Chapter 7

CUT TO: EXT. COVE - MAGIC HOUR

CLOSE ON

A fish... being thrown into the cove. It hits the ground and slides. A moment later, Hiccup peeks through a gap in the rock, looking around cautiously. Nothing.

Stoick's eyes widened, horrified at the scene before him.

"Hiccup, are you insane?! Are you tryin' to get yourself killed?" he shouted, unable to comprehend what was going on in his son's mind at that moment.

"Umm, maybe?", Hiccup stammered as he let out a weak chuckle. Ali thought, Who else do I know is also known to be a bit insane? And that movie was awesome.

Hiccup squeezes through and enters the cove. A BEAT, then Hiccup hears a SNORT from behind him. Hiccup turns to see the Night Fury, crouched on a rock like a stealthy panther. It descends, approaching him... ready to pounce.

Many Vikings shut their eyes. This is where little Hiccup meets his demise. Astrid's eyes were glued to the screen, her ice blue eyes wide with terror. What was Hiccup thinking, waltzing in there like that?! Stoick's breaths became labored, unwilling to accept what he feared was coming.

Ali said, "Will you all just get a grip? Hiccup is still alive so apparently he lives, duh!" All Vikings calmed down as Ali, Adina, Toothless, and Hiccup rolled their eyes.

Hiccup swallows his fear and offers the fish. Doing so reveals the dagger at his waist. The dragon sees it and hisses. Hiccup reaches for it, eliciting a growl. He pauses, carefully lifts it by the handle, and tosses it away. The dragon calms.

The village stared, mystified. The dragon didn't look as threatening anymore; in fact, it looked kind of… cute. Ali said, "Aww!" Toothless looked at Ali with annoyance. Ali chuckled and said, "Sorry, couldn't help it."

As it approaches the fish, Hiccup notices that it's missing teeth.

"Wait, so we've been terrorized and afraid of a dragon that has no teeth?!" Snotlout exclaimed, a smile playing on his face. Astrid rolled her eyes; how on earth was Hiccup related to him?

HICCUP: Huh. Toothless. I could've sworn you had...

A set of razor sharp teeth emerge from its gums to grab the fish. Toothless snatches and gnashes it up, swallowing it.

Ali asked, "What was that you said about a dragon with no teeth?" Snotlout immediately took back what he said.

HICCUP: (CONT'D) ... teeth.

Hiccup grinned, nostalgia washing over him. Who would've thought that would be the deciding factor in figuring out Toothless' name? Toothless chirped happily; that fish was delicious, especially since he had hardly eaten after landing in that cove!

The teeth retract again.

"Retractable teeth… That's so cool!" Fishlegs whispered, voice full of awe. The dragon knowledge-craving part of his mind took over and he instantly began observing every inch of the legendary Night Fury.

Toothless presses closer with an expectant look. Hiccup retreats nervously.

HICCUP: (CONT'D) Uh, no. No, I don't have any more.

Ali said, "In the second retrospect, you probably shouldn't have said that."

Hiccup nodded his head at her.

The Fury backs Hiccup against a rock, placing himself the same position as before. The dragon closes in over him, staring blankly. A tense moment passes... then Toothless regurgitates a chunk of fish onto Hiccup's lap.

The dragons were shocked; a dragon regurgitating fish for another was not just any gesture. Dragons did that for what they considered their young or someone they considered important! They stared at the rider; who was this human?

They exchange stares. Hiccup realizes what Toothless wants him to do.

"Oh, I hope he's not gonna do what I think he's gonna do…" Tuffnut said, looking slightly squeamish. Astrid's face scrunched up in disgust. Oh Thor, please don't do what I think Hiccup's going to do.

Hiccup's stomach lurched as he watched his past self-realize what Toothless wanted. Raw fish was definitely something he didn't want to try again! Ali smiled as Adina gave her a toothy grin.

Hiccup crouches slowly and squeamishly picks it up. The dragon waits expectantly. Hiccup gags and gnaws off a bite of the slimy fish.

"Looks tasty, eh?" Gobber chuckled sarcastically, not seeming to be really affected that Hiccup was interacting with a dragon. Stoick's mouth twitched into a slight smile, amused yet disgusted that Hiccup actually ate regurgitated fish.

