Disclaimer: I Do Not Own How To Train Your Dragon.

Destiny: Hiccup
27. Consequences

INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - DAY

CLOSE ON HICCUP, asleep, his head on a pillow. Healing scars on his face show that maybe a week or two have passed. Toothless hovers over him, WHINING and GRUMBLING impatiently. Hiccup stirs. Opens his eyes.

"Well. as least we know that he's alive" said Gobber, relief clearly filling his voice.

HICCUP (GROGGY) Oh, hey Toothless.

Toothless excitedly nuzzles and nudges Hiccup.

"Hang on" whispered Stoick, "are they in my house?" Gobber and Spitelout frowned at the screen, and both nodded. Stoick had apparently welcomed the dragons enough to allow a Night Fury into his house without any supervision.

HICCUP (CONT'D) Okay, okay! I'm happy to see you too, bud. Now just-

Many men winced at Toothless' next action.

Toothless steps on his groin, causing Hiccup to sit BOLT UPRIGHT with a YELP. He looks around, confounded. He's in his bed, moved beside the fire pit on the main floor of his house.

HICCUP (CONT'D) I'm in my house. (re: Toothless, leaning over him, excited) You're in my house.

"Wondering that myself" said Stoick. He knew that having just watched this means nothing compared to when he has to live through it. Stoick also found himself curious about the time when Hiccup was asleep. Who knows what would have happened between the chief and the Night Fury while their only true connection lay in recovery.

Toothless TEARS around the room, knocking things over, far too big for the space.

HICCUP (CONT'D) Uh...does my dad know you're in here?!

"I better" snorted Stoick, his comment caused some weak chuckles but many people are aware that something has happened to Hiccup.

Toothless pauses at the foot of the bed, tongue wagging. He eyes the rafters... and LEAPS UP onto them, brimming with 'happy dog' energy.

HICCUP (CONT'D) (DISTRESSED) Okay, okay - no Toothless! Aw, come on...

Hiccup shifts to get out of bed... then pauses... sensing that something is wrong. He peels back the covers slowly. What he sees startles, horrifies, and overwhelms him - all at once.

Stoick and Gobber leaned forward. If they knew what would happen to Hiccup, they would know how to help him.

ON THE BARE FLOOR

His booted foot touches down. Followed by a mechanical prosthetic in place of his second leg. It's an ingenious spring-loaded replacement, made of wood and iron. Toothless lands by the bed and approaches calmly, sniffing the new leg. He raises his eyes to meet Hiccup's, seemingly aware of what Hiccup is going through. Hiccup braces himself on the bedpost and tries to stand on it. He winces and stifles the pain...

Hiccup found that his eyes were quickly filling with tears. Toothless, also having noticed this, quickly covered Hiccup from the rest of the Vikings to allow him to grief in peace.

HICCUP (CONT'D) Okay...okay...

... but STUMBLES with the first step. Toothless catches Hiccup's fall with his head... and slowly lifts him up, stabilizing him.

The dragons were pleased to see. Even though the Dragon Rider and the Dragon had won in their battle against the queen, its obvious that the bond between the two remains.

HICCUP (CONT'D) Thanks bud.

Hiccup leans on him like a crutch. They take a few steps together. Their missing parts form a poetic silhouette as they make their way toward the door. Hiccup pries it open (as he did in the opening scene), revealing a MONSTROUS NIGHTMARE flapping outside the door. Hiccup YELPS and slams the door closed. He turns to Toothless, alarmed.

HICCUP (CONT'D) Toothless? Stay here, bud.

Hiccup pauses... and cracks the door open again. He peeks outside, his eyes widening. He allows to door to swing open, revealing the Monstrous Nightmare, carrying Snotlout on its back.

Snotlout started cheering. He got to keep the Nightmare.

SNOTLOUT Come on guys, get ready! Hold on tight! Here we go!

A class of newbie dragon riders follow him through frame on a variety of dragons, pulling back the curtain on an amazing vista in which: Vikings and dragons mill about by the dozen, basking on the rooftops, weaving along the plaza. No one seems upset, there isn't a sword in sight. Under the framework of a MASSIVE BARN, a Nadder BLASTS fire onto a metal brace. It steps back to let a Viking hammer it into shape. Nearby, a Gronckle lands, carrying a tree trunk in his mouth. He shows a Viking what he's found. The Viking pats his head. Another Viking backs a Zippleback into a stall to check it for size. Hiccup takes a step outside, finding Stoick waiting for him on the step.

A hush had fallen over the Vikings as they stared at what their future holds. Everyone looked happier.

HICCUP I knew it. I'm dead.

Stoick laughs.

STOICK No, but you gave it your best shot.

He puts his arm around Hiccup, steadying him. He gestures to the transformed village.

STOICK (CONT'D) So? What do you think?

Hiccup just shrugs, amazed. Below, the plaza, villagers take notice.

VIKING #1 Hey look! It's Hiccup! They rush over, surrounding him with a hero's welcome.

