Rivalry is a How to Train Your Dragon fanfic written by VentusWind78
.
Since Berk was founded, two families have fought over the Chiefdom; the Haddocks, descended from the first Chief, and the Hoffersons, who have been disappointed at every attempt to take the throne. But now, with Astrid pushing herself as high as she can go while pushing Hiccup just as low, things may be changing.
This fanfic can be read on FanFiction.Net (here).
Story was officially completed in July 2022 and a sequel Revelations was posted the following month. The sequel can be read here.
This fanfic provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Astrid's mother threatens to disown Astrid if Hiccup outdoes her in dragon-training, something they follow through on when Hiccup is chosen to kill the Monstrous Nightmare.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Since Hiccup and Astrid are heirs to a pair of Feuding Families, Hiccup and Astrid's dynamic pre-Toothless is much more hotblooded, especially when compared to their non-existent interactions in the film.
- Adaptational Jerkass: While Astrid was not exactly nice to Hiccup at the start of the first movie, she was much more focused on herself and her potential than Hiccup. Here, she is much more of a bully, their family's long-standing rivalry and him being the one thing standing between her and being the next chief being a big deciding factor in her behavior.
- Amazon Chaser: Even though Astrid in this continuity is much more hostile to him, Hiccup still holds some level of infatuation with her.Walking through the woods gave me a lot of time to think, particularly about what Gobber had said about me wanting to prove myself to Astrid. I had absolutely no reason to; she's not the one who decides who's heir. But as I got to thinking about it, maybe if we didn't hate each other so much, she might be a nice friend... or something more.I mentally slapped myself. "Dammit Hiccup, that's not gonna happen in this life or the next, so don't even go there."
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: For the Haddocks and Hoffersons, winning the honor of killing their first dragon after dragon-training is not just for bragging rights.Gobber: An' if Astrid or Hiccup wins, they will be declared Heir to the Throne of Berk, with all the rights an' privileges, blah blah blah.
- Attack! Attack! Attack!: Seems to be Astrid's only real strategy in dragon-training, Hiccup having to save her more than once from a point-blank blast from the dragons.
- Feuding Families: When Berk was founded, the first two clans the haddocks and the Hoffersons fought over who would elect their chief, the Haddocks winning. Ever since, the two clans have been at odds with the Hofferson clan trying and failing to institute one of their clan members as chief every generation. The closest they ever had were "Fearless" Finn Hofferson before the Flightmare froze him and besmirched his honor.
- Redemption Rejection: After surviving his encounter with Toothless, Hiccup decides that their family feud felt inconsequential and tries making peace with Astrid, even trying and failing to convince Stoick to give her the heirship instead. It is not until he accidentally slips that he thinks she's beautiful does she snap at him.I only heard one word, and it made my blood boil. I shoved Hiccup against the wall, my axe pressed against his neck, seething. His eyes widened in terror, and rightfully so. "No one, no one, calls me beautiful," I growled. "I'm a Viking, a shield maiden; you're just a low Fishbone that doesn't deserve to talk to me." I grabbed the neck of his tunic and pulled my axe away, throwing him to the ground behind me. Ignoring Hiccup's gasps for breath, I stormed out of the arena, looking for some trees to throw my axe at.
- Sudden Humility: After their first day in dragon-training, Astrid admits that it was a bad move to go head first against the Gronkle and Hiccup saved her from a direct hit.
