"Hiccup, how is your head? Do you need some water? Want me to grab some grub? I'm sure one of the boats brought back some fish-"

"Toothless, calm down." Hiccup places a hand on Toothless's shoulder as his eyes glance towards the injured shoulder for a split moment before he turns back to his lover. Guilt doesn't begin to describe what he felt for everything he's done. "I just…Toothless, it's been days. And…I haven't talked to anyone. I want to apologize-"

"Hiccup, stop." Toothless speaks sternly and frowns at Hiccup's words before he sits down next to Hiccup on the lad's bed. The hybrid leans over to place a soft kiss on the brunette's temple and strokes over one of the freckled boy's hands. "Everyone knows you didn't mean to. They think it's because of the dark magic that is involved with your transformation. You remember that berry, right?"

Hiccup nods hesitantly. Still, it felt as if it wasn't the berry. In fact, that berry might've been what pushed him. Everything else?

"Ow!" Hiccup winces from the flick on his forehead and covers it, narrowing his eyes and pouting his lips to the firm looking, taller male. "What was that for?"

"That was to stop your mind from running too fast. Not the best tactic but you're blaming yourself." Toothless squeezes tight on one of Hiccup's legs and lets his tail curl around the auburn one. "It wasn't your fault. Besides, your body had been paying the price for the transformation. I mean, look at yourself."

Hiccup looks down to his bandaged hands and then at his bruised back before he winces slightly from the sting. It's quite true. Turns out, despite the few mauling Hiccup has done with his hands and the fact he has the blood of the Berserkers in his fingers, he didn't kill anyone. Rather, the blood of his hands? Those were from his. The transformation nearly tore him apart. Right now, Hiccup is stuck with his current form: The hybrid, lest he wants another injury in his external body parts.

Toothless pulls out a cloth from the bucket of water beside him and, squeezing the fabric to let the excessive water drip down into the bucket, he turns to the half-naked male. "Now this is going to sting."

It's a normal routine these past few days for Hiccup. Toothless would be the only person caring for him, treating his wounds and providing him the food and water he needs. However, Toothless has been the only one visiting him. He heard from his dragon the villagers only had a few scratches, his teammates are a little more injured but healing well and his father…well, Toothless mentions keeping Stoick up to date on Hiccup's condition.

After a few stinging sensations from his mate's TLC, Hiccup faces him whilst being tucked in bed once more. "Toothless, come on, please…At least let me apologize to-"

"No, Hiccup, we are not going to do this again. You'll apologize after you're all healed up! Now stay put while I get some food for you."

Hiccup pouts as he watches his dragon walk out of the room and close the door behind him before he groans in irritation and flops onto his bed, staring silently at the ceiling for the millionth time today. He rolls over left and right, the thought of his father and people never leaving his mind. He felt awful. He couldn't believe he really done all of that to them.

He closes his eyes quietly. Maybe he can try to think of a good way of apologizing to them in his dreams? Either way, he has to find the best way to ask-no. Beg for forgiveness. His body slowly curls to a ball.

Brown eyes snap open when he hears the audible creak of his door. He raises his head in an instant. "Toothless?" There isn't anyone at the door. Hiccup furrows his brow. "…Dad?" He slowly moves off of his bed and walks over to the door to look down at the flight of stairs at the quietness of the floor below. His eyes turn to the front door, just in time to see a glimpse of purple as the front door just closed. His curiosity peaks.

In his clothes and bandaged by the arms and legs, Hiccup walks down the stairs and opens the front door to steps into the open air of the rare spring-like time. Hiccup didn't realize it before but the village is…quiet. Too quiet. Vikings are never quiet! Like Gobber once told him, the only time a Viking goes quiet for more than 5 minutes is when they're dead. Hiccup walks down from his front porch and enters the main square of the town in search of the purple fabric. But nothing comes up. "Well…Since I'm here, maybe I can see where everyone went." He mutters to himself and looks through each paths. "Hello?"

"Anyone here?"

"Bucket? Mulch? Snotlout? Silent Sven?"

