A/N: Hello all lovers of How to Train Your Dragon. I know everyone does this and they all have roughly the same content but I was willing to try and write something different while I the time. I hope everyone likes this because writing one of this types of stories is harder than I thought but it'll be rewarding if this story does well. SO without further ado... the story.

DISCLAIMER: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Written by Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders Final Draft February 13, 2010. I don't own any of the characters EXCEPT me and my dragon.

Hiccup watches Astrid run out of the cove. He blinks but when he opens his eyes he doesn't recognize where he is but he notices everyone he knows is there with him.

"Hello," I said.

Everyone jumps at my voice that seemingly came from nowhere when it really came from the front of the vast room. It was lined with hundreds of chairs with a huge space with giant stone slabs.

"My name is Emilyroseclaire but you can just call me Claire. I have brought you here today to watch events that have happened and are to come."

"What witchcraft have you inflicted upon my village? Return us at once!" Stoick yelled

"No," I replied calmly, "I have depleted too much of my magic to return you all now. You must stay and watch what I am about to show you. There is one rule: no fighting with the other guests I have brought here with you." As she said this everyone noticed the dragons that were on the side of the room with stone slabs and immediately backed away grabbing for their weapons but they turn up empty handed. "As I said no fighting. They will not attack you if you do not attack them."

Hiccup wondered who this girl was she didn't seem much older than he was but she gave off a feeling that she was much more mature than anyone in the room. "What do you want us to watch?" he asked afraid of the answer.

She turned to him and looked into his eyes and read the unasked question he did not know he was asking. "The title will be revealed at the end until then just relax nothing will happen to any one. Now if you don't mind please sit and we can begin."

After exchanging a look, Hiccup and Astrid hung around the until most of the Vikings had sat down. Then they both sat down towards the back of the room near the side the dragons were. Noticing this I called my midnight blue Night Fury, Serena, and told her to find a certain obsidian colored dragon.

"Now that you all are seated I will play the movie. Which is a series of moving pictures with sounds. It may sound impossible but from were I am from it is completely possible. Now if there are no further questions I will start."

FADE IN:

EXT. NORTH SEA/VILLAGE - NIGHT

We skim above a dark, wild ocean. The camera turns toward a

lone island, Berk. It is a gigantic shard of rock jutting

straight out of the water.

HICCUP (V.O.)

This, is Berk. It's twelve days

North of hopeless, and a few

degrees South of freezing to death.

It's located solidly on the

meridian of misery.

The Vikings wonder if that is a true description of their home. Sure it had some pretty tough weather but that just made them tougher.

The camera drifts over rolling hills to reveal a small

village nestled on an outcropping of sea mounts.

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)

My village. In a word, sturdy.

And it's been here for seven

generations, but every single

building is new.

"Really? I wonder why?," Tuffnut asked seriously.

Hiccup facepalms at the statement.

The camera drifts closer, circling.

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)

We have fishing, hunting, and a

charming view of the sunsets. The

only problems are the pests. You

see, most places have mice or

mosquitos. We have...

"What do we have again?" Ruff asked

"Oh for the love of Thor will you please shut up?" Snoutlout shouted

Sheep graze peacefully on a hillside. Suddenly one is

snatched.

CUT TO:

INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

A door is pulled open... as a DRAGON swoops directly toward

it, BLASTING FIRE. The door is SLAMMED. The fire shoots

through the slats of wood, illuminating HICCUP, a gangly

teenage Viking.

HICCUP

...dragons.

"Oh! Right."

EXT. STOICK'S HOUSE

He reopens the sizzling door, as leaps off of the front

porch. He weaves through the erupting mayhem as Vikings pour

out of the buildings, ready for a fight

More dragons swarm in, setting rooftops alight and hauling

off sheep.

HICCUP (V.O.)

Most people would leave. Not us.

We're Vikings. We have stubbornness

issues.

Some of the vikings looked miffed at this statement.

Vikings sound the alarm. Viking men and women pour out into

the streets, axes in hand.

