A/N: Yikes it's been a while, sorry...anyway, here's the first chapter of movie one! I'm working on chapter two now so hopefully that'll be up soon. Enjoy!
"Alright, here we go." Deiya grinned as the next movie began, watching as Toothless settled beside his rider.
"Well this'll be bittersweet." Ruffnut deadpanned, and the others couldn't help but agree.
[We pan up and glide across the ocean to see an island surrounded by fog. The moment the island is shown, a boy speaks.]
Hiccup (v.o.)
This is Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless, and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death.
"Wow. Someone sounds bitter..." Snotlout laughed, the other teens chuckling slightly at the description.
"Ugh, it's so cold here. I don't know why you guys dress so lightly." Hiccup shivered as though to prove his point. Understanding dawned on the faces of the Vikings as they realized that this was why he wore long sleeved shirts.
"Hiccup, Vikings don't get cold." Stoick reprimanded before flinching. Both Valka and the older version of his son were throwing him disbelieving looks, prominently displaying their long sleeves. "Er, nevermind."
[We glide through the fog to see two giant Viking statues with fires burning in their mouths.]
Hiccup (v.o)
It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery.
OAstrid looked towards her future mother in law, who noticeably stiffened. While Hiccup had long ago forgiven them for being so prejudiced, that didn't change the fact that Valka would be seeing first-hand what it was like for her baby. OHiccup looked about as uncomfortable as OAstrid felt, eying his parents before sighing and returning to the screen.
"Man, this place looks weird without all the dragons..." Tuffnut whispered, gawking at the island. The others nodded in agreement as the movie zoomed towards their home. Toothless perked up, realizing he would finally see how exactly his rider had managed to capture the elusive Night Fury. Though he held no resentment whatsoever towards the boy, he was awfully curious; he knew it to be quite a feat.
[We go past the statues only to dive through a crashing wave and jump to a closer shot of the island. As we pan in a circular motion, we see several structures, houses, and a sheep farm.]
Hiccup (v.o)
My village. In a word, sturdy. And it's been here for seven generations, but, every single building is new. We have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets.
"That's for sure..." Astrid joked, smiling mischievously at Hiccup. Hiccup let out a brisk laugh in reply, face reddening despite his best efforts. Their older selves sighed, lost in the pleasant memory.
[We land on two sheep grazing in the grass.]
"Oh no..." Stoick grumbled, watching the sheep with a furrowed brow. He was relieved that tallying the loss of livestock was no longer a major part of his job as chief.
Hiccup (v.o)
The only problems are the pests. You see, most places have mice or mosquitoes. We have...dragons.
"It's just like the other movie." Fishlegs noticed. The others grinned, finding the parallel clever. He continued, mumbling mostly to himself. "Except, this time in a bad way."
"You don't say?" Snotlout snickered, reveling in the heir's expression.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our future chief." OAstrid whispered, gesturing to the horrified teen on screen and grinning as her boyfriend rolled his eyes.
Hiccup (v.o.)
Most people would leave. Not us. We're Vikings. We have, stubbornness issues. My name's Hiccup. Great name, I know. But, it's not the worst. Parents believe a hideous name will frighten off gnomes and trolls. Like our charming Viking demeanor wouldn't do that.
"What's wrong with your name?" Valka asked, concern for her child evident once more. "It's not like you're the only one to have had it."
"Don't even get him started-" Stoick warned, the others quickly voicing their agreement. "We've been over it."
"I mean, it's kinda grown on me, but really?" OHiccup questioned his parents, after his younger self simply sighed. "There's gotta be something more creative than 'runt.'"
[Hiccup is seen dodging several Vikings. He trips and a male Viking roars in his face.]
Viking
ARGGGHHHHH! Mornin'!
"Surprisingly, he's one of the nicer Vikings." Hiccup forgot to keep his voice down and the others winced. His eyes widened as he remembered that, unlike in the past, people actually listened to what he said.
"Surely someone-?" the Vikings cut Valka off, shaking their heads frantically in her direction.
Hoark
What are you doing here?!
Burnthair
Get inside!
Viking
What are you doin' out?"
Phlegma
Get back inside!
"Wait, didn't a dragon set fire to the hut you were just in?" Tuffnut questioned as he scratched his head in confusion. "I mean, what, did they just expect you to burn or something?"
"Thank you!" Exclaimed the Hiccups, glad that someone finally got it.
"And didn't you have work that day?" Ruffnut scowled, not understanding anymore why the boy was being given such grief.
