And this chapter, ladies and gentlemen, is courtesy of Ohsochich XD
EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT
Gobber and the recruits are seated at the top of an abandoned
catapult tower, toasting campfire food around a roaring
bonfire.
GOBBER
...and with one twist he took my
hand and swallowed it whole.
Hiccup groaned. Even though this had already happened, he had heard this story a thousand times. Astrid and Toothless both looked at him funny.
"What's wrong?" Astrid whispered.
"He's told me this story like a million times." Hiccup whispered back.
A look of understanding came across Astrid's face, while Toothless rolled his eyes.
"That's a lot of times." Astrid joked.
Hiccup laughed.
And I saw the look on his face.
(can't deny it)
I was delicious.
"Yeah right." Hiccup and Snotlout said at the same time while a disgusted look on their faces.
They then look surprised.
Meanwhile the dragons were gagging. 'That's disgusting!' Was one of the many things the dragons were shouting. Toothless was also gagging at first. Then favored laughing at Hiccup instead.
He must have
passed the word, because it wasn't
a month before another one of them
took my leg.
FISHLEGS
Isn't it weird to think that your
hand was inside a dragon. Like if
your mind was still in control of
it you could have killed the dragon
from the inside by crushing his
heart or something.
There wasn't a single head that didn't turn towards Fishlegs's general direction that clearly read, "WTF Fishlegs!?"
"Okay you've said a lot of weird stuff before-" Snotlout started.
"But that-" Ruffnut continued.
"Was by far-" Followed by Tuffnut.
"The weirdest." Astrid and Hiccup finished together.
They then looked at each other (where they assume they are), then looked away blushing. Toothless gave both of them a knowing look, and his version of a smirk.
"Hey, you shut up" Hiccup whispered at Toothless.
Toothless then looked away toward the screen with a look on his face saying. 'I didn't say anything.'
The village was chuckling. They, of course, didn't see the encounter, but they thought it weird and funny how the teens finished each others' sentence.
SNOTLOUT
I swear I'm so angry right now.
I'll avenge your beautiful hand and
your beautiful foot. I'll chop off
the legs of every dragon I fight,
with my face.
He postures to Astrid. She rolls her eyes.
"Ha!" Hiccup blurts out, but then quickly covers his mouth.
He at least has the decency to look sheepish. Astrid smiles at him.
GOBBER
(with a mouthful)
Un-unh. It's the wings and the
tails you really want. If it can't
fly, it can't get away. A downed
dragon is a dead dragon.
ON HICCUP hiding his horrified look form the others.
Gobber stands and stretches.
Astrid's eyes widened considerably. She had realized the same thing that the Hiccup on the screen realized. She then realized how Toothless and Hiccup had bonded.
She smiled. She had already gained respect for Hiccup, and now it had doubled. She almost slipped off into a daydream, but quickly caught herself, and looked at the screen with a faint blush covering her cheeks.
GOBBER (CONT'D)
Alright. I'm off to bed. You should
be too. Tomorrow we get into the
big boys. Slowly but surely making
our way up to the Monstrous
Nightmare.
(playful, taunting)
But who'll win the honor of killing
it?
He hobbles off. The teens reflect.
"How the heck is that considered an honor!?" Hiccup was starting to get a little angry.
Astrid calmed him down with a smile, and giving him a small stroke on the arm.
TUFFNUT
(very matter of fact)
It's gonna be me.
(BEAT)
It's my destiny. See?
Tuffnut rolls up his sleeve to reveal a red dragon on his
arm.
FISHLEGS
(GASPS)
Your mom let you get a tattoo?
The twins' parents', especially the mother's, eyes widened, a shocked expression on their faces.
TUFFNUT
It's not a tattoo. It's a
birthmark.
RUFFNUT
Okay, I've been stuck with you
since birth, and that was never
there before.
TUFFNUT
Yes it was. You've just never seen
me from the left side until now.
