Chapter 10
There was utter chaos when Valka revealed herself. Younger Hiccup had run to give Valka a hug, while the older version watched with a happy smile. Stoick looked to Gobber with tears in his eyes. "She's back. She's really back." Hiccup had let go and other Vikings were now swarming Valka asking how she had been.
However amidsts the chaos we didn't see the armored figure approach.
"Hello." The person said but no one was paying them any attention. He sighed, and took a rectangular object off his belt and tossed it up in the air.
"HELLOOOOO!" This person shouted once more, this time at the top of their lungs as the object in the air flashed the room with blinding light and a loud crack. The Vikings and the dragons quieted and looked at the strange armoured person.
"Eh…...hi?" Was said before I strode up to him and knocked him back.
"Where the hell were you!" I shouted, all the while Vala was simply watching the scene with bemusement.
"Look man, I am sorry" The person says calmly but I shake him again.
"I forgot to switch back to the Sol calendar alright JEEZ calm down" the person said and took of his helmet. From his backpack peered a small Terrible Terror which proceeded to curl around his neck. "I checked the theater first but it was in ruins. What the hell happened?!"
"Let's see magic, Godzilla, and Vala." I simply state which causes the other person to sweatdrop.
"Anyway I'm RedLegoManiac, but I figured that you all call him Red so you may call me Maniac." The person introduces and then points to the Terror. "And this is Kasai."
The Vikings hesitantly gave a wave while the dragons chirped their Hellos.
Kasai was looking lazily at the assembled group when he spotted the sulking color changing Terror formerly known as Drago. Kasai flew from Maniac's shoulders, plucked a daisy from Stoick's helmet and held it out to the sulking Terror.
"I don't think he knows that, that is Drago." Vala whispers to us.
"I don't think he cares." Maniac muttered.
The Drago terror shrieked when Kassai came closer with the flower and flew up on Dagur's head.
"GET THIS THING OFF OF ME!" Dagur yelled.
"AuuuuWWW" Was heard from many of the Viking females as Kasai kept trying to get the other Terror's attention.
"Don't you think you should change Drago back now?" I asked Vala who just shrugged.
Pointing the scepter at the shrieking Terror Vala fired off a blue beam. Soon Drago who was still atop Dagur's head turned back human. Which was bad for Dagur as he was now being crushed in his chair.
Kasai who had watched the transformation hissed and then flew back to curl on Maniac's shoulders while placing the daisy in his hair. He shook his head roughly to get rid of the daisy only to earn a thwack from the dragon.
"Weird dragon." I mutter before getting everyone seated again. Valka happily took a seat between Stoick and Gobber while Maniac flopped on the seat next to Eret. Drago who had managed to stand on two legs once more, although a bit wobbly made his way to a seat far away from the dragons, especially Opal now that her chew toy was back.
"So shall we continue with this shindig?" Maniac asked and the movie started.
EXT. ARCTIC SKY - NIGHT (MIDNIGHT SUN)
Stoick and Gobber search over the frigid waves that lap against the pack ice.
STOICK
Boar-headed! Just like his mother! She could never stay put either.
Valka casually slapped Stoick, who looked sheepish, on the back of his head and let out a huff. "You're the boar-head." She muttered.
"Actually ya both are." Gobber interjected which earned him glares.
Gobber glances over at Stoick, who's hunched over, brow furrowed and solemn.
GOBBER
Ah, he's just twenty. And a Viking. I mean, could there be a worse combination? Ha! When I think of how stubborn and senseless YOU were back in the day... well, not much has changed, actually.
"Not much has changed." Gobber said under his breath.
"What was that Gobber?" Stoick asked.
"Oh…..Nothing." Gobber quickly said.
STOICK
You know what he's like. He won't give up, Gobber. And if Hiccup finds Drago, before we find him...
"He'll knock him out?" Younger Astrid asked.
"He'll read him bad poetry?" The twins commented…. "Oh wait, that's Snotlout."
"WHAT!" Snotlout shouted as he quickly hid a small leatherbound book.
GOBBER
Bah! NOTHING can hurt Hiccup so long as that Night Fury's around. It's a Night Fury!
"That's right." Toothless said proudly as many of the other dragons agreed. "I'll barbeque anyone who's a threat."
"Then why did you try to blast Chicken?" Older Hiccup asked himself perplexed.
