How to Paint a Lie

It was yet another average but still traditional day for the Vikings of Berk. Though sometimes traditional could be prove to be quite wrong and that why the saying "The more things change the more they stay the same" but also that it was also important to 'break traditions and start new ones.

So no-one knew today that would comprise of both traditions, breaking traditions and changing things for better and it would all come from a very simple painting. A painting that started off with a very big lie but by the end of the day would show the truth as it should be shown.

It was traditional that once the Chief's son came of certain age that he and his father were to pose for a portrait to be hung in the Great Hall alongside the other Chiefs and their sons.

Though there was already great conflict over this before the first stroke of the brush even reached the paint. Hiccup was very uncomfortable to begin with being in the painting and his father wasn't helping lessen his nerves telling him how to pose or telling how wonderful it be with the kids' grandfather when their painting been done.

Boden and Una had both thrown a long tantrum that despite tradition said only the Chief's son could be in the painting it didn't change the fact their father had three kids and therefore they all should be in the painting.

Hiccup had agreed and pleaded with his father to let them be in the painting, but his father was like this was about sacred traditions and this only added to Hiccup's nerves. It's hard to pose correctly with your intimating father, when you already suffer from sever anxiety, plus you know this unfair to your brother and sister and you want them in it too.

Valka was not only on the children's side on this she also disapproved on his husband choice of the artist for the painting. It wasn't she did think Bucket was competent she just knew of someone who was more talented and would paint the most beautiful and most accurate painting. And also would've insisted the all children in the paint.

It was one of the mothers from what one might call the Berk coffee clutch if Berk knew what coffee was. Valka was very good friends with several mothers of young children on Berk, whom she hoped one day to arrange a playdate with for Boden and Una so they could hopefully have friends closer to their own age to play with.

One of them was a lovely young woman named Breezy Milun who was the most imaginative and artistic person Valka had ever seen. Any type of art you could think of, drawing, painting, woodwork, sculpting anything she was the best at.

She'd told Stoick she'd wanted Breezy Milun to paint the portrait. The only reason Breezy had been denied the honor of doing the painting was simply because she was a woman. Every single one of the portraits of the chiefs and their sons had always been done by men. As tradition demanded.

Valka had used some very choice words that Stoick was very surprised that she even knew as normally Valka almost never used profanity. Though clearly she was extremely disappointed with him adhering to tradition when it was time to make break them and out with the old and in with the new.

Finally after a very long two hours the painting was done and Hiccup quickly walked over to his brother and sister to apologize to them for not being successful in getting them in the painting.

"If it was up to me I would've had you with me. I was feeling like I was jumping out of my skin the whole time. It would've been easier to have my portrait done if you're there next to me."

"Yeah that could easily be seen in your eyes, bro. I'm an empath but I don't need my powers to know you're really not handling it well."

"I hate that so many things for 300 stinking years have been exactly the same! I don't think things for the rest of time will be the same! I mean there are two things we can be sure of in life, BBBFF!"

"What's that LSBFF?" he asked even though he already knew the answer but let her say it anyway.

"In life two things are for sure. We one are all gonna kick the bucket and two things are always gonna change! No two sunrises or sunsets are the same. No two days are the same and the land itself doesn't stay the same!

So why should we hold on to the same stupid traditions for all time! I mean whoever made the rules didn't they have to change rules that came before?" she asked him to which he nodded and sighed.

"Yeah that's true everything is in constant motion and changing. We made a big change with training the dragons and now we all live side by side. Still getting other thing to change sis? Like how people think and act? And possibly other customs? That might take longer. And it may be what some people think are important and what other thing can be changed and what shouldn't be changed."

"But Hiccup what's the big deal if a painting showing all of the chief's children is changed? That hardly seems like a big deal! It's not the most major change. It's a little thing! We ain't asking for something so huge yet! We just want all three of us to be allowed on the Great Hall wall is all!" Boden protested bitterly.

"I don't think it's a big deal either, Boden. But some people thing small things are a big deal."

"Well then people got their freakin' priorities really screwed up, Hiccup! I wonder how many other stupid 'traditions' we'll be forced to deal with before some much needed changes come along!" spat Una in the most unladylike way she could and Hiccup glanced around very quickly.

