A lone, battered ship is pulled into a slip, overloaded with equally battered-looking men. They disembark to a crowd of onlookers, looking like a team of hometown heroes who just had their butts kicked. Gobber hobbles through the MUMBLING crowd to find Stoick - last to disembark and glowering with battered pride. VIKING Where are the other ships?
SPITELOUT You don't want to know.
Stoick lumbers past Gobber, leaving him staring at the trashed ship.
GOBBER Well, I trust you found the nest at least?
STOICK Not even close.
GOBBER Ah. Excellent.
Gobber follows Stoick up the ramp and snags his duffle bag with his hook appendage, sharing the burden.
STOICK I hope you had a little more success than me.
GOBBER Well, if by success, you mean that your parenting troubles are over with, then... yes.
"That sounds like I'm dead."
Stoick stops. What does that mean? A group of merry villagers rush past.VIKING #1 Congratulations Stoick! Everyone is so relieved.
VIKING #2 Out with the old and in with the new, right?!
VIKING #3 No one will miss that old nuisance!
VIKING #4 The village is throwing a party to celebrate!
"Hiccup died, let's celebrate!" says Hiccup sarcasticly.
Stoick is stunned, overwhelmed by the insensitivity. He turns to Gobber.STOICK He's... gone?
GOBBER Yeah...most afternoons. But who can blame him? I mean the life of a celebrity is very rough. He can barely walk through the village without being swarmed by his new fans.
Stoick is doubly confused.
STOICK Hiccup?
"No,Snotlout"
GOBBER (BEAMING) Who would've thought, eh? He has this...way with the beasts."Not beasts,dragons and thank you."
CUT TO: EXT. SKY - AFTERNOONToothless and Hiccup soar through a perfect blue sky. Billowing clouds rise like mountains. The ground seems miles below them.
HICCUP Okay there bud, we're gonna take this nice and slow.
"I don't do slow" said Toothless.
"Yeah, I figured out that much."
HICCUP (CONT'D) Here we go. Here we go...position three, no four. He presses the pedal, causing the tail to flare. They roll off into an arcing bank, gloriously lit by the late afternoon sun. Hiccup tucks tight against his neck, thrilled that his new harness and vest are holding. The foot controls make the tail appendage quick and responsive. He watches Toothless' every fluctuation, trying to match it with the prosthetic. Hiccup sizes up a target - a towering arch of stone, rising from the sea.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Alright, it's go time. It's go time.
They dive toward it, lining up to pass through the arch.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Come on. Come on buddy. Come on buddy!
They zip through the arch. A perfect maneuver.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Yeah! Yes, it worked!
The triumph is short-lived. They smack into one of several sea stacks as Hiccup tries to keep up with the turns.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Sorry.
They hurtle into another rock pillar. Toothless grumbles.
HICCUP (CONT'D) My fault.
Toothless swats him with his 'ear' plate.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. (referring to the cheat SHEET) Position four, no three.
They pierce the clouds. For the first time, Hiccup can see the whole of the island below them. It shrinks with every passing second. He SWALLOWS hard and tightens his grip on the handles.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Yeah! Go baby! Yes! Oh, this is amazing! The wind in my...
He spots the leather guide tearing free in the turbulence.
HICCUP (CONT'D) (PANICKED) ... CHEAT SHEET! STOP!
Hiccup grabs frantically for the airborne sheet...
HICCUP (CONT'D) No!
... and NABS IT before it's carried out of reach. Toothless, however, obeys the command and suddenly STOPS beating his wings. As they slow to a stop, Hiccup goes weightless. The rings of his vest float off of the harness hooks. Hiccup suddenly finds himself detached, free-falling.
Everyone in the room is as white as paper.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Oh gods! Oh no!Without Hiccup, the tail loses control. Hiccup and Toothless spiral downward. Toothless FIGHTS to get back under Hiccup.
HICCUP (CONT'D) (trying to calm Toothless) Alright, okay. You just gotta kinda angle yourself. No, no...come back down towards me. Come back down-
Hiccup extends his arms and legs, giving himself as much surface area as he can. He angles back towards Toothless as the tumbling dragon WHACKS Hiccup with his wing. After a few more misses, Hiccup finally GRABS HOLD of the harness and manages to lock in - just in time to pull Toothless out of his dive... barely shy of the tree tops. They careen past the wooded cliff and directly into a treacherous slalom course of jutting sea stacks. Hiccup pulls the cheat sheet from his teeth and attempts to check positions. It flaps violently in the turbulence, making it impossible. With no time to think, Hiccup throws it away and steers Toothless' tail on instinct... with perfect intuition. Together, they manage a tight, hair-rasing series of split- second turns, making it to the open water, unscathed.
The hall looks amazed at the screen.
Hiccup takes a breath and glances back at the death-defying obstacle course, now safely behind them. He beams, relieved. He sits back and throws his arms up in victory.HICCUP (CONT'D) YEEAHHH!
Toothless concurs with a happy SQUEAL and a fireball. Hiccup's glee turn to dread as they fly directly into it.
ON HICCUP'S FACE
HICCUP (CONT'D) Ah, come on.
