Meeting dragons and some revelations...

xXXx

Deadly Nadder. In a maze. With the viking teenagers.

This can only end great, Kernel thought sarcastically.

Especially because her brother was busy asking Gobber about Night Furies and have you ever seen a light brown dragon other than a Gronckle? Answer was a sound 'no'. And they didn't really get anything on Night Furies. All the while Kernel had to keep lookout for the other bird-like dragon. At least the Wind Chaser had some cat in her. And no teeth. Nadders… have teeth. Walk on two legs. Have deadly spikes in their tail. Can even shoot them.

She looked around the corner to stare straight at the dragon's face. Inches. Away. From her nose.

Kernel retreated as fast as possible and grabbed her brother as she went. She ran them to the other side of the maze and stopped for a second. Her heart was beating like a drum.

Too. Close.

And of course then she found out the Nadder was on top of the fences that made up the maze.

This can only end great.

And it did end with Astrid shouting at Hiccup (might as well have been 'the twins') to go figure out what side he was on. They knew it wasn't against dragons, whatever side it was.

xXXx

Hiccup insisted on the shield. And the fish they brought. Kernel watched on with resigned amusement. She knew they would have no trouble because one of the dragons was her other self.

They hid between rocks and Hiccup threw a fish on open ground. No one came to get it. Though Rina radiated amusement. She wondered if the Wind Chaser wanted to keep her name here…

Hiccup's shield got stuck between the rocks. Kernel snickered. He hushed her with a slight blush.

So under the shield they went, Hiccup picking the fish along the way as they turned back to back, looking for any dragon who might pounce… which was on a rock. Only one leap away. And looking like a curious cat. Rina just laid on the rock lazily, swishing her three layered tailfins back and forth, open and closed. It gave amazing manoeuvrability in the air, Kernel knew. But Hiccup and her now had a black beast approaching them curiously. Her brother offered the fish with slow movements and probably a grimace. The dragon saw something and gave a low growl. Her brother reached for his belt where a knife was as a multi purpose tool. Another snarl… until Hiccup just dropped the knife and when it still looked distrustful, Kernel kicked it to the pond in the middle of the cove. Place. Clearing… She'd just use cove.

The Night Fury was back to being a cute cat. It even purred slightly, or at least it sounded like that.

This time her brother was braver in pushing the fish towards the dragon. With two hands. Rina was watching the exchange with curious light blue eyes (the pupils were a dark blue). The black cat-like beast opened its mouth to reveal gummies. Kernel blinked. Didn't he… Hiccup continued her train of thought aloud.

"Toothless? Could've sworn he had-", retractable teeth shot out and the fish was gulped down with extra vigor, "...teeth"

The Wind Chaser trilled a surprisingly human-like laugh as her loved 'big brother' crept towards Hiccup as if asking for more. Kernel got ignored and she walked after them with a slight grin. A puff of air on her shoulder had her turn to Rina who made a happy sounding croon and pushed gently against her shoulder. She stroked the dragon's beak fondly.

"I'm glad you're here", she whispered before a strange honking sound came from Hiccup's direction.

She watched in morbid fascination as their new maybe-friend-or-pet puked half of the fish on her brother and sat back on his haunches. He looked expectant. She had a bad feeling as to what that was. Her feeling was proved correct as Hiccup gingerly picked the saliva coated fish up and sent her a pleading look. She gave a helpless shrug in response. And then noticed Rina on the rock her brother was leaning against and the dragon grabbed the fish before it could go to her brother's mouth. The Wind Chaser ate it herself. Kernel burst out laughing as the now dubbed Toothless growled and launched himself at the other dragon who danced away on her four Night Fury-like spike scaled legs (the spike tips were orange) and led the other into a play fight. Hiccup rose to watch it in fascination. Kernel walked to him and watched too. Rina was happy.

"They're like siblings", her brother muttered as Toothless playfully conceded defeat and nudged the slightly smaller dragon off of him.

"Yup", she agreed as Rina looked like she swam in the air with grace only belonging to imaginary creatures. She was very fast as she flew around the cove once and stopped next to Toothless, "She looks like she's chasing the wind… Is that a wind blast?", the dragoness shot a powerful gust from her beak.

Hiccup's eyes were wide and shining with curiosity, "She can't shoot fire? Interesting… And you're right. Wind Chaser seems very accurate for her species", he grinned slyly at her, "The Night Fury is now named Toothless. So what's the girl's name?"

Kernel observed for a moment longer before deciding on one, "Springer", she said before her tone turned teasing, "But wouldn't Toothless be better for her? She has a beak. No teeth"

Her brother gave her a friendly shove, "Details"

The dragons' attention was back on the two humans. Newly named Springer chirped and bounced over with fluidity not looking out of place for wind and made a show of approaching them. Toothless was quickly beside her and looking ready to defend if either of them hurt what was his. It was funny how the two pairs of siblings were alike. If someone hurt one, the other was on them in an instant.