He dropped to his knees so he was eye level with his siblings and whispered quickly and quietly. "Boden? Una? I'm upset and angry too, but will both of you cool your flames right now?"

Then turning to face his little sister he spoke directly to her. And Una don't spit like that, you know better than that. I taught you better than that. That's something beneath you, that's how the Twins and Snotlout behave like. Not you or Boden. So please don't sink to their level," as reached over to clean her face off.

She fidgeted while she blushed as he did this then mumbled, "Sorry, Hiccup, I never want to be like those boneheads. What are the boneheads up to anyway?"

"Looks like their mocking the other past chiefs and fighting over a piece of paper from what I can tell," Boden reported to his siblings his gaze on the other side of the hall where the Riders were. It also looked like Gobber was scolding them after snatching the paper from them.

Hiccup, Boden and Una came over just as Gobber left and asked Astrid what that been about she replied Gobber had confiscated some treasure map that was impossible to solve because no-one ever had and many died trying.

"Impossible? How can something be impossible to solve?" Boden asked in confusion and even Una looked at disbelief Astrid in disbelief. "Yeah whoever made the map would've intended someone to solve it so it can't be impossible. Every puzzle has a solution the trick is understanding how the pieces fit together to solve the puzzle."

"Yeah, it's simple matter of concentration, focusing, a little patience and just doing a bit of thinking. Nothing is without solution, Astrid." Hiccup asserted to his special friend as he and Astrid were still taking it slow and easy.

"Whatever you three say. But Gobber said even your father couldn't find that treasure. And if the best Viking ever to walk Berk's shores couldn't do I doubt that anyone can solve that treasure map. Well it's almost time for your painting to be revealed. Don't you want to see that?" she asked changing the subject swiftly.

"Not too much to be honest. It's not gonna be nearly as nice without Boden and Una."

"Oh c'mon Hiccup it won't be that bad!" Astrid assured him. She was right it wasn't bad it was worse. It was even worse than worst it was in fact the most ridiculous, ugliest and disgusting thing Hiccup, Boden and Una had ever seen.

Not only was Hiccup painted to look as big as their father he just looked hideous as a buff 'traditional' Viking and the expression the painting had him wearing made him look even more hideous. It wasn't him at all.

They're speechless from a mix of sadness, anger, disgust and shame from the painting. Made worse by their father looking happy about the painting. Hearing the Village liked a 'proper' painting done. Not some weakling.

They didn't know what to say and frankly neither did Valka but two people did know exactly what to say. Despite all the villagers all praising the painting and going on about how traditions was honored and all things fit the political norms two voice rang out clear as day and they were appalled and clearly angry and disgusted.

"SO THIS IS WHAT BERK CARES ABOUT? THE WHOLE DAMN ISLAND RAHTER PRAISE AND LOVE A LIE?

THEN ACCEPT THE REAL BOY WHO IS ONE OF THE NICEST MOST LOVING AND CUTEST BOYS EVER TO WALK BERK SHORES?

YOU RATHER HAVE WHAT YOU THINK IS NORMAL AND RIGHT OVER THE TRUTH? THAT'S DISGUSTING AND RIDICULES PIECE OF TRASH ON THE WALL FOR ALL TIME THEN THE TRUTH? WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT ALL OF YOU?" Skullette Anquetil snarled loudly with a look of absolute disgust at the painting and her little sister was equally enraged and made it known too.

"FOR THE GODS SAKES I WONDER HOW MANY OTHER CHIEF'S SONS HAD TO BE LIED ABOUT AND NOT SHOWN ARE THEY TRULY ARE ON THE WALLS OF THIS HALL!

THAT'S WHY TRADISON IS WRONG! THAT YOU CAN'T ACCEPT IT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED AND WE MUST ACCEPT WHAT IS AND NOT WHAT A BUNCH OF BOGUS LIES! MARK OUR WORDS NOTHING GOOD GONNA COME OUT FROM THAT LIE! AND IF THE GODS DON'T GET RID OF THAT LIE SOMETHING ELSE WILL DESTROY IT!"

And with that both sisters with their sister stones flashing brightly walked in a huff and not far behind holding back their tears till outside with Astrid was Hiccup, Boden and Una themselves.