He calls out every name of the villagers he has known and lived with but not a single voice responds back. Hiccup furrows his brows. This is getting weirder. "Maybe Gobber would know where everyone is."

So it's only sensible to search the peg-leg man in the place he most often go to.

"Gobber?" Hiccup calls out and scans over the empty blacksmith, tools and plans laid over the desk. There isn't a sign of Gobber either. "Where is everyone…?" Then he notices a yellow-haired female that just walked pass of Gobber's forge.

"Astrid!" Hiccup calls out to the blonde, who flinches and stops in her tracks. Hiccup walks up from behind her and smiles, so happily, that he sees her being around. "Thank Thor you're here…Astrid, I know you won't forgive but…I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for what happened." The blonde didn't respond. Hiccup's smile fades away. "A-Astrid…?"

She didn't respond to him. Instead, she briskly walk away with a little more force in her steps, as if she's…angry. Hiccup's face look hurt. His heart trembles. "Astrid!" She didn't react to him. She just kept on walking.

Is that why he didn't see any villagers? Are they…afraid of him? Hiccup swallows thickly and grips his bandaged arms. He needs to calm down. He needs to get away from here, get his own space. He bites his lower lip. He needs help…

He shakes his head and runs away with tears watering in his eyes. He needs to go to a place he feels most calm in…

Stormfly comes out from a path between two village houses, holding a basket of fishes as she blinks from seeing Astrid walking towards her with her head lowered after Hiccup has disappeared in sight. "Astrid?"

"Stormfly," Astrid raises her head and Stormfly jumps slightly in surprise at the guilty, teary look on Astrid's face, "I just saw Hiccup! He was fucking apologizing! I almost couldn't hold it in! I had no choice but to ignore him! I feel so guilty!"

Thus, for the past single hour, Stormfly has to comfort a guilty Astrid over her guilt on the poor, almost-puppy-like Hiccup.

x

The cove has always been the most calming place he can go to. It's been his relaxed spot for whenever he feels muddled or corner. It might be because the memories here didn't involve Vikings or responsibilities. Just him, peacefulness and Toothless…

"Thor, this takes me back…" Hiccup stretches out his legs and closes his eyes and tilts his head back as he basks in the wonderful sunlight. His hands are placed behind him and he sighs quietly for a moment before his mind slowly drifts to the problems that brought him here in the first place. The rejection. The silence. The looks his people must be giving him behind his back…Reminders of his darker, hollow feelings of the past are crawling back.

"Reminiscing your old times?"

Hiccup jumps in fright and he turns in an instant to a woman wearing a purple robe. She steps forward calmly and sits cross-legged next to him by the edge of the large lake. Hiccup eyes her suspiciously.

"Who…Who are you?"

"No, the question is, who are you?" She looks at the lake in front of her and Hiccup takes in her appearance. Her long, black hair is let down, just passed her shoulders and her eyes are in dark shades of brown, maybe black. The lines under those orbs are black shades as if this person never got enough sleep. Her cheeks are round and her chin is short and narrow. Since her skin is slightly tanned, she has step within the sunrays. She's not from here.

Hiccup frowns in suspicion. "I asked you first."

"You can call me Lu. Now for your answer?"

"…Hiccup. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III."

Lu wags her finger towards Hiccup as she clicks her tongue. "No, not your name. Who you are is what I mean." She drops her hand and turns to him. Her eyes glint. "Do you remember me, little Fury?"

Hiccup's spine straightens in an instant when he can see a glow of purple covering those black eyes and, opening his mouth, he coughs and finds himself unable to breath. Something retracted into him… "Ngh!" Hiccup grunts in discomfort and grasps tightly on his shirt as he begins to breath and curls. He can feel his blood pumping in his ears. But as soon as the pain appeared, it's gone. He feels…different.

"There we go!" Lu claps her hands together and grins widely at Hiccup. "Now, that should prevent you from knocking stuff over."