Stoick
Hiccup?! What is he doing out aga-?! What are you doing out?! Get inside!
"Oh boy..." Snotlout eyed the chief's wife as her eyes grew wide with rage.
"I'd suggest taking cover." OHiccup warned, taking his girlfriend and backing away from his mother. The others followed, and just in time.
"Stoick Haddock! I cannot believe you! What did our poor baby ever do to deserve this? Did you think that maybe, since I wasn't there, this would be okay?! It better not happen again! And Odin help you if it does!"
Hiccup seemed to shrivel up as his mom unleashed her fury on his father. He became nervous realizing that this incident was only the tip of the iceberg.
Hiccup (v.o.)
That's Stoick the Vast. Chief of the tribe. They say that when he was a baby, he popped a dragon's head clean off of its shoulders. Do I believe it? Yes, I do.
Stoick was taken aback by how in-awe his son seemed. He then realized what the boy had just said, and straightened up. "Since we're at peace with the dragons, and my reputation no longer is at stake, I better clear things up. It was a toy Gronckle." Stoick coughed awkwardly as his wife glared daggers at him. Apparently she still wasn't thrilled that the first time her family had been together on screen they'd been on bad terms. To make it worse, the woman had visibly stiffened at how Hiccup had yet to address the chief as his father.
Stoick
What have we got?
Starkard
Gronckles, Nadders, Zipplebacks. Oh, and Hoark saw a Monstrous Nightmare.
Stoick
Any Night Furies?
"Jinxed it..." Hiccup laughed.
Starkard
None so far.
Stoick
Good.
Viking
Hoist the torches!
[Hiccup runs into a blacksmith shop and puts on an apron]
"Hmm. It's always fun to watch you with Gobber." Fishlegs admit, eying the screen curiously.
"Not always fun to be around him, though." Tuffnut snorted, and Hiccup couldn't help but agree. At the affronted look his father gave him, he clarified.
"He's not too good with pep talks."
Gobber
Ah! Nice of you to join the party! I thought you'd been carried off!
Hiccup
What, who me? Nah, come on! I'm waaaay too muscular for their taste. They wouldn't know what to do with all...this.
Hiccup snorted, along with his friends. Even though the man could be a little much, it really was fun to mess around with the blacksmith.
Gobber
Well, they need toothpicks, don't they?
"Trainers work, too." OAstrid hummed, smiling softly.
Hiccup (v.o.)
The meat-head with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber. I've been his apprentice ever since I was little. Well... littler.
"How long exactly...?" Valka asked Stoick, intrigued by his statement.
"I don't know exactly when, but it started when I needed someone to watch Hiccup for me-"
"Oh, you've got to be kidding." Valka grumbled, obviously unimpressed that Stoick would dump the responsibility of his son onto his friend. "Well, at least he seems to enjoy the work...As long as he doesn't pick up Gobber's foul language."
Hiccup snorted, before muttering under his breath. "Too late for that."
Stoick
We move to the lower defenses. We'll counter-attack with the catapults.
[A dragon swoops down and sets another house on fire.]
Hiccup (v.o.)
See? Old village, lots and lots of new houses.
"Which reminds me...we need to fix that hole in the wall before our next 'experiment'..." Ruffnut reminded her brother, who nodded in agreement. The chief's family sent them exasperated looks; the twins disregarded them completely and continued watching.
Viking
FIRE!
Astrid
Alright, let's go!
"Oh no." Hiccup groaned, almost internally. Snotlout snickered at his discomfort, though she would be the first to admit she didn't have the slightest idea what was about to happen. He looked to Deiya, pleading and begging without words that she wouldn't show what he thought she would. A devilish laugh confirmed his fears.
Hiccup (v.o.)
Oh, and that's Fishlegs, Snotlout, the Twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and... Astrid. Oh, their job is so much cooler.
"Wow, subtle much?" Ruff asked, raising her eyebrows at Hiccup's obvious crush.
"Oh shut up." OHiccup blushed, as his girlfriend died in a fit of hysterics. Even Toothless was grumbling at a laugh-like rhythm.
"At least he's smiling...kind of?" Valka mumbled bitterly and Deiya couldn't help but nod in agreement.
"I honestly had no idea you were that into me." Astrid mumbled. Both Hiccups simply blinked at the girl, the older of the two laughing hysterically while the younger attempted to deny any feelings.
"He gets better about it for a while, though he actually started flirting when we hit about eighteen or nineteen." OAstrid admit, kissing her now-calmed boyfriend quickly on the cheek to show she meant well.
