DISCLAIMER:

Why do we have to do this again?

MOVIE FACT:

When Hiccup reads the Dragon Manual, the writings are in plain English cryptographed into runes.

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY

Gobber raises a massive iron gate at the entrance of a vast stone arena.

GOBBER

"Welcome to dragon training!"

The recruits file through the gate, and out onto the arena floor. They take it in like gladiators entering the colosseum. The walls are covered in scorched silhouettes of blasted Vikings. It's a grim yet awe-inspiring place.

ASTRID

"No turning back."

TUFFNUT

"I hope I get some serious burns."

RUFFNUT

"I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back."

ASTRID

"Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it."

"Who doesn't love scars?" Jack said sarcastically.

"I don't." Anna said earnestly.

"I think his question was supposed to be rhetorical, Anna." Elsa whispered softly to her.

"Oh." She paused and then added for good measure, "I still don't like them though."

"Not many of us do, Kiddo." Jack chuckled.

HICCUP

"Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain. Love it."

The recruits turn to see Hiccup behind them. Groans allaround.

TUFFNUT

"Oh great. Who let him in?"

"Why does nobody want you around?" Anna asked in a hushed tone.

"Where were you during the beginning of the movie? " Hiccup matched her tone and dead-panned.

"Oh, yeah." She giggled.

GOBBER

"Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village."

SNOTLOUT

"Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, so does that disqualify him or...?"

Elsa had the sudden urge to stick her tongue out at Snotlout. She liked how friendly Hiccup is and how he didn't look at her like he was checking out an interesting art piece. She curbed it though. Princesses don't stick their tongues out.

She'd blow a raspberry for that one.

The recruits LAUGH and chatter in the background.

TUFFNUT

"Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings?"

Gobber throws a supportive arm around Hiccup and ushers him along.

GOBBER(cheery, in confidence)

"Don't worry. You're small and you're weak. That'll make you less of a target. They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens instead."

"Viking version of a pep talk?" Jack smirked at the young Viking next to him.

"Huh?"

"He's from the Dark Ages not from 2014, you dimwit." Bunnymund rolled his eyes at the Winter Spirit.

"Totally forgot you were here, Peter Cottontail." Jack countered.

GOBBER stick him in line with the others and continues on toward five massive reinforced doors. Terrible ROARS and BELLOWS issue from within.

GOBBER (CONT'D)

"The Deadly Nadder."

FISHLEGS (under his breath)

"Speed eight. Armor sixteen."

GOBBER

"The Hideous Zippleback."

FISHLEGS

"Plus eleven stealth. Times two."

GOBBER

"The Monstrous Nightmare."

FISHLEGS

"Firepower fifteen."

GOBBER

"The Terrible Terror."

FISHLEGS

"Attack eight. Venom twelve."

GOBBER

"CAN YOU STOP THAT?!"

(BEAT)

"And...the Gronckle."

FISHLEGS (quietly; to himself)

"Jaw strength, eight."

Gobber pulls a lever, raising the cross beam on the last of the doors.

SNOTLOUT

"Whoa, wait! Aren't you gonna teach us first!?"

GOBBER

"I believe in learning on the job."

BAM! A GRONCKLE thunders out of its cave, charging into the ring like an irate rhino. The recruits scramble in every direction. Except for Ruffnut and Tuffnut who rush toward it, like pumped-up rodeo clowns.

GOBBER (CONT'D)

"Today is about survival. If you get blasted, you're dead. Quick, what's the first thing you're going to need?"

HICCUP

"A doctor?"

FISHLEGS

"Plus five speed?"

ASTRID

"A shield."

GOBBER

"Shields. Go."

The recruits scramble for shields, finding them scattered around the ring.

. GOBBER (CONT'D)

"Your most important piece of equipment is your shield. If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield."

Hiccup STRUGGLES to lift his. Gobber helps him and sends him running. Ruff and Tuff stand amidst a dozen shields. But only one has a skull painted on it. They both grab it.

TUFFNUT

"Get your hands off my shield!"

RUFFNUT

"There are like a million shields!"

TUFFNUT

"Take that one, it has a flower on it. Girls like flowers."

Ruffnut uses the shield to BASH Tuffnut in the face. He doesn't let go.

RUFFNUT

"Ooops, now this one has blood on it."

The Gronckle takes aim at the distracted twins. Blam! The shield is blasted out of both of their hands. Tuff and Ruff SPIN like tops and go down.

GOBBER

"Tuffnut, Ruffnut, you're out!"

TUFFNUT (DAZED)

"What?!"

RUFFNUT (CONFUSED)

"What?!"

The Gronckle scoops up a pile of rocks and SWALLOWS them back. The teens gather on the far side of the ring.

GOBBER

"Those shields are good for another thing. Noise. Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim."

The kids scoop up weapons and begin hammering on their shields. The Gronckle shakes its head at the clatter.

GRONCKLE'S POV - the teens targets become blurry and scrambled. It's working.

GOBBER (CONT'D)

"All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronckle have?"