ON HICCUP darting through alleys, staying under eaves, making

his way through the battle.

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)

My name's Hiccup. Great name, I

know. But it's not the worst.

Parents believe a hideous name will

frighten off gnomes and trolls.

Like our charming Viking demeanor

wouldn't do that.

"What's that supposed to mean?" a Viking asked

Dragons sweep back and forth, dodging axes and blasting the

Vikings who throw them. A burly warrior gets tossed in an

explosion, knocking Hiccup to the ground.

VIKING

(FIERCE)

Arggghhhhh!

(cheery, insane)

Mornin'!

Everyone laughed at this and said viking sheepishly rubbed his neck.

Hiccup gets to his feet and continues to rush past gigantic

men and women.

HICCUP (V.O.)

Meet the neighbors. Hoark the

Haggard...

HOARK

What are you doing out!?

HICCUP

... Burnthair the Broad...

BURNTHAIR

Get inside!

HICCUP

... Phlegma the Fierce...

PHLEGMA THE FIERCE

Get back inside!

HICCUP

. Ack.

He passes a silent ox of a viking, picking his ear.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

Yep, just Ack.

Enter STOICK, the biggest Viking of all. He yanks Hiccup from

the path of a strafing dragon and holds aloft to the crowd.

"Oh, here it comes," Hiccup muttered to no one in particular.

STOICK

Hiccup!?

(accusingly; to the crowd)

What is he doing out again?!

(TO HICCUP)

What are you doing out?! Get

inside!

The flames light up his scowling face and matted red beard.

He sets Hiccup down and turns to the sky, searching.

HICCUP (V.O.)

(IN AWE)

That's Stoick the Vast. Chief of

the tribe. They say that when he

was a baby he popped a dragon's

head clean off of its shoulders.

Do I believe it?

"People are still telling that story?" Stoick thought while smiling.

Stoick grabs a wooden cart and hurls it, knocking the

strafing dragon out of the sky.

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Yes I do.

An EXPLOSION forces Vikings to DUCK. Stoick stands firm,

brushing flaming debris off of his shoulder.

STOICK

(barking; to his men)

What have we got?

VIKING #1

Gronkles. Nadders. Zipplebacks. Oh,

and Hoark saw a Monstrous

Nightmare.

At the mention of their names the dragons perk up and preen themselves.

STOICK

Any Night Furies?

"Wait were is Toothless?" Hiccup asked

"He's coming. Serena went to get him," I said.

"Who's Serena?" Astrid asked

"My dragon."

They both were amazed that I had a dragon too but didn't question any further.

VIKING #1

None so far.

STOICK

(RELIEVED)

Good.

VIKING

Hoist the torches!

Massive flaming braziers are raised on poles, lighting up the

night sky... and revealing swirling dragons of all types.

Below, Hiccup crosses an open plaza and ducks into an open

building with a tall chimney.

INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS

He crosses behind a counter, where a peg-legged, one-armed

hulk of a Blacksmith reshapes blades with a hammer and tongs

appendage.

GOBBER

Ah! Nice of you to join the party.

I thought you'd been carried off.

Hiccup dons a leather apron and starts to put away Gobber's

scattered appendages.

HICCUP

Who me? Nah, come on! I'm way too

muscular for their taste. They

wouldn't know what to do with all

this.

Hiccup strikes a bodybuilder pose.

At this Hiccup is embarrassed while Snoutlout laughs and says, "Keep dreaming Useless."

Astrid clenches her fist about to say something but Hiccup motions for her not to, "Let him be," he said.

GOBBER

They need toothpicks, don't they?

Hiccup gets to work, transferring bent and chipped weapons to

the forge as Vikings crowd the counter for replacements.

HICCUP (V.O.)

The meathead with attitude and

interchangeable hands is Gobber.

"Meathead?!" Gobber yells

"Yep meathead." Hiccup replied

I've been his apprentice ever since

I was little. Well...littler.

EXT. VILLAGE - CONTINUOUS

ON STOICK

STOICK

We move to the lower defenses.