SNOTLOUT
It wasn't there yesterday. Is it a
birthmark or a today-mark?
Hiccup gets up and walks away from the group. Astrid watches
him as he leaves the bonfire.
"TUFFNUT!" The twins' mother screams.
Tuffnut tries to hide behind his sister.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - MOMENTS LATER
Hiccup enters a small room at the back of the stall. It's
covered in drawings of weaponry and scale models. He lights a
candle and lays his sketchbook out on the desk, opening it to
the drawing of Toothless.
"What is he doing?" Stoick said, mimicking what he had said in the ring.
With a look of determination. Hiccup picks up a charcoal
stick and re-draws the missing tail.
Gobber gasped. He realized what Hiccup was going to do, but had he taught Hiccup enough to build something as complex as a dragon's tail from STRATCH!?
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - LATER
CLOSE ON
... a creaking leather bellows. The stone forge glows with
every pump. Tongs pull intricate iron pieces from the coals.
They're dropped onto the anvil, twisted, lightly hammered,
and dunked in a barrel.
The pieces are carried to Hiccup's workbench and laid out in
place on a one-to-one schematic. It's a sketch of a
mechanical fin.
The teens, no not just the teens, the entire village watched the screen in awe. This was NOT the Hiccup that they knew!
Astrid smiled fondly at the screen. This may not be the Hiccup that she knew, but it was one that she was starting to. One what she wanted to continue to see and learn more about. This was the Hiccup that she liked, and wanted to be around. She could tell that this was more Hiccup than anyone has probably seen. The real Hiccup.
EXT. HIDDEN COVE - DAWN
Hiccup arrives, winded, straining under the weight of a full
basket.
"Ha!" Snotlout laughs, no doubt about to make some snide remark.
"Hey! At least I made it there! I'd like to see you carry a basket full of fish from your house, through the woods, and down into the cove." Hiccup spoke up before Snotlout could.
Astrid smirked while they all waited for a reply. Snotlout stayed silent. They all laughed at least a little, but it's safe to say that no one laughed as much as the twins.
He clicks the scale he found (like a jar top).
Toothless approaches, sniffing him.
HICCUP
Hey Toothless. I brought breakfast.
I hope you're hungry.
Hiccup drops the basket and kicks it over. Fish spill out.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Okay, that's disgusting.
The looks on all of the teens' faces says that they agree one-hundred percent.
Toothless approaches, settling in to devour the feast.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Uh..we've got some salmon...
Toothless swallows it.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
... some nice Icelandic cod...
Swallows those too.
"Toothless, slow down. You're going to choke." Hiccup laughs.
Toothless snorts, while Astrid giggles.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
... and a whole smoked eel.
Toothless nabs it, chews a few times, then spits it out. He
shakes his head violently, snorts and scrubs his massive
tongue on the sand. Hiccup takes note.
Many Vikings narrow their eyes at the screen. So they don't like eels, huh?
It's pretty easy to guess what many dragons and Hiccup were thinking: Oh great. *please not the sarcasm*
HICCUP (CONT'D)
No, no, no! It's okay. Yeah, I
don't like eel much either.
Some Vikings chuckled. Who does?
Toothless focuses on the remainder. With the dragon
distracted, Hiccup unwraps his prosthetic fin and opens it
like a fan.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Okay. That's it. That's it, just
stick with good stuff. And don't
you mind me. I'll just be
back...here. Minding my own
business.
Astrid, the teens, and few other Vikings facepalmed. That boy couldn't tell a believable lie if his life depended on it.
Hiccup cautiously approaches the injured tail, but every time
he gets near it, Toothless sweeps it away like a cat.
Hiccup smiles, but then frowns remembering what's coming.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
It's okay.
Hiccup drops a knee on top of the tail. Toothless' head juts
up, slows its chewing to a halt.
Many Vikings' eyes widened, including Snotlout who said, "Uh-oh"
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Okay...okay..
