I'll just publish the movie's start immediately. Kernel and Rina bring changes straight away.

xXXx

They were fifteen and it should've been a normal raid. Hiccup left home to go and help Gobber… and maybe kill a dragon. Kernel just readied her poultices and newly crafted medical equipment to rush around helping the wounded. It had been that way for years since her body wasn't that suited to swinging heavy axes or hammers. But she had a small reputation as a healer. Although her brother helped along and stuff, it wasn't really what the chief's first born should be good at. And it wasn't really his 'calling'.

Which was why he helped Gobber and tried his best to shoot down a dragon.

It was like any other time, really, so Kernel didn't notice something was wrong until Rina's feelings flared distress. She almost dropped the bandages she'd been holding. Enquiring feelings and her own worry were ignored by her frantic other self. And then Hiccup screamed.

Kernel was off and running towards the sound that made her heart race.

Please be safe, please be safe, you're all I have here…!

She arrived just in time to see their father punch a Monstrous Nightmare that was about to end her brother's life. She scrambled to him, tugging him away from the now falling pole that's flaming head rolled down their village's streets… she winced. Stuff like this happened from time to time. But she had better things to do, like look Hiccup over for injuries.

"Kernel, I'm fine", he said in exasperation as she probed his muscles and looked for burns, "Really!"

She let out a breath she didn't notice she'd held, "You scared me for a minute", especially because Rina was still a mess of emotion.

Hiccup smiled fondly. He knew his sister cared for him a lot. And that was good. It was nice to have someone who worried. He knew he did for her too so they were even. Also… he was pretty glad he had support who knew him and knew him well.

"Hiccup", their father said with a resigned tone.

"Sorry… Dad", the teen pursed his lips and didn't look up, "I hit a Night Fury", he said meekly.

Kernel looked at him with wide eyes because that was his 'I'm telling the truth' tone. Stoick sighed as he took his son a little ways away to talk to him, out of earshot for… most of the gathered villagers. Kernel, of course, followed. Because the twins were like Ruffnut and Tuffnut, together in everything. Just not… weird like them. They didn't have that 'tough love' stuff the other twins seemed to have.

Stoick had a lot to say. None of it particularly nice. Hiccup took it with sass and sarcasm. Like always. Kernel feared she'd been the one to influence some of it. This village didn't appreciate her brother's intellect. And she wasn't much of a big name either, what with not having killed a dragon.

It was what he started ranting about right now, actually. All 'If I see a dragon I just have to kill it!'. She cringed a bit at the thought. Killing… wasn't something she liked even after being a ninja once.

"You're many things Hiccup, but a dragon killer is not one of them. Why don't you try to find something more… you. Like your sister"

That was one of the worse things their father could've said. 'Like your sister' was comparing. Comparing siblings should not be done. Hiccup and her were as thick as thieves but it still made seeds of jealousy to think of the other as somehow… superior. It did nothing to stop Hiccup from chasing dragon killer's glory.

Gobber was set to making sure they got home. She, though, knew they were going after the Night Fury.

Rina was still a flurry of worry.

xXXx

"…this here. This is a talking fishbone!", Hiccup ended his rant on their doorstep about Stoick wanting a buff son with guts and not him.

Kernel sighed and laid a hand on his shoulder, "You know he loves us anyway"

"Maybe you", he retorted without any anger towards her, "But I'm a different story"

She stopped trying to convince him. The boy was mulish in his stubbornness as much as she loved him.

"No, no, you're thinkin' about this all wrong", Gobber butted in, "It's not so much how you look like. It's what's inside he can't stand"

Kernel's temper flared cold, "Gobber", she hissed, "My brother is good the way he is!"

The blacksmith waved her off as Hiccup shook the comment off with his usual sarcasm, "Thank you, for summing that up", he still sent a grateful look her way. Though she knew he thought it was only because she was trying to be nice.

Gobber still continued, ignoring Kernel's warning look, "Look, the point is, stop trying to be something you're not!"

