Chapter 1

Welcome to Berk. It's twelve days north of hopeless and a few degrees south of freezing to death. It's located solidly on the meridian of misery. The village? In a word, sturdy. It's been here for seven generations but every single building is new. There's fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests.

A sheep bleated loudly as it was ripped from the ground. The sheep next to it took its place and chomped on the grass as if nothing had happened.

You see most places only get mice, or mosquitoes, but no…

We have.

Astrid jumped before slamming her door shut as a fireball was launched at it. "Dragons…"

Berk was overrun by so many dragons it wasn't even funny after a while.

The Viking in Astrid pushed her out of her house and towards the black smith. "What are you doing out here? Get back inside!" Everyone shouted at her suddenly someone grabbed her color and hoisted her up "who let you outside? What is she doing outside?"

That would be Stoic, the village leader. Legend say's that when he was just a baby, he popped a dragon's head clean off it's shoulders. Did Astrid believe it? Yes, she did.

"Get inside now!" He said pushing her away. "What have we got?" He asked. A nearby Viking responded with "Nadder's, Zippleback's, Gronkle's oh and a Monstrous Nightmare."

"Any Nightfury's?"

"None so far sir."

Stoic brushed an ember off his shoulder "good."

Astrid burst into the sweltering shop. "Hey Gobber."

The large man turned and smiled "well look who decided to join the party. I thought they would try and keep you inside again." This was Gobber, he was once Stoic's closet battle brother but when he lost his foot and arm he took over as the town blacksmith.

Astrid forced a laugh as she fumbled with her aprons strings "who me? No! There's not a dragon out there that would know what to do with all of… This!" She said gesturing to herself.

"Well they need toothpicks don't they?"

Astrid blew her blond hair out of her eye before going towards the window "who need's a sharpened blade?" She shouted above the noise, a stream of fire whizzed over her head and burned a house to the ground.

See? Old village, lots and lots of new houses.

Suddenly a fire was started near the blacksmith and five teens rushed past to put it out. Astrid sighed as she listed off the teens there was nerdy Fishleggs, the bickering twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, sturdy and stubborn Snotlout, and of course. The cutest, smallest, but toughest Viking teen around was.

Hiccup…

The name wasn't really all that terrifying but it did make people do a double take and that gave him plenty of time to prove them wrong.

Oh their job is so much cooler than mine.

Thinking Gobber wasn't watching she climbed over the table and swung her legs over. Suddenly she was grabbed by the back of the shirt and dragged back in to the shop.

"Oh let me out please. I need to make my mark!"

"Oh you've made plenty of marks." He said setting her down "all in the wrong places."

She pouted "please let me out just two minutes! I'll kill a dragon my life will get infinitely better. I might even get a date!"

Gobber sighed, "You can't lift a hammer. You can't swing an ax. You can't even throw one of these!" He said lifting up a rope with two weights tied to the end.

Just as he said that another Viking rushed over and stole it from Gobber before tossing it and hitting a Gronkle head on.

"Okay, but this will throw it for me!" She said walking over to a wooden contraption. When her hand brushed against it a stray helmet was launched and hit a Viking in the head. Who then promptly fainted.

Gobber sighed annoyed "see now this right here it what I'm talkin' about!"

Astrid winced "it was a mild calibration issue."

"No, no Astrid! If you want to get out there to fight dragons you need to stop all. This."

Astrid scoffed "but you just gestured to all of me!"

Gobber nodded "yes! That's it! Stop being all of you!"

"Oh…" She said in a sassy tone.

"Oh… Yeah."

"You sir, are playing a dangerous game! Keeping this much raw, Viking-ness. Contained! There will be consequences!" She shouted.

"I'll take my chances. Sword, sharpen."

Astrid sighed before doing as she was told. One day, one day I'll get out there. Because killing a dragon is everything!

A nadder would surely get her noticed. Gronkle's were tough killing one of those would definitely get her a boyfriend. Zippleback's were exotic, two-headed, double the status.

But the one thing that would change everything and be the number one status booster was the one that was never seen.

It never steals food and it never misses.

A blue blast of fire turned a large catapult into a pile of ash and splinters.

"NIGHTFURY!"

No one had ever killed a nightfury before and Astrid was going to be the first.

"Man the forge Astrid. They need me out there. Stay. Put. There. Well you know what I mean." With a loud battle cry he rushed into the battlefield.

Making sure he was out of sight Astrid threw off her apron and grabbed her invention before running to a secluded area.