It wasn't till they reached the last step of the Great Hall they all burst into tears and began letting out their own despair about the painting. All of them were clearly distraught over the painting.

"This is wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to begin! To know our own father rather have a painting of me looking like…like…"

"Like the ugliest thickheaded idiot 'proper and perfect' son that tradition demands! UGH!" Boden gagged and almost threw up by how disgusted he was by the painting of his older brother.

"Yeah, you hit the nail on the head, little bro. And the sick part is Dad liked that picture better than the real me! If he loves that over me what does he really think of the rest of us? And as for me is he ashamed I'm a hiccup? God! I'm even named Hiccup! He must be disgusted by that! Ugh!"

"Your right Hiccup! Now I'm glad me and Una weren't in that picture! What lies would even painted for me? We're all hiccups too! Little runts! What would've had Bucket paint me as? The moody hiccup child? How would I be painted to be a proper son?!" raged Boden getting really moody and Hiccup didn't even try to calm him down.

Una's blue eyes were flashing dangerously even more dangerously then when she confronted Alvin to tell him who she was.

"Daddy said he loved us and that we were important! Daddy always is saying that he knows the two most beautiful women in the whole Nine Realms and that's Mommy and me!

But after seeing that painting? Makes you really question how does he really feel about me?! Am I not beautiful the way I am?! A little hiccup daughter?! His only daughter not pretty enough the way I am?!" she was so incensed by her daddy apparent feelings.

"Why can't our father accept us for who we are?!" the three of them raged together which instantly drew their dragons right to them who did their best to calm them down as did Astrid.

"You father does love you and accept you. C'mon guys your overreacting to a painting! It's not a big deal! This really isn't something worth making a fuss over!

"Astrid for once this is a big deal! It's not just a painting. Anyone who sees that painting long after our deaths will think that's the real me and it's not! It's a lie and that forever gonna be a lie! How do you think that makes me and Boden and Una feel?"

"Yeah it matters to us! We want the truth to be known! We want people to know who we are! Not what others want to see but be seen for who we really are? Do you want others to remember a false imagine of you forever or the truth about you?"

"Astrid lies are always lies whether they be a little one or a big one. Because no matter how well you keep a secret there always a person who knows the truth and that's yourself! Can you really live with yourself if a lie is forever shown to the world about yourself?

When you're dead and gone the truth is lost forever! Who is there to speak for the dead? Well besides me? That I can speak to the souls of the dead on occasion but normally they don't have a voice.

Point is lies are always wrong and the truth will set you free and the truth is always right! And we have the right to be accepted for who we are and not what others want us to be! And that should be shown for everyone to see! Truth is more important than image and what 'normal' Honesty is more important than whatever is consider normal. That's what matters!" Una really was trying to validate what they're feeling and why.

Astrid was really listening to what they had to say but she was walking backwards then tripped over Fishlegs who'd been standing by Gobber's workshop and they fell down in a heap.

"Fishlegs!" growled Astrid as she tried to get untangled from the large boy and he was trying to whistle like a bird instead of helping Astrid.

"Where are the rest of them?" demanded Hiccup out of nowhere.

"What do you mean, Hiccup?" Astrid asked as she finally got out from Fishlegs's blubber with Boden and Una's help.

"He means the Twins and Snotlout, Astrid, obviously." Boden answered with his green eyes rolling.

"What are you three dunderheads doing? Beside trespassing and breaking and entering? Not to mention stealing? How many criminal offensive can you commit in just a 15 minute time span? Or should I add the fact the three you have no brains between you as a list of crimes?" chastised Una to the three 15 year old teens who'd been climbing out of Gobber's window.

"Hey! I don't need sass from a child! So go run and play with your dollies like a normal little girl! Man! You're a strange oddball of a girl! Little girl hiccup that's what you are!" Snotlout snorted at Una as he tried to hide something behind his back. Then he felt it snatched from his hands and yelled "Hey give that back I stole it fair and square!"

Boden was quick on his feet as he laughed as Snotlout started towards him only for Una to simply stick out her foot to trip him and he land on a yak pie. Which caused everyone to laugh at the jerk.