"Because that damn chicken had been following you around all week when it was mad at Tuffnut, and Toothless got annoyed." Older Astrid commented casually. "I wouldn't mind feeding it to Stormfly though."
"Chicken? I have a chicken?" Tuffnut asked curiously. "And I made it mad?! Just what kind of messed up life do I have in the future!" Tuffnut wailed as Maniac tossed him a tissue box.
"The perfect one for you, apparently." Maniac interjected quietly.
Framed by a hole in the ice, a glistening object bobs on the surface below. Stoick squints and CIRCLES BACK, leading Skullcrusher in a DIVE toward it. Stoick SNAGS it out of the
water. It's Hiccup's helmet.
Gobber pulls alongside Stoick, seeing his look of dread. Stoick holds the helmet out for his dragon to SMELL.
STOICK
Find him, Skullcrusher. Find him.
Skullcrusher SNIFFS the helmet like a bloodhound, ROARS, and suddenly CHANGES HEADING.
INT. DRAGON MOUNTAIN - TUNNEL - DAWN
CLOSE ON Hiccup, flustered, winded, chasing VALKA through tightly winding corridors.
HICCUP
Hold on! Wait just a minute! Come back here!
VALKA
This way. Come.
"Impatient aren't you." Both Toothless and younger Hiccup comment to which Valka blushed.
HICCUP
You can't just say something like that and run off! You're my mother?! I mean, what the - do you grasp how INSANE it sounds?!
(BEAT)
I have questions!
VALKA
Come. Quickly!
Hiccup follows her over the difficult terrain. He tries to clamber over a tall rock, unsuccessfully.
HICCUP
Where have you been all this time?
Toothless boosts him over. Hiccup lands on the other side.
Laughter ensues from the audience as Toothless grumbles.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
What've you been doing?! They said you were dead! Everyone thinks you were eaten by...
Hiccup trails off as he enters...
INT. DRAGON MOUNTAIN - OASIS - CONTINUOUS
... a stadium-sized chamber teeming with ferns, waterfalls, hot springs and THOUSANDS of new DRAGONS.
"HOLY MOLY!" The Vikings exclaim and both Maniac and Vala hit me over the head.
"Quit teaching them slang!" They shout at me as I grin and rub the back of my head.
Hiccup wanders in, basking in the in the amazing sight: a dome of sweating ice capping a geothermal micro climate, filled with dragons of every shape and kind.
He spots Valka clinging to a basalt overhang, watching him.
HICCUP
This is where you've been for twenty years?
She nods from her perch.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
You've been rescuing them.
She nods again, this time with a smile.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Unbelievable.
VALKA
You're not upset?
HICCUP
What? No. I don't know. It's a bit much to get my head around, to be frank. It's not everyday you find out your mother is some kind of crazy, feral, vigilante dragon lady.
"Heck, It's not everyday you find out your mother's alive." Both Hiccups say and Valka jumps over Stoick to crush them both in a hug.
Valka chuckles, and using her dragon's wing, lowers herself to the ground like a skilled acrobat.
VALKA
At least I'm not boring... right?
"No" The entire audience comments.
HICCUP
I suppose there is that...(feeble, trailing off)... one... specific... thing...
Excited dragons rush up to greet Hiccup and Toothless. Hiccup pets a few, marveling at the vast dragon utopia before him.
VALKA
Do you like it?
HICCUP
I don't have the words.
Toothless SNARLS in annoyance as the curious, smothering dragons SNIFF every part of him.
"Mr. Popular." younger Hiccup comments as he scratches a sulking Toothless.
"Aye a Night Fury is always popular." A Snafflefang comments.
VALKA
Can I... ? He's beautiful!
She reaches out to stroke Toothless, who PURRS at her touch.
VALKA (CONT'D)
Incredible. He might very well be the last of his kind.
Hiccup looks to Toothless who begins to look sad. "Don't worry bud. I'm sure we'll find another."
"I wouldn't worry too much, I helped relocate dozens of Night Fury clans to another planet." Maniac says, drawing awed and confused looks from the others.
"WAIT WHAT!" Toothless and every dragon and Viking shout.
"What's a planet?" Both Hiccups then ask.
"Uh, another Earth to put it in simple terms. I travel across the 'heavens' as you call space and explore distant planets." Maniac tried to explain.
