do realize this is a little backwards, don't ya?"

"If he falls asleep his brain could shut down, Gobber," Astrid reminded him. "But he can't hit his head again or he'll hurt himself more. Just keep him calm; you'll be fine."

"Yeah yeah…" Gobber nodded. "Alright, I'll see ya in the mornin' then."

Stoick thanked him and left to go home and get some rest. Astrid walked past Gobber and planted a kiss on Hiccup's cheek and promising, "I'll see you in the morning," before also leaving.

Once alone with Hiccup and Toothless, Gobber sat in his favorite lounge chair. The room was silent for a minute before Hiccup began laughing at nothing. It started out as small giggles, but soon he was whole-heartedly laughing at absolutely nothing.

Gobber sighed but had to smile, "This is going to be a long night. Hiccup, what're you laughing at?"

"Your face is weird."

Gobber blustered for a minute, making Hiccup laugh harder. Toothless looked between the humans with a look of pure confusion, especially at his currently incapacitated rider.

Hiccup paused for a moment, "I think it would behoove you to look in a mirror. HAHA Your face!" Hiccup sank into his chair, his hands covering his face and his shoulders shaking, tears of mirth running down his face.

Gobber mouth the word "behoove" and shrugged. He stared at Hiccup for another minute, sharing a few glances with Toothless. Hiccup's laughter gradually died down and Gobber dared to ask, "You done?"

"Whoo, yeah…" Hiccup smiled contentedly, looking at the ceiling with a daydream-y look. "Laughing is great, you should try it some time."

"I laugh plenty. Inside." Gobber replied, lifting his mug to his lips. "Now you, on the other hand? You are just purely strange entertainment."

"What you mean is not like you," Hiccup sniffed. "You think I'm an ignorant savage and you've been so many places, I guess it must be so."

Gobber spit his drink out, "What?"

Hiccup stood up, walked in a wobbly, almost drunken state over to Gobber and pointed a finger into his face, "But still I cannot see if the savage one is me, then how can there be so much that you don't know, Gobber?" He dropped his voice to a mere whisper, "You don't know!"

"What. Are you. Talkin' about?" Gobber stared at him in shock.

Hiccup lumbered to a barrel holding weapons by the front door and grabbed a spear, slamming the hilt into the floor. "You think you own whatever land you land on."

"Hiccup, I didn't say anything about land... what are you on about?"

"The earth is just a dead thing you can claim," Hiccup poked a potted flower on the windowsill. "But I know every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name." Hiccup placed a hand on his chest as if he said something profound.

"Rocks are alive?"

Hiccup gave him a steady, firm gaze akin to Stoick's when commanding someone to be quiet and just listen; Gobber closed his mouth. He continued on his spiel, "But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger you'll learn things you never knew, you never knew."

"I'm quite happy with my own foot right now. Hiccup, maybe you should sit down."

Hiccup suddenly dropped the spear, nearly dropping it on Toothless' tail, and ran up to Gobber, grabbing him by the front of his shirt. "Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?"

"No because then I would sound about as crazy as you are right now!" Gobber leaned away, swatting Hiccup's hands. "And what's corn? What's a bobcat?"

Hiccup let the shirt go and began spinning in wide, clumsy circles with his arms outstretched. "Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?"

"Okay now you're singing. Hiccup, stop singing? WHY ARE YOU SINGING?"

"Can you paint with all the colors of the wind," Hiccup continued singing at a high pitch and his voice awkwardly cracking. But he paid no notice. "Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?" He swooped his arm across the air as if seeing something.

Gobber gaped at him, at a loss for words. Then he suddenly had a thought; he slowly grabbed a journal he kept near his chair to write down anything that might rarely come in handy—which was now in this case. He began scribbling down Hiccup's words as he continued,

"Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest!" Hiccup grabbed a basket of berries off the table and started throwing them at Gobber. "Come taste the sun sweet berries of the earth."

"Oy! Those took me hours to pick-" Gobber stopped when Toothless jumped in the air, happily catching the luscious berries and only adding to the madness. Gobber shook his head and kept writing.

Hiccup then dropped the basket and started rolling around on the floor as he sang, "Come roll in all the riches all around you and for once, never wonder what they're worth," Toothless slammed onto the floor with him, tongue hanging out as he rolled around, agreeing with Hiccup that the wooden floor was good for a back scratch.

"The windstorm and the river are my brothers; the heron and the otter are my friends,"

Gobber pursed his lips, "...you should probably talk to your father about that."

Hiccup then grabbed Gobber's hands and stared deep into his eyes, "And we are all connected to each other in a circle, in a hoop that never ends,"

"Uhh okay Hiccup, now this is very uncomfortable."

Hiccup let go of his hands and gestured upward to the ceiling, "How high does a sycamore grow? If you cut it down then you'll never know…"

Gobber merely stared at him now, wincing when his voice cracked on the high notes.

"And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon, For whether we are white or copper skinned," Hiccup jumped onto his bed across the room and lifted his hands to the sky. "We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains; We need to paint with all the colors of the wind," He washed his hand through the air again.

He jumped back down, grabbed a handful of dirt from the flower pot and handed it to Gobber, "You can own the Earth and still all you'll own is Earth until you can paint with all the colors of the wind!"

Hiccup finally silenced, panting, then suddenly realized Toothless was slurping berries off the floor. He watched him carefully, unsure if this was a good thing for the dragon to be doing. Or… blast, what color was he?

Gobber was staring at the twenty-one year old with a newfound opinion. Should he clap? Should he laugh?

Should he call Stoick and the healer and say Hiccup had officially lost his marbles?

"Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain-" Hiccup lightly sang to himself at a lower key as he rolled a berry between his fingers. He had plopped himself down on the floor beside Toothless, now licking his chops of berry juice. Gobber took a mental note that Hiccup actually didn't have a half-bad voice… when he sung in the proper range he was meant to sing in.

