Just to mak it clear this is completed, yes. But I don't want to publish it all at once so I will be updating every seven days unless I get ten reviews. But rest assured I will update every week. That I can promise. This fic was fun to write and I am hoping to get more HTTYD fics out as well. And as for Valka...she will be revealed in time.
I don't own HTTYD
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 teens glanced at Hiccup who was frowning. This seemed familiar to him. And not just his voice. The setting.
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.
Hiccup's eyes widened as he realized what was going on. "This is before we made peace with the dragons." he said in surprise. Everyone looked at him in surprise before glancing at the screen and realizing he was right.
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...
Sheep graze peacefully on a hillside. Suddenly one is snatched.
Th twins snickered at the sheep. Especially at the other sheeps reactions. They were completely unfazed.
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.
Snotlout smirked "Wow. I forgot how scrawny you were back then." he said.
Astrid smirked "At least Hiccup's changed. Your still as stupid as you were back then." she commented, earning a scowl from the teen.
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.
Astrid glanced over "Your one to talk." she said.
Gobber nodded "You and your father both." he agreed. Hiccup frowned at them both.
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.
Stoick blinked in confusion "You don't like your name?" he asked.
Hiccup held a hand up "Didn't. I've gained a certain appreciation to being a...hiccup lately." he said, glancing at Toothless with a smile
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'!
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.
All of them chuckled. Yep. That was their village alright. And even after they made peace with the dragons it still hasn't changed.
Enter STOICK, the biggest Viking of all. He yanks Hiccup from the path of a strafing dragon and holds aloft to the crowd.
STOICK Hiccup!? (accusingly; to the crowd) What is he doing out again?! (TO HICCUP) What are you doing out?! Get inside!
Stoick winced. He realized now he had been rather harsh. And he regretted it more than anything.
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?
Stoick couldn't help but roll his eyes at that rumor, earning a chuckle from Gobber who was, incidentally, the man who started that rumor.
Stoick grabs a wooden cart and hurls it, knocking the strafing dragon out of the sky.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) Yes I do.
Hiccup suddenly sat up with a light in his eyes "I know what day this is!" he said in excitement.
The others turned to him with a questioning look and he smiled "It's the day I met Toothless." he said. The others blinked at that before watching the screen in renewed interest. All but the thief who looked at him in interest.
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.
STOICK Any Night Furies?
VIKING #1 None so far.
STOICK (RELIEVED) Good.
Toothless warbled happily at the response. He was still a night fury after all. It was nice to know people were afraid of his power.
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.
Astrid smirked "Still have to worry about that sometimes." she said.
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.
Ruffnut chuckled. To think she used to have a crush on Hiccup. At least now she had Eret.
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. I've been his apprentice ever since I was little. Well...littler.
Gobber frowned "Oi! Who you callin a meathead?" he asked.
Hiccup just smirked "You." he said simply.
"Toothpick."
"Meathead."
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.
Tuffnut sighed "Ah. The good old days when destruction caused itself."
Hiccup rolled his eyes "If only it wasn't caused at all." he muttered.
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.
Astrid looked at Hiccup in interest "You really looked up at us back then. Didn't you?" she asked.
Hiccup frowned "You guys had respect. I had disappointment." he pointed out simply.
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.
"That's the second person who as grabbed you like that." Tuffnut pointed out.
Hiccup nodded in annoyance, shooting a look at the two in question "I know. What's up with that?" he asked sarcastically.
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.
"To be fair he still does. Remember when he first went to visit the Bob Burglars on Toothless?" Ruffnut asked.
Stoick groaned "It took forever to convinced Bertha he meant no harm." he said.
Hiccup smiled fondly at the memory "It was worth it. And to be fair Cami is totally in love with her changewing." he said.
HICCUP Please, two minutes. I'll kill a dragon. My life will get infinitely better. I might even get a date.
GOBBER You can't lift a hammer. You can't swing an axe...
"Still can't, technically." Snotlout pointed out.
Gobber grabs a bola (iron balls connected by rope
GOBBER (CONT'D) ... you can't even throw one of these.
"Or that."
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.
"And to think he still is making those funny devices. So tell me, is that what you used to shoot him out of the sky?" Gobber asked.
Hiccup shifted uneasily "Don't remind me." he mumbled.
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.
Tuffnut and Ruffnut high fived "That's our esteemed leader." Ruffnut said. Hiccup groaned, sinking lower in his chair.
VIKING Arggh!
GOBBER See, now this right here is what I'm talking about.
HICCUP Mild calibration issue.
"Which I fixed!"
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.
"This isn't going to end well." Astrid said in amusement.
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!
Gobber tosses him a sword.
GOBBER I'll take my chances. Sword. Sharpen. Now.
Ruffnut raised an eyebrow "If you could lift an actual sword back then, then how were you such a terrible fighter?" she asked.
Hiccup just shrugged "I'm better with words."
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.
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.
Stormfly crooned happily.
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.
A stealthy, snake-like dragon head peeks over a rooftop, breathing gas into a chimney.
Meatlug seemed to pur before nuzzling Fishlegs.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) A Zippelback? Exotic, exciting. Two heads, twice the status.
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.
Ruffnut and Tuffnut bumped their fists together while Barf and Belch headbutted.
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.
Hookfang smiled dragonishly, shooting out a puff of fire.
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.
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.
Toothless straightened up proudly.
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.
Toothless snorted, rolling his eyes and earning a grin from Hiccup "I know bud. Your too smart to get hit." he teased. Hiccup couldn't help but chuckle. Even when a tail hit him in the back of his head.
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.
Stoick gave his friend a patronizing glare to which Gobber shrugged.
GOBBER (CONT'D) Stay. Put. There. You know what I mean.
Gobber charges into the fray, HOLLERING. ON HICCUP, a smirk crosses his face.
Astrid smirked "he's not going to stay is he?" she asked.
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!
Fishlegs shook his head "That was a direct violation of orders. Your lucky Gobber went easy on you." he said.
Hiccup scoffed "Everyones reactions later made up for it. Trust me on that." he said, a trace of bitterness in is voice. Hearing that Astrid placed a hand on his arm.
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.
Stoick winced at his choice in wording, stubbornly ignoring as the masked figure turned to look at him.
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.
Toothless crooned curiousy, cocking his head. Hearing that Hiccup leaned forward and scratched his head "I'm sorry bud." he said softly.
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.
Snotlout nodded "Okay I am slightly impressed. Who'd have ever known you were actually succesful back then." he pointed out.
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.
Snotlout raised a fist "Go Nightmares!" he said happily. Hookfang roared in agreement
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. 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.
Astrid blinked "Huh. That's odd." she said.
Hiccup raised an eyebrow "What is?" he asked.
She gave him a teasing smirk "That destruction wasn't your fault after all." she teased. Hiccup flung his hands up in exasperation.
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...
Everyone looked confused. What else could there be to know?
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.
Everyone suddenly understood, glancing at hiccup with knowing looks. Astrid however leaned over "If it helps you look the part of the chiefs son now." she said.
Hiccup frowned "How so?" he asked.
Astrid shrugged "I don't know. I think it's how you hold yourself. You act like a leader." she said simply.