Chapter 9
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.
Almost immediately, Stoick forgot his current anger and was struck with shock and dismay. Hiccup was truly riding that beast thousands of feet above the ocean?! The other Vikings weren't sure whether to fear for his life or to shake their head at his recklessness. Adina looked at Ali with amazement as she said, "One day that will be me and you, girl." Adina couldn't wait.
HICCUP: Okay there bud, we're gonna take this nice and slow.
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.
"What's with the positions? Doesn't a tail just open one way?" Snotlout retorted. Hiccup and Astrid both suppressed a sigh, even Toothless looking exasperated at this clueless blob of a Viking. Ali said, "No, my idiot moronic Viking."
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.
The Vikings watched, enthralled at Hiccup's ability to control the Night Fury's flight. How did he do it?
Hiccup's nostalgic smile at the first flight slowly melted off his face as he immediately remembered the near death experience he encountered that day. Gods, his dad was going to explode again. But he survived, didn't he? Got to give him some credit for that!
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Alright, it's go time. It's go time.
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.
Subconsciously, Stoick found himself sighing in relief, not willing to see Hiccup almost dying again. Gobber also seemed to relax slightly, but was still stiff as he watched Hiccup soar through the skies.
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.
The Vikings all flinched as Hiccup – or to be more precise, Toothless – crashed into the stack.
Ruffnut and Tuffnut, on the other hand, looked extremely excited to see the crash, wishing that they could do that too one day.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Sorry.
They hurtle into another rock pillar. Toothless grumbles.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) My fault.
Toothless swats him with his 'ear' plate.
The Vikings all let out a laugh, sympathizing with Toothless' irritation for Hiccup. Hiccup chuckled, "You prideful dragon", only to receive another ear slap.
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...
Everyone in the room was captivated, almost picturing themselves with Hiccup on the dragon and sharing his enthusiasm.
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!
Stoick and Gobber both tensed; they were waiting for something bad to happen. Something bad always happens when Hiccup's around.
... 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.
"Odin's beard…" Gobber whispered fearfully. Stoick had gone ghostly pale, silently asking the gods why his son was so eager to pass through death's doors. All the teens and other Vikings had gone silent, watching in horror as Hiccup seemed to be approaching his death.
Hiccup could feel the fear emanating through the room and silently groaned. Well this part certainly wasn't going to help the village learn to trust dragons.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Oh gods! Oh no!
Without Hiccup, the tail loses control. Hiccup and Toothless spiral downward. Toothless FIGHTS to get back under Hiccup.
Toothless whined, not liking to see Hiccup in such a dangerous situation. Hiccup kept his stare on the screen, absentmindedly petting Toothless to calm him down.
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.
Many Vikings shut their eyes, not wishing to see Hiccup become a new splat on the sharp sea stacks. Stoick and Gobber held their breath, eyes wide with fear.
With no time to think, Hiccup throws it away and steers Toothless' tail on instinct... with perfect intuition. Together, they manage a tight, hair-rasing series of split second turns, making it to the open water, unscathed.
Impossible. That was the first word to come to everyone's mind, both Vikings and dragons. The Vikings stared, slack jawed at the scene before them. Hiccup had managed to work with the Night Fury and fly perfectly in sync! Hiccup smiled to himself; how's that for some talent?
Ali clapped amazed as Adina let out a roar of approval.
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.
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.
Relieved that any imminent danger was past Hiccup, the Vikings let out a weak laugh. Leave it to Hiccup to never fail to bring his dry humor, no matter the situation.
Stoick felt Gobber visibly relax next to him, but he couldn't bring himself to do that same. Was this the end? How many more times has Hiccup gone behind the village's back to attempt these life threatening actions?
EXT. BLACK SAND BEACH - SUNSET
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.
HICCUP: Uh..no thanks. (gesturing to his fish on A STICK) I'm good.
