"You going to like this Heather." Gary said
"What do you mean I'll like this?" Heather asked
"You'll see." Gary said
A Gronckle hovers above the ring, hunting victims as the teen recruits scramble. Astrid ducks behind a barrier to find Hiccup already there. She forces her axe at his throat.
Astrid: Stay out of my way! I'm winning this thing.
Hiccup: Please, by all means.
She darts off, closing fast on the dragon. The crowd above cheers her on.
Viking in the crowd: You got it Astrid!
Hiccup stands and looks around. Amidst the crowd of onlookers, Stoick watches keenly, beaming with pride. He locks eyes with Hiccup, giving him a nod of encouragement. Hiccup adjusts his new helmet and forces a half-hearted smile. Unbeknownst to Hiccup, the Gronckle spots him and makes a beeline toward him.
"The breast hat looks a bit to big for you.." Dagur said as he laughed again at Breast hat
At Astrid
... as she catches her breath behind a barrier. She scowls, focused, determined.
Astrid: This time. This time for sure.
Yeah no, you won't get it since it's been defeated by Hiccup already." Mala said
With a FIERCE BATTLE-CRY she LEAPS from cover, axe cocked to throw.
Astrid: Aaaaaaaaaa...
And as she clears the barriers, she sees that Hiccup has already laid the Gronckle out.
"Told you, Hiccup defeated her." Mala said
Astrid: ...aaaaaaauGGGGGHHHHHHHH! No! No!
Hiccup shrugs, as unhappy with the situation as she is.
Astrid: NO! NO! SON OF HALFTROLL RAT EATING MUNGE BUCKET!
"Damn, you had serious anger issues." Heather said
"I don't have anger issues anymore." Astrid said
"Yeah Hiccup has mellowed you out greatly." Snotlout said as he came out of his uncouncous state
"She still has her anger issues but she uses it when the kids miss behavior since I'm the fun one." Hiccup said
"You the fun one yeah right." Astrid said
"Why not ask the kids they'll tell you?" Hiccup said as they looked at where there Children are and saw them fast asleep
"Seems like we can't since they are asleep." Astrid said
"I better send them to bed then." Gary said as he clicks his fingers making the kids who are asleep disappear and into beds where they got comfy.
A loud clack ring out. From the crowd above, Gothi, the village elder, steps forward, tapping her staff. Everyone lights up excitedly.
Stoick: Wait! Wait!
Hiccup: So, later.
Gobber snags Hiccup as he attempts to leave.
Gobber: Not so fast.
Hiccup: I'm kinda late for-
Astrid (livid): What? Late for what exactly?
"To meet up with Toothless and go flying." Hiccup said
Stoick holds out his hands to silence the jabbering crowd.
Stoick: Okay quiet down. The elder has decided.
Thrilled, Gobber stands behind Hiccup and Astrid. He points to Astrid as the crowd waits in silent anticipation. Gothi shakes her head 'no.' The crowd 'Oooohs.' Gobber then points to Hiccup. The elder nods an affirmative 'yes.' The crowd erupts in cheers. Astrid turns a seething, deadly glare on Hiccup.
Gobber: You've done it! You've done it, Hiccup! You get to kill the dragon!
Stoick: Ha, ha! That's my boy!
Hiccup is hoisted onto the recruits' shoulders and carried out to the cheering spectators...
Hiccup (masking panic): Heh, heh. Oh yeah! Yes! I can't wait. I am so...
Hiccup: ... leaving. We're leaving. Let's pack up. Looks like you and me are taking a little vacation, forever.
"So you were actually leaving but what made you stay on Berk." Atali said
Toothless is nowhere in sight. Hiccup sets down his basket and opens it up, his head clouded with troubles.
Hiccup: Oh..man...
Shink! Hiccup looks up to the sound of... Astrid, sitting on the rock right in front of him, sharpening her axe.
"That was the scariest thing I have ever experienced." Hiccup said
Hiccup (shocked): Aggh! What the- (recomposing) What are you doing here?