We'll counter-attack with the

catapults.

Armed men rush past, flanking others who carry sheep to

safety. Stoick follows up the rear as, overhead, a dragon

strafes the rooftops with Napalm-like fire.

HICCUP (V.O.)

See? Old village. Lots and lots

of new houses.

VIKING

FIRE!

In response, the fire brigade charges through the plaza -

four TEENS, tugging a large wooden cask on wheels. From it,

they fill buckets of water to douse the flames. One among

them is a cute, energetic Viking girl.

Hiccup leans out of the stall to watch her.

HICCUP (V.O.)

Oh and that's Fishlegs, Snotlout.

The twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

And...

(DREAMY)

Astrid.

A SLOW-MOTION explosion erupts behind her, framing her in a

sexy ball of fire. The others join her, looking awesome and

heroic.

The twins, Fishlegs, and Snoutlout exclaim at how cool they look. Hiccup blushes at this and hides his face from Astrid while she sneaks a glance at him and smiles.

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Their job is so much cooler.

Hiccup tries to join them as they pass, but he's hooked by

Gobber and hoisted back inside.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

(PLEADING)

Ah, come on. Let me out, please. I

need to make my mark.

GOBBER

Oh, you've made plenty of marks.

All in the wrong places.

"It's not like I meant to." Hiccup said to defend himself while Astrid chuckled causing Hiccup to give her a friendly glare.

HICCUP

Please, two minutes. I'll kill a

dragon. My life will get infinitely

better. I might even get a date.

"Yeah right!" Snoutlout said, "When vikings fly maybe. HAHAHAHAHA!"

I laugh at this know all too well what is going to happen.

GOBBER

You can't lift a hammer. You can't

swing an axe...

Gobber grabs a bola (iron balls connected by rope).

GOBBER (CONT'D)

... you can't even throw one of

these.

"Actually I can lift a hammer and can somewhat swing an axe I don't have the best aim when I do though and you're right I can not throw a bola for the life of me," Hiccup stated.

Astrid stares at him.

"What? I would not be a very good blacksmith if I couldn't do any of that."

Everyone is shocked that Hiccup could do anything that involved having strength at all.

A Viking runs by and nabs it out of Gobber's hand, hurling it

at a dive-bombing Gronkle. The bola binds its legs, sending

it into a heavy crash.

HICCUP

(ready with the answer)

Okay fine, but...

He rushes to the back corner of the stall and presents a

bizarre, wheel barrow-like contraption.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

... this will throw it for me.

Hiccup OPENS the hinged lid of the device. An arm springs up,

equipped with twin bows. They prematurely launch a bola,

narrowly missing Gobber... and taking out a Viking at the

counter.

VIKING

Arggh!

"That really hurt," said the Viking

Hiccup offered a sheepish smile in return.

All the while the twins make a plan to steal the contraption when they return to Berk.

GOBBER

See, now this right here is what

I'm talking about.

HICCUP

Mild calibration issue.

GOBBER

Hiccup. If you ever want to get out

there to fight dragons, you need

to stop all...

Gobber gestures in Hiccup's general direction.

GOBBER (CONT'D)

... this.

HICCUP

(ASTONISHED)

But... you just pointed to all of

me.

GOBBER

Yes! That's it! Stop being all of

you.

"And the winner for the person with the best pep talks is Gobber!" I shout sarcastically.

"That didn't come across the way I meant for it to," Gobber explained sheepishly.

"I know it," Hiccup replied.

HICCUP

(THREATENING)

Ohhhh...

GOBBER

(MIMICKING)

Ohhhhh, yes.

HICCUP

You, sir, are playing a dangerous

game. Keeping this much,

raw...Vikingness contained.

(BEAT)

There will be consequences!

"And boy were there," I said

Everyone looked at me like I was insane.

Stoick was thinking about the kind of relationship Gobber and Hiccup had and was jealous of how easily they spoke to one another.

Gobber tosses him a sword.