"Why didn't you hit on her then?" Tuffnut asked Hiccup with a scowl.
"I mean, for one thing I'm not a Snotlout-"
"Hey!"
"-and to hit on her would require the two of us simply talking."
[Hiccup leans out of the smithing window to get a better look. Gobber lifts him up and back into the shop.]
Hiccup's eyes narrowed a bit and he growled. "Did I ever tell you how much I hate being picked up like that...?." The others flinched a bit at his annoyance. They knew, despite his pacifistic tendencies, that he could be a bit feistier than he let on.
His father sighed apologetically. He had to admit it was a tactic used by him and the other Vikings a lot, and it was slightly demeaning.
"I'm not a puppet." Hiccup explained, glare easing only slightly.
Hiccup
Oh, come on. Let me out, please? I need to make my mark!
Gobber
Oh, you've made plenty of marks. All in the wrong places!
Hiccup
Please, two minutes. I'll kill a dragon. My life will get infinitely better. I might even get a date.
"Wow. Three out of three, nice kid..." Deiya joked.
"Wait, three out of- Hiccup, when did you kill a dragon?!" Snotlout gasped, pale in the face. Hadn't the whole reason they were now training dragons been due to his inability to kill a dragon? The Hiccups simply laughed, scaring the others once more. Eventually Fishlegs and the Astrids joined in, catching on.
"How do you think I lost my foot?" Hiccup finally calmed down enough to reply.
"And what of this date?" Tuffnut interrogated, leaning in threateningly as his friends' eyes widened and the two blushed violently.
"Oh relax, she means when we're older." OHiccup answered, though he couldn't keep eye contact. Toothless knowingly laughed at the boy, anticipating the moment when they arrived to to scene where his rider convinced Astrid not to blab to Stoick.
Gobber
You can't lift a hammer, you can't swing an axe, you can't even throw one of these!
"I can do all of those when I use my left hand..." Astrid almost didn't hear the boy's disappointed whisper. Based on his sarcasm, she would've thought that he didn't mind the comments as much as he clearly did. Perhaps it was more of a coping mechanism than she thought.
[Gobber holds up a bola and a Viking grabs it and uses it to bring down a dragon]
Hiccup
Okay, fine, but this will throw it for me.
[Hiccup pats a wooden machine, which opens and shoots a bola randomly, hitting a Viking standing in the background.]
"Did you ever manage to get that working?" Valka asked her son. He looked at his older self and the two started laughing once more. The teens rolled their eyes, not understanding half of Hiccup's inside jokes.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that..." OHiccup finally calmed down enough to ask.
"Probably a bit too well." Hiccup admit.
Viking
Arggh!
Gobber
See, now this right here is what I'm talking about!
Hiccup
Mild calibration issue-
Gobber
Don't you- no- Hiccup. If you ever want to get out there to fight dragons, you need to stop all... this.
"Oh, he did not just-" Snotlout fumed, enraged for his cousin.
"That gets annoying, too." Hiccup admit to his father. Stoick grimaced sympathetically, never before realizing things from Hiccup's perspective.
Hiccup
But, you just pointed to all of me!
"Keen observation skills..." The twins murmured, holding back snickers.
Gobber
Yes! That's it! Stop being all of you!
"Woah! Okay, that's it-!" Snotlout cracked his knuckles threateningly, feeling very defensive of his cousin now that he saw things from a new angle.
"Ooh! That man is dead meat when I get home! I might just chop him up for Cloudjumper if he doesn't tread lightly..."
"Man that's harsh. Even Ruff and I aren't that mean."
"Yeah! Even we know when to draw the line!"
Fishlegs scowled to himself. "I always thought Gobber was one of the more understanding Vikings."
"I'm going to make him sharpen my axe just so I can skin him with it."
"Or better yet, maybe I can bludgeon him with one of his own appendages." OAstrid added on.
Stoick tensed. Hadn't he said something similar to his son? If this was how the boy's friends reacted, he was sure in for an earful. Surprisingly, Hiccup just kept quiet.
Hiccup
Ohhhh...
Gobber
Ohhhh, yes.
Hiccup
You sir, are playing a dangerous game. Keeping this much, raw... Viking-ness... contained? THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES!
"Well, you weren't wrong..." Fishlegs grimaced. The others were still grumbling about Gobber.
Gobber
I'll take my chances. Sword. Sharpen. Now.
Hiccup (v.o.)
One day, I'll get out there. Because, killing a dragon is everything around here.
