Toothless and Hiccup soar through a perfect blue sky. Billowing clouds rise like mountains. The ground seems miles below them.
"How high are you in the sky?" Atali asked
"Above cloud cover." Hiccup said
Hiccup: Okay there bud, we're gonna take this nice and slow.
"Hiccup, Night Furies don't do slow." Fishlegs said
"I know but this was the first time fully flying on Toothless." Hiccup said
Hiccup checks a leather cheat sheet, clipped onto his harness. Inscribed upon it are several tail positions and their pedal position equivalents.
Hiccup: 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.
"That scene is beautiful." Mala said
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: Alright, it's go time. It's go time.
They dive toward it, lining up to pass through the arch.
Hiccup: Come on. Come on buddy. Come on buddy!
They zip through the arch. A perfect maneuver.
Hiccup: 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.
"How did you get so good flying with Toothless if you kept crashing?" Throk asked
"You'll see and you might get a heart attack." Hiccup said
"What do you mean we'll get a heart attack?" Astrid asked as she glared at Hiccup
"You'll see." Hiccup said
Hiccup: Sorry.
They hurtle into another rock pillar. Toothless grumbles.
"You know that hurt right." Toothless said
"Sorry bud." Hiccup said patting Toothless's snout
Hiccup: My fault.
"That's something we can agree on." Toothless said
Toothless swats him with his 'ear' plate.
Hiccup: Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. (referring to the cheat sheet) Position four, no three.
"Here it comes the scene that will cause all of you to have heart attacks." Hiccup said
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: Yeah! Go baby! Yes! Oh, this is amazing! The wind in my...
He spots the leather guide tearing free in the turbulence.
Hiccup (panicked): ... CHEAT SHEET! STOP!
Hiccup grabs frantically for the airborne sheet...
Hiccup: No!
... and nabs it before it's carried out of reach. Toothless, however, obeys the command and suddenly tops 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! Everyone shouted
"Guys I'm fine I got back onto the saddle again." Hiccup said
"You are stupid and reckless." Astrid said with tears in her eyes as Hiccup hugged her
Hiccup: Oh gods! Oh no!
Without Hiccup, the tail loses control. Hiccup and Toothless spiral downward. Toothless fights to get back under Hiccup.
"This is why I had to invent the Dragon Fly when I was eighteen so this doesn't happen ever again." Hiccup said
Hiccup (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.
"You guys are going to see me fly brilliantly." Hiccup said
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-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. He beams, relieved. He sits back and throws his arms up in victory.
"So in that life or death situation, you controlled Toothless Tail fin perfectly." Mala said as Hiccup nodded
"Yeah, Toothless, and I didn't want to die so I had to quickly control his tail and figure out his next move." Hiccup said
Hiccup: YEEAHHH!
Toothless concurs with a happy squeal and a fireball. Hiccup's glee turn to dread as they fly directly into it.
Hiccup: Ah, come on.
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.
"Please tell me you are not going to eat it?" Mala asked
Hiccup: Uh..no thanks. (gesturing to his fish on a stick) I'm good.
"Thank Thor." Mala said
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 attempt 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...
"UGH! We call Terrible Terrors the seagulls of the dragon world since they kept annoying us and trying to steal our food away from us." Hookfang said
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 hauntingly. 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.
"That little one is brave to go against a Night Fury and only come out being dizzy." Atali said
Hiccup laughs.
"I love it when you laugh, Honey." Astrid purred in Hiccup's ear
Hiccup: Not so fireproof on the inside, are you?
"Is that what gave you the idea against the Red Death." Fishlegs said
"Yeah, what I learned in Dragon Training helped me against that dragon." Hiccup said
"Can one of you guys tell me what the Red Death is?" Heather asked
"Soon Heather soon." Gary said
Hiccup throws the hapless Terror his freshly cooked fish.
Hiccup: Here you go.
The appreciative little dragon gulps down the meal and approaches Hiccup cautiously. He curls up next to him. Hiccup is amazed.
'I see the dragons that are not being controlled by the Red Death are docile and peaceful while the dragon that are being controlled are dangerous." Alvin said
Hiccup (pensive): Everything we know about you guys is wrong.
"That's what I said when you were still a teenagers." Valka said
Hiccup carefully pets him... sending the Terror into an immediate, blissful sleep.
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.
"How did Stoick fit through that skinny door? Look at his size?" Dagur asked as he laughed
Hiccup: Dad! You're back!
He skirts the bench, blocking Stoick's view of Toothless, the prosthetic fin, and other drawings.
Hiccup: 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.
"Oh no! He knows before Astrid did." Atali said
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?
"There were a lot of things I could hide from him and he wouldn't notice back then." Hiccup said
Hiccup (in vain): I don't know what you're...
Stoick: Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it.
"That's what you think Stoick but we did a lot of pranks on Berk while you were still alive and we haven't been caught yet." Tuffnut said as Ruffnut facepalmed as they felt a lot of glares behind them
"Sis, are they glaring at us?" Tuffnut asked
"Yes you stupid idiot why couldn't you keep it a secret until our deaths." Ruffnut said
Hiccup: Oh?
Stoick: So. Let's talk about that dragon.
"I thought he only knew about Toothless when he came into the arena to safe you." Astrid whispered
"Yeah, but I was glad that wasn't the case." Hiccup whispered back
"OH UH! Hiccup is in trouble." Mindin said
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.
Hiccup: You're not...upset?
"He was after he saw me protecting Toothless." Hiccup said
Stoick: What?! I was hoping for this!
"He was hoping his son to train a dragon behind his back?" Throk asked 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.
"You know what never mind." Thork said
Hiccup's elated expression sinks.
Stoick: And mount your first Gronckle head on a spear. What a feeling!
"I'm going to be sick." Atali said as she rushed to the toilets to throw up
Stoick laughs and smacks Hiccup on the shoulder, sending him into the wall.
Stoick: 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!
"He almost did what! Valka shouted as she glared at the screen
Hiccup gets back up, grimacing in the irony of it all.
Stoick: 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 (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...
"This is awkward." Dagur said
"This was how it normally went most of the time if it didn't involve arguing." Gobber said
Stoick: Oh, I... brought you something.
He presents a horned helmet.
Stoick: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 breastplate.
"I'm glad he did that but did it have to be from that area." Valka said
Stoick taps his own helmet and smiles.
Stoick: Matching set. Keeps her close, y'know?
Hiccup eyes the mismatched helmets, grimacing.
"I don't blame you Hiccup having to hold something that was where your mother's breasts use to be." Mala said then they heard laughter and saw Dagur on the ground with tears coming out of his eyes
"Breast hat." Dagur laughed
Stoick: Wear it proudly. You deserve it. You've held up your end of the deal.
"What deal it was only one-sided and it was on your side Stoick." Mindin said
Stoick beams with pride. Hiccup squirms. He forces a yawn.
Hiccup: I should really get to bed.
Stoick (talking over each other): Yes! Good! Okay. Good talk. We should do this again. I'm glad I stopped by, I hope you like the hat.
Hiccup (talking over each other): See you back at the house. Great. Thanks for stopping by. And for the... the uh, breast hat.
Stoick: Well..uh..good night.
Stoick leaves the room awkwardly, leaving Hiccup looking more burdened than ever.
"That's when I was thinking why not leave Berk since no one wanted me here." Hiccup said
"What made you change your mind?" Heather asked
"Oh, you'll see." Hiccup said