Chapter 15
IN THE AIR
Astrid sees Toothless streaking through the sky, gaining altitude.
The Vikings gasped, amazed at the great speed the Night Fury took flight with. Never in a million years would they have expected Hiccup to be rescuing the village!
Meanwhile, the dragons eyed the screen, intrigued. Were those two really planning on stopping the queen? That's impossible, even for the Night Fury!
ASTRID: He's up!
She turns to Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who are ARGUING and THROWING PUNCHES at each other.
ASTRID: (CONT'D) Get Snotlout out of there!
Snotlout flushed, embarrassed that he had to be rescued. By the twins, at that!
TUFFNUT RUFFNUT: I'm on it! I'm on it!
TUFFNUT: I'm on it first! I'm ahead of you.
"That doesn't even make sense, idiot! We're on the same dragon!" Ruffnut snapped, tossing a glare at Tuffnut. Tuffnut ignored his sister, still sticking with the idea that he was ahead.
The twins spot Snotlout on the giant dragon and steer their Zippleback in his direction.
RUFFNUT: Hey! Let me drive!
The twins peel off, ARGUING as they race each other to the monster. Snotlout sees the Zippleback diving toward him and DASHES down the Red Death's head. He runs up the end of its horn... As the twins sweep past, both missing him... but perfectly snatching him where the necks merge. Ruff and Tuff eye each other, surprised and impressed.
Even Snotlout found himself impressed that the twin's had actually rescued him without killing anyone.
"We totally planned that" Tuffnut boasted, puffing out his chest. Ruffnut rolled her eyes and groaned, but still enjoyed her moment of victory.
TUFFNUT: I can't believe that worked.
The Red Death spots Astrid and INHALES, preparing to blast. She and her Nadder get caught in the suction, pulled toward the monster's gaping mouth.
Astrid cringed; she was going to be the first casualty.
Hiccup's eyes widened in alarm. Where was he? He needed to save Astrid!
ON THE GROUND
The Vikings watch with dread. They hear the familiar whir of the...
GOBBER: Night Fury! Get down!
Hiccup smiled, knowing what was about to come. Even Astrid, as terrified as she was for her future self, felt comforted by familiar roar of the Night Fury. Maybe she wouldn't die after all.
IN THE AIR
A massive BLAST jolts the Red Death's head sideways. Astrid is thrown clear of its mouth... AND her Nadder.
Many of the dragons in the back of the room growled worriedly. That would surely anger the queen, being defied by one of her kind! Especially when it was the Night Fury!
Astrid let out an involuntary squeak. Goodbye death by dragon mouth, hello death by falling.
Hiccup no longer tensed, confident that he would be able to catch Astrid in time. He was on a Night Fury, after all!
She tumbles through the air. The ground races toward her, when... She's suddenly CAUGHT by the leg. She looks up to see Toothless.
HICCUP: Did you get her?
Toothless peeks underneath towards his catch. Astrid smiles gratefully at the dragon, and Toothless lets out a happy coo.
Many of the Vikings found their hatred for dragons rapidly diminishing. This Night Fury was risking his life to save one of their own!
ON THE GROUND
They fly over the crowd of Vikings and set Astrid down, mid run. They circle back to reengage - a black speck against the clouds.
ASTRID: (BREATHLESS) Go.
A burst of adrenaline ran through Hiccup at Astrid's word. It was all on him now. Looking at the size of the queen dragon, he wasn't really sure what he was planning on doing to defeat it, but he hoped it was good enough.
IN THE AIR
Hiccup and Toothless rocket past the Red Death's head and climb, higher and higher.
HICCUP: (TO TOOTHLESS) That thing has wings! Okay, let's see if it can use them!
Hiccup pulls Toothless into a turn. They plummet, gaining tremendous speed. The wind buffets them as they target the Red Death as supersonic speed.
The village stared, watching in amazement as they watched their acceleration from Hiccup's perspective. Incredible!
Stoick watched, filled with both pride for his son's bravery and fear for his safety. Maybe things wouldn't turn out so bad for Hiccup this time around…
KABLAM! Toothless unloads a fireball against the Red Death's head. It goes down with a rumble as they climb anew.
Many of the dragon's eyes widened. No dragon had ever gone this far to mess with the queen. They eyed the Night Fury warily, wondering if it was truly crazy.
ON THE GROUND
The Vikings shield themselves from the dust of the fallen monster... as its wings unfold and extend.
Stoick felt the worry in his stomach grow, no longer confident in his son's ability to take down this monstrous beast.
IN THE AIR
Hiccup looks back as they put distance between them.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Do you think that did it?
Suddenly, the enraged behemoth RISES into frame... flapping its wings furiously. A daunting sight.
The dragons shifted further away from the screen, feeling the fury of the queen through the screen.
Toothless growled menacingly at the screen, as if challenging to the queen to catch up to him.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Well, he can fly.
Hiccup was amazed that he sounded so calm in such a situation. Funny enough, he was probably more nervous when Astrid had showed up in the cove and discovered Toothless!