SNOTLOUT

"Five!"

FISHLEGS

"No, six."

GOBBER

"Correct, six. That's one for each of you!"

FISHLEGS

"I really don't think my parents WOULD-"

BAM! Fishlegs has his shield blasted away.

GOBBER

"Fishlegs, out."

Gobber spots Hiccup hiding from the Gronckle's molten slugs.

GOBBER (CONT'D)

"Hiccup, get in there!"

ON ASTRID bouncing on her heels, ready to dodge a blast. Snotlout appears, trying to hit on her.

SNOTLOUT

"So anyway I'm moving into my parents' basement. You should come by sometime to work out. You look like you work out-"

She cartwheels out of the way, allowing a shot to shoot past her and hit Snotlout's shield. He's blasted onto his back.

GOBBER

"Snotlout! You're done!"

Astrid ROLLS to a stop beside Hiccup, who stirs awkwardly, trying to look cool.

HICCUP (VOICE BREAKING)

"So, I guess it's just you and me huh?"

ASTRID

"No. Just you."

Astrid ROLLS away. A split-second later a lava slug knocks Hiccup's shield clear off of his arm. Hiccup is exposed.

GOBBER

"One shot left!"

Hiccup panics and chases after his shield as it rolls across the sudden movement sends the Gronckle chasing after him, leaving Astrid in the clear.

GOBBER (CONT'D) (WORRIED)

"Hiccup!"

The Gronckle drives straight toward Hiccup, pinning him against the wall. It opens its mouth and cocks its tail ready to fire point-blank.

Gobber lunges in and hooks the Gronckle's mouth at the last second, causing its head to jerk back and fire against the stone wall above Hiccup's head.

GOBBER(CONT'D rattled, but masking it)

"And that's six!"

Gobber wrestles the irate Gronckle back into his pen.

GOBBER (CONT'D

"Go back to bed, ya overgrown sausage! You'll get another chance,don't you worry."

Slam! Lock. Gobber turns to the recruits.

GOBBER (CONT'D)

" Remember... a dragon will always,"

(with a stern look to HICCUP)

" always go for the kill".

He hoists Hiccup to his feet and walks off. Hiccup looks overhead to see a steaming pit in the solid stone wall.

The scene was so intense no one dared to utter a word, for fearing that it might ruin the momentum it had.

Jack was the one who broke the deafening silence. He let out a low whistle. 'Cause that was all there was to say.

EXT. WOODS/HIDDEN COVE - DUSK

HICCUP, battered after another disastrous day in the ring. He studies the remnants of the discarded bola... revealing that he's back at the scene of the crime.

HICCUP (MUTTERED)

"So...why didn't you?"

He drops the bola and presses on in the direction it flew off. He drops into a rocky crevice and follows it to an... ISOLATED COVE complete with a pristine spring pool. He scans the high stone walls... then notices a single black SCALE on the ground. He crouches and picks it up, studying it.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

" Well this was stupid."

SUDDENLY, the NIGHT FURY blasts past him. Hiccup recoils, watching the massive beast struggle to climb the walls. It flaps violently, then peels away to a rough landing. The dragon is trapped.

Hiccup grins, excited to see it again, and slips watches as the dragon, exhausted and frustrated, leaps into the air, beating its wings furiously. Again and again, it rolls uncontrolled and CRASHES heavily.

As if remembering to snap a photo, Hiccup pulls a leather- bound book and flips past drawings of weapons to a blank page. He sketches the dragon quickly, desperate to record the image.

The Fury claws at the steep rock walls, trying climb out of the cove. It SLIPS and falls hard, crushing several saplings. The Fury rolls back to his feet and slowly crawls to the water's edge. He spots fish in the shallow water and snaps at them... but comes up empty. He lowers his head, looking weakened.

HICCUP (CONT'D) (MUTTERED)

"Why don't you just...fly away?"

ON HICCUP as he spots the problem. He adjusts his drawing, carefully erasing one half of the dragon's tail. He accidentally drops the charcoal stick. It rolls off of the rock outcropping that hides him from view and bounces into the cove. TINK. TINK. TINK.

The Night Fury raises his head, spotting Hiccup. They exchange a profound, unflinching stare.

INT. GREAT HALL - NIGHT

A storm is brewing outside. The great doors rattle on their hinges.

GOBBER (O.S.)

"Alright. Where did Astrid go wrong in the ring today?"

The recruits are seated at a table, eating dinner by the glow of the fire pit.

ASTRID

"I mistimed my summersault dive. It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble."

Eye rolls from the group. RUFFNUT (SARCASTIC)

"Yeah. We noticed."

SNOTLOUT (grabbing Astrid's hand)

"No, no, you were great. That was so 'Astrid'."

GOBBER

"She's right, you have to be tough on yourselves."

CREAK. All eyes turn to Hiccup, entering the hall, sheepishly. Gobber glares at him.

"Subtle." Jack mocked Hiccup.

"It is I, Hiccup of Subtle Entrances."

