Chapter 12

EXT. DOCKS - DAWN

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.

"Gobber! Did you just make it sound like I died!" Hiccup gives Gobber a glare.

"Sorry, I am not very good with speeches" Gobber replies while nervously scratching the side of his head with his hook.

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!

Stoick is stunned, overwhelmed by the insensitivity. He turns to Gobber.

Hiccup, and the dragons glare at the Vikings who had the decency to look ashamed.

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, your other son." Hiccup remarks dryly.

GOBBER

(BEAMING)

Who would've thought, eh? He has this...way with the beasts.

CUT TO:

EXT. SKY - AFTERNOON

Toothless and Hiccup soar through a perfect blue sky.

Billowing clouds rise like mountains. The ground seems miles below them.

"Oh dear Odin, Hiccup are you crazy!" Stoick yells as he sees what his son is up to.

"Nope just learning how to fly." Hiccup replies sarcastically.

"What do you mean by that?" Astrid says.

"You will find out." Hiccup says with a smirk.

HICCUP

Okay there bud, we're gonna take this nice and slow.

Toothless snorts. "I'm a Night Fury. I don't do slow."

"Very good point" Hiccup says grinning.

Hiccup checks a leather cheat sheet, clipped onto his harness. Inscribed upon it are several tail positions and their pedal position equivalents.

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.

Everybody except for Hiccup, and Toothless held their breaths.

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.

The dragons began to cheer for the duo.

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.

This earns Hiccup and Toothless some giggles.

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.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

Oh gods! Oh no!

'Hiccup', and 'Hatchling' are screamed by the Vikings, and dragons as they follow these events, forgetting that they have already happened.

Both Hiccup and Toothless are laughing. Laughing at the Vikings, and dragons. "This already happened guys. I'm right here." Hiccup couldn't help but say.

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.

Vikings and dragons alike cover their eyes.

With no time to think, Hiccup throws it away and steers Toothless' tail on instinct... with perfect intuition. Together, they manage a tight, hair-raising series of split- second turns, making it to the open water, unscathed. Hiccup takes a breath and glances back at the death-defying obstacle course, now safely behind them.

"Hatchling, do you want to give us heart attacks!" A Nadder screeches as other dragons press closer to Hiccup ensuring he won't be going anywhere.

"Well it keeps your heart in good shape" Hiccup says with a smirk.

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.

Fits of laughter can be heard through the theater.

EXT. BLACK SAND BEACH - SUNSET

Hiccup and Toothless lounge on a sprawling, deserted beach, snacking on 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.

"Why would you burn your food hatchling?" One of the Gronkles asks.

"Humans don't eat food raw, we would get sick." Hiccup explains.

"You humans are weird." A Zippleback head comments.

"That we are." Hiccup says dryly.

Several Terrible Terrors land like seagulls, hissing and nipping at each other as they approach Toothless' pile of fish. One grabs the regurgitated fish head and drags it away. Another attempts to steal it from him. They face off and last fire balls at each other to settle the fight. Hiccup and Toothless watch, amused. That is until... Toothless spots one of his fish leaving the pile. A stealthy Terrible Terror is exposed as the thief. They tug on the fish, and it snaps back into Toothless' mouth. He swallows it back tauntingly. Irate, the little dragon paws at the ground and blast Toothless. He opens his mouth, the gas hiss comes, and Toothless fires a tiny flame straight into its mouth, causing the gas to backfire into the little dragon. It coughs up smoke and staggers away, looking ill. Hiccup laughs.

HICCUP (CONT'D)

Not so fireproof on the inside, are you?

"Why do I have a feeling that that is important?" Fishlegs is heard muttering.

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.

The Vikings take a good look at the dragons, who were currently busy trying to get some cuddle time with Hiccup. 'Could everything they know be wrong?' If that was the case then why were they raided?