Smiling gleefully Una skipped merrily back over to her brother as Boden handed him what Snotlout stole and he then looked at Snotlout with a bit of annoyed look.

"Snotlout how predictable can you be? Seriously?"

"Wait let me guess, he and the Twins waited till everyone was busy looking at the painting so they could steal the treasure map of Hamish II and had Fishlegs as a lookout? Snotlout that's one of your dumbest ideas in the history of dumb ideas!" Astrid barked with laughter.

"It's not dumb! I'm gonna find that treasure! I'm gonna be both rich and a legend! I'll be sung about for the next 300 years!"

"You'll be dead as dead can be! And we'll all be dancing on your ashes! We'll be celebrating my next birthday over the fact your dead because you tried to do something not even Stoick the Vast could do! Even he couldn't find that treasure!" Astrid was smirking as she said this and tossed her blond hair as it glistened in the golden sweet sunrays.

At this two sets of green eyes and one set of blue eyes suddenly become more brilliant then the sun itself and began looking at that map in a whole new light.

"You thinking what am I thinking?" Hiccup looked at his brother and sister in the eye they nodded. "Oh yeah!" they squealed with delight and looked at the map with great interest.

"What are you three crackalating in your brains?" Astrid want to know.

"We're not only gonna find that treasure that no-one else can find, we're gonna show Daddy and the village that three little hiccups are worth more than that ridicules painting shows!" Una said simply with head popping up for a moment as she went back to looking at the moment.

"Are you freaking kidding me?! Are you three nuts?! Do you really want to go off with them and die over a painting?!"

"It's more than a painting, Astrid. There's a lot more to this then just a painting and I can't help but feel this map and those paintings on the wall are intertwined somehow already!" Boden answered.

"Beside if Dad couldn't do this we really show him if the three of us could do something even the great Stoick the Vast couldn't do. The supposed Greatest Viking of Berk ever! So you with us or not?"

"I'm gonna give you three a hard time every step of the way. I promise you that. But I will also promise to watch your three's back because we have two ideas, a jerk and then we have Fishlegs.

So if it really means that much to you three I'm in, but you better not end up dead. So what's the first clue?"

"Okay here the first clue. "Where land meets the sea, in the crook of the master's knee, that's where your search will begin"

"That's the first riddle? Doesn't sound so tough." Ruffnut said.

"Or really? Then you and Tuff give us the answer if you don't think it's tough," Una request of them and it didn't take less than thirty seconds before the Twins forget not only the riddle was but what they're supposed to be thinking about.

Boden pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at his brother exasperated already because they already knew the answer. "Should I tell them or should you?"

"Tell us what?" demanded Snotlout looking crossly at the ten year old who looked at him flicked his ponytail and replied "Duh, the answer."

"Wait you know the answer? Already? How?" Fishlegs asked stunned at the ten year old.

"Easy we pay attention to details and we noticed it first thing this morning when we gathered to have that bogus lie painted. Una and I were throwing our tantrums right under it and you looked at it yourself." Boden explained as he started to lead the way to what was the obvious answer to the first riddle.

They're back inside the Great Hall and he jabbed a finger at the portrait of the Hamishs and then looked like his moods were really going south. "See for yourselves? The Master would be Hamish I Hamish II's dad. And his knee is pointing to a spot on the beach. That's where we got to go next. So you gonna saddle up and fly or not?" Boden stated as he called for Stardust and Hiccup ruffled his brother's hair fondly.

"Good job Boden. You've such a good eye for detail. Let's get going Riders! We're burning daylight!" and the siblings hurried outside but everyone else was trying to pick up their jaws.

"How the heck did a ten year old boy do that? Figure out that clue when people have been driven to the brink of insanity just from reading it?" Snotlout asked in amazement.

"Don't know, Snotlout but if you want that treasure we better follow them!" and they called their dragons and hurried after them where the siblings were already waiting at the beach looking fairly impatient with them.

"Okay, Boden you read this one," Hiccup handed his brother the map and he read loud and clearly. "From here you see the sea that's been sewn, look to where water turns to bone."

"Was Hamish's brain scrambled or something like an overcooked egg? That makes no sense! This is stupid!" whined Snotlout and Una had to take a deep breath before she explained what it meant.

