How To Train Your Dragon- From One World To Another, And Yet I'm Home

Disclaimer:

The Film 'How To Train Your Dragon', is Copyrighted by DreamWorks Animation and Distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois and released on March 26, 2010

The DreamWorks 'Dragons' were directed by Dean Deblois and Chris Sanders and released in 2013- 2018. I only claim Copyright to my characters and some of the elements of the story that are of my own creation.

Author Warning, Notes:

This symbol (*) means that there's something written about this particular paragraph in the Ending Author's Notes.

Chapter Soundtrack(s):

Siskoni- Laura Närhi/ 

Chapter Soundtrack English Lyrics: 

https://lyricstranslate.com/en/siskoni-my-sister.html

Viewpoint Signs:

***MS*** (Movie Scene)

***EMS*** (end of movie scene)

***PPOV***(person's point of view)

...

Chapter 11

The proud smiles of my friends never waned until the screen, which had gone blank, before slowly changing to a new scene where the narrator was speaking, again.

***MS***

Months later, at a time when the school year was in session, two kids were inside their bedroom (clad in their modern under tunics which people of that age called pyjamas).

Both were sitting on the same bed having a fun, peaceful evening as they laughed and talked to each other about their day and what they may want to see happen the next day.

'' Ronja, Sonja, have you finished making yourself ready for bed?''

'' Yes, mom!'' the two twins called out in unison when they overheard their mother calling out to them from the bottom of the stairs.

'' Good! Please come back to the living room, we have something important to discuss.''

The two children, who were a month from turning twelve years old, hurried down the stairs to sit on the living-room sofa, with their parents sitting on the two armchairs facing the couch.

'' As you have likely noticed these past weeks, your father and I have been booking a holiday trip to Kaprun, Austria, for the duration of your 'hiihtoloma' [ski- holiday].'' (*1)

Ronja and Sonja uttered high pitched cheers, but their father quickly shushed them.

'' However, in light of what your midterm report cards showed about the quality of your studies, Ronja, your report card wasn't of the best quality. Your teachers have also reported to us of your rather lazy study-behaviour, and I cannot say we are impressed.''

Sigrun nodded her head in affirmation, and the girl in question ducked her head slightly, cheeks flaming red in embarrassment and annoyance.

'' Therefore I expect you, to study harder these coming months,'' Klaus continued seriously.

'' So what is the punishment if our report cards are not... high enough?'' Sonja asked, glancing nervously at her sister who had pulled her knees up to her chin and was resting her chin on top.

'' I'm sorry we have to resort to this, but this punishment is to ensure that you understand how important it is to study and to give a reason for you to do better next time. The kid who doesn't do well in this semester is not travelling to Kaprun. She will be staying here with the grandparents,'' Sigrun told her twin girls who gaped wide-eyed at their parents.

'' I, too, am sorry we have to do this, girls, but school- work is important and we want you both to focus on the importance of academics,'' Klaus cut in, walking over to sit on the sofa. 

He pulled the two into a tight hug, and soon Sigrun joined her family on the sofa.

Ronja wasn't hugging back, though she allowed her parents to hug her. She had a small scowl on her face as she stared at the opposite wall.

'' Alright, that's all we wanted to tell tonight. We can discuss more tomorrow; now it's off to bed, the both of you. Good night, girls,'' Stryka said lovingly as she slowly pulled away.

'' Goodnight, mom. Goodnight, dad,'' Sonja chirped out, smiling at her parents despite the barely hidden worry in her eyes.

'' Goodnight,'' Ronja said, her voice more subdued as she hopped off the sofa and hurried up the stairs with her sister on her heels.

The older twin almost slammed the door shut after Sonja had entered, her blue-green eyes narrowed with upset and anger.

'' Oh yes, first mom and dad got us both so excited about a trip and then they threw the ' unless you don't study' card in the conversation,'' she groused out, stomping over to her bed to fling herself onto the bedcovers.