She hops off the rock and back him down, spinning her axe threateningly. Hiccup's eyes dart around nervously, searching or Toothless.
Astrid: I want to know what's going on. No one just gets as good as you do. Especially you. Start talking! Are you training with someone?
"Yes, I was with Toothless." Hiccup said
Hiccup; Uh...training?
"Exactly." Hiccup said
She grabs him by his odd-looking harness.
Astrid: It better not involve... this.
Hiccup: I know this looks really bad, but you see...this is, uh...
They hear a rustle coming from the other side of the cove. Astrid DROPS Hiccup to the ground and sets off to investigate.
"Oh no! Astrid is going to find Toothless." Mindin said
Hiccup (panicked): You're right! You're right. I'm through with the lies. I've been making... outfits. So you got me. It's time everyone knew. Drag me back. Go ahead. Here we go.
"Really Hiccup that's the excuse you used." Heather said
"What I wanted her to leave so she doesn't find out about Toothless." Hiccup said
He puts her hand back on his harness, getting her to 'drag him back.' Astrid bends Hiccups hand backwards, driving him down.
Hiccup: AAAAUUGGGHHH! Why would you do that?!
Astrid: That's for the lies.
Astrid pounces the hilt of her axe off of Hiccup's laid-out body.
Astrid: And THAT'S for everything else.
Hiccup's yelp is answered with a growl, coming from the other side of the cove. Astrid looks up to see... a Night Fury. Toothless pounces toward them, snarling.
"You have known Toothless for how many days and he's already protective of you." Atali said
"I have been training Toothless for a month." Hiccup said
Hiccup (feeble): Oh man.
She dives onto Hiccup.
Astrid: Get down! Run! Run!
Astrid pulls her axe, ready to take on Toothless.
Hiccup: No!
Hiccup knocks Astrid's cocked axe to the ground, out of reach, then stops Toothless short of crushing her.
"Why did you take the axe out of Astrid's hands?" Dagur asked
"I was saving Astrid from being killed since Night Furies are known for their great aim and speed." Hiccup said
Hiccup: No. It's okay! It's okay...
Toothless pulls up short and lands hard, spraying Astrid with sand.
Hiccup (calming): She's a friend.
Toothless snorts in disagreement. Astrid is frozen. Toothless looks from her to Hiccup and back to her, confused.
"I understand your confusion as well Toothless, how can she be a friend if she hurt Hiccup." Heather said
Hiccup (to Astrid): You just scared him.
Astrid: I scared him!?
Hiccup makes a "be quiet" motion.
Astrid (intense whisper): Who is him?
Hiccup: Astrid, Toothless. Toothless, Astrid.
Astrid backs away, eyeing Hiccup and Toothless together with pure disgust. She turns and runs for the village.
"I was thinking he didn't look Toothless but I still had to warn the village about what Hiccup was doing so I had to run to the village." Astrid said
Hiccup: Dada We're dead.
Satisfied with Astrid's departure, Toothless turns away.
Hiccup (to Toothless): Where do you think you're going?
"What I was thinking was dangerous human is gone so I'll go back to sleep." Toothless said
Astrid races through the trees. A large shadow overtakes her. She is suddenly snatched into the air. Astrid screams.
"How did no one in the village hear someone screaming?" Gary asked
"Raven Point is very far away from the Village so we popularly didn't hear anything." Gobber said
Astrid: Oh great Odin's ghost, this is it!
Hiccup and Toothless fly Astrid to the top of a towering pine. It bows and creaks under their weight as Astrid dangles a hundred feet in the air.
"Why didn't you just leave Berk since that's what you were planning to do anyway so why didn't you just leave Astrid alone and let her tell the entire village about it." Gary said
"I was thinking about that but I changed my mind so I went after Astrid instead." Hiccup said
Astrid: Hiccup! Get me down from here!
Hiccup: You have to give me a chance to explain.
Astrid: I'm not listening to ANYTHING you have to say!
Hiccup: Then I won't speak. Just let me show you.