"Snotlout do you know what the word "Metaphor" is or even means?"

"What's that an illness?"

"You really should've paid attention in your schooling or try and be creative instead of having a brain the size of a grain of sand, Snotlout. A metaphor is a figure of speech or is describing something but not in the literally sense but in the creative sense.

Hamish doesn't really mean water into bone, you bonehead. He's speaking metaphorically. Meaning some akin to bone. Which means something hard and white which obviously means ice which means that glacier right over there.

Do none of you have an ounce of creative in your whole bodies?" Una asked in astonishment as they flew to the top to a cave.

Meanwhile back at the Great Hall Stoick was going ballistic because he found out that Gobber hadn't destroyed the map and the children had gotten hold of it. Now they'd gone on an insane mission to solve an impossible puzzle and he was ready to go collect them before they ended up killed.

For once it seemed Gobber and Valka were in agreement. Valka again didn't hate Gobber he was a friend. She didn't approve of some of his behaviors but she didn't hate him. And he may not understand some of her behaviors but again they both knew with solid certainty why Hiccup, Boden and Una went off to do this impossible task.

However, Valka, unlike Gobber and Stoick had the belief her children would solve the impossible puzzle. Though she wouldn't let that escape her lips, but what she did let out wordlessly as she left the Great Hall with her husband and Gobber was the words.

"Get rid of that ugly piece of crap!" to Skullette and Firefang who'd been conveniently standing outside the doors of the Great Hall almost as if it was planned. They exchanged a fleeting smile and nodded with the Chief's wife.

The second the three of them vanished on their dragons the two young girls slipped into the Great Hall unnoticed and without anyone even seeing them stole the painting telling a lie about Hiccup and hightailed out of there.

They got on their dragons to fly far out to sea till they judge themselves far enough away from Berk then flung it into the air where the dragons both blew it up with a fireball each.

"Okay, we've done the job requested of us by Valka now." Skullette laughed with some giddiness.

"Thank goodness we got rid of that eyesore! I hate to have to look at that picture one second longer or have it hang every day for all time in the Great Hall. What should we do now, sis?" Firefang inquired to her older sister who thought about it a moment then replied.

"We probably should go help them find Hiccup and the others. Hiccup, Boden and Una may have good heads on their shoulder and so does Astrid. The others? Not so much. Who knows what trouble they've gotten into? So let's find Valka and help her find her children."

"Yeah, they're like our own brothers and sister. Can't turn your back on family when they need you. Let's find them. They shouldn't be too far from the beach. They just left and Valka will have wanted to scold Stoick for at least 15 minutes for this one!"

So while these two events were going on the other kids had made a great discovery. Inside the ice cave they'd found an important discovery. The first key to unlocking the treasure.

The riddle to get it was read by Una "Call on Magni; you'll go astray Freya, though will show you the way." Snotlout started to bang his head into the ice and Hiccup had to safe him from being beheaded.

"Are you really that stupid? Really are you that stupid? Don't you know your gods? My middle name is the goddess of love! So I know all the gods, goddess, Valkyries and everything and anything in-between like the back of my hand!" she demanded.

She growled a second trying to pull her blond and lilac hair out but went on to explain. "You can't break the ice. That's Magni or Strength. You want Freya or Fire," then after a moment she couldn't help but add. "Duh." And turned to Nightrainbow. "Nightrainbow low heat, " and the rainbow colored dragon let out a low burning rainbow colored fire till the metal piece was revealed.

Una waited a moment till it cooled and picked it up and pocketed it. "Well we got key number one. There got to be a more keys to unlock whatever this treasure is."

Then everything came crashing down and they barely escaped but three of three of them were quite pleased with how far they'd gotten in only about two hours. They doubt their father got even past the first clue.

In fact their father was on the beach with their mother, Gobber and his dragon. Gobber was trying track them by smell. Valka was holding back her words for the moment and Stoick's unnamed dragon at the moment was catching up with his sister Stormy in the shallows.

After Gobber had healed Stormy she of course didn't want to leave her big brother. However she hadn't been able to find a rider or at least not yet. The kids had at least successfully trained her so someone could ride her and she'd given Berk her allegiance.