That the girl could agree with, "Yes, Hiccup, that is the root for this problem", she said, watching him to make sure he knew she believed what she said. He wouldn't hear of it.

"I just wanna be one of you guys"

Gobber and the young healer/doctor traded glances before making a what-can-you-do gesture and going their ways. Kernel after her twin of course. She closed the door and looked to her brother.

"So…", she started, brushing her bangs aside, "We looking for that Night Fury or not?"

Hiccup dropped his notebook with a startle before grinning at her.

"You bet!"

xXXx

The black dragon laid on its side, ropes circling it. He looked okay… except for his tail now that Kernel saw better. She wasn't sure her brother did. Hiccup and her shared a glance in their hiding place and got out at the same time. They crept towards it slowly, afraid of it making a move but needing to just… do this.

Suddenly a high bird-like shriek broke the air and there was another dragon in front of them.

Hiccup shrieked and scrambled backwards. Kernel stood still and stared because that dragon was familiar. As in, drew that a few lifetimes ago familiar. As in, feeling like she should know her familiar. As in, are you Rina familiar. The Wind Chaser stood protectively in front of the downed dragon, and worry was radiating from Rina again. Kernel just… stared.

"...Rina?", came her quiet whisper.

The bird-like dragon with four wings (upper pair double the size of the lower) and yellowish brown scales… with some turquoise stripes spreading down the upside of her wings, stilled and her light blue eyes widened. Her beak-like snout opened as she let out a fearful/hopeful chirp. Kernel nodded and didn't hear her brother screaming for her to get out of there. The fan around the dragon's head drew back and closed to make her look more delicate and unthreatening. It really was Rina. Hiccup grabbed Kernel to draw her behind a rock.

"What are you doing!?", he hissed through his teeth, "And what is that?"

She snapped out of it and turned wholly to her brother, "That dragon… it's protecting the Night Fury"

Hiccup frowned in confusion over the change of tracks before his eyes widened.

"Pro… tecting?", he whispered and looked out to see that, yes it was.

The twins stared over the rock at the dragon and Rina looked back, now focusing on Hiccup as a more likely threat than his sister. Said sister rose up to walk closer. Hiccup caught her hand but she shook her head and whispered that she got this.

The brown haired girl walked slowly and unthreateningly towards her other self and raised her hand to touch her. Slowly. Carefully. The beak nudged her hand back and withdrew to turn to the Night Fury. His eyes were wide as he crooned to the younger dragon, asking what exactly she was doing. Kernel dropped to her knees slowly and took out a knife.

"Shhh…", she said to the now quietly panicking black beast, "I'm going to set you free"

It didn't seem to understand. But it surely understood Rina. Kernel cut the ropes. The Night Fury was free and launched itself away from her and Hiccup. Right in front of Rina to protect her. Just like Hiccup had jumped in front of Kernel. Both parties stared at each other warily before the Night Fury roared at the boy and took off with his clearly younger adopted sibling flying after. Hiccup shook like a leaf in front of her as he stared after them. He sunk to the ground.

"What-", he gasped, "just happened"

Kernel was right beside him, feeling oddly relieved but also disappointed.

"Well", she said rather breathlessly, "I think we just found out that dragons are intellectual"

They stayed still for a moment and just breathed. Then Hiccup stood up to stare where the dragons went. Kernel rose to stand beside him.

"...Kernel?", he said after a beat, "I… don't think I can kill them"

She glanced at him, "Me neither, brother", her eyes tracked after Rina's path, "Me neither"

xXXx

And of course then they found out their father had put Hiccup in dragon training. So Kernel was going too and arguing was moot. The males still tried. And failed. And Stoick was leaving on another hunt for the dragons' nest.

xXXx

Same results even with some change. Don't worry! It'll change quite a lot in the long run. Next chapter more Kernel and Hiccup interaction... with the other teens thrown in. And Dragon Training.