GOBBER

I'll take my chances. Sword.

Sharpen. Now.

Hiccup takes it begrudgingly and lobs it onto the grinding

wheel. He stews... fantasizing...

HICCUP (V.O.)

One day I'll get out there. Because

killing a dragon is everything

around here.

At this the dragons perk up and listen with fascination. Maybe now we can know why they kill yes and not help us feed the queen. Most dragons thought.

EXT. VILLAGE - LOWER PLAINS - CONTINUOUS

Nadders land, gathering like seagulls around a seemingly

vacant house.

HICCUP (V.O.)

A Nadder head is sure to get me at

least noticed.

The Nadders scoff, "Only noticed?! We are worth much more than that."

The Nadders clamber onto the building, tearing the roof and

walls apart. Sheep pour out and SCATTER.

Elsewhere, hippo-like Gronckles pick drying racks clean of

fish and fly off like loaded pelicans.

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Gronckles are tough. Taking down

one of those would definitely get

me a girlfriend.

The Gronckles straiten up feeling very important for out doing the Nadders.

A stealthy, snake-like dragon head peeks over a rooftop,

breathing gas into a chimney.

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)

A Zippelback? Exotic, exciting. Two

heads, twice the status.

"Exotic? YES!" Some Zipplebacks thought.

A second head pokes through the door and lights it. KABLAM!

The two heads fly through the explosion, their necks zipping

together to reveal a single body.

It flies past Stoick as he climbs to the top of a CATAPULT

TOWER.

CATAPULT OPERATOR

They found the sheep!

STOICK

(FRUSTRATED)

Concentrate fire over the lower

bank!

CATAPULT OPERATOR

Fire!

Boulders are catapulted at the corralling Nadders...

Just as a huge red dragon whips past, spraying the base of

the catapult with sticky fire.

HICCUP (V.O.)

And then there's the Monstrous

Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go

after those. They have this nasty

habit of setting themselves on

fire.

It emerges from the flames, climbing the catapult with a

leering, toothy grin.

"Of course only the best go after us, we are the best! Nothing can stop us!" The Nightmares thought

STOICK

Reload! I'll take care of this.

Stoick takes on the Nightmare, face to hammer.

Suddenly, a LOUD BALLISTIC MOANING streaks overhead. The

catapult crew ducks.

Hiccup perks up at this and looks around for Toothless who is just now emerging for all the other dragons with Serena. "Another Night Fury!?" Hiccup whisper yelled

"This is Serena my dragon," I said with a smile on my face. Hiccup's reaction was too priceless not to smile.

"Are there more out there?" Astrid asked

"Not yet," was my reply.

Both looked confused at my reply but returned to the movie.

INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS

ON HICCUP, looking up from his work, reacting to the same

sound.

HICCUP (V.O.)

But the ultimate prize is the

dragon no one has ever seen. We

call it the-

VIKING

Night Fury! Get down!

Vikings everywhere take shelter. The moaning sound BUILDS.

EXT. VILLAGE - CATAPULT - CONTINUOUS

The Monstrous Nightmare suddenly stops fighting and takes

flight. Stoick looks skyward.

STOICK

JUMP!

KABOOM! The Catapult EXPLODES as though hit by an artillery

shell... sending Stoick and the crew leaping for their lives.

HICCUP (V.O.)

This thing never steals food, never

shows itself, and...

The sound recedes, leaving the crippled catapult in flames.

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)

...never misses.

(BEAT)

No one has ever killed a Night

Fury. That's why I'm going to be

the first.

"HAHAHAHA! Yeah right Hiccup I'm going to be the first to kill one," Snoutlout mocked.

"No one will kill that Night Fury!" I yelled.

IN THE STALL

Gobber trades his hammer for an axe.

GOBBER

Man the fort, Hiccup, they need me

out there!

Gobber pauses. Turns with a threatening glare.

GOBBER (CONT'D)

Stay. Put. There. You know what I

mean.

"Did you really think that would work?" Stoick asked Gobber.