Therefore she'd found a way to stay close to her big brother even if she didn't have a rider of her own yet. She was living in a nice little grotto just outside the harbor and her job had become to safeguard the ships when they went out to fish from enemy ships or other rouge dragons.

That way she earned her keep and stayed close to her big brother and hopefully one day find a rider. But as the kids had coined it "There dragon for every Viking and Viking for every Dragon" Nevertheless that still meant you had to find the right fit.

It was about the time the Anquetils arrived that Stoick was getting verbally assaulted by Valka, who was really lacing into him after she'd knocked off his helmet first, so he'd listen to her about what he did that was so highly offensive, and how it was high time for things both big and small to change on Berk.

"Okay! Val! I got it! You can stop whipping me now! I get it!" he was pleading for his life now and it was a shocked to see the chief cowering at the sight of his wife who looked very pissed off.

"Well I hope you have got it! I mean how did you expect them to react when you favor a LIE over the TRUTH?! I mean so I'm sick to death that all the thoughtless fucking village cares about is being is a bunch of arrogant ego-driven muscular thickheaded imbeciles who can't get their fucking thickheads out their asses!

I mean that's why we need to change a LOT of traditions including how people think and feel and change begins right this moment! That's why I wanted Breezy to paint the portrait since she would've shown the truth and it would've shown a least some change that women are capable of many things too!

Therefore let's swear today if we find the kids in one piece that we make a number of extremely BIG CHANGES! I WANT YOUR WORD THAT THINGS WILL CHANGE BIG AND SMALL AND THAT BETTER BE A HADDOCK PROMISE OR SO HELP ME STOICK YOU'RE SLEEPING OUTSIDE FOR A FREAKING MONTH! AND THAT IS A HADDOCK PROMISE!" Valka had about yelled herself hoarse shaking with so much rage.

Everyone was stunned silent and Gobber just whispered so quietly his voice only carried to his best friend and he said, "Stoick I think it be best interest in the both the village and your life to just nod and say "Yes, ma'am"

So Stoick took Gobber advice and did what he said and just nodded his head and said "Yes, ma'am we shall do everything you saw to the letter when this whole adventure is over. Though first we have to find the kids. So how about we do that first?"

"Well they at least got farther then you two knuckleheads. That's obvious," Skullette laughed as she pointed to the falling apart glarier.

"What? We spent a week digging in the sand and they got farther then we did in a month? How that's that possible?"

"Well duh, Chief. They must have used something you didn't clearly used. They used their brains. Which I'm guessing no-one ever bothered to use with these riddles. The three of us have all agree that if anyone gonna solve and find the Treasure of Hamish II it's gonna be Hiccup, Boden and Una." Firefang told her chief confidently who glared at the 13 year old for her slight disrespect but Valka got in front of her.

"She only speaking the truth, Stoick. I've no doubt by the end of the day your children will solve something that supposedly impossible. And for them it will be like a cake walk for them. Now how about we make sure we find them before something does go wrong?"

While this heated exchange had been going on the kids had made it through three more clues.

The first one had been solved by Hiccup and had led him to get his piece of the key. The riddle had been "At the edge of the world, a mist a raging sea, in the serpent t's mouth lies another key."

He'd spot a rock formation that match the description of the riddle and with a little help from Fishlegs and Meatlug they'd been able to retrieve the key and then headed off to the forest the next location on the map.

As they'd gone through the forest everyone was talking about what they do with the treasure; on the other hand all Hiccup and his siblings wanted was to prove themselves and uphold their own integrity.

Finally coming to a wall of rocks Hiccup handed the map to Boden who read aloud the next riddle. "The world is right when stars align, when not in sync danger you'll find"

When Snotlout started to bitch about not wanting wait till night Una finally lost and then gave him a kick to his pants and Hiccup didn't reprimand her because he was getting tired of it too.

"Did I already explain about metaphors or weren't you paying attention. He doesn't mean real stars you freaking bonehead! Look at the wall! There shapes carved into! We are looking for two stars that we likely have to pull at the same time to get it!