She stood there with her invention poised in front of her "come on give me something to shoot at. Give me something to shoot at…" Suddenly something black whizzed nearby, startled she flew off her invention and accidentally activated it.

There was a loud roar and Astrid watched excitedly as a black shape fell out of the sky.

She jumped with joy "yes! Did anybody see that?!"

Her invention was suddenly stomped on and a large red dragon loomed over her head. Her shoulders slumped as she stared at it "except you…" The nightmare roared and Astrid took off like a jackrabbit.

"Help! Help me!" She shouted running through the village the nightmare hot on her heels. Stoic sighed as he saw her tiny figure zoom past with a dragon right behind her. He turned towards his second in command who was busy holding down a deadly nadder "don't let it get away. I'll be right back."

There was a large pole smack in the middle of the village so Astrid ducked behind it and screamed as the flames flew around the pole, nearly singeing her clothes. The nightmare was suddenly punched to the side.

The bright red dragon roared at the man who had punched him who was none other than Stoic himself. The nightmare opened its vast jaws and spit out a tiny ember.

Stoic grinned "you're out." The nightmare gave a blood-curdling scream before flying off.

Seeing as how no one was paying attention to her at the moment Astrid slightly tip toed away from the crowd but for the third time that night someone grabbed the back of her shirt.

It was Hiccup, and he did not look happy.

"Uhh… Hi..."

There's just one more thing to know.

Stoic stood behind Hiccup and put his hand on his shoulder "should I handle this son?"

Hiccup was the son of the chief.

Hiccup glared at Astrid "no dad I think she'll finally understand if someone her own age tells her this time." Astrid bit her bottom lip. "Really Astrid all we ask is that you stay inside safe and sound* but you always ignore us and step outside and when you do disaster happens!"

She had heard Hiccup yell at al lot of people but never this loudly. She guessed he had something to prove to the whole village. "I didn't do that much damage…"

"They've stolen half our livestock Astrid. How can you say that you didn't do that much damage?"

"I didn't really make them steal it."

"Everyone was so busy helping you they couldn't focus on the other dragons! Now our livestock is gone! I shouldn't need to remind you that my dad has an entire village to feed and one day I will too!"

Astrid giggled awkwardly "between you and me I think the village can do with a little less feeding if you know what I mean."

A few insulted Vikings put a hand over their large stomachs and scoffed at her.

"This isn't a joke!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. Astrid whimpered shrinking before his eyes, sighing Hiccup stepped back "face it. Astrid, you can't do anything right."

She mumbled something softly.

"What?" He asked leaning in.

She blushed seeing how close he was to her "I hit a nightfury."

Hiccup backed up and let out a weird choking Astrid moved slightly forward ready to help if he started gagging right in front of her but instead he burst out laughing "are you serious? A nightfury? You? Of all people caught a nightfury?" He fell on his butt laughing.

Astrid pouted "no really I caught one! Look it's down by raven's point if we can get a search party out there then-"

"Stop!" All traces off humor had miraculously dissolved from Hiccup's face as he stood in front of her "just… stop. Please." He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her towards Gobber "take her home, and make sure she stay's there."

Snotlout rolled his eyes at Astrid "I've never seen someone fail so well!"

The twins chimed in with "that failure was inspiring! True genius! True! We bow to you!"

Astrid did her best to ignore them "yeah, yeah I get it. Thanks so much."

Gobber gave his apprentice a shove and sighed, when they were out of ear shot Gobber asked "all right lass what's eating you."

"They never listen to me, and I've never seen Hiccup so angry."

Gobber sighed, he knew just as well as anyone else that Astrid was head over boots in love with Hiccup "he just care's about his village that's all. Remember he's got a big weight on his shoulders."

"I know I just wanna help take the load off ya know?" She forced a laugh as she stood on her doorstep "he probably doesn't even notice me half the time. He wants a girl that can hold her own and chop off the head of a nightmare with a flick of her wrist. All I am is a talking fishbone."

"It's not what you look like that's keeping him away it's what's inside he can't see past."

Astrid blew her hair out her eyes "gee that makes me feel so much better."

"Lass I know you're tryin' but you just can't be someone you're not."

Astrid sighed before pushing the door to her house open "I just wanna be one of you guys." With that she let her door close behind her.

She then popped right back outside through the back door and ran straight towards raven's point.

*Safe and sound.

See despite the fact that Hiccup's a bit of a jerk in this story he's still a little sweet on Astrid. I know it's not really Cannon but I'm changing it slightly so that it'll fit more with Astrid. So yeah hope you enjoyed it!

I own nothing.

Maui Girl 808