"Eh. I thought that it might work this time," Gobber shrugged.

Gobber charges into the fray, HOLLERING.

ON HICCUP, a smirk crosses his face.

EXT. VILLAGE - MOMENTS LATER

WHAM! Hiccup pushes his wheeled contraption through a wall of

clustered Vikings. He weaves through the ongoing mayhem, as

fast as his legs can carry him.

VIKING #6 (O.S.)

Hiccup, where are you going!

VIKING #7

Come back here!

HICCUP

I know. Be right back!

"You're going to do something crazy aren't you?" Astrid asked Hiccup. The latter shrugged while sheepishly rubbing his neck.

ON THE PLAIN BELOW

The Nadders have cornered the house-full of sheep. They close

in, ready to spring upon them.

Stoick suddenly appears, HURLING FISHING NETS over them. The

surprised Nadders are caught. Stoick and his men rush in.

A Nadder blasts a hole through its net. Stoick leaps onto it,

clamping his thick arms around its head, forcing its jaws

shut.

STOICK

Mind yourselves! The devils still

have some juice in them.

"They are not devils," Hiccup said. The Vikings closest to him heard him and were shocked at the statement .

ON THE PLAIN ABOVE

Hiccup reaches a cliff overlooking the smoking CATAPULT and

drops the handles to the ground. He cranks several levers,

unfolding and then cocking the bowed arms of his contraption.

He drops a bola onto a chamber and then pivots the weapon on

a gimbal head toward the dark sky.

He listens, with his eye pressed to the scope, hand poised on

the trigger. He hears the NIGHT FURY approaching... and turns

his aim to the defense tower. It closes in for the final

strike, completely camouflaged in the night.

HICCUP

(TO HIMSELF)

Come on. Give me something to shoot

at, give me something to shoot at.

KABLAM! The tower topples. The blast of fire illuminates the

dragon for a split second. Hiccup pulls the trigger.

KERTHUNK! The flexed arms SNAP forward, springing the weapon

off the ground. The bola disappears into the sky, followed by

a WHACK and a SCREECH.

There was complete silence followed by thunderous applause and cheering that would have made Valhalla proud. "HICCUP YOU"VE DONE IT!" was the cheer that was heard the loudest.

For Hiccup this was reliving his worst nightmare causing Toothless to whack him on the head with his tail.

"HEY! What was that for?" Hiccup said accusingly

Toothless gave him a look that said, "You know exactly what that was for. Stop blaming yourself for giving me the best friend in the world."

"Thanks bud," Hiccup said giving Toothless a hug.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

(surprised, then elated)

Oh I hit it! Yes, I hit it! Did

anybody see that?

Hiccup's victory is short-lived. A Monstrous Nightmare

appears, slithering up over the lip of the cliff.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

Except for you.

Everyone laughed at Hiccup's misfortune.

ON STOICK, holding down the netted Nadders. He hears a

familiar HOLLER and looks up to see...

HICCUP running through the PLAZA, SCREAMING, with the

NIGHTMARE fast on his heels.

"You even scream like a girl," Snoutlout said.

Alarmed, Stoick abandons the Nadders and runs off.

STOICK

(to his men, re: the

NADDERS)

DO NOT let them escape!

IN THE PLAZA

Vikings scatter as Hiccup dodges a near fatal blast. The

Nightmare's sticky, Napalm-like fire splashes up onto

buildings, setting them alight.

Hiccup ducks behind the last standing brazier - the only

shelter available. The Nightmare blasts it, spraying fire all

around him. Hiccup peers around the smoldering post. No sign

of the Nightmare.

He turns back to find it leering at him, blocking his escape.

It takes a deep breath. Hiccup is finished.

Suddenly, Stoick LEAPS between them, tackling the Nightmare

to the ground. They tumble and wrestle, resuming their

earlier fight. The Nightmare tries to toast him, but only

coughs up smoke.

STOICK (CONT'D)

You're all out.

He smashes the Nightmare repeatedly in the face, driving it

away. It takes to the air and disappears. Winded, Stoick

turns to Hiccup.