'' They have a very good point you know, you have been using my own homework to create your version of it with hardly a change in the text! It's been happening a lot lately and it's not doing much good to you if you don't internalize the information within the written sentences. Or the sentences in a school-book which I used as a reference,'' Sonja retorted with a frown.

'' Hah! So now you are laying out that game piece, as well?''

'' Stop using those phrases, Ronja! You know, apart from the weapons training, those chess games with grandpa are also a reason your studies have been lacking.''

'' So are you saying I'm unintelligent because I don't sit around for hours with my nose in books?''

'' No, I'm telling you I'm sick and tired of you always leaving your homework and studies late or not doing them at all! And then you expect me to just allow you to copy my hard work?!''

Sonja was staring at her sister with such an intense gaze that Ronja could only gape at her, her lips parted slightly in shock before that it was masked into an unreadable expression.

That expression had always been present in the midst of a game between Ronja and her grandfather whenever she played against the former, professional chess-player.

But it wasn't the only thing that expression was used for; was retreating into herself, kept others in the loop or used as a warning to her sister that she should back off.

 But this time Sonja took no notice and ploughed on without noticing the danger signs.

'' Well, it's not gonna happen anymore, I need to focus on my studies and you need to focus on your own work. So get it together!''

'' If you didn't like me copying your work, why didn't you just prevent me from getting to your notes?'' Ronja hissed out between clenched teeth.

'' Because you would have pestered me relentlessly, just like you always do when you don't get what you want! And you are my sister, and I worried that we wouldn't be in the same class next year. But I'm sick of showing my sister concern for her failing grades when you don't even bother to try, Ronja. You're going to have to do all your homework yourself from tomorrow on, without negotiations,'' Sonja bit back, meeting her sister's eyes without falter.

Ronja looked like she wanted to shout at her sister. 

But instead of shouting, her words were softly spoken, with a steely undertone,'' If you really feel that I just pester you all the time, then I guess we should not stick tightly together at school, or at home, until we figure out how to be our separate people, Sonja.''

A shiver run down Sonja's back. That steely undertone was another sort of warning to back off for the foreseeable future, for an unforeseeable time.

The two siblings held a long staring contest, Sonja's lips now slightly parted in shock and surprise whilst Ronja's face stayed unreadable.

Until finally the firstborn daughter turned her back on her little sister and flopped down onto the mattress, on her right side, and pulled the bedcovers over her head.

***EMS***

'' What's so wrong with copying from one's sister? I mean seriously, I do it all the time!'' Tuffnut called out as soon as the film was paused.

'' TUFFNUT! '' his parents scolded immediately even as his sister reached over to slap him hard against the back of his head.

'' That is not how you're supposed to study!'' his mother added with a disapproving frown to her face.

And much to my chagrin and embarrassment, that expression hadn't been aimed at just her son.

Slap...

'' OW, Astrid! Yeah, I'm very much aware that I'd been at fault, then. I should have studied, and not taken advantage of Sonja's hard work,'' I muttered, wincing in pain.

Astrid had slapped me, somewhat lightly, on the back of my head.

'' Oh, Ronja, what were you thinking back then?!'' my father groaned out.

I turned my eyes to him and grimaced when I saw him rubbing both palms across his face. 

'' I'm not surprised if dad feels upset with me right now. After all, this was the beginning of the rift between his two daughters,'' I thought inwardly upon hearing him heard him give a huff of agitation and exasperation.   

I slowly turned my eyes from him to look at Hiccup, Fishlegs and Snotlout.

The three boys were all gaping at me.

Feeling self-conscious of my 'younger self's' actions, I sunk deeper into my father's knees and focused on the warmth that radiated from him.

'' I'm thinking you've outgrown that phase, Ronja,'' Stoick spoke up loudly and I warily looked towards the sound of his voice.

My uncle's forest green eyes were trained on my face as I snapped my head up to look him in the eyes. He, too, looked disapproving of my indiscretions.

'' I did outgrow that phase, but there was a lot happening in between,'' I answered, wincing again.