"Y'know, I'm still not really over you guys hearing my thoughts." Hiccup commented, petting Toothless as the dragon walked over for support. "It feels a little invasive."
"Don't worry, a lot is kept private." Deiya assured.
[The camera pans over various dragons as they are described.]
Hiccup (v.o.)
A Nadder head is sure to get me at least noticed. Gronckles are tough. Taking down one of those would definitely get me a girlfriend. A Zippleback? Exotic. Two heads, twice the status.
"Aww, look at them! Causing destruction, looking cool…" Tuffnut droned on, cooing at the beasts.
Catapult Operator
They found the sheep!
Stoick
Concentrate fire over the lower bank!
Catapult Operator
Fire!
Hiccup (v.o.)
And then, there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after those. They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire.
"...Even when being ridden." Snotlout sulked, though he laughed along with his friends.
"Hey, does he ever get Hookfang to stop?" Astrid asked through a laugh.
"Eh…" OAstrid snickered, and OHiccup died laughing as if Snotlout's dragon cooperating was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. Toothless snorted as well, knowing the Nightmare obeying would be the first sign of Ragnarok.
[A Monstrous Nightmare growls and alights itself as it climbs up the catapult]
Stoick
Reload! I'll take care of this.
OHiccup shivered at his father's venomous growl. Even now, the man was a bit intimidating.
"Wow. That sounds much more terrifying than I remember it being…" Stoick grimaced, looking towards his son questioningly; the teen only shrugged bashfully.
Hiccup (v.o.)
But the ultimate prize is the dragon no one has ever seen. We call it the-
Viking
NIGHT FURY! GET DOWN!
The twins began to dance, completely misinterpreting the exclamation. Valka watched with a slight smile, feeling her frustration ease down. As unfortunate as it was, the most she could do would to be to simply sit and watch; the past was what it was.
[From out of nowhere, an explosion tears the catapult apart]
Stoick
JUMP!
Hiccup (v.o.)
This thing never steals food, never shows itself, and... never misses. No one has ever killed a Night Fury. That's why I'm going to be the first.
"And how did that work out for you...?" Ruffnut snickered. Fishlegs stiffened, eyes popping as her words triggered a realization.
"Guys...Hiccup hit a Night Fury..." He whispered, almost too softly for their ears to catch.
"You gotta be kidding me." Stoick gulped, never having had the revelation that his son had shot down the "dreaded" Night Fury!
"Weird..." Tuffnut frowned, before he and the others went back to the movie.
"You can't say I didn't tell you." OHiccup rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "I thought I was pretty clear about it, actually."
Gobber
Man the fort, Hiccup. They need me out there!
"Does he even know you?" Astrid laughed. There was no way Hiccup would function alone, not when he could be out in the raid.
[He attaches an axe to his arm and begins to run out, but turns around at the doorway.]
Gobber (cont.)
Stay. Put. There. You know what I mean.
"Directions unclear." OHiccup shook his head, grinning.
"Somehow ended up training a Night Fury instead." Hiccup added on. "Be more clear next time."
Viking #6
Hiccup, where are you going?!
Viking #7
Come back here!
Hiccup
Yeah, I know! Be right back!
Snotlout frowned. "Smile, cuz! Why are you so mopey all the time?" Hiccup only offered a fake grin, before letting it drop and rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, the most you ever do is smirk a bit." Tuff grimaced.
"I smile when I'm happy." Hiccup bluntly stated. OHiccup nodded, though his face sported a sympathetic smile. Valka and Stoick looked like the words were stabbing them through the heart.
[Hiccup is pushing a cart with the automated catapult on it]
Stoick
Mind yourselves! The devils still have some juice in them!
[Hiccup sets up his bola catapult on an empty hill and looks around.]
"Wow. I'm surprised no dragons are attacking you." OAstrid mumbled faintly.
"Don't jinx it." A nervous Fishlegs begged, watching the scene intensely as though if he blinked a dragon would swoop down and kidnap his friend.
Hiccup
Come on. Gimme something to shoot at, gimme something to shoot at.
[The camera pans around the night sky, and catches on a shadow. Hiccup shoots, and a loud cry is heard as the shadow is seen plummeting down into a forest]
Ruffnut wiped a fake tear from her eye. "Ah, the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"Hmm. Nice aim..." Stoick admit to his son, before noticing both were pale in the face and clutching at their seats.
"Hiccup?" The Astrids shared concerned looks, before looking towards the boy's parents; for once, the two had no idea what to say to help.