"Wha-" Hiccup looks behind him and his eyes widen from his tail not being there anymore. He instinctively pats his head. His ears are gone as well! He looks back at the…witch. His eyes widen. "You were that…that woman from before, weren't you? The purple woman?"

"Good, you remembered me. Expected of the brilliant mate of the Night Fury."

Hiccup's sensors alert at the mention of his mate and he asks cautiously. "What…What do you want with Toothless?"

"That, my dear Hiccup, is a very good question. Unfortunately, that is something that I have no interest in. No, I have nothing in need with him. It's you that I wish to talk to." Lu stands up and walks around the brunette with an easy walk as if she's taking a stroll in circles. "See, I meddle in many things that interest me. And you, Hiccup, interest me. You have harsh emotions. Bad memories." She faces him by the front and she crosses her arms underneath her robe, by the judgment of the shapes and movements her robe made.

"I don't-"

"Neglect. Distrust. Pain. Anger. Rage." She leans forward by the waist and looks eye to eye with the young male. "Loneliness." Those six words stab Hiccup each time and he decided to let her have her say. Lu stands back up and sighs, shaking her head. "You are a smart guy, Hiccup. But you try too hard. You can't hide it forever. I had to give you that push before."

"Then why poison me?"

"It wasn't poison. It was the Depth Berry." She raises a hand, palms up, and a swirl of purple mist reveals the very same angry-skulled red berry on her hand. "I had someone deliver them to your plate and have you eat it. This berry is to allow the consumer to show every deep emotions he has bottled up. The deepest regrets, grudges, secrets, etcetera. And you, Hiccup, have a pretty rough grudge."

"I was fine without that berry. It nearly killed me."

"No, it didn't. You did." She pokes his chest with a look and frowns. "You have been eating yourself hard inside. It's far from being small nor harmless."

"I have been doing fine before you made this whole mess!"

"But before, you were thinking of dying at the spot, weren't you?"

Hiccup's eyes change and Lu continues. "Lying on that bed of yours, you feel your sensors dying out on you. You went through your life before your eyes. They have haunting you. You thought 'if I die, they'll remember me as a Viking before I mess up as the Disaster again'." She leans forward by the waist again and she whispers, quiet and low, in a statement. "Forget lying to me, Hiccup. You have struggled enough. Be honest already."

The son of the most hard-headed Chief, literally and figuratively, lowers his head in contemplations. Lu conjures up once more. Gone was the red berry and in would be a bunch of blue berries, handing like grapes. She places them onto the boy's lap and have him raise his head.

"Those are Truth berries. If you have troubles telling the truth…well, you know the simplest thing to do with them. For now, I bid you adieu."

"Wait! You still haven't-" Hiccup cries out to halt her but it was too late. She only grins wickedly and disappears in a swirl of purple smoke. Hiccup frowns, "-told me what I want to know." Hiccup sighs. That was a talkative witch, he has to admit.

He looks down at the blue berries on his lap and finds nothing odd with them. No symbols, no colors… "They look so normal…" But with the magic Lu pulled off, he knew she's no ordinary person. He groans and falls back to let his back be placed on the ground one arm lifting up to be placed on his forehead as he sighs. His eyes shut close and in doing so, he feels the lack of stamina into letting him sleep in the grass around him…

By the time Hiccup woke up, the sky has turn into a twilight color. He doesn't even know how long he's been asleep. One thing's for sure: Toothless is going to kill him.

"Oh crap!" Hiccup sits up right away with wide eyes. Toothless! Oh no no no, he's going to eat me and then kill me." He mutters under his breath and gets up quickly. He glances at the berries he's still holding onto. The thought of going back to his village, seeing all those looks from his fellow Viking people…

It made him feel worried once more. What is he? Who is he truly? Is he still the same Hiccup? Or is he…the berserk one?

"One way to find out…"

x

"Toothless, calm down-"

"What if Hiccup gets lost? Where the fuck is he? Is he even safe? Did he hurt himself? He better not fucking hurt himself or I'm fucking him till his ass hurts like hell!"