"Is this how Hiccstrid first started?" Heather asked with a slight happiness in her voice
Hiccup extends a hand.
Hiccup: Please, Astrid.
She eyes him and the dragon, then the ground far, far below. After a moment, she swats Hiccup's outstretched hand away and reluctantly climbs over the pedal, lines, and harness. She settles behind Hiccup, avoiding as much contact as possible.
Astrid: Now get me down.
Hiccup: Toothless? Down. Gently.
Toothless leers mischievously. He spreads his wings slowly. With a whop, they fill with the updraft. Toothless releases the tree, tucks in his legs, and HOVERS in place.
"With that glare on his face, he's planning something." Atali said
Hiccup: See? Nothing to be afraid of.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Toothless said
Toothless suddenly launches straight upward. Astrid screams. The acceleration is tremendous. Every downbeat bucks the saddle, heaving them into the sky, doubling their speed like a rocket. Astrid is thrown backward. She screams and hugs Hiccup for dear life, squeezing the breath out of him.
Hiccup: Toothless! What is wrong with you?! Bad Dragon! (mortified; to Astrid) He's not usually like this. Oh no...
Toothless rolls and plummets toward the coastline far below. Astrid screams. Toothless rockets over the ocean waves, deliberately dipping them in the froth.
Hiccup: Toothless, what are you doing?! We need her to like us!
Toothless rockets skyward and begins tumbling head over tail.
Hiccup: And now the spinning. Thank you for nothing you useless reptile.
"There's the famous nickname." Gary said
Astrid clamps her hand over her eyes.
"Here comes the apology I was waiting for." Toothless said with a Toothless smile
Astrid: Okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Just get me off of this thing.
Astrid is defeated, her aggressive energy gone. Satisfied, Toothless relents. They level off and head up into the clouds. Astrid opens her eyes again, and looks out over a world she'd never dreamed of. She reaches out and touches clouds, pierces columns ablaze in golden hues, and floats over a vast, alien skyscape. Her terror is replaced by wonder. She grins, despite herself. Toothless rises above a blanket of clouds...
"Did Toothless just make the most Romantic flight between you two?" Heather said with a slight squeal in her voice
"Yeah it was so romantic until it got ruined by the trip to the dragon's nest." Astrid said
...and levels off under a starry sky. They emerge from a blanket of clouds under the dancing Northern Lights, shimmering in ribbons across the vast sky. Below them, Berk's torches flicker in the inky darkness. The new perspective is breathtaking. Astrid tucks her arms into Hiccup's vest, burying her chin into his shoulder. The moment is not lost on either of them. Hiccup smiles nervously. Toothless climbs past Berk's tallest peaks and heads out over open water, leaving the village lights behind them.
"Oh, my thor! Astrid is in love." Heather squealed
Astrid: Alright I admit it. This is pretty cool. It's... amazing. He's amazing.
Astrid carefully reaches down and pats Toothless' side.
Astrid: So what now?
Hiccup groans. It's a problem without an answer.
Astrid: Hiccup, your final exam is tomorrow. You know you're going to have to kill... (whispered) ... kill a dragon.
Hiccup: Don't remind me.
A strange, unearthly din approaches. Toothless' ear plates suddenly stand on end. Panicked, he abruptly dives, dipping into cloud cover.
Hiccup: Toothless! What's happening? What is it?
Toothless BARKS at him. 'Quiet!' Suddenly, out of the dense cloud, a Monstrous Nightmare emerges.
Hiccup: Get down!
Hiccup and Astrid duck. The Nightmare calls out. A Zippleback appears to the other side of Toothless, boxing him in.
Astrid: What's going on?
"Don't ask me I was confused as well." Hiccup said
Hiccup: I don't know. Toothless. You've got to get us out of here, bud.
Toothless HISSES.
Other dragons, previously invisible in the thick clouds, appear all around them. Hundreds of them, all carrying fish and game in their talons.
Hiccup(whispered): It looks like they're hauling in their kill.
The Zippleback eyes them ravenously.