"That's such an awful noise…" Hiccup whimpered, shivering as he pet Toothless in apology. The screech of pain replayed itself in their heads, as the heir realized that before he'd considered it the sound of victory.
Hiccup (cont.)
Oh, I hit it! YES! I HIT IT! Did anybody see that?
"Look, see? 'Happy.'" Hiccup gestured to himself on screen, and the riders immediately felt uneasy.
"You look a little crazed there…" Valka's eyebrows knit together in concern.
[A Monstrous Nightmare shows up and crushes Hiccup's bola launcher.]
Hiccup (cont.)
Except for you.
"Hookfang?!" Snotlout practically screeched, surprised to see his dragon in the wild.
"Y'know, I think at one point each of our dragons almost killed me." Hiccup scowled as he thought about it, though not without a laugh.
[A shrill cry sounds from the hill, and catches Stoick's attention. He turns to see the Monstrous Nightmare chasing Hiccup, and gets up to go help him.]
"Hiccup!" Valka yelped, forgetting the boy would be fine.
Stoick
DO NOT let them escape!
Spitelout
Right!
[Hiccup runs behind a torch pole and hides, just as flames reach around the corner. He looks behind it and on the other side, the Nightmare reaches to get Hiccup. Stoick punches the beast and jumps back to defend himself. The dragon tries to breathe fire, but coughs up a small amount of magma instead.]
Stoick
You're all out.
Hiccup (v.o.)
Oh, and there's one more thing you need to know...
Hiccup
Sorry, Dad.
"You flinch just about whenever you're near me…" Stoick muttered in horror, not loud enough to be heard.
Hiccup (cont.)
Okay, but I hit a Night Fury.
"You look almost as terrified of him as you were of being eaten alive!" Tuffnut observed with a grimace.
"Yeah, but can you blame him?" Ruffnut took in the chief on the screen; from Hiccup's perspective, it was a pretty embarrassing and nerve-wracking experience.
[Stoick grabs Hiccup by the back of his shirt and drags him towards his house.]
"What, you're not going to let me use my legs?" Hiccup drawled sarcastically. "I've only got two for a little while longer…"
"I-I didn't realize I wasn't-?" Stoick admit, eyes wide. He'd dragged his son?! How had he not noticed?
Hiccup's smirk instantly drooped into annoyance. "Dad, I'm a small guy, and you're huge. If I had a coin for every time you accidentally smacked me into a wall-"
"I've hit you into walls?" Stoick's face, which Hiccup was used to seeing as an angered pinkish color, was paler than the snowfall in Devastating Winter. The teens all looked shocked as well; though they knew the chief obviously hadn't harmed his son on purpose, they were horrified by how easy it seemed to be for the large man to accidentally hurt his much smaller son. Valka looked over to OHiccup questioningly, and he simply blushed.
"He gets better. Hugs are pretty risky, though; I think he cracked a few ribs by accident."
Hiccup (cont.)
It's not like the last few times, Dad! I mean, I really actually hit it! You guys were busy and I had a very clear shot. It went down, just off Raven Point. Let's get a search party out there, before it-
Stoick
STOP! Just... stop. Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Can you not see that I have bigger problems? Winter's almost here and I have an entire village to feed!
"Wow, harsh." Snotlout mumbled. Sure, his dad was rough, too; but what kind of parent blew off their only kid like that?
"Stoick, you are a father. You aren't just a chief." Valka snarled, swatting the man's arm.
Hiccup
Between you and me, the village could do with a little less feeding, don't ya think?
"Woah-ho!" Tuffnut grinned mischievously. "Hiccup callin' it like it is!"
"Hiccup!" Valka's eyes widened at her boy, the older of whom winced. The younger one, surprisingly, seemed unphased.
"I'm not used to being heard, even now. So, I've got problems with tact." He explained, the other riders surprised at how honest he was being. "When your opinion doesn't matter, you can say whatever."
"Yikes." Ruffnut snickered, scooting away from the boy slightly.
"And to be fair, I've received my fair share of size jokes. It's only fair." OHiccup mumbled, shrugging.
Stoick
This isn't a joke, Hiccup! Why can't you follow the simplest orders?
Hiccup
I can't stop myself. I see a dragon and I have to just... kill it, you know? It's who I am, Dad.
"You keep telling yourself that…" OHiccup muttered with a grin.
Stoick
You are many things, Hiccup. But a dragon killer is not one of them. Get back to the house. [To Gobber] Make sure he gets there. I have his mess to clean up.