"I think you have been doing that for a long time already…"

Toothless sighs over Stormfly's comments and paces back and forth, forth and back. All of the Vikings are here in the Great Hall for the actions of Hiccup and the consequences of it all. With the brunette's presence unavailable, they couldn't start it. For the riders and Vikings, watching Toothless being overly worried almost unnerve them. The strongest dragon in their village, panicking over little Hiccup. That's not an everyday thing, mainly because the brunette doesn't get into much trouble without Toothless near him.

His ears instantly perk up at the sound of a door creaking and he turns so fast, his neck would've crack. The skies have turn darker and darker and following it is a young brunette in bandages walking into the Hall, catching the eyes of various Vikings. Toothless smiles with relief and runs towards him.

"Hiccup! There you are! And-" Toothless pauses from seeing what Hiccup is holding as the brunette walks pass him to place the bunch of berries onto the table. "What is that?"

"This," Hiccup holds up a blue-ish berry to present it to his villagers as he faces them with a look of determination, "is the berry that…that will clear things up."

"What do you mean? Clear what up?" Toothless reaches out slowly.

Hiccup notices it well. "It's going to clear up for what I have done. I think I deserve to do what actions I have to do…for my people."

"Hiccup, no, wait!"

Hiccup plops the blue berry into his mouth before Toothless can get to him and he swallows down the fruit whilst covering his lips. Toothless pales and he reaches out to pull his now empty hand away. He sharply looks back at Hiccup and nearly speaks in fear. "Hiccup, what did you ate?!"

"I…" Hiccup's eyes begin to water and he starts finding himself shaking. He thought it's the berry. Has the witch poison him? Then he realizes, this isn't poison. Nor magic. This is his bare emotions. He clasps his hands together and against his chest as he tries to steady his breath. Tears flow down along the brunette's cheeks and with a shivering sob, Hiccup closes those brown orbs and begins to speak out what he knows would be the truth. "I…am so sorry…everyone."

The entire habitants of the Berk village stares wide-eyed towards the now crying brunette as he grips onto the front of his shirt, his heart beating with each guilt he feels across his very body. He turns to face his villagers, the people who he hurt.

"I haven't been honest to all of you. Any of you. The truth is…I used to resent all of your judgment. I knew why. I knew the intentions. It was to protect yourself from a destructive nuisance. And when I look back, yes, I didn't make a good impression. However, I felt this…this horrible ache. Like no one would ever consider me as an equal or…like me as I am. I mess up so many times.

There are no words to say how sorry I am. I don't blame anyone for hating me. I deserve it for the harm I have bring to you. But I promise, it will not happen again. Even if it means staking my life, I'm happy to protect every one of you from danger. I want to be the Chief you guys deserve. Strong, brave, great…Like my father." Hiccup turns to Stoick and smiles sadly towards him. "Dad…I know I haven't been the greatest son in these past few days. But you are, and always will be, the best dad in the world. You…You regret what you did. It's taken me this long to do this but I forgive you, Dad. I hope you will forgive me." Hiccup turns to his teammates. "And I am sorry to my teammates. I have been bottling up unconsciously, the feelings I felt from the treatment you guys given me. But after everything, after the battle on that island against the Green Death, I should've considered you guys as my friends completely. We have all changed for the better. I want to be a true teammate and friend to you guys...And Toothless."

Hiccup turns to the lover in front of him and wraps his arms around the black Night Fury hybrid in a warm, tight hug, burying his face as he begins to sob against his words, his small frame shaking with indescribable emotions. "You…You're the best and only mate I ever have. You helped me see differently. You helped me change. You understand how I feel. I can't thank you enough nor can I tell you how much I love you." Soon, Hiccup's voice turn hoarse and he speaks against the fabric of Toothless's shirt as he quietly mutters to the dragon hybrid. "I want to be the Hiccup you guys will trust…"

The Hall is suddenly filled with silence as Hiccup shuts his eyes tight and waits for the response of the Vikings, his grip on Toothless tightening…Then it happened.