"What's Earth?" Both Hiccups ask again and Maniac facepalms.
He groaned. "Midgard."
"Ohhhh" Everyone now says, finally getting it.
"But where is the rainbow bridge?" Fishlegs asked excitingly.
Maniac simply grinned and took out a small remote. Clicking a button something like a car alarm could be heard and soon off to the side of the cavern a long wedge shaped spacecraft materialized from seemingly nothingness.
"Let me tell you. It was hell getting those dragons to sit still during the flight. Apparently all Night Furies are like hyper cat-bats on dragonnip." Maniac muttered.
"I do not act like a hyper cat-bat on dragonnip!" Toothless growled. Maniac retrieved a fish from a nearby pile and tossed it in the air in front of Toothless, who immediately yelped with glee and jumped in the air to catch it.
All Vikings and dragons looked in Toothless' direction and said collectively "YES YOU DO!"
She inspects his talons as Toothless rolls onto his back, nuzzling her.
VALKA (CONT'D)
And look, he's your age! No wonder you get along so well.
"He is?" Younger Hiccup asked to which the older Hiccup nodded. "Well that explains soooooooo much."
"What does that mean?" Toothless asked as he slapped Hiccup with his tailfin.
"Nothing...Nothing at all." Hiccup quickly added and snickers from many dragons could be heard.
Hiccup smiles, astounded by Toothless' affection for Valka. She checks his teeth. They recede into the gums at her touch.
VALKA (CONT'D)
And retractable teeth? Ah! How did you manage to-
HICCUP
-I found him in the woods. He was shot down and wounded.
She winces and offers a sympathetic nod as she stands to caress a few of her own rescued dragons.
VALKA
This Snafflefang lost his leg to one of Drago Bludvist's iron traps. This Raincutter had her wing sliced by razor netting. And this poor Hobblegrunt was blinded by a tree snare... then left to die alone and scared.
The dragons were now actively snarly in Drago's direction. "Can we eat him?" A Thunderdrum asked.
"I thought dragons didn't eat humans." I commented.
"We're making an exception." One of the Zipplebacks stated. "He'll probably be crunchy and won't taste great, but we're making an exception."
"Looks like Drago is getting what's coming to him." Eret said under his breath.
(re: Toothless' tail)
And what of this? Did Drago or his trappers do this, too?
HICCUP
Heh. Well, crazy thing is... I'm actually the one who shot him down.
She glares, confused.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
It's okay though. He got me back.
(playfully, to Toothless)
Right, bud? You couldn't save all of me, could you? You just had to make it even. So... peg leg!
Hiccup rattles his prosthetic leg with a smirk. Valka observes their playful rapport with curiosity.
"Hiccup, how can you be so nonchalant?" Astrid asked curiously.
"Five years is a long time to get used to change and I don't blame Toothless." Older Hiccup replied. "He saved my life that day."
VALKA
What did your father think of your Night Fury friend?
HICCUP
He didn't take it all that well.
"Now that was an understatement." the entire audience stated causing Stoick to blush in embarrassment.
She mutters in agreement.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
But then... he changed. They all did. Pretty soon everyone back home had dragons of their own.
The Vikings glanced at each other in excitement for they too would have draconic companions in the future while the dragons peered over to them, wondering who they would bond with.
She smiles at Toothless, dismissive.
VALKA
If only it were possible.
"IT IS!" The dragons happily yelled this time. "All because of our hatchling!"
"Guys." Younger Hiccup said as he was suddenly crushed by Terrible Terrors looking for a snuggle. Kasai also joined the snuggle session, promptly climbing to the top of the pile and flopping on a few other Terrors.
"Oh dear. Think we should help him?" Vala asked pointing to the suffocating Hiccup.
"Nah… The terrifying Night Fury ought to be able to do it" I chuckle.
Toothless let out a loud roar scattering the Terrors. "Back off he's MINE!" was then yelled and Hiccup was pulled into Toothless' paws.
"Cough*…..POSSESSIVE…...Cough*" Maniac, Vala, and I mumble.
HICCUP
No, really, I -
VALKA
- Believe me, I tried, as well. But people are not capable of change, Hiccup. Some of us... were just born different.
"You could say that again" I say chuckling at Stoick who began twiddling his thumbs.