"Not my mess." Hiccup rolled his eyes, wincing in sympathy for his obviously uncomfortable dad.
"Shouldn't you make sure Gobber keeps him there, too?" Astrid laughed, knowing that Hiccup wouldn't bother staying in the house for long without supervision.
"Ugh, I used to hate that house." OHiccup scowled, his younger self listing the reasons on his fingers.
"It's way too big, it's lonely, and it's cold since you won't let me start a fire without you there- which is basically never since you're always out chiefing."
"Oh." Stoick thought it all over, embarrassed at having not realized how Hiccup would feel about their home.
Tuffnut
Quite the performance.
Snotlout
I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped!
Hiccup
Thank you, thank you. I was trying, so…
"I should have said something…" OAstrid whispered to her Hiccup. "Sorry."
"It's fine. I'm just not too thrilled about what my dad is going to have to see…"
Suddenly Fishlegs interrupted the two, gesturing to a thoughtful Toothless excitedly. "So, does this mean we finally get to see how you two meet? Ooh! I hope you do the hand thing!"
"Where did you think I'd learned to do 'the hand thing?'" Hiccup mumbled, as his older counterpart simply snickered at Fishlegs' enthusiasm.
Hiccup (cont.)
I really did hit one.
"You sound so tired…" Valka frowned.
"I- I'm sorry, Hiccup. I really thought you were lying." Stoick apologized, the sincerity surprising the teen into silence.
"I may able to keep a few secrets, but I can't for the life of me lie." OHiccup told his father, since his younger self was trying to manage his wild blush.
Gobber
Sure, Hiccup.
Hiccup
He never listens.
"I listen…" Stoick looked offended at the idea.
"To the village? Yes. To me? No." Hiccup was unfazed by his father's stern look.
Gobber
Well, it runs in the family.
"Hey!" The Haddocks earned snickers at their indignant cries. Toothless snickered at the group, eying a smiling Astrid.
Hiccup
And when he does, it's always with this... disappointed scowl. Like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich. [Imitating Stoick] Excuse me, barmaid! I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring. I ordered an extra large boy with beefy arms. Extra guts and glory on the side. This here, this is a talking fish bone!
"That's much less enjoyable than your other impersonation…" OAstrid blinked, dumbfounded.
"Ooh, that portrait must have stung." Tuffnut realized painfully, finally understanding why Hiccup had been so intent on completing Hamish's quest.
"Hiccup, he loves you. You know that, right?" Astrid asked softly.
"I've got strong evidence suggesting otherwise." He mumbled back, shrugging.
"If you aren't careful, sir, Hiccup will suffer from major psychological scarring for the rest of his life." Fishlegs warned, chewing his lip in concern as he observed his friend's father.
"Meaning…?" Snotlout motioned for him to elaborate.
"Hiccup's gonna have 'daddy issues.'" Fishlegs dumbed it down, rolling his eyes, though the twins still seemed a bit uncertain. "He'll expect negative reactions from the chief, he won't be likely to accept praise, he'll be unhealthily focused on pleasing his father, he'll be more likely to mask emotion, he'll have confidence issues- especially when dealing with his dad…" Fishlegs trailed off, realizing too late he was causing more harm than good. OAstrid was looking at OHiccup quizzically, who was avoiding all possible eye contact as his cheeks heated.
Gobber
Now, you're thinking about this all wrong. It's not so much what you look like, it's what's inside that he can't stand.
"Oh, Hiccup." Valka covered her breaking heart with her hands, noticing the slight falter in her son's expression. Gobber was a dead man, that was for sure.
Hiccup
[Sarcastically] Thank you for summing that up.
"Wait, wait, wait. So, you mean the sarcasm is a bad thing?" Snotlout realized.
"It used to be. Now I'm just fond of it." OHiccup admit with a cheeky grin. "It's more likely to go over people's heads."
Gobber
Look, the point is, stop trying so hard to be something you're not.
Hiccup
I just want to be one of you guys.
"Oh Thor, that's brutal." Tuffnut sobbed into his sister's shoulder, sobering after a swift punch to the jaw. Stoick couldn't help but feel awfully; his son felt like a social outcast, and yet he didn't even bother walking the teen home.
Stoick
Either we finish them, or they'll finish us! It's the only way we'll be rid of them! If we find the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave. They'll find another home! One more search. Before the ice sets in.
Valka groaned, remembering in astounding clarity the meetings she'd once attended. They never really went well for her, given that she would always try to stop the Vikings from their searches.