Geez Hiccup was everyone on Berk born with sand for brains? Or they have so many muscle there was no room in the skull to put a simple brain? I mean it's not that hard to think is it?" Una demanded so angrily her hair actually flared up giving her a slightly evil look with the lilac tips curling.

"That's tradition for you again sis," her brother replied, "Viking value strength and muscles over being clever and keen of mind."

"Well your brain will save you a lot more times than your stupid muscles will, bro. Brains trump brawns every time!" Boden declared passionately and the siblings nodded in agreement.

Looking at the wall they soon found the stars and told Ruff and Tuff to do their thing which they did. They then enter then enter the cave and Boden started to get twitchy.

"What's up Boden? You're jumping about like a June bug."

"Too many voices in my head. It's driving me batty. Like a lot of little voices and its making me jerk about trying to escape them.

Also I'm feeling some kind of dragon ahead but it's really strange. Never felt it like this before. It's like a lot of minds but with small voices."

When they got to center to chamber the soon discovered what exactly Boden's empathic abilities were feeling. The room was home to hundreds of Fireworms! So yeah many time dragons!

The Riders with their big dragons tried to scatter them but it was still using up a lot of oxygen fast as Hiccup, Boden and Una ran into the center with a lot of pedestal and keys made of different metals.

"Take them all and let's get out of here!" cried Snotlout and Hiccup calmly said "No it's a choice! "Something pure, something strong, look first to yourself and you won't go wrong."

"Go for the iron one it's strong!" cried out Fishlegs.

"But it's not pure go for the gold!"

"You're both wrong! You're missing the point of the riddle all over again! As well as the point of this whole quest! It's been obvious the whole time this about looking within yourself, using your head plus about metaphors! This one the answer!" cried Boden bluntly as he snatched the only one that showed a reflection to get his piece of the key.

Now all three siblings had a piece of the key and were standing in the center of the room. The Fireworms then scattered and the very second they did the floor gave out from under the siblings and they screamed as they fell into a black abyss.

"NO! HICCUP! BODEN! UNA!" screamed Astrid as now the whole room was coming down and as Toothless, Stardust and Nightrainbow were darting down to catch them.

"We've to go after them!" cried Astrid but Fishlegs grabbed her so hard he bruised her arm. "Astrid if we don't get out of here ourselves there will be no-one to save them! C'mon there an opening! We've to get out to get them out!" and reluctantly they escaped.

Deep down below the pedestal room the siblings were just starting to come too. Hiccup first instinct was of course to make sure Boden and Una were okay and not think of himself.

"Other then we got headaches we're find, Hiccup. Though how we are supposed to get out is another story," Boden told his brother and then Una cried out "BBBFF! There something you need to see!"

"What is it, sis? What did you find?" inquired Hiccup as he walked over after cracking his shoulders and Una pointed to the ground where a weird shape hole was.

"I think this is the keyhole. Look if we put all our keys together it should open whatever this is supposed to unlock. I may not be getting any visions or anything but I'm feeling a lot of tingling of excitement, aren't you two?" she asked and they nodded.

Slowly they put their pieces together and together they turned the key as a pedestal rose revealing a room and they figured might as well see what was inside. So holding hands with their dragons covering the rear they went inside.

Topside their parents, Gobber along with the Anquetils had finally caught up to the Riders and just found out they'd been buried alive in a cave in and were now frantically trying to dig them out.

They had no idea they're perfectly okay as they entered the burial chamber of Hamish I full of a lot of materialistic stuff, yet they knew that couldn't be what Hamish II wanted the people who solved his puzzle to find.

Surely not gold and they're right. There was another pedestal in from them with a rolled up scroll. It took them a moment to realize it was actually two scrolls rolled together. The first one was blank except for a simple message.

"This treasure was passed from father to son, I leave it to you the next worthy one. For only a hiccup could get this far. From one to another be proud of who you are."

Unrolling this scroll they're shocked they saw the true Hamish II. He was a hiccup just like them. But there was more, something more shocking. Next to him who he was holding in a loving embrace was a little girl who looked about two years younger. They'd a lot of similar characteristic between them and she too was a hiccup.

Then they looked at the second scroll which was a letter. "For the ones who solve our test and proved themselves worthy of our quest I Hamish II and my little sister Helen have one final request.