The dragon tenses, slowly spreading his wings. Hiccup straps
the prosthetic fin in place. He cinches the straps.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
(PLEASED)
There. Not too bad. It works.
Toothless BOLTS! He snaps his massive wings and takes to the
air, carrying Hiccup with him.
The majority of Vikings let out very unmanly screams and nearly knocked their chairs over, they jumped so badly.
Hiccup and Astrid couldn't help but lean on each other, hunch over, and, very unsuccessfully, try to stile their laughs.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Woah! No! No! No!
Hiccup struggles to hold on to the tail. As the ground speeds
away, Toothless immediately TIPS into a uncontrolled bank and
dive.
Hiccup sees the folded fin rattling uselessly in opposition
to its flared counterpart. Flap as he may, Toothless can't
correct his trajectory.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
(excited, terrified)
It's working!
Toothless arcs just short of the water and climbs... high
into the air.
The Vikings were, once again, staring at the screen in awe. He actually did it.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Yes! Yes, I did it.
He glances back at Hiccup, busily holding the tail open while
trying to hold on. They're going to crash.
Whoomp! Hiccup is suddenly thrown from the tail in the
intense force of a turn.
"Was that really necessary?" Hiccup asks.
Toothless looks at him with a blank stare and deadpans, 'Yes'
Hiccup rolls his eyes.
Gobber finds himself laughing at the dragon's tactics. Stoick looks at him like he's crazy.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!
He bounces across the water's surface and takes a dive.
Without Hiccup to operate the tail, Toothless does the same,
plunging in a massive cannonball.
Hiccup resurfaces, roughed up, but beaming. Toothless appears
seconds later.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Yeah!
Stoick frowned. He had never seen Hiccup that excited about anything.
EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - MORNING
GOBBER (O.S.)
Today is about teamwork. Work
together and you might survive.
"Oh well that was nice. Real confidence booster Gobber. You know, you should do this for a living. So. thank you.. very much." Hiccup's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
Many, no matter how hard they tried, couldn't help it, and had to cover their mouths with their hands to try and stifle their laughs.
"I know. I try. Your welcome lad."
That just made things worse. Hiccup actually facepalm, and Astrid lost it.
ON A DOUBLE-WIDE DOOR. Gas seeps through the cracks.
It BLASTS OPEN. A cloud of smoke engulfs the ring, swirling
around the paired-up teens. Astrid with Ruffnut. Snotlout
with Tuffnut. Fishlegs with Hiccup. All carry buckets of
water, poised to throw them.
GOBBER (CONT'D)
Now, a wet dragon head can't light
its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is
extra tricky. One head breathes
gas, the other head lights it. Your
job is to know which is which.
FISHLEGS
(muttering to himself)
Razor sharp, serrated teeth
"Oh, not again." Tuffnut groaned.
"Do you ever stop?" Snotlout complained.
"Yeah. Do you have an off button or something?" Ruffnut joined in.
Fishlegs chose to just ignore them.
That inject venom for pre-digestion.
Prefers ambush attack, crushing its
victims in its...
HICCUP
(TENSE)
Will you please stop that?
"See! Even Hiccup has his limits with you!" Snotlout complained again.
Fishlegs continued to ignore him.
ON SNOTLOUT AND TUFFNUT
Moving nervously through the fog, back to back. Snotlout is
singing to himself to calm his nerves.
All of the teens, save Snotlout, simultaneously burst into fits of laughter, some of the older Vikings joining in. Snotlout looked sheepish with a blush on his face. You read that right. Not just his cheeks, his face was turning red from embarrassment.
SNOTLOUT
If that dragon shows either of his
faces, I'm gonna-
(spotting an approaching
shape, terrified)
-There!
Snotlout and Tuffnut HURL their water into the fog.
ASTRID
Hey!
RUFFNUT
It's us, idiots.
Astrid and Ruffnut are soaked.