HICCUP (V.O.)

Oh, and there's one more thing you

need to know...

"What do we need to know?" Tuffnut asked

"If you shut up you'd know," His sister responded.

As usual they started fighting causing their parents to roll their eyes at the twins antics.

The burnt brazier pole collapses, sending the massive iron

basket crashing. It bounces down the hill, destroying as it

goes and scattering the Vikings who were holding down the

netted Nadders. The freed dragons escape... with several

sheep in tow.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

Sorry, dad.

EXT. VILLAGE - UPPER PLAZA - CONTINUOUS

The escaped Nadders fly past with sheep in their clutches.

The raid is over. The dragons have clearly won.

The murmuring crowd eyes Stoick, awaiting his response.

HICCUP

(SHEEPISH)

Okay, but I hit a Night Fury.

Stoick grabs Hiccup by the back scruff of his collar and

hauls him away, fuming with embarrassment.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

It's not like the last few times,

Dad. I mean I really actually hit

it. You guys were busy and I had a

very clear shot. It went down, just

off Raven Point. Let's get a search

party out there, before it-

"Sorry I didn't believe you son. When we get back we'll go get it."

"No need," Hiccup muttered.

STOICK

-STOP! Just...stop.

He releases Hiccup. Everyone goes silent, staring

expectantly.

STOICK (CONT'D)

Every time you step outside,

disaster follows. Can you not see

that I have bigger problems?

Winter's almost here and I have an

entire village to feed!

Hiccup looks around. All eyes are upon him.

HICCUP

Between you and me, the village

could do with a little less

feeding, don't ya think?

A few rotund Vikings stir self-consciously.

STOICK

This isn't a joke, Hiccup!

(EXASPERATED)

Why can't you follow the simplest

orders?

HICCUP

I can't stop myself. I see a dragon

and I have to just... kill it, you

know? It's who I am, Dad.

"Nope," Hiccup said.

STOICK

You are many things, Hiccup. But a

dragon killer is not one of them.

Sting. Hiccup looks around to see many nods of agreement.

STOICK (CONT'D)

Get back to the house.

(TO GOBBER)

Make sure he gets there. I have his

mess to clean up.

Stoick lumbers off in the opposite direction.

Gobber leads Hiccup through the walk of shame. They pass the

teen fire brigade as they snicker.

TUFFNUT

Quite the performance.

SNOTLOUT

I've never seen anyone mess up that

badly. That helped!

HICCUP

Thank you, thank you. I was

trying, so...

Hiccup avoids Astrid's glare and heads up toward a large

house, standing prominently on the hill above the others.

"Sorry," Astrid told Hiccup

"It's fine," he replied.

"But-"

"No, don't do it."

She sighs in frustration at his kindness, "Why did we all push him away? He doesn't deserve this."

HICCUP (CONT'D)

I really did hit one.

GOBBER

Sure, Hiccup.

HICCUP

He never listens.

GOBBER

Well, it runs in the family.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Hiccup questioned.

"I do recall telling you to stay put and you didn't."

HICCUP

And when he does, it's always with

this... disappointed scowl. Like

someone skimped on the meat in his

sandwich.

(MIMICKING STOICK)

Excuse me, barmaid. I'm afraid you

brought me the wrong offspring. I

ordered an extra large boy with

beefy arms. Extra guts and glory on

the side. This here. This is a

talking fish bone.

"Do I really act like that around him?" Stoick thought.

GOBBER

You're thinking about this all

wrong. It's not so much what you

look like. It's what's inside that

he can't stand.

Beat.

"Gobber please work on your 'motivational' speeches please," I told him.

HICCUP

Thank you, for summing that up.

They reach the doorway.

GOBBER

Look, the point is, stop trying so

hard to be something you're not.

Hiccup SIGHS heavily.

HICCUP

I just want to be one of you guys.

"Not anymore," he muttered.

Gobber eyes him sympathetically. Hiccup turns and goes

through the front door.

