"Why can't you just let him do what he wants?!" Punzie quipped.

"Why can't you see that he is going after the dragon that you all didn't believe he'd shot down?!" Jack yelled down to Stoick. "This whole time he's been doing nothing but trying to make you proud, and you want to bash him for not staying put?!"

"Aye, Stoick," Merida said, catching his attention. When they locked eyes, she said, "Why can't you just accept that that's who he is and that's not going to change? Maybe he could use some of his non-dragon-killing talent to make Berk a better place?"

"Because, lass," Stoick started, looking over Hiccup, Astrid, Christina, Jack, Punzie, and Merida in turn. "Berk would only become a better place without those vicious beasts raiding our island every night! They all need to be killed, their heads hung above our doors, showing them we're not to be messed with!"

Hiccup's throat was too dry to speak. Instead, Astrid spoke for him.

"I can't believe this," Astrid said. "We've been taught that our goal was just to kill in self-defense, but no. You expect us to grow up just like our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. You expect us to grow up to become . . . to become killers." She looked at him. "If this is what this tribe's ethics are . . ." She searched the crowd for her parents, then glared at them. "I'd rather join a different one." She grimaced as her parents began yelling at her, the rest of the tribe joining in.

"STOP!"

The whole tribe shut their mouths tight, looking at the young Viking who yelled.

"Everybody shut up and sit down!" Hiccup said, fuming. He was standing now. "How dare you yell and shame her for speaking her mind?" He looked around the room, his glare shooting daggers. "She is one of your tribe," he gulped at his choice of words, "you better show her as much respect as you do each other. Just because she's younger than some of you doesn't mean you have the right to treat her like a child."

"But she is a child!" A Viking yelled from the back.

"She might be age-wise, but she's probably got more brains than all of you combined." Hiccup glared, his chest heaving in anger. Astrid reached out to grab his wrist lightly, tugging him back to his chair. He glanced back at her small, reassuring smile, and it seemed as though all his anger melted away. Christina stood, snapped her fingers, and the seats rearranged. First, was Jack, then Merida, then Rapunzel, then Christina, Hiccup, Astrid, and a rock pallet for Toothless to lay on.

"Everybody sit," Christina said, tired of the bickering, and the Vikings didn't dare cross her. Once everyone was situated, she brought out a long, rectangular box, pressed one of the gray buttons, and the movie continued.

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.

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.

"Yet you still choose to go," Hiccup commented, scoffing.

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.

Hands just into the air, volunteers galore. Enthusiastic murmurs of prep and packing fill the room.

"So that's how you got so many volunteers each time," Hiccup said coldly. Astrid noticed a single tear slip from his eye soundlessly.

The Vikings stayed silent in shame.

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.

A round of "Ew"s echoed around the room, punctured only the laughs of Gobber, Hiccup and Astrid.

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?

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.

Multiple Vikings laughed loudly, some bringing tears to their eyes.

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.

Hiccup dramatized patting his chest and arms. He fake-sighed in relief. When he noticed the others' strange stares, he smirked. "Had to make sure I wasn't dead." This cause a couple chuckled from Merida and Jack, while Punzie had to bite her finger to keep from busting out laughing. He smiled. He had people who would laugh at his stupid jokes, too. He glanced back at Astrid, whose face was red in the attempt to keep herself from laughing, just like Rapunzel.

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!

STOICK Listen! You know what he's like. From the time he could crawl he's been . . . different. He doesn't listen.

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?

The majority of the room began laughing, most of them knowing why.

STOICK When I was a boy . . .

GOBBER (GRUMBLING) Oh here we go.

STOICK My father told me to bang my head on a rock and I did it. I thought it was crazy, but I didn't question him. And you know what happened?

"Your brain turned into mush and slide out your ears and your nose?" Punzie said, but only in a whisper. Jack, Christina, and Hiccup, the closest to her, burst out laughing-they couldn't help it.

"Priceless," Christina said, throwing her head back onto the chair and cackling.

GOBBER You got a headache.

The whole room laughed at Gobber's joke. Some were just chuckles, whereas some were to the point to where the Vikings had to gasp for air.

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.

The whole room was silent.

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.

Hiccup's heart skips a beat. He leans over to Christina. "Two questions."

"Two answers," she says, smiling.

"One, do they see me . . . you know," he nods towards Toothless.

Christina nods solemnly. "They see everything."

Hiccup takes a slow, deep breath. "Two. Does anything bad happen to Toothless?"

Christina laughed lightly. "You're more worried about Toothless than yourself."

When Hiccup continued to look at her expectantly, she sighed. "No. Nothing permanently bad happens to Toothless." She eyes him sympathetically.

"So, what you're saying . . ." Hiccup gulped. "Toothless with live just fine?" He smiles sadly. "But I won't?"

Christina didn't answer. She stared down at her clasped hands on her lap. Hiccup looked up, realizing the whole Tribe was turned around watching the two. Stoick looked as if he were torn between hugging his son and strangling him. The rest of the tribe looked down as Hiccup's eyes passed over them. No one would make eye contact with him.

That was, everybody but Astrid, Jack, Merida, and Punzie. They all smiled at him, trying to hide whatever amount of sadness they were feeling.

"You're here now." Astrid said as she kissed him on the cheek. "That's what counts."

Hiccup smiled, taking her hand in his in a burst of bravery. He looked to Toothless, who had been watching Hiccup very carefully the last couple minutes. "At least you'll be safe, bud."

That's when the whole room went dark.