Post-Lightning Hiccup: A 'View to a Skrill' Rewrite

Chapter 2: Chaos

AN: This chapter was a pain to edit, because I edited it, published it, then it glitched for some reason and I had to go BACK and edit it AGAIN. Whatever. :) It's better than it was before, and that's the important thing. If you enjoy this chapter, please comment, and if you find something you dislike, please comment about that as well. Thanks for reading!

Hiccup jumped. Astrid cocked an eyebrow.

"What did you say?" She asked, while the others looked at him strangely.

"Blug batha sc..." Hiccup stopped, eyes widening.

"What's he saying?" Fishlegs' voice rose over the wind and the waves. "What's happened to him!"

Behind them, Snotlout snorted out a laugh.

"Blut? Blaaaauuugh!" Hiccup slapped his hands over his mouth, eyes wide with horror.

"What's going on!" Astrid slammed her fist on her saddle, eyes widening.

"He got struck by lightning." Snotlout said.

"Uh yeah! I noticed." Astrid retorted, trying to cover up her fear with anger. "What I can't figure out is why Hiccup sounds like... like this. Like he's gargling water. What's he's saying?"

"He's trying to ask, 'Where's the Skrill?' and 'Why do I sound like this?'" Tuffnut said.

"How would YOU know?" Astrid looked back at him.

"I speak post-lightning Snotlout. Or, in this case, post-lightning Hiccup."

"Snotlout's been hit, like, a dozen times." Ruffnut added.

Hiccup grabbed at his hair and pulled. This was bad, this was bad... how would he get back to normal? His breath became ragged as he started hyperventilating.

"Hiccup, relax." Astrid tried to soothe him

"Snoog!" Hiccup exclaimed, striking his chest with an open hand. He couldn't lead the Dragon Riders like this. He couldn't give orders if he couldn't even speak!

"Oh, I agree." Snotlout teased, smirking as he leaned on Hookfang's horns.

Hiccup growled through his teeth and shot him a glare.

"Okay," Astrid started to lose her remaining patience. "Who here knows what he's saying, and how can we help him?"

"I do." Tuff raised a finger.

"I'm familiar with it," Said Snotlout, shrugging. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"After being hit to the head so many times, you should." Ruff laughed.

"Snotlout speaks like this all the time." Astrid snorted. She turned to Hiccup. "We have to come up with a plan."

"Smeggle horlaf scarlile!" Hiccup pointed to the clouds. Astrid blinked. Hiccup turned to Tuff and looked at him imploringly.

"He says we have to go after the Skrill." Tuff translated.

"Absolutely not!" Astrid scowled. "We have to find a cure. Maybe Gothi knows something."

"Actually, I never needed a cure." Snotlout leaned on one elbow. "It usually just wears off."

"Usually." Ruff snickered.

"Sometimes it takes a blow." Snotlout banged his helmet with his fist.

Astrid groaned. "Hiccup, let's go back to Berk."

"Noque Scarlile!"

"Forget the Skrill, let's go."

Hiccup stiffened in his seat. "Shrigmal!" He yelled, pointing behind the others.