Viking
Those ships never come back.
Stoick
We're Vikings! It's an occupational hazard! Now who's with me?
Viking
Today's not good for me. I've gotta do my axe returns.
"Cowards…" Snotlout snickered, making a mental note to use this as blackmail on his father in the future.
Stoick
Alright. Those who stay will look after Hiccup.
"At least you made sure I wasn't in the Great Hall this time…" Hiccup deadpanned, shooting his dad a look. The chief froze, not sure what to say.
"Stoick…" Valka warned, crossing her arms stubbornly. "He's not a child. He can take care of himself."
Phlegma
To the ships!
Spitelout
I'm with you, Stoick!
Stoick
That's more like it.
"Feeling the love." OHiccup muttered dryly, though not without a smirk as an idea crossed his mind. "Does it work as well when you use the twins instead?"
Gobber
Right, I'll pack my undies.
Stoick
No, I need you to stay and train some new recruits.
Gobber
[Sarcastically] Oh, perfect. And while I'm busy, Hiccup can cover the stall. Molten steel, razor sharp blades, lots of time to himself... what could possibly go wrong?
"He does have a point. I mean, you did make yourself a fire sword." Astrid teased, fighting to hide a grin.
Stoick
What am I going to do with him, Gobber?
Gobber
Put him in training with the others.
"Ugh, Gobber…" OHiccup glared, finally realizing where his father's change of heart had stemmed from.
"You must have the worst luck." The twins snickered.
Stoick
No, I'm serious.
Gobber
So am I.
Stoick
He'd be killed before you let the first dragon out of its cage.
"I'm not quite sure that's possible…" Fishlegs noted, scowling at the idea. "Plus, he did somehow manage to train a dragon."
Gobber
Oh, you don't know that.
Stoick
I do know that, actually.
Gobber
No, you don't.
Stoick
No, actually, I do.
Gobber
No, you don't!
"You two sound like us." Tuffnut gestured to he and his sister, surprised. The girl nodded in agreement, followed by nods from the others as well.
Stoick
Listen, you know what he's like. From the time he could crawl he's been... different. He doesn't listen, he has the attention span of a sparrow... I take him fishing and he goes hunting for... for trolls!
"I was six and you had me working with Gobber!" Hiccup explained, huffing at his father's image on screen.
"You went hunting for trolls?" OAstrid smiled at her boyfriend, finding the notion cute. "Would you have trained it if you found one?" She giggled, mocking his glare playfully.
Gobber
Trolls exist! They steal your socks. But only the left ones. What's with that?
"Don't have that problem anymore." Hiccup snickered, earning an eye roll from Snotlout and a punch from Astrid.
Stoick
When I was a boy...
"Oh please spare us…" Hiccup grumbled, his older counterpart sighing overdramatically.
"Stoick, not this again…" Valka pleaded, ignoring the chief's confused scowl. "You're going to put some insane idea in his head!"
Gobber
Oh, here we go.
Stoick
My father told me to bang my head against a rock, and I did it. I thought it was crazy, but I didn't question him. And you know what happened?
"You probably got a wicked bruise." Fishlegs snickered, as the twins tried to recreate the memory using each others' skulls.
"Seriously, though, what could this story possibly prove?" Snotlout asked, genuinely unsure. "That you've got a thick head?"
Gobber
You got a headache.
Stoick
That rock split in two. It taught me what a Viking could do, Gobber. He could- He could crush mountains, level forests, tame seas! Even as a boy, I knew what I was, what I had to become. Hiccup is not that boy.
"That's what you said on the cliff…" Astrid's eyes widened at OHiccup, before narrowing in Stoick's direction. OAstrid mirrored the girl's glare, knowing that Stoick's actions would unintentionally influence Hiccup's choices, and lead to years of self confidence issues.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Hiccup…" Stoick felt a wave of deja vu course through him; how many times would he watch himself mess up? He felt awfully for being such a lousy father.
"Deiya, when do things get better?" Valka couldn't help but ask, hurt evident in her eyes as she looked towards both versions of her sons. They each seemed to be wincing despite themselves, obviously more affected by what they'd heard then they wished to show, given that their shoulders were slumped and their eyes were trained on the floor.
"It gets better when Hiccup starts being himself and not Stoick." The girl admit, easing the mother's conscious only slightly.
Gobber
You can't stop him, Stoick. You can only prepare him. Look, I know it seems hopeless. But the truth is you won't always be around to protect him. He's going to get out there again. He's probably out there now.