The dragons stared, fascinated at the stronger bond between the two. The Night Fury was willingly giving up the best part of the fish for its new rider! The Night Fury really trusted that human by now. They could feel the solidified connection forming between what was thought to be impossible.
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.
The Terrible Terrors squeaked excitedly, hopping in place as they watched themselves face off in the match for the fish.
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.
"Aw come one bud, what happened to sharing is caring?" Hiccup teased. Toothless snorted, clearly disagreeing with that notion. Ali said, "Agreed, I think this is the proof that Toothless does not like sharing. Not even sharing you."
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.
The Vikings and Ali laughed, pitying the tiny dragon. Ali turned to the Terror and snorted, "Nice try." It put up a valiant effort, but hey, it was up against a Night Fury!
Hiccup laughs.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Not so fireproof on the inside, are you?
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 carefully pets him... sending the Terror into an immediate, blissful sleep.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) (PENSIVE) Everything we know about you guys is wrong.
The room went silent as the Vikings watched what was the island's most hated creatures turn into gentle and peaceful dragons. Many were left speechless as they saw Hiccup befriending more and more dragons.
Astrid grinned, noticing her appreciation and respect for Hiccup growing stronger and stronger. If she had known the situation, maybe she could've gone along with him to learn about dragons! She wouldn't mind having her own dragon, too!
Stoick stared hard at the screen, not as susceptible to the gentle nature of some of these dragons. Sure, some seemed peaceful enough, but that doesn't mean he can forget the countless times they've attacked his village, stealing their food, destroying their homes!
INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - HICCUP'S CLOSET - NIGHT
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.
"Scared me half to death!", Hiccup whispered to himself nervously.
HICCUP: Dad! You're back!
He skirts the bench, blocking Stoick's view of Toothless, the prosthetic fin, and other drawings.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Gobber's not here, so...
He strikes an awkwardly casual pose, trying to cover up as much as possible.
"Alright Hiccup, I really need to teach you how to act when you're trying to lie about something," Snotlout adamantly announced.
"Oh oh oh! We can help with that! That's our specialty!" Ruffnut and Tuffnut piped in helpfully.
Ali said, "Hey, no one asked you guys!"
"Thanks for the concern, guys," Hiccup drawled sarcastically.
STOICK: I know. I came looking for you.
HICCUP: (CAUGHT) You did?
STOICK: (STERN) You've been keeping secrets.
Hiccup's legs give out. He slides, dragging the table's contents with him.
A confused mumble spreads across the room. Stoick knows? How did he find out? Why is he so calm about it?
HICCUP: I...I…I have?
"Way to play it cool there, Hiccup," Snotlout whispered dramatically, shaking his head at his cousin's lack of acting abilities.
STOICK: Just how long did you think you could hide it from me?
HICCUP: (IN VAIN) I don't know what you're...
STOICK: Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it.
HICCUP: Oh?
Stoick shook his head in disbelief. They had both been talking about dragons, but two completely different versions of dragons! He had been so close to finding out his secret!
STOICK: So. (BEAT) Let's talk about that dragon.
Blood drains from Hiccup's face.
A gasp resonated through the room. He knew! Many eyed the screen somewhat eagerly, wondering if Stoick would explode as he had earlier.
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.
The Vikings stared, just as confused as Hiccup was. This definitely wasn't the reaction they were expecting.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) You're not...upset?
STOICK: What?! I was hoping for this!
HICCUP: Uh...you were?
Snotlout opened his mouth, clearly confused, as he prepared to ask another question. He noticed Astrid's glare and immediately shut his mouth, meekly staring back at the screen.
STOICK: And believe me, it only gets better! Just wait til you spill a Nadder's guts for the first time.
Hiccup's elated expression sinks.
A look of understanding dawned upon everyone's face, realizing the miscommunication that was occurring.
STOICK: (CONT'D) And mount your first Gronckle head on a spear. What a feeling!
Stoick laughs and smacks Hiccup on the shoulder, sending him into the wall.
STOICK: (CONT'D) 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!