Astrid: What does that make us?
The dragons bank and dive in formation, plummeting through the thickening fog and weaving between towering, craggy sea stacks. They emerge at the base of a massive volcanic caldera, glowing with rivulets of lava. The flock of dragons fall into rank, funneling through a crack, and zipping through a winding tunnel. It gives way to a vast, steamy inner chamber, tiered with pocky shelves. Dragons of all breeds lay about, nested in hordes. The arriving dragons fly in, dropping the fish and game into a central pit, glowing red and shrouded in mist. Hiccup is amazed.
"Whoa! Everybody shouted except for New Berkians who have been on the island before.
"That's a lot of dragons." Valka said
"Didn't you live at a dragon next before?" Gary asked
"Yeah, but it wasn't crowded like this one." Valka said
Hiccup: What my dad wouldn't give to find this.
Toothless peels away from the procession, landing on a small shadowy shelf to keep a low-profile. Hiccup and Astrid peek around, taking in the busy hive of sorts. They watch as the food continues to be dropped into the pit.
Hiccup: It's satisfying to know that all of our food has been dumped down a hole.
"Why are they dropping all that food into a hole?" Mindin asked
"You'll see." Hiccup and Astrid said
Astrid: They're not eating any of it.
Last to arrive is a dim-witted Gronckle. It hovers over the pit and regurgitates his paltry contribution - a pathetic little fish. As it falls into the steamy pit, a terrible roar rings out. The Gronckle tries to flee, but before it can, a gargantuan dragon head juts from the steamy pit and snaps it out of the air. Swallowing it back whole. Hiccup and Astrid recoil, terrified.
"What the fuck is that?!" Atali screamed out
"That is what has been causing the raids for 300 years." Hiccup said
Astrid: What is that?
The monstrous beast sniffs the air, seemingly aware of them. It nears the ledge where Toothless is hiding... and roars. Several dragons take flight in fear.
Hiccup: Alright buddy, we gotta get out of here. Now!
Toothless takes flight, barely evading the monster's snapping jaws. The behemoth dragon lunges for them, snatching a Zippleback out of the air instead. Toothless disappears into the winged exodus as thousands of dragons flee the caldera in fear.
Toothless glides into the cove and touches down on the moonlit beach.
Astrid (her mind reeling, talking Hiccup's ear off): No, no, it totally makes sense. It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers... and that's their queen. It controls them.
She leaps off of Toothless and runs toward the village.
Astrid: Let's find your dad.
Hiccup: No, no! Not yet. They'll... kill Toothless. Astrid, we have to think this through carefully. Astrid eyes him, incredulous.
Astrid: Hiccup, we just discovered the dragons' nest...the thing we've been after since Vikings first sailed here. And you want to keep it a secret? To protect your pet dragon? Are you serious?
"Do you want to kill the entire village due to that dragon." Gary said as Astrid looked down at what she was suggesting
Hiccup stands firm, resolute.
Hiccup: Yes.
Astrid's taken aback.
Astrid: Okay. Then what do we do?
Hiccup: Just give me until tomorrow. I'll figure something out.
Astrid: Okay.
"Get ready Heather you going to see something romantic." Gary said as Heather sat up with a smile on her face
Astrid PUNCHES Hiccup in the arm.
Astrid: That's for kidnapping me.
Hiccup looks to Toothless for support. Toothless snorts, dismissive. Astrid grabs him. He braces for another hit. She kisses Hiccup on the cheek.
"That was Hiccstrid's second kiss so far." Heather said as she squealed at Astrid kissing Hiccup's cheek
Astrid: That's for, everything else.
In the awkward wake of the moment, Astrid hurries off... leaving Hiccup rubbing his cheek, stunned. Toothless hobbles up, eyeing him.
Hiccup: What are you looking at?
"Toothless looks proud at what he just did." Mala said
"Yes I was. Everytime he comes and visited me he kept talking about how great Astrid was that I was getting annoyed by him who kept talking about her." Toothless
"Not long now until we're finished and time for a break." Gary said