We're close as close could be. I looked after her and she looked out for me. So when a lie was told about me and she wasn't even shown we knew the truth had to be told someway and now we hope that day has come from you the worthy ones.

So please do us this honor by making sure one no more lies are painted and hung on the walls of the Great Hall and that one and all are always shown not just father and son but brothers and sisters as well.

This is the final request of Hamish II and his beloved sister Helen."

As the three of them looked at the letter and the picture all three of their powers went into overdrive.

Hiccup was able to absorb some of the memories lingering on that picture of Hamish and his sister and see he was a lot like him and his siblings.

Boden absorbed their emotions as they'd devised this test and how they'd managed to also persuade dragons to help after kindly let them out of some traps. And felt their bond as siblings been as strong as their own.

Una was seeing in her mind's eye just how that day of Hamish II painting went down and how he and Helen made this puzzle up and how they knew in their hearts more than one person would make it to this room. How they felt it would be another set of siblings just like them.

Just then snapping them out of their power daze was the pedestal going down and another riddle on the floor with two more pedestals with a hammer and feather.

"Uh oh, quick Hiccup what does it say?" asked Una to her brother.

"In between the body and mind, a choice must be made of what you find. At this moment you must look to yourself, as only one path will give you true wealth."

"I don't like the sound of that, nor the sound of what is clearly the cave in that is happening around us!" Boden as everything started to crumble around them.

They all looked at each other and nodded and in the chaos went in one direction.

Their parents were hollering that their kids were buried in there and suddenly the hillside behind them literally seemed to sink in on itself and Stoick cried, "HICCUP! BODEN! UNA!" and raced over there faster than anyone else.

But when the dust settle they're standing with their dragons unharmed with Hiccup holding the feather. And they all just simply said nonchalantly, "Hey Dad/Daddy."

"KIDS!" and they all raced over to him and he scooped them all up in a bear hug to which they turned blue and squeaked out "Dad/Daddy we can't breathe!" as he finally set them down.

Everyone bombarded with questions with what happened till Snotlout demanded where the treasure and they all unrolled together the painting of the whole Hamish's family.

"What in the name of Asgard is that? Where the treasure?!" demanded Snotlout looking around for gold and now Skullette and Firefang shoved him to the ground.

"That is the treasure you idiot!" Skullette informed in a disgusted voice stating the obvious

"Yeah don't you get what this whole puzzle was about? That's the real Hamish II and looks like his little sister! This whole quest was exactly what today started about. A painting that not only lacked integrity it also lacked the element of family.

Obviously Hamish II was like Hiccup who cared deeply about both integrity and his little sister so they wanted some way for the truth to be known after their death. But want it to be shown by those worthy to show it."

"So since the only ones be worthy be the ones who'd have the exact same problem that's why they came up with this puzzle. After all that's why it says on the first part "Only a hiccup could get this far. From one to another be proud of who you are!" Valka noted and looked at her husband with arched eyebrows.

"Well, I'm not the only father who a fool and I'm sure Hamish I own wife was kicking him in his own butt for letting tradition dictate what shouldn't be overshadow the truth.

Looking at this picture which was obviously drawn by both Hamish II and his sister since they signed it. It's clear their father loved them as much as I love you three.

Though you all are right. The truth should never be covered up for sake of what others think is right or normal or what they think is proper and tradition. It's time we break more than a few traditions and start a lot of new ones.

Starting with the one left by two young kids who my own three brilliant kids were able to bring them some lasting peace.

Come I think we have two paintings that need done and Valka is your friend Breezy still available to do them?"

Smiling "Oh she's always ready at the drop of helmet to do any art project. Let's get too it. But first finish apologizing to the kids."

Turning to his kids he said, "I'm sorry for hurting your feelings and making you have to do something this crazy to prove yourselves. But you are just fine and beautiful the way you are."

"Thanks Dad/Daddy but we had to do this for ourselves. But we love you just the same!" and they all hugged.

By the end of the day the Great Hall hung on the wall showing the truth of two different families. One showed the truth about Hamish I and his children the other showed Stoick the Vast with his family exactly as they were.

And from that day forth it was start of something new as many other traditions start to change for the better. Some big some small but in the end better for one and all.