Astrid had a brother; he was older by 5 years and looked quite like her. He learned how to fight when 11, started fire patrol at 13 and joined dragon training when he was 15. Astrid was 10 at the time, just learning how to properly hold an axe from her father.

Her brother was a great warrior, though he could shot a bow to save his life, he was skilled at the axe, practicing everyday with the old, scarred wooden buddy that stood in the Hofferson's back garden. Astrid would sit, leaning against the house, and she watched him.

She couldn't help but think back to the times where she would play near her house and see her brother walk towards her, smiling his smile as he outstretched his arms as she ran towards him. Astrid was never one to hug, kiss or show her soft spot but her brother was so much like her, and so kind, Astrid couldn't help but show her soft spot to him.

He would tell her all about training, what he learned, what dragon they fought, what had happened; Astrid would listen closely, growing excited. After he would finish Astrid remembered how she would jump to her feet, bouncing on the spot and saying that she was ready to learn how to fight.

Her brother would laugh and take her by the hand before leading her back home.

A few weeks after turning 11, Astrid and her family had gathered along with the rest of the village to watch her brother fight the last dragon, the strongest they had, a Nightmare.

But to the Astrid, how didn't quite understand how powerful this dragon was, she thought he could take the beast down easily, leaning over the edge of the arena slightly and cheering for her brother, throwing her hands into the air.

Astrid had played that day in her head over and over, thinking if she had done something differently he would still be here, with her, alive.

Everyone would always say that it happened all too fast but to Astrid, time itself had seemed to slow down.

Her brother had caught the dragon a bola, forcing it to the ground and tightened the ropes; the roaring over the crowd mixed with the fury filled snarls and roars from the Nightmare as Gobber stepped into the ring, up to her brother, and handed him a new axe, which gleamed in the sunlight dangerously.

As Gobber left the arena and locked the gate, her brother stepped forward, weighting the axe in his hands and grinned.

Astrid saw his smile and saw how proud he was. The axe represented his joining of the tribe, becoming a true Viking and being accepted in the tribe while people cheering his name. Astrid could see how proud, how honored he was in that moment, watching a he stepped forward to the dragon, ready to kill it, becoming a Viking like they had always dreamed about.

Astrid remembered how proud she was for her brother, how much her cheeks hurt from smiling. But then something happened; many Vikings there said different stories about what happened that day but Astrid saw the truth, she knew what really happened.

The Nightmare screamed and burst into bright orange flames and broke free of the bola, sending fiery pieces of ripped rope everywhere, making her brother gasp and stumble back from being brunt from the ropes.

Turning his attention of her brother, Astrid watched, horrified, as the dragon swung its fire-covered tail into his chest hard and threw him across the arena, rolling a little before stopping and began to cough loudly, the front of his tunic burnt and torn, revealing the red and bloody flesh that was his chest.

Astrid cried out his name as the crowd gasp and grabbed their weapons, but none of that would have helped as the dragon snapped his mouth open, screamed, and pouched at him.

Mid-air, Astrid's mother's hand clamped over her eyes as the crowd screamed, the crying of a child ringing through the arena as the Nightmare roared loudly, the sound of flames crackling and popping as heavy footsteps grew louder over the noise.

Astrid stopped breathing, the sound of the dragon pain-filled roars as blades sliced through scaly flesh, Viking yelling loudly as children screamed and cried, chaos everywhere.

She started crying, wetting her mother's hand with her tears as she was grabbed and pulled away from her mother. When Astrid opened her eyes she saw her mother, on her knees, crying, her father frozen in shock, staring into the arena where her brother once stood with a hauntingly blank expression.

Astrid began to scream, kick her legs and dig her nails into the man's flesh and he carried her away, trying to calm her down as he jogged back to the village. Astrid cried her brother's name as tear streamed down her cheeks.

Within minutes, Astrid was taken into her home and pushed into her room and onto her bed before hearing the door close and lock. Astrid yelled in pure anger, jumping from her bed and ramming her fists against her wooden door, demanding to be let out.

Slamming her fists onto the door loudly a sob shook her body and she collapsed onto the floor, loud sobs shaking her body as her eyes burnt and throat tightened, crying for her brother.

Astrid remembered how quickly the sun went down, it disappearing over the horizon, leaving Astrid on her own, sobbing dry, sore tears and whimpering her brother's name in the cold darkness.

Everything seemed to rush by after that, her mother coming home a wreck as her father trailed behind her, looking straight ahead blankly, looking 10 years older. Stoick had visited them, telling them how sorry he was and how brave her brother was, telling them he died a true Viking's death.

Astrid cried all through the night in her dark room along until her throat became too raw and tight to make another sound; Leaving her room and curling up on her brother's bed before falling asleep in seconds.

Astrid remembered, keeping his axe and remembered her brother every day.

This is how Astrid Hofferson became determined to be the best dragon slayer on Berk, determined to be what her brother never had the chance to, determined to make sure nothing like that would happen again..

Well I'm not too happy with this chapter but it's late and I'm so tired so here you go Ami and Astrid Hofferson, as requested! ^U^

Sorry for spelling/grammar mistakes but I just can't deal with it all today…sorry :/

I might do another one for her, since I know I could do better.

So thank you to everyone who followed/favorite this story and special love to everyone who reviewed.

Next chapter: Ruffnut.

~LMDR sneezing her way out the room.

(ps: Monster's university tomorrow :D )