EXT. BLACK SAND BEACH - SUNSET
Hiccup and Toothless lounge on a sprawling, deserted beach, snacking of freshly caught fish. As Hiccup cooks his over a fire, Toothless suddenly regurgitates a fish head. Hiccup smirks with forced politeness.
HICCUP Uh..no thanks. (gesturing to his fish on A STICK) I'm good.
"You know,with all those times he regurgitates half a fish for you,I'm starting to belive he thinks you're his hatcling"said nazles him.
"My cute,little hatchling"
"You're not gonna regurgitate another fish,will you?"asks Hiccup scared.
'No,I won' it's your bath time."Hiccups eyes shoot wide open with fear.
"Oh,no" he stands runing and Toothless chaces after him.
"You'll never catch me alive!" screams Hiccup for him, Toothless pounsed him on the ground.
"I got you now"says Toothless,ready to lick him to death but Kat stoped.
"Shouldn't we continue the movie?" They sat down again,Hiccup leaving a rellived sigh.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Not so fireproof on the inside, are you?
Hiccup throws the hapless Terror his freshly cooked fish.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Here you go.
The appreciative little dragon gulps down the meal and approaches Hiccup cautiously. He curls up next to him. Hiccup is amazed.
HICCUP (CONT'D) (PENSIVE) Everything we know about you guys is wrong.
Hiccup carefully pets him... sending the Terror into an immediate, blissful sleep.
INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - HICCUP'S CLOSET - NIGHT
HICCUP is lost in thought, his head laid of a desk full of Toothless drawings. Burdened with the weight of the world. Suddenly, STOICK appears in the doorway. Hiccup jumps and quickly covers up his desk.
HICCUP Dad! You're back!
He skirts the bench, blocking Stoick's view of Toothless, the prosthetic fin, and other drawings.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Gobber's not here, so...
He strikes an awkwardly casual pose, trying to cover up as much as possible.
STOICK I know. I came looking for you.
HICCUP (CAUGHT) You did?
STOICK (STERN) You've been keeping secrets.
Hiccup's legs give out. He slides, dragging the table's contents with him.
HICCUP I...have?
STOICK Just how long did you think you could hide it from me? HICCUP (IN VAIN) I don't know what you're...
STOICK Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it.
"So,back when we were seven,you had heard about Snotlout breaking Hiccups nose?Because I don't rember you doing anything about it" said Astrid.
HICCUP Oh?STOICK So. (BEAT) Let's talk about that dragon.
Blood drains from Hiccup's face.
HICCUP Oh gods. Dad I'm so sorry. I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how to-
Stoick starts laughing. Big, booming. Hiccup stares, baffled.
Stoic can't belive how close he was to the truth.
HICCUP (CONT'D) You're not...upset?STOICK What?! I was hoping for this!
"You were hoping for this?" asks Toothless confused.
HICCUP Uh...you were?STOICK And believe me, it only gets better! Just wait til you spill a Nadder's guts for the first time.
Hiccup's elated expression sinks.
STOICK (CONT'D) And mount your first Gronckle head on a spear. What a feeling!
Stoick laughs and smacks Hiccup on the shoulder, sending him into the wall.
STOICK (CONT'D) You really had me going there, son. All those years of the worst Viking Berk has ever seen! Odin, it was rough. I almost gave up on you!
" 'Worst Viking Berk has ever seen'?He's not even 15 yet,don't you think you're being a little harsh?" asked Kat.
Hiccup gets back up, grimacing in the irony of it all.STOICK (CONT'D) And all the while, you were holding out on me! Thor almighty!
Stoick grabs a stool and sits. His massive frame nearly fills the tiny room.
STOICK (CONT'D) (RELIEVED) Ahhhhh. With you doing so well in the ring, we finally have something to talk about.
Pregnant pause. Hiccup averts his eyes nervously. Stoick adjusts, awkwardly clearing his throat. After a long, uncomfortable silence...
STOICK (CONT'D) Oh, I... brought you something.
He presents a horned helmet.
STOICK (CONT'D) To keep you safe in the ring.
HICCUP (SINCERE) Wow. Thanks.
Hiccup accepts it, looking it over.
STOICK Your mother would've wanted you to have it. (HEARTFELT) It's half of her breast plate.
Everyones eyes(ecxept Stpic and Hiccup) shoot wide open and some blush.
Stoick taps his own helmet and smiles.STOICK (CONT'D) Matching set. Keeps her close, y'know?
Hiccup eyes the mismatched helmets, grimacing.
STOICK (CONT'D) Wear it proudly. You deserve it. You've held up your end of the deal.
Stoick beams with pride. Hiccup squirms. He forces a YAWN.
HICCUP I should really get to bed.
STOICK HICCUP (talking over each (talking over each OTHER) OTHER) Yes! Good! Okay. Good talk. See you back at the house. We should do this again. I'm Great. Thanks for stopping glad I stopped by, I hope you by. And for the... the uh, like the hat. breast hat.
STOICK Well..uh..good night.
Stoick leaves the room awkwardly, leaving Hiccup looking more burdened than ever.