But instead of voicing these thoughts, he said, "Hiccup, no more of that…whatever that was."

"What? My song?" Hiccup yawned, rubbing his eye. "Can I go to bed now?"

"Nope."

"But whyyyyyy…" He whined flopping back onto the floor. Gobber jerked when he bumped his head but he didn't seem to be affected.

Hopefully.

"Because if you fall asleep you might not wake up for a long time," Gobber advised. "Now sit up. Let's play a game or some-"

"Oh!" Hiccup jumped up, wobbling a bit. "I can teach you the song of my people! Come!" He grabbed Gobber's hands and tried to pull him out of his chair.

Gobber looked apalled. "What?! This is most definitely not the song of our people! Maybe whatever country you came from, but not-"

"Come on, Gobber!" Hiccup whined again, pouting. Wow, how he looked and sounded like a 4-year-old when he whined. Now those were the good ole days; the simple life.

Gobber sighed and stood up, "I'm going to regret this."

"WHOOHOO!" Hiccup crowed, throwing a fist in the air and nearly knocking Gobber's teeth out.

"Easy there-"

"Okay Gobber, now repeat after me," Hiccup smiled and placed Gobber's hands on his chest. Gobber raised an eyebrow, afraid of what he'd say next. He gulped and nodded and Hiccup smiled, placing his own hands on his chest. "I am an experienced metal worker."

Gobber pursed his lips and repeated. "I am an experienced metal worker."

"I do not run from my problems, but confront them face to face."

"What is this!?" Gobber exclaimed. "This is nonsense-"

"SHHH!" Hiccup jumped forward and covered his mouth with wide eyes. He looked around warily then gently whispered, "They can hear you."

Gobber's eyes darted around the room for a moment. Hiccup removed his hand and said, "Okay, let's try this again. I am an experienced metal worker."

Gobber sighed, "Oh Odin, help me…"

Xxx

Astrid trudged through the village toward Gobber's house the next morning. She wondered how well they got on last night and if Hiccup caused any problems. As long as he was occupied with something, it was sure to be fine. Right?

As she neared Gobber's house she heard a couple of men's voices shouting, but she didn't think anything of it until she got close and found Snotlout standing in front of the house with his mouth gaping.

"Hey, 'Lout…" Astrid poked his arm. "You okay?"

"Shh," Snotlout whispered, and pointed to the house. "Listen…"

Astrid did listen, and what she heard shocked her, and she would ever forget it.

"CAN YOU SING WITH ALL THE VOICES OF THE MOUNTAIN!?" Hiccup and Gobber shouted from somewhere inside the house. "CAN YOU PAINT WITH ALL THE COLORS OF THE WIIIIIIIND!?"

"Oh Freya alive…" Astrid slapped a hand to her forehead. "If Gobber let him drink on top of it, we're doomed."

Snotlout finally burst out laughing. "What is going on?!"

"Long story short, Hiccup has a concussion and Gobber stayed up with him all night." She sighed and walked towards the door. "Alright, let's see the damage."

Astrid pushed the door open with her foot and nearly fell over. Snotlout snorted into his hand and tried to contain himself.

Toothless was dangling upside from his tail by the rafters, as per usual. But… he was painted all colors of the rainbow. Stripes, polka dots, random slabs of color… How he let them do this to him was a mystery.

But the real mystery was the equally paint spattered Hiccup and Gobber holding hands and dancing on the top of Gobber's kitchen table, both shout-singing, "AND YOU'LL NEVER HEAR THE WOLF CRY-"

"What in Thor's name is going ON!?" Astrid finally erupted. Snotlout finally blew up in laughter and slumped to the floor, nearly crying.

Hiccup looked over at her and gasped. "Astrid!" He jumped down from the table and began talking to her a mile a minute, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're here, how long has it been? Wait no, don't tell me… My brothers will tell me instead-"

"What?" Astrid gaped, ignoring Snotlout's laughter.

"Yeah, apparently he has brothers," Gobber interjected. "Apparently they're the windstorm and the river."

Astrid and Snotlout both looked at him like he was insane. The blonde finally slapped herself in the face. "Gods, why did I ever think this was a good idea? He's more bonkers than when we left him!" With a loud sigh she grabbed Hiccup's hand and dragged him out. "Come on, Hiccup. Let's get all that paint off of you. You too, Toothless!"

"Bye!" Gobber waved with a yawn. He slumped into his chair and blinked lazily at Snotlout. "Whew, what a night."

Snotlout snorted, watching Toothless follow the couple out, "Yeah looks like it was… um, fun." He looked back at Gobber but he was already snoring. Shaking his head, he headed for the door to see if the Twins had any morning mischief brewing.

Before exiting the door, he noticed a journal lying on the floor near a pile of smushed berries. He picked it up and read through the lines.

"Oh. Mother of Thor." Snotlout whispered. "This is the best thing I have ever found." He then sprinted out of the house in search of his other friends in order to spread his master evil.

Okay okay, so kinda corny but it was funny right? Please tell me if anyone else laughed besides me as I finish writing this chapter at 1 in the morning Lol But this is something that no one on the island of Berk is EVER going to let Hiccup live down, and maybe even Gobber. This is not the last you will see of Colors of the Wind, I assure you ;)

Anywho, please leave me a review! Thanks so much for all your previous reviews so far guys, I'm totally excited that you guys like this so much :)

Also, new HTTYD2 poster comes out today! EEP! I'm trying to keep calm here… Impossible I know. June come faster!

Well enough rambling outta me. Thanks for reading, drop me a review and I'll get working on the next chapter! Five days til Thanksgiving Break!

~EmK