All the teens except for Astrid and Ali made dramatic gagging noises, barely able to stomach what they just saw. Astrid smiled; she liked this side of Hiccup more than the timid and indecisive Hiccup she knew back then. Ali said, "Any side of Hiccup is best, thank you Astrid." Astrid looked shocked and uncomfortable, can this girl read minds or is she some kind of stalker?

He forces a smile. Toothless mimics him.

"Aww…" Ali and a few Vikings unknowingly gave in to their softer side, gazing at the dragon in adoration. This dragon was actually quite cute! Toothless covered his face with his paws in embarrassment as Ali stroked him and said, "Aww, don't take it personally, lovey."

Amazed, Hiccup sits up and tries to touch him. Toothless HISSES and flaps off to a crash on the other side of the cove. He BLASTS the mossy ground to a red-hot temperature... and curls up on it like a giant dog. He turns to find Hiccup seated beside him. Toothless tolerates his persistent presence... until Hiccup tries to touch his damaged tail. Toothless SNAPS at him. Hiccup takes the hint and leaves.

Hiccup chuckled, "Not so friendly now, are ya?" Toothless huffed and ignored his rider's comment.

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. COVE - LATER

It's MAGIC HOUR. Toothless wakes, hanging upside down from a tree. He spots Hiccup sitting on the other side of the cove. Sketching in the sand. CLOSE ON a sketch of Toothless.

The Vikings once again found themselves impressed by Hiccup's skills as an artist. Why hadn't he told anyone before?

Ali said, "That's pretty good. He really got the details of Toothless."

Hiccup draws with a stick, minding his own business. Toothless appears behind him, watching carefully. Aware of his presence, Hiccup continues, trying not to scare him off. Toothless walks off. A moment later, he reappears with an entire sapling, drawing lines in the sand. He rushes here and there, making haphazard lines in every direction.

The dragons stared, never having seen this side of the Night Fury. They hadn't known he was the playful type of dragon under that mysterious and dark appearance. Adina looked amazed at her new friend. She has seen Toothless as mysterious, but in some terms he's sweet and playful.

Hiccup stared at the screen fondly, remembering this moment clearly in the back of his mind. "Ladies and gentlemen, the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself.", he announced humorously. He received a light slap on the head from Toothless' tail, but Hiccup didn't mind, fully enjoying the moment. Ali silently laughed.

Finally, Toothless drops the tree and inspects his work. He seems pleased. Hiccup stands and takes in the sprawling scribble, amazed by it. He accidentally steps onto one of the lines, eliciting an instant growl from Toothless. He steps on it again. Toothless growls again.

Many Vikings chortled, amused by the rapid mood swings from the dragon as Hiccup teased the scribbles. Ali bent over to Hiccup and whispered something to him. Hiccup's eyes widen at Ali's request as Ali tilted towards the front. Hiccup agreed as he and Toothless walked down the steps.

Realizing how sensitive he is, Hiccup steps carefully between each line, turning round and round until he unwittingly bumps into Toothless.

All eyes looked at Hiccup and Toothless began re-enacting the moment they became friends. All the Vikings and dragons stared intently at the screen and at the two, completely absorbed.

Toothless snorts. Once again, they're face to face. Hiccup slowly extends his hand. Toothless hesitates. Hiccup turns his head away and closes his eyes. To his amazement, Toothless bridges the gap and presses his muzzle against Hiccup's hand.

Toothless finished the act with placing his muzzle on Hiccup's hand, but instead Hiccup hugged him tightly with his eyes closed. Toothless did the same as he purred softly.

Ali's eyes watered with tears of joy at the sight. To her, the friendship between Toothless and Hiccup was eternally unbreakable. And that was the best kind.

The room was completely silent, all the Vikings staring with their jaws dropped. Stoick couldn't believe his eyes. Did his son just befriend and hugged a dragon? A Night Fury at that! Even through a screen, the village could feel the close bond developing between human and rider at that moment.

The dragons were just as surprised as the other humans were. They had never thought they would meet a human who would attempt to befriend a dragon like that. Especially a human as puny as that one!