Gobber lets out a loud, bellowing laugh that echoes through the walls as he shouts. "SEE?! I told you the lad would be the first to apologize!"

"Odin be damned, Hiccup! We were supposed to be the one who apologize!"

"Hiccup, you little run away! We even set up this feast to say we're sorry for days!"

Hiccup looks around the laughing and smiling Vikings all around, their faces clear of disappointment, scorn and anger. Hiccup blinks and gawks, his mouth stuttering out for a voice until words finally came out. "W-What? But…But!" Hiccup turns to Astrid. "Aren't you guys mad?! I mean…Astrid, you even looked away from me when I tried to greet you!"

"That's because she was so tempted to spill everything to you!" Stormfly wraps her tail around Astrid's waist and grins at the embarrassment on her face. "She told me that when she saw you, she just really want to give you a big hug and spill about the surprise and apologize really hard. Especially when you look like a lonely, injured puppy when you're in bandages."

"I couldn't help the urge! He even had tears in his eyes!" Astrid protests against her lover, who laughs and plants a light kiss on the blonde's forehead before she makes a snuggling motion between their heads.

"T-Then…Snotlout?"

"Hiccup, you only won against that battle with me with magic. That doesn't count!" Snotlout narrows his eyes and Hookfang only rolls his eyes before lazily places his tail over his lover's shoulders.

"I didn't appreciate having a thorn on my side but better than having a thorn up my ass. Plus, you got to injure Snotlout a little enough that I can have my fun with him while he's immobilized."

The Jorgenson blushed heavily and he yells in embarrassment to his red-headed hybrid. "YOU WERE SEXUAL HARRASING ME!"

"Not from all those lovely noise you made~"

"Fishlegs? The twins?" Hiccup points out more of his teammates. The twins grin wide and Tuffnut decides to comment.

"Dude, you made the BIGGEST disaster any Berkians can do in the village! That was AWESOME!"

"Yeah! We need to teach you how to destroy a better area though, you are on your way to being one of us!" Somehow, that made Hiccup more scared than being disdained. Even their dragons sighs over their riders' thoughts. Fishlegs smiles towards Hiccup.

"I'm pretty sure you suffered the most, after what you told me. Plus, you didn't try killing me or Meatlug. I'm just sorry that we have to hide all this from you, especially for Toothless."

Hiccup stares for a moment before he turns to Toothless with an accusing glare. The black hybrid raises his hands up and smiles sheepishly.

"You knew."

"Now Hiccup, I'm sure we can establish this in a civilized-"

"YOU FRICKING KNEW IT!" Hiccup starts battering his chest with his fist as he cries out in accusation. "YOU LIED TO ME!"

"Now, Hiccup, that's a bit of a farfetched thing!"

"For Odin's sakes, you useless reptile!" Toothless laughs joyously at how his little Hiccup refers to him with that old bantering nickname as he traps his little brunette in his arms to peck him on his nose.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup. But your father insisted."

"Dad!" Hiccup pouts towards a guffawing Stoick as his father walks over to pat a heavy hand on the brunette's back.

"Come now, son! It all worked out in the end. Although, I don't see why you need a berry to help you out."

"Which, I have to ask…Where did you get it and what is it?"

"Oh." Hiccup blinks and scratches one of his freckled cheeks. "It's a truth berry and…um…I got it from a…woman."

"A woman?" Toothless raises a confused brow and Hiccup nods in response.

"She said it would help me say the truth and only the truth. I have been so confused on what I truly felt so…"

Toothless frowns. "So you took the risk despite the fact it could have ended horribly? That's pretty dangerous, Hiccup. What if she hurt you?"

"She…didn't seem that dangerous. Rather, she seem…helpful. I don't know why." Hiccup furrows his brow over his opinion of the witch he met. She's a little of an odd ball, slightly innuendos as well. But harmful and dangerous? She didn't seem too much like it. Hiccup raises his eyes in time to see Toothless holding a blueberry.

"Maybe I should try it."