And straight out the back door. He hurries off into the

woods, determined.

"Why could you not stay in the house?" Stoick asked.

INT. GREAT HALL - DAY

A noisy din of PROTESTING VOICES leads to...

STOICK, glowering in the firelight. Surrounded by his men.

STOICK

Either we finish them or they'll

finish us! It's the only way we'll

be rid of them! If we find the

nest and destroy it, the dragons

will leave. They'll find another

home.

"Yeah, Berk would be their new home," I said.

Many Vikings looked at me questioningly.

"Berk is the closest island. Why else do you think that take food from you?" I explained.

He sinks his blade into a...

LARGE NAUTICAL MAP, spread out on the table... the blade

pierces the middle of an uncharted corner, swirling with

painted sea monsters and dragons.

STOICK (CONT'D)

(DECIDEDLY)

One more search. Before the ice

sets in.

VIKING

Those ships never come back.

STOICK

(MATTER-OF-FACT)

We're Vikings. It's an occupational

hazard. Now who's with me?

Stoick throws up his fist. No one follows. The crowds shifts

in restless silence. Head scratches. Eyes averted.

VIKING

(FEEBLE)

Today's not good for me.

VIKING (CONT'D)

(EQUALLY FEEBLE)

I've gotta do my axe returns.

STOICK

Alright. Those who stay will look

after Hiccup.

"Wow! Feeling the love guys," Hiccup yelled.

"CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT! Cause I can't," I yelled/sang, "I couldn't help myself." I didn't even bother trying to explain it to everyone.

Hands jut into the air, volunteers galore. Enthusiastic

murmurs of prep and packing fill the room.

PHLEGMA THE FIERCE

To the ships!

SPITELOUT

I'm with you Stoick!

STOICK

(DRY)

That's more like it.

The Vikings rush for the door, leaving Gobber and Stoick

alone. Gobber gulps back the contents of his tankard

attachment and scrapes back the bench.

GOBBER

I'll pack my undies.

"Ew!" The teens exclaimed.

STOICK

No, I need you to stay and train

some new recruits.

GOBBER

Oh, perfect. And while I'm busy,

Hiccup can cover the stall. Molten

steel, razor sharp blades, lots of

time to himself...what could

possibly go wrong?

"Wow Gobber. Thank you so much for all of your confidence in me," Hiccup said his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Stoick sinks onto the bench beside Gobber, his brow burdened.

STOICK

What am I going to do with him

Gobber?

GOBBER

Put him in training with the

others.

STOICK

No, I'm serious.

GOBBER

So am I.

Stoick turns to him, glaring.

STOICK

He'd be killed before you let the

first dragon out of its cage.

GOBBER

Oh, you don't know that.

STOICK

I do know that, actually.

GOBBER

No, you don't.

STOICK

No, actually I do.

GOBBER

No you don't!

"Both of you really?"

STOICK

Listen! You know what he's like.

From the time he could crawl he's

been...different. He doesn't

listen.

(MORE)

STOICK (CONT'D)

Has the attention span of a

sparrow. I take him fishing and he

goes hunting for... for trolls.

GOBBER

(DEFENSIVE)

Trolls exist! They steal your

socks.

(DARKLY)

But only the left ones. What's with

that?

This got laughs for both sides of the room.

STOICK

When I was a boy...

"Oh here we go," both Hiccup and Gobber said causing even more laughter.

GOBBER

(GRUMBLING)

Oh here we go.

STOICK

My father told me to bang my head

against a rock and I did it. I

thought it was crazy, but I didn't

question him. And you know what

happened?

GOBBER

You got a headache.

STOICK

That rock split in two. It taught

me what a Viking could do, Gobber.

He could crush mountains, level

forests, tame seas! Even as a boy,

I knew what I was, what I had to

become.

(BEAT)

Hiccup is not that boy.

GOBBER

You can't stop him, Stoick. You can

only prepare him.

(BEAT)

Look, I know it seems hopeless. But

the truth is you won't always be

around to protect him. He's going

to get out there again. He's

probably out there now.