GOBBER (CONT'D)

(glaring at Hiccup)

"Where did Hiccup go wrong?"

He tries to take a seat at the table...

RUFFNUT

"He showed up."

TUFFNUT

"He didn't get eaten."

... but the recruits keep closing the gaps. Rolling his eyes, Hiccup sits at the vacant table next to them.

"You guys are downright rude." Anna accused, pointing a finger at them.

"Anna, quiet." Her sister dragged her arm.

"Were rude." Astrid corrected her, narrowing her eyes at the red head.

She's right, though. We were pathetic , She thought.

ASTRID

"He's never where he should be."

GOBBER

"Thank you, Astrid."

Gobber stands.

GOBBER (CONT'D)

"You need to live and breathe this stuff."

Gobber lays a giant book in the center of the table.

GOBBER (CONT'D)

"The dragon manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of."

A RUMBLE of thunder shakes the hall. Rain pours down outside.

GOBBER (CONT'D)

"No attacks tonight. Study up."

Gobber EXITS into the storm, leaving the teens staring at the book.

TUFFNUT

"Wait, you mean read?"

RUFFNUT

"While we're still alive?"

"Do people read when they're dead?" Jack quipped. Merida snorted with laughter.

SNOTLOUT

"Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?"

FISHLEGS "Oh! I've read it like, seven times. There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face. And there's this other one that buries itself for like a week..."

The teens stare as Fishlegs goes on too long.

TUFFNUT

"Yeah, that sounds great. There was a chance I was going to read that..."

RUFFNUT

"...but now..."

Snotlout gets up to go.

SNOTLOUT

"You guys read, I'll go kill stuff."

The others follow, with Fishlegs in tow.

FISHLEGS

"Oh and there's this other one that has these spines that look like trees..."

Astrid is the last to go.

HICCUP

"So I guess we'll share-"

ASTRID

"Read it."

She pushes it toward him and leaves.

HICCUP

"All mine then. Wow, so okay. I'll SEE YOU-"

Slam.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

"Tomorrow."

He sighed.

Merida winced, giving him a sympathetic smile she said, "At least, you tried."

"Yep." Hiccup always knew why they never wanted to be his friend. He never really bothered, though. He had plenty of alone time to devise new ideas.

No one wanted to be friends with the village's laughing stock, he thought.

But now, he couldn't think of a life without them. Sarcastic quips-rude handling-testosterone-filled comments and all.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. GREAT HALL - LATE NIGHT

ON HICCUP'S HAND OPENING the massive book. Thunder BOOMS outside. The hall is vacant and dark, but for the few candles he's pulled together.

Hiccup pours through page after page of strange and frightening dragons.

HICCUP (V.O.)

"Dragon classifications. Strike class. Fear class. Mystery class."

Hiccup turns the page.

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) "Thunderdrum. This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight."

Hiccup's eyes drift to a lurid illustration of decapitated Vikings. Another page, another dragon.

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

"Timberjack. This gigantic creature has razor sharp wings that can slice through full grown trees...extremely dangerous. Kill on sight."

The illustrations seem to take on a life of their own, shifting and squirming in the candlelight.

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) "Scauldron. Sprays scalding water at its victim. Extremely dangerous."

The storm outside rages against the shuttered windows. Hiccup is startled, but presses on.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

"Changewing. Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight."

He begins flipping through the pages. A blur of dragons...

HICCUP (CONT'D)

"Gronckle. Zippleback. The Skrill Bone Knapper. Whispering Death. Burns its victims. Buries its victims. Chokes its victims. Turns its victims inside-out. Extremely dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Kill on sight. Kill on sight..."

Hiccup finally lands upon the page he's been looking for.

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

" Night Fury."

It's BLANK - no image, save for a few, sparse details.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

"Speed unknown. Size unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance, hide and pray it does not find you."

Hiccup pulls his sketchbook out of his vest and opens it to his drawing of Toothless. He lays it over the book's blank page and considers it.

CLOSE ON the drawing of Toothless...

Toothless gave a smug look to Hiccup that could've either said "Worship me" or "Feed me". One could never know with a dragon.

Especially the unholy offspring of lightning and death.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Probably didn't expect the chapter up so early, did you?

To DCFANGIRL: I was literally bouncing and squealing around my room. I'm glad you liked it. About the love triangle thing, I'm not really sure if that's what I wanted. I have mixed feelings about love triangles. :/

And also, her review actually motivated me to get this chapter up quick so it's a bit rushed. I'm glad the basic fluff wrote worked I don't read romances so it's hard to write them. There will be minor mistakes here and there. But from the next chapter onwards, MillyOnFanfics will be Beta-reader. (Jess belongs to her.) I finished typing the next chapter so it will be up soon.

There is a poll live in my profile about which movie to do next. Go on and vote people.

Please do review they motivate me a whole lot. Trust me.

Suggestions are welcome. PM me. I might've forgotten something but oh well!

Review/Follow/favourite this story!

Ciao! Hope you liked it! :)