"What?! Toothless, no-"

And plop goes the berry as it was thrown into the mouth of the black Night Fury, an audible gulp heard to Hiccup. Toothless closes his eyes for a moment, waiting for the effects…Then he opens his toxic green eyes and mutters.

"Hiccup," the boy readies himself for Toothless's truth. Toothless's eyes trained on the brunette as he say, "I can actually bare kids."

Everyone steps back in shock at the sound of Toothless's words and looks at each other before glancing over to the dark-haired teen. If this is true, then surely, there would be an heir in the future for the Haddock family. The Vikings glance over to Hiccup…

"It really was an ordinary berry!"

The brunette flusters brightly from being fooled and groans as he buries his face into his hands while Toothless releases a bellowing laugh, more at the fact that he couldn't lie to Hiccup than the brunette's naïve choice.

"I should've known I can never be a good liar to you."

Hiccup lifts his head and pouts once more. "Come on, Toothless, I know you better than that."

"Well…Now everyone knows you're more Hiccup than they think now." As if it's on cue, everyone cheers on with their fists in the air before they lets out rows of joyous, celebratory laughs.

"COME ON! LET'S START THE FEAST THEN!"

The feast went into a full swing. The men are drinking. The women are chatting. The kids are dancing. And the dragons are roaring with life. The atmosphere speaks for itself. It isn't just a party. It's a celebration for lifting their spirits, for forgiveness and improving the bonds of the village. Stoick places a hand on Hiccup's shoulder and, looking up, he sees his father's smile.

"You did well, son. You're a Viking, no matter what anyone says. We all fight together and we'll forever do so. That's the Berkian way."

Hiccup smiles and looks over to his band of riders laughing and dancing with their respective dragons as they enjoy like no tomorrow. The brunette sighs in content. "I'm so happy you're my dad."

Stoick lets out a soft laugh but the edges of his eyes burn with tears of fatherly joy. Of course, he can't show his emotions so he held them back as Toothless runs towards Hiccup and grabs him by the hands, grinning towards Stoick. "Mind if I have my wife back?"

Hiccup flusters but Stoick chuckles and releases his son. "Go! Celebrate to your heart's content! I'll just be having a drinkin' contest with Gobber. We still have a competition to settle!"

With the approval from the chief himself, the two prime couples laugh and dance around to join the large group of people of merriness and liveliness. The lights seem brighter within the Great Hall and the world is turning around in a colorful vision once more.

Outside the Great Hall's doors, the woman is there once more. The purple robed-female smiles under her hood from seeing the teen Viking smiling and cheering along his people. He has his home. He's truly happy. Lu-chan separates herself from the door and holds a precious orb in her hand. With a wicked glint in her eyes, the berries that are unattended on the table disappears. Those blue berries appear right back into her free hand and, swirling in a cloud of purple smoke, there lies various berries in different shapes and sizes. She pulls out one in particular. It's a normal blueberry, small and harmless. A smile graces onto her lips. "Toothless, you are so lucky to taste the natural one…Wish I can say the same for Hiccup." She turns back to the crack of the door and eyes down at the body of the young Viking, mainly the midriff. With an amused smile, she turns away with a whisk of her robe and walks down the stairs in soft, quiet steps. The wind blows against her and as the hood falls off, her black hair flows with the air as she mutters to the boy who couldn't be here to hear.

"You're going to be an interesting mother, Hiccup."

As you can tell, the title of the chapter is a half-truth :3 I'm sorry for it being a bit too fast. D: It's pretty late here and I got too excited in writing this ^^"

Don't you love me torturing you?

Anyways, the Truth Berry was requested by Azumi Ojima –Please forgive me if you think this isn't counted as fulfilling your Truth Berry request. It works out in the end though, didn't it? =3 –

And I don't even want to say who requested the other berry because it's just TOO. MUCH. OF. YOU. Really, it's the most popular request I got.

In case none of you remember Amelia, she was the character from Chapter 3 in this very same story. She'll be playing a part in the future chapter. Or her body will be, at least.

Let's enjoy it well, shall we?