Hiccup felt his heart sink at those words, knowing he let his dad down again. Ali said, "Wow, Stoick. If I had known you'd be a jerk, I would have pulled the trigger on you. You already saw Snotface's helmet."
Hiccup gets back up, grimacing in the irony of it all.
STOICK: (CONT'D) 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: (CONT'D) (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...
The Vikings shifted uncomfortably, clearly feeling the awkward tension filling the room.
STOICK: (CONT'D) Oh, I... brought you something.
He presents a horned helmet.
STOICK (CONT'D) To keep you safe in the ring.
In the midst of everything, Hiccup still felt glad that his dad was concerned for his safety. At least it showed he still cared!
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 breast plate.
The teens burst into the sudden laughter, Astrid smiling slightly, Ali was a bit uncomfortable as she slowly covered her chest by crossing her arms, meaning: don't get any funny ideas. Hiccup felt the color rise to his cheeks, knowing that everyone now knew the true origin of his helmet. Stoick looked confused, not understanding what was so funny as Gobber heartily patted him on the back, chuckling as well.
Stoick taps his own helmet and smiles.
STOICK: (CONT'D) Matching set. Keeps her close, y'know?
Hiccup eyes the mismatched helmets, grimacing.
"Oh dude...Did not need to see this part." Snotlout groaned, disturbed.
Stoick beams with pride. Hiccup squirms. He forces a YAWN.
HICCUP: I should really get to bed.
STOICK HICCUP: (talking over each (talking over each OTHER) Yes! Good! Okay. Good talk. See you back at the house. We should do this again. I'm Great. Thanks for stopping glad I stopped by, I hope you by. And for the... the uh, like the hat. breast hat.
Snotlout and Tuffnut snickered at the word 'breast hat'. Astrid rolled her eyes; some boys were so immature!
STOICK: Well..uh..good night.
Stoick leaves the room awkwardly, leaving Hiccup looking more burdened than ever.
Stoick eyed Hiccup, watching his distressed expression. He didn't understand where this so-called 'movie' was going. Was it trying to tear him and his son apart?
"Hiccup, why couldn't you have just told me, son?" Stoick questioned uncertainly.
A long pause passed as Stoick uncomfortably waited for a response.
"Did you really just ask that, dad?" Hiccup replied, voice heavy with disbelief.
Stoick blushed uncharacteristically. "Okay, point taken. What I'm trying to say is that maybe if we could have just talked through thi-"
"That's the problem! You never listen to me, dad! Every time I talk to you, it's either ignored or you refuse to listen. I could barely talk to you about dragon killing, how was I supposed to bring up Toothless? 'Oh hey Dad, dragon killings going great! By the way, I ride a Night Fury and I'm friends with dragons now, the dragons that have been destroying our village for decades! Good night!'" Hiccup cried, his words spilling out before he could stop himself.
Ali said, "You know, he has a point."
Stoick went silent, torn between his hatred for dragons and his love for his son.
"I just wanted to protect you, son." Stoick whispered, his voice still easily carrying across the room to where Hiccup was seated.
Ali threw a raspberry and grumbled, "Funny way of protection." Toothless and Adina agreed with her with a moan.
Hiccup froze, not sure how to reply. His mind was a mess, trying to process everything that was happening. His dad wanted to protect him… His memory raced back yesterday, where he and Astrid had encountered the queen dragon at its nest, clearly able to decimate anything Berk could throw at it. He couldn't let his dad go there, no one from Berk could go near that place!
"I was too." Hiccup voice was as quiet as Stoick's. Stoick looked up, confused. What did he mean, Hiccup was trying to protect him?
Ali said, "Let's just say something will happen. Let's say flight and end it there."
A moment of silence passed, as the village and dragons witnessed the first heart to heart conversation between the chief of the tribe and its heir. The silence was abruptly interrupted as they saw the scene on the screen begin to shift. Eyes drawn back to the movie, they watched with both curiosity and anxiety for what was yet to come.