Ali wiped her eyes and said, "Best moment ever." Hiccup and Toothless returned to their seats, feeling more bonded than before. They turned to Ali as she gave them a thumb up.

In a flash, the dragon is gone, leaving Hiccup astounded.

Hiccup relaxed into Toothless' side with a content sigh. He was happy he got to relive that again, even if he and Toothless re-enacted it. That was the day he finally met his best friend. Toothless cooed and gave Hiccup a small lick on the cheek. Adina licked Ali on her cheek as she let out a laugh as she hugged her best friend and said, "I love you too, Addie."

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. And I saw the look on his face. I was delicious. 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.

"Okay, you've said some weird things, Fishlegs. But that was probably one of the weirdest." Snotlout confessed. Fishlegs shrugged, still thinking his idea was pretty cool. Ali imagined the image and said, "Ok, that is sick."

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.

Gobber grinned, appreciating the boy's enthusiasm, but not quite sure how he would accomplish such mighty feats with merely his face. Hiccup asked, "Did he just call it beautiful?"

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.

Astrid sucked in her breath; realizing the same thing Hiccup had realized back then. Toothless will die if he can't fly again. Adina groaned as Ali said, "It's ok. I'm not letting anyone near you or Toothless. I swear it." Hiccup smiled, he really liked Ali. She was the only one besides Astrid who cared for him and Toothless, not just because she was kind, but she cares for the dragons and sees them as equals, like him.

Gobber stands and stretches.

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?

"Duh, isn't it obvious?" Snotlout flexed his muscles, flashing Astrid a grin. Astrid stared blankly and turned her attention back to the screen, Snotlout still awkwardly striking his pose as he waited for a more positive response. After a couple of seconds, he realized her attention would not return and stared dejectedly back at the screen. Ali snickered to herself.

He hobbles off. The teens reflect.

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?

TUFFNUT: It's not a tattoo. It's a birthmark.

Ali taunted, "Ooh! BUSTED!"

"Tuffnut!",The Thorston mother shrieked as said teen tried to hide behind his sister, but Ruffnut cackled and revealed him to their mom.

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.

"I've seen you plenty of times from the left, and that was never there!" Ruffnut drawled smugly. Tuffnut acted as if she never spoke.

Hiccup gets up and walks away from the group. Astrid watches him as he leaves the bonfire.

Hiccup was surprised. He didn't realize Astrid had been watching him leave; no one ever seemed to notice him leave, not that they would care. Despite the situation, he felt slightly happy that someone finally noticed him, especially since it was Astrid.

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. With a look of determination, Hiccup picks up a charcoal stick and re-draws the missing tail.

Gobber was taken aback. He had reached the same conclusion Hiccup was reaching. Was Hiccup really going to rebuild a dragon tail? Did he teach Hiccup enough for him to be able to accomplish such a thing? Gobber looked at Ali as he asked, "Is he?" Ali smugly nodded slowly as she said, "Mmmhm."

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. Hiccup determinedly pieces together everything, finally revealing a completed tailfin exactly like the sketch.

Toothless had been eyeing the screen curiously, watching the tailfin currently attached to his tail being constructed before his eyes. Hiccup stared happily, remembering the rush of adrenaline he had felt while secretly constructing that tailfin. The teens stared, amazed at the Hiccup before them. This wasn't the Hiccup they knew! This Hiccup was confident, determined, skilled! Astrid smiled; this was the Hiccup she liked and wanted to get to know better. This was the Hiccup from that amazing flight last night on Toothless, who wanted to risk everything to protect his best friend.

Gobber, meanwhile, was staring proudly at Hiccup onscreen, silently crediting himself for having taught Hiccup everything he needed to know to build such a complex invention.

Stoick was stunned; he knew Hiccup was learning well from Gobber as his apprentice, but he hadn't realized how skilled he had actually become! Not that it was as important as being a dragon killer, but Stoick was glad Hiccup wasn't as useless as the village had dubbed him as.

Ali and Adina smiled as Ali said, "If you fight for something that is worth it, only then you will be blessed in battle."

But the real question remained fresh in all the Vikings and dragon's minds: is that tailfin going to work?