Kernel smiled at Rina, now only two meters away, "Did you hear? You're named Springer now"

She felt her flash of surprise and then content amusement. The Wind Chaser twittered and cautiously stepped forward again. Hiccup looked ready to pull his sister away if something went wrong. They really were alike, the pairs. Kernel looked to overprotective Toothless for permission before reaching a hand slowly towards the dragoness and waiting. Springer leaned forward and sniffed at her fingers before just brushing her head against it. Then she jumped back and took a familiar stance for both of the girls. Kernel grinned and leapt at her, hands splayed wide. It started their merry chase and chirps and laughter rang across the cove.

This left Toothless and Hiccup watching on with bemusement. A moment spent in silence before they as one glanced at each other. Hiccup pursed his lips in thought and then meaningfully gestured to the pair playing tag, all wide eyed innocence. Toothless gave a look akin to 'unimpressed' and leapt into the air to land across the pond. The flight was slightly wobbly. Once there he torched the ground to curl up on it like a cat. He watched contently at his little sister playing with the human girl before noticing Hiccup sitting next to him. The boy lifted a hand in greeting. Still fairly unimpressed the dragon turned and curled his tail around him to block his sight of the teen.

Hiccup still reached forward to touch him. And had to pretend he hadn't tried as the tail lifted and revealed a light green dragon eye.

Toothless took his nap bat-style.

Kernel and Springer just decided to lay next to each other and near Hiccup to watch clouds. Their brothers would figure it out in a jiffy, they knew.

xXXx

The girls sat next to each other and watched in amusement as Toothless drew something on the ground with a thick tree branch as a pencil. Hiccup had just sat on the rock, drawing the dragon, when the Night Fury had appeared over his shoulder to watch and then decided to copy the boy. Now he had to spin his way out of the masterpiece to not anger Toothless. Springer and Kernel both leaned forward in anticipation as Hiccup reached to touch the dragon.

Toothless reached back and his snout touched the teen's hand.

It was only for a little bit. But it happened! The two girls thought it one of the most beautiful things that had happened in their lifetimes. Hiccup seemed to think so too if the way he stared at his hand was any indication. Kernel couldn't take it anymore and just ran to hug him.

"You did it!", she whisper shouted in excitement.

His smile was disbelieving but true, "I did it…!", then he noticed the sun, "We should get home"

Kernel looked to Springer and gave a wave as she agreed, "Yeah…"

They walked to home in silence, a bit stunned at the day's events. It was only when they were in their room and trying to sleep that Hiccup asked what had been bothering him.

"Kernel?"

"Hm?"

A rustle as he turned in his bed, "How do you and Springer get on so well?"

Kernel fell quiet and wiggled her toes in her nervousness. Answer or no answer. Say, or don't say. She wanted to tell him. But he wouldn't believe her. So only a half truth. Maybe.

The girl took a deep breath, "She is… a friend. From a lifetime ago"

Hiccup radiated curiosity and held no disbelief, much to her surprise. Encouraged, Kernel continued.

"I wasn't always your sister. Before I was born here, I lived in another place", she decided to leave the 'lots of other places' out for now. It was still a bitter pill for her to swallow, "I had a family. Mom, Dad and my friends. My teammates. And of course…", she unconsciously put a hand on her heart, "my other self"

Her brother was captivated. It sounded completely ludicrous but honesty rang in her every word.

"Other self?", he asked. It was like they were little again and she told him stories that no one had ever heard before. That time he had thought them as her wide imagination, but now…

She smiled, "My other self. Someone who was me with a slightly different personality. Someone who lived inside of me, as a part of me. Then we died and… here she was gone. Until a link between us was formed when we were eight or so", she looked to her brother with twinkling eyes, "That's how I know what Springer is feeling all the time, just like I know she feels me"

Hiccup was quiet for a long time. He thought of everything he knew about his sister and found it easier to believe what she said the more he thought of it.

"So that's how you know so much…", he muttered with wonder.

She laughed, slightly bitter, "Yeah. That's how"

They were quiet for a moment. Then…

"You're still my sister"

Kernel felt a weight lifted off her shoulders at that statement. It was the lightest she'd felt since her and Rina died.

"And you my brother"

She knew there were more conversations to be had of this but right then they needed to sleep. Tomorrow was another day with dragons. Both learning how to kill them and how to befriend them. Wasn't that kinda backwards? She thought so, but what could you do in a village of stubborn vikings? It was that night Kernel promised herself she'd show her village, her clan, what dragons really were someday.

xXXx

I know, I know. Hiccup took that way too easily... but keep in mind she has been around since he was born and they trust each other more than anyone else. Even with impossible things. And just by being around Kernel he has adopted her 'anything can happen' approach to life.