Hiccup and Toothless DIVE into the tangled sea stacks - they weave through the rock like rabbits through a briar. The Red Death SNAPS at them, but cannot reach them. Hiccup and Toothless PULL AHEAD.
ON THE GROUND
Stoick, Gobber, and the Teens watch as Hiccup and Toothless streak past, weaving through sea stacks.
TEENS: Woohoo! Yeah!
A moment later the Red Death SMASHES the sea stacks to dust in hot pursuit. The Vikings mood is quenched.
The mood seemed to dampen the mood of the Vikings in the room as well. The odds didn't look to good for Hiccup and the Night Fury.
IN THE AIR
Hiccup and Toothless can't slow the monster down. Hiccup eyes the clouds above. An idea hits him. He locks eyes with Toothless.
HICCUP: Okay Toothless, time to disappear.
Toothless PULLS into a steep climb, heading toward the clouds.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Come on bud!
Stoick's brow creased in confusion. What was Hiccup planning?
Hiccup eyed the screen curiously. 'Time to disappear'… As in using the dark clouds and Toothless' dark hide to disappear from the Red Death's sight!
The Red Death follows, closing in fast.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) (hearing the gas) Here it comes!
BLAST! They narrowly dodge a column of flame and smoke.
The Vikings flinched at the screen, not wishing to see Hiccup become a charred human.
Stoick grew anxious; as much as he had wished to see his son in battle in the past, he realized that he much preferred to see his son safe at home.
They reach the low-hanging clouds and pierce them. The monster follows, immediately losing them in the hampered visibility. It roars irritably.
A tense silence passed through the room as the Red Death glared through the clouds, trying to locate the dragon and its rider.
From out of nowhere, Toothless DIVES at the huge dragon, BLASTING and PUNCTURING a hole in its wing. Toothless and Hiccup are gone again before the dragon can get a shot at them.
Hiccup felt a smile grow on his face. So that was his plan! Not bad, future Hiccup.
Toothless rumbled quietly in laughter, fully enjoying the moment of outsmarting the queen dragon.
ON THE GROUND
The Vikings stare up at the sky listening to the resounding BOOMS and watching FLASHES light up the clouds.
Astrid couldn't help but feel a surge of guilt as she watched Hiccup risk his life for the village. After all they'd done to him; he still cared about them enough to take on the impossible task of defeating that dragon on his own! The whole village was wrong about him, Hiccup was the greatest Viking to ever live on Berk.
Ali said, "What was that you said on Hiccup being the worst Viking ever? Looks like the tables have turned!"
IN THE AIR
HICCUP and TOOTHLESS dive in again and again, using the clouds to hide and surprise as they puncture the monster's wings.
The dragons were frozen with shock. It looked like the Night Fury was defeating the queen! Was this really happening? Who was this rider?
It BELLOWS in frustration and WHIRLS around, unleashing fire blindly, in all directions. Hiccup sees the glow of fire cutting towards them.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Watch out!
The random blast CLIPS Toothless' tail. It's heavily damaged.
Stoick sucked in a harsh breath, Gobber tensing up immediately next to him. They saw what happened before when Toothless didn't have his tailfin working, and this was definitely the worst time for him to not have a tailfin.
Hiccup groaned. No, not because he was about to face death without Toothless' tailfin, but because he had worked so hard to make that tailfin just right for Toothless. Any thoughts of him possibly dying slipped through his mind as he focused on worrying for Toothless' ability to land safely without his tailfin.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Okay, time's up. Let's see if this works.
He pulls Toothless into a turn. They fly directly into the Red Death's face, taunting it.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Come on! Is that the best you can do!?
Toothless utters an insult too, and they jackknife into a steep dive. The Red Death pursues.
"What are you doing?! Are you trying to die with that dragon?!" Snotlout shouted, horrified. No one bothered to glare at him this time because they were all thinking the same thing. Hiccup wasn't really sure what he was doing either, but he was confident that he had a plan.
Toothless PUMPS his wings, racing faster than he's ever gone before. Hiccup and Toothless stay just ahead of the Red Death - no longer trying to evade it. Hiccup glances back to check the tail - it's disintegrating.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Stay with me buddy. We're good. Just a little bit longer.
The entire village was at the edge of their seats, watching the screen in terror.
Toothless stirred restlessly, not liking the dangerous position Hiccup was putting himself in. He could get killed! Hiccup merely pets him reflexively, eyeing the screen as he tried to figure out what he was thinking.
The Red Death closes the gap. Hiccup tucks in and holds Toothless steady - allowing the monster to set its sights on them. It narrows its eyes.
HICCUP: (CONT'D) Hold, Toothless.
The Red Death OPENS his mouth. The familiar gas HISS emanates from his throat - ignition is coming.
Then it hit him. Hiccup figured out what his plan seconds before it was executed. His hand froze just above Toothless' head as his mind raced back to the moment after the test flight.
'Not so fireproof on the inside, are you?'
HICCUP: (CONT'D) NOW!
Hiccup HITS the PEDALS HARD as Toothless extends one wing. They PIVOT in place, hurtling directly into the Red Death's mouth. Toothless FIRES point blank down the monster's throat. Its amassing gas is ignited, BACKFIRING into the monster, erupting in a chain of blasts throughout its body.