Hiccup couldn't help but laugh at that. It felt good to laugh at Snotlout for a change. Usually it's the other way around.
TUFFNUT
Your butts are getting bigger. We
thought you were a dragon.
SNOTLOUT
(TO ASTRID)
Not that there's anything wrong
with a dragon-esque figure.
Astrid ELBOWS Snotlout in the face. Ruffnut DROPS Tuffnut
with a PUNCH to the throat.
"Considering that you're Vikings, and you fight dragons. There's everything wrong with a dragon-esque figure." Hiccup said loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Thank you!" Astrid exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Stoick was frowning again; this time about how Hiccup had worded his sentence. Did he not think of himself as a Viking anymore?
He then looked towards the dragons at the other side of the room. What have those devils done to him? What have they done to my son? My last piece… my last connection to Valka.
ASTRID
Wait.
They FREEZE. A tail SWEEPS out of the fog, taking them down.
Their buckets spill.
TUFFNUT
Oh, I'm hurt. I am very much hurt.
FISHLEGS
Chances of survival are dwindling
into single digits now...
HICCUP
Look out!
A Zippleback head emerges out of the smoke. Fishlegs hurls
his water at it, completely dousing the head. It leers and
opens its mouth, spewing gas into the area.
FISHLEGS
Oh. Wrong head.
GAS FLOWS around their legs. Fishlegs flees in a panic.
GOBBER
Fishlegs!
Beat. A clicking sound comes from behind them. Sparks flash
in the smoke.
GOBBER (CONT'D)
Now, Hiccup!
The other head sweeps out of the smoke. Hiccup hurls his
water with all his might. It arcs and drops short of the
dragon's sparking mouth. The dragon grins, savoring the kill.
Snotlout would have laughed, but then he remembered what happened next. He silently stared at the screen in curiosity, waiting. (Well, if that's not feakin serial killer creepy, I don't know what is…)
HICCUP
Oh, come on!
GOBBER
RUN, HICCUP!
Gobber COVERS his eyes.
GOBBER (CONT'D)
Hiccup!
Beat.
The Zippleback hesitates. SNIFFS. Then retreats.
The teens get to their feet, watching transfixed. Gobber
peeks through his fingers to see...
HICCUP
BACK! BACK! BACK! Now don't you
make me tell you again!
The Zippleback retreats through its door and into its cave,
hissing.
The Vikings stare at the screen transfixed, mouths agape. What type of witchcraft, sorcery is this!? Hiccup is supposed to be afraid of the dragon, not the other way around!
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Yes, that's right. Back into your
cage.
Hiccup slyly OPENS his vest, revealing the spotted smoked EEL
from earlier.
Astrid honestly couldn't help it, she lost it again. Tears rolling down her face, she almost fell of the beanbag chair, she was laughing so hard. She was leaning, practically lying, on Hiccup to keep herself from falling. Hiccup couldn't help but laugh along with Astrid, whether it was with her, or at her for how she was acting, he didn't know. He'd probably go with both.
He TOSSES it inside the door, then SLAMS it
shut.
Stoick was speechless. So this was how this son passed Dragon Training? By CHEATING!?
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Now think about what you've done.
Hiccup turns to the teens and Gobber. They stare, slack-jawed
Hiccup and Astrid, who had managed to calm down slightly, just lost it again at the sight of the teens. A few Vikings, and the teens themselves soon joined them. You've gotta admit, their reactions were priceless! Not that they would have reacted any better, but it was still a funny sight to see
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Okay! So are we done? Because I've
got some things I need to...
Hiccup jogs out of the ring, past the speechless group.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Yep...see you tomorrow.
Astrid SNEERS. Something's going on.
"Oh, she's good at this." Tuffnut said.
"Yep. Oh, just you wait and see." Hiccup responded.
Then Tate scared the sh*t out of everybody when she screamed, "QUE MONTAGE MUSIC!"