The Vikings all smiled at the blacksmith's words, surprisingly deep and inspirational for the man. However, Hiccup was soon frowning, scowling at the man as though he'd personally offended him.
"Ok, wait, so he's the reason you put me into dragon training?" The heir asked his father, gesturing towards Gobber and earning a brisk nod. "Great, remind me to thank him." The teen mumbled sarcastically.
Hiccup
Oh, the gods hate me. Some people lose their knife or their mug. No, not me. I manage to lose an ENTIRE DRAGON?!
"Well, someone sounds angwy…" Snotlout teased, laughter only increasing as the boy onscreen managed to hit himself in the face with a tree branch.
"I love pain as much as the next guy, but, uh…" Tuffnut squinted at the broken, splintered mass with a hint of fear present as he found the words he'd been searching for. "That doesn't look too friendly."
"Ten bucks says this is how Hiccup lost his leg." Ruffnut snickered, knowing not to worry; Hiccup was alright now, wasn't he?
"You were there when he lost the leg, Ruffnut." Fishlegs sighed, unamused and concerned for Hiccup's safety. If his predictions were correct, this was be the perfect amount of damage that one could expect from a falling Night Fury. Even more concerning was the fact that, if it was Toothless, he wouldn't be the friendliest dragon after being shot out of the sky by some scrawny Viking teen.
Hiccup (cont.)
Oh, wow. I did it. Oh, I did it! This fixes everything! Yes! I have brought down this mighty beast!
"You sound like Stoick." OAstrid rolled her eyes, earning a shrug from her Hiccup and an explanation from his younger self.
"That was the point. Be just like dad." Hiccup avoided his parents' looks as he fought off the blush creeping into his face.
Hiccup (cont.)
Whoa!
Toothless laughed, grinning a smug, toothless grin as he eyed his rider.
Hiccup (cont.)
I'm going to kill you, dragon. I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father. I'm a Viking. I am a VIKING!
"Thor, Hiccup, that is some dark stuff." Stoick wheezed, gaping at how close his son had come to killing his best friend just because of his obsession with proving himself. The guilt he'd already experienced countless times creeped back into the pit of his stomach, barely daring to breathe as he waited to see what changed his son.
Hiccup (cont.)
I did this.
"My name is Snotlout." Snotlout snorted, shrugging off the glares he got from his cousin and OHiccup. "What? I thought we were stating the obvious."
"Well, if that's the case: Snotlout's a muttonhead." Astrid snickered at the Viking's defeated pout, gasping at what she saw next.
[Hiccup begins cutting the ropes that bind the Night Fury.]
"Hiccup, are you insane?!" Astrid hissed, watching as the teen freed what could have been a deadly dragon. The teen wasn't listening, though; just like on the screen, he found himself lost in Toothless' eyes. Meanwhile, OHiccup was in a similar situation as he locked gazes with his dragon, always fascinated by what he saw inside of them.
"It's just like with your mom." Ruffnut cooed at the comparison.
"Also when you got him back from Drago…" Tuffnut added, as both Hiccup's blanched and looked away from the almost hypnotic eyes of Toothless. OHiccup quickly covered OAstrid's ears, prompting Astrid to quickly do the same to her own ears. Hiccup looked over, his own ears covered tightly, to see Deiya in a similar position.
[The dragon roars in Hiccup's face.]
OHiccup and the Vikings who were too slow to protect their ears winced as Toothless screeched onscreen, shuddering at the sound. The dragon in the room simply snorted at them, not bothered in the slightest and enjoying their discomfort.
"Thanks." OAstrid smiled gratefully as her boyfriend carefully lowered his hands.
"It's strange seeing a wild Night Fury. I've only ever met yours, son, and he's one of the most domesticated on Berk from what I've seen." Valka admit, fascinated by the creature as he waddled over for attention. She pet him immediately, scrunching her nose playfully at the dragon.
"Yeah, he wasn't exactly...thrilled that his only company was the kid who crippled him." Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "Luckily for him, though, it also happened to be the one person on Berk who'd at least try to fix him up again."
[Hiccup whimpers and faints.]
"Ah. That explains why you were home so late." Stoick froze, concerned that his son had been out cold without him even noticing or caring that he was late.
"This is gonna be a long movie…" Astrid mumbled as she watched Hiccup's retreating form on screen.
A/N: And there we go! Hopefully that was up to standard…(although, rereading my past stories I'm afraid I haven't set the bar very high. Hopefully I'm improving…?)
See you soon for more stories, y'all!