Many Vikings shouted in surprise, amazed that Hiccup could think of doing such a thing. Astrid's eyes widened in admiration; only Hiccup could think of such an ingenious plan.
Stoick's mouth was still slightly open, unable to find the words. It was then he realized Hiccup was already prepared to be a chief. He was everything he could've wished for in a son, he just hadn't seen it.
Many of the dragons had stilled, still processing the scene. Did the Night Fury just…?
Hiccup and Toothless BURST from the clouds, the Red Death hot on their tail, exploding from within. It glances forward and sees the ground rushing up. It throws open its wings, attempting to put on the brakes, but the punctured, damaged wings can't stop its momentum.
Understanding dawned upon the village's eyes. Hiccup didn't have Toothless attack its wings to irritate it, he was puncturing the wings for this very moment!
As the Red Death chokes on the expanding fireball, he sees Toothless suddenly pull out of the dive, streaking up, past its head.
Stoick immediately relaxed, comforted by the fact that his son was no longer in the path of the dragon's rage.
Hiccup sighed, relieved that the whole ordeal was almost over. He couldn't believe he had actually done something like that! Well actually, will do something like that!
The Red Death HITS the ground, head-first. It EXPLODES like the Hindenburg.
The Vikings exploded with victorious shouts, overcome with happiness that they were safe once again. Even the dragons found themselves roaring in glee, excited that they would soon be broken from the queen's grasp.
Hiccup and Toothless weave through the monster's massive back plates, wings, and flailing legs - a high-speed recall of the FREE FALL slalom run. The expanding fireball races toward them, about to swallow them. They manage to clear the obstacles. Hiccup glances back. They're outrunning the fireball. He looks forward just in time to see the monster's massive club tail careening toward them. He tries to shift their direction. The last shreds of Toothless' tail tear away. Hiccup's pedals go DEAD.
The yells of joy immediately faded from the village's mouths, as they watched with dread as Hiccup tried to work the nonexistent tailfin.
Hiccup felt terror; not for himself, but for Toothless. He silently prayed that the fall wouldn't hurt Toothless, just not Toothless!
HICCUP: (CONT'D) No. No.
Ali cried, "Look out!
Hiccup and Toothless can't maneuver - they're dead in the air. The giant club tail CLIPS Toothless, TEARING Hiccup from the harness and sending him tumbling against the backdrop of the fast-approaching fireball.
Toothless barked in alarm, eyes immediately shrinking into slits. Hiccup watched silently. This is the end.
Stoick began to shake uncontrollably, unable to tear his eyes away from the screen. This cannot be happening, not after it had ended!
Even Snotlout and the teens found themselves frozen in shock. Astrid felt tears stinging her eyes, hoping this was all a trick and that Hiccup had a backup plan.
Ali began to look emotionless.
Toothless STRUGGLES with all his might to reach the unconscious Hiccup. But the fireball swallows them both.
Stoick abruptly stood up, startling many of the other Vikings near him from their trance. Stoick eyed Ali furiously, who still looked emotionless.
"Is this some kind of a joke? You brought us all here, thinking it would be okay for me to watch my son's death? Who do you think you are, playing with our minds like this? This was all a trick wasn't it, to make us believe that dragons are good! This isn't the future, isn't it? Tell me now!" He roared with such anger that even the Vikings shrunk away from him.
However, this time Stoick was greeted with silence from the girl. She remained quiet as Stoick continued.
"TELL ME! I refuse to believe that my son's going to just die like that! He can't die for my actions!" The village was surprised to hear the chief's voice begin to break, finally noticing his uncontrolled shaking. Gobber sorrowfully noticed the tears beginning to build up in his dear friend's eyes as he sat helplessly, not able to console him.
Ali just only said, "Sorry."
Hiccup remained sitting, oblivious to the world. So that was it. He saved the village, but it cost his life. Deep down, he knew he didn't regret dying for the village because he knew it would finally get him noticed at least. But, he couldn't shake off the fact that Toothless might die because of him. He's brought so much pain to the dragon, only to get him killed too? And his dad… What was his dad going to think?
Toothless frantically nudged Hiccup, as if persuading himself that Hiccup was still alive and well in front of him. Hiccup numbly halted him by placing a hand on the dragon's forehead. Toothless stared up somberly at his rider, his forest green eyes filled with fear and sorrow.
Hiccup couldn't take it. With a small cry, he buried his head into his dragon's shoulder, whispering "I'm so sorry" over and over. Toothless whimpered, not liking Hiccup like this. He curled himself around Hiccup again, trying to make it more comfortable for his rider, hoping that this was all just a bad dream.
Ali said, "There is nothing I can do. Your chance to end this passed long ago. As I told you, find the nest, you lose everything." Everyone's eyes widened on what Ali said. Could she be right?
Stoick dropped to his knees, the tears finally spilling over. He was shaking even harder as he stared blankly into the darkness in front of him. Even part of him ached to find Hiccup right now, but he could still feel that he was locked in place. He shut his pain-filled eyes, more tears spilling down his face.
"Not my son… Please don't take my son away."