VIKING #2 Hiccup, how you doin' mate?

VIKING #3 It's great to see you up and about.

STOICK (SWEETLY) Turns out all we needed was a little more of... (GESTURES NON-SPECIFICALLY AT HICCUP) ... this.

HICCUP (PLAYING ALONG) You just gestured to all of me.

GOBBER (O.S.) Well. Most of you.

Gobber pushes through the crowd, beaming proudly.

GOBBER (CONT'D) (re: the prosthetic leg) That bit's my handiwork. With a little Hiccup flare thrown in. Think it'll do?

"I'd try and make it better" said Hiccup "maybe alter it."

HICCUP (bittersweet, coming to TERMS) I might make a few tweaks.

Astrid appears and jabs Hiccup in the arm. Hiccup recoils with a grumble.

ASTRID That's for scaring me.

HICCUP (PROTESTING) What, is it always going to be this way? Cause I...

She grabs him aggressively... then kisses him. Hoots and hollers follow.

HICCUP (CONT'D) ... could get used to it.

Astrid had given up on hiding her blush. Stoick and her parents glanced at each other.

Gobber presents Hiccup with a rebuilt saddle, rigging, and tail.

GOBBER Welcome home.

Suddenly, Toothless pounces on the crowd, crushing several unsuspecting Vikings under his weight.

VIKING Night Fury, get down!

Toothless eyes the new tail excitedly, tongue wagging. Amidst the groans and grumbles, Hiccup and Astrid exchange a sheepish grin.

CLOSE ON

Hiccup's prosthetic foot, snapping into the modified stirrup. The two pieces click together, forming a single shape. Astrid, Toothless, he's whole again. He rotates the pedal. The new tail opens. Bright red with a skull and Viking horns emblazoned on it. Hiccup approves.

CUT BACK TO REVEAL... Hiccup and Toothless, saddled up and ready to fly. Astrid backs her Nadder into position.

HICCUP (TO TOOTHLESS) You ready?

Toothless SNORTS an excited 'yes!' From his mount, Hiccup looks out over the changed world.

Hiccup tried to control his tears. What was his leg compared to the happiness of everyone? Of the peace that he and Toothless would bring by ending the 300 year old war? Did he have the right to cry?

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) This... is Berk. (BEAT) It snows nine months of the year... and hails the other three.

They LEAP into the bright blue sky, together as one. Astrid follows, giving chase.

HICCUP (CONT'D) Any food that grows here is tough and tasteless. The people that grow here are even more so.

Hiccup and Astrid race their dragons through the village - under eaves, over rooftops, down cliff-sides, and between ship masts. It's a high energy, romantic dance of sorts.

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) The only upsides are the pets. While other places have...ponies or parrots, we have...

Their fellow recruits join them as they take to the open sky, rocketing far above the village. The Northern sky swirls with blazing, multicoloured dragons. Hiccup and Toothless break from the pack, spinning into the blinding sun.

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

FADE TO WHITE

There was silence in the room as everyone tried to take in the information which they had just been shown. Hiccup was to become the hero of the village. Because of them Hiccup would lose a piece of himself.

Destiny suddenly appeared from nowhere, right in front of where Hiccup and Toothless were sitting. She was kneeling before him with a hand resting on her knee.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. Hiccup looked up, quickly wipe his eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, it's just a leg. I can make those in my sleep" he wetly laughed. Destiny smiled and nodded. She gave him her other hand and helped him to his feet, aware that everyone was staring at them.

"You have a choice to make now" she said. Hiccup looked at her, confused.

"A choice?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, nearly everyone here will forget what they have seen today. However, you get to pick two people. Those two people will not be able to change anything but they will help your story along. For once your story is complete, you will be summoned to fight in another battle" Destiny said, "and sadly, you and three others were be why we win that battle."

"Okay" Hiccup was confused, but if he was going to forget everything any, what was the point of questioning it?

Hiccup looked at everyone around him. Those who had belittled him from a young age, who treated him as less than nothing. The teenager who would have his back one day but right at this moment, were only people his age. Hiccup knew his father would somehow break his story, to save him the pain of losing a limb than his boss did before him.

There were only two people in this room who challenged Hiccup the way he wanted to be challenged. Who had his back from the beginning.

"I chose Gobber and Toothless" said Hiccup, "if that's okay." Destiny nodded. Toothless was confused. His rider barely knew him. Why did Hiccup chose the Dragon that he won't be able to see for a while. Toothless shook the doubt from his mind. His, and Hiccup's, story would come to pass. Even if he had to lose his independence to get Hiccup to where he was destined to be.

The villagers understood though where Hiccup was coming from. They had never paid him any real attention. Gobber, however, had. He was practically the boys father.

Gobber swore that he would treat Hiccup no different than what he had before.

Destiny smiled. She could already see the bond foraging between Hiccup and Toothless.

"Good luck" she said and she clicked her fingers, clearing the room with an autumn breeze.

The End

For Now...