ON STOICK, as Gobber's words hit their mark.

"Probably? You know he is," Astrid said.

EXT. WOODS - DAY

ON AN OPEN NOTEBOOK

A drawn map of the island, covered in X's.

Hiccup looks up from it and peeks over a gorge, expectantly.

Sees nothing.

He adds another 'X' to the page, then scratches his pencil

over the whole map in frustration. He snaps the book closed

and pockets it.

"And there is the death of another book for no reason what so ever," I deadpanned causing chuckles from Serena, Toothless, Hiccup, and Astrid.

HICCUP

Uggh, the gods hate me. Some people

lose their knife or their mug. No,

not me. I manage to lose an entire

dragon.

Hiccup WHACKS a low-hanging branch. It SNAPS back at him,

hitting him in the face.

"Only you could turn a tree branch into a weapon like that," Astrid said while giggling.

Snoutlout fumed at this because of how Astrid was acting around Hiccup.

He looks up to see a snapped tree

trunk. His eyes follow it to a long trench of up-turned

earth.

He follows it to a downed, black dragon, its body and tail

tangled in a bola. It appears dead. Hiccup approaches,

beaming.

Vikings get excited at seeing the most feared dragon defenseless.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

(IN SHOCK)

Oh wow. I did it. I did it. This

fixes everything.

(ELATED)

Yes!

He strikes a victory pose, planting his foot on the fallen

Night Fury.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

I have brought down this mighty

beast!

It suddenly shifts.

The Vikings tense up for Hiccup's safety.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

Whoa!

Hiccup springs back, terrified. He turns his blade on it.

Rattled, Hiccup creeps along the length of the weak, wounded

dragon, dagger poised to strike.

As he reaches the head, Hiccup finds the Night Fury staring

coldly at him. Hiccup tries to look away, but he's drawn back

to its unnerving, unflinching stare.

With the dragon safety tangled in the ropes, Hiccup jabs with

his dagger, puffing himself up with false bravado.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

I'm going to kill you, Dragon. I'm

gonna cut out your heart and take

it to my father. I'm a Viking.

(BEAT)

I am a VIKING!

"Come on give it to him Hiccup!" Was heard around the hall.

Hiccup raises the dagger, determined to prove his Viking-

ness. The dragon's labored breathing breaks Hiccup's clenched

concentration. He opens an eye, uncertainty leaking through.

The dragon holds the stare. Something profound is exchanged.

Finally, the Night Fury closes its eye and lowers its head,

resigned to its fate.

Hiccup tries to go through with it, holding the dagger

aloft... fighting himself... until finally lowering it with a

frustrated sigh.

He looks over the dragon's chaffed rope wounds.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

(muttered, ashamed)

I did this.

Everyone gasps at this. What was he thinking? This beast is our enemy! Kill it!

He turns to leave. Pauses. And glances back at the dragon,

chest heaving.

Hiccup GRUMBLES. He checks over his shoulder to ensure that

no one is watching... then hurries back to cut the ropes.

The Night Fury's eye shoots open. With the dragon watching

his every move, Hiccup hurriedly saws through the bola ropes.

As the last rope falls free, the Night Fury suddenly POUNCES!

In a blur, the dragon is upon him, pinning Hiccup down,

grazing his neck. Looking like it's about to kill him. Hiccup

is paralyzed. The dragon's breath ruffles his hair. Hiccup

opens his eyes to find the Night Fury's wolf-like stare

boring into him. The exchange is intense, profound.

"Oh no this is it. First Val and now Hiccup." Stoick thinks to himself.

The dragon draws a deep breath, as though it's about to torch

him, then lets out an ear-piercing scream instead. It turns

and takes flight, flapping violently through the canopy of

trees. It bashes against a nearby mountain side, recovers,

and drops out of view some distance away.

Winded, Hiccup struggles to his feet, staggers a few steps,

collapses to his knees, and faints.

The screen fades to black. Silence. Then….