I'd always done copying off of Sonja over the years, but in the early years, they'd been very small copies. But as we had gotten older and the schoolwork more tough and difficult to comprehend, I had begun to cheat in school-work more often. And the year that we were to go on that family- trip had been particularly rough and difficult for me.

I sighed and looked around at the people of Berk, taking note of the different reactions, and feeling extremely sheepish under the many varying expressions. Many of the fathers and mothers with young children wore extremely scolding expressions.

Tuffnut, though, didn't seem to care much that what I'd been using my sister's greater knowledge to benefit my own fortune. From what Tuffnut had said, I'd gathered that he had found nothing wrong with me copying from Sonja.

Snotlout and Ruffnut were never ones for caring about whether they studied or not, but Ruffnut did take offence to her brother's earlier words.

Snotlout seemed neutral in the hearing of my indiscretions, but I couldn't hold to hope that he hadn't found my actions to have been condemnable.

 And I'd earnt all the scolding! I'd cheated for the better part of the year!  

'' It was wrong of me to not do my own work. Very, very wrong of me! I did outgrow that phase in my life, but it took a life-changing incident to permanently harden my resolve to change my outlook on school studies. I hope Tuffnut's parents can speak some sense into that boy's head,'' I thought sadly, just as the next part of the film began playing before our eyes.

***MS***

It was apparent from the state of undress that morning had arrived for the two sisters.

But despite it being the next day, the issues that had come to pass between Ronja and Sonja last night were very much present. It looked like a battle of wills had sprouted out from yesterday's confrontation.

The younger twin's stubborn will had come to the surface upon having had enough of Ronja's laziness when it came to academics, and the need to use what the younger twin had so diligently worked on.

'' Hmph... gotta hand it to her for her diligence in weapon prowess; she has become so strong and skilled in that department. And I must concede to the truth that my older twin has been, and is, far better than me in chess. And Maces and Talons, '' Sonja thought with a sigh she sat upright on her bed, occasionally glancing over in the direction of the other bed.

'' Still, I still can't believe how lazy she has been in her studies.'' Sonja thought with a scowl aimed at her sister who was still laying in bed, watching and waiting for her to choose her outfit and put it on.

Sighing in exasperation, Sonja gave up and started choosing her outfit for the day. She knew she couldn't dawdle in the bedroom for too long. They needed to get up soon and go downstairs for breakfast soon if they wanted to eat something before cycling to school.

'' That's another attribute I can't take away from my older sister. When she puts her brain to good use she has a cunning mind. And that masked game face she puts on whenever she competes with anyone is just perfect, not showing a flicker of how she may feel at any given time. Unless she allows that flicker to appear in order to put the other player out of his or her comfort zone,'' Sonja thought in frustration as she put on the last of her clothing and turned around.

Only to find Ronja already out of bed and standing at the drawer as she quickly chose her outfit.

'' And there it is, that tiny smirk in the corners of Ronja's mouth in the midst of a game is enough to make a shiver run down my back! It's creepy when it disappears as quickly as it does. Like NOW!'' she thought, wide-eyed.

She could feel her skin crawl slightly in shock at realizing her sister was playing mind games on her even this early in the morning.

Turning away quickly, Sonja began to put her hair into a tight, complex fishtail-braid that began from the very top of her head. From the corner of her eye, she could see Ronja putting her hair in a simpler braid that, though simple, was tight and unlikely to unravel much.

When the two finally turned to fully face each other, their eyes tired from the still clinging drowsiness and with brows furrowed in scowls.

Neither had given the other the morning greeting, and the silence was deafening as they finished getting ready for school.

***EMS***

'' I have seen that expression on you so often when we play those games against each other,'' Hiccup exclaimed, shaking his head as he turned to face me.

'' Oh Thor! Maces and Talons test the expertise of the decision-making abilities of future Chiefs in the heat of battle. Ronja won't be the next Chief,  but she could very well be seen as a strategist, '' Fishlegs exclaims from his seat on the ground.

'' My grandfather was a professional chess player and he had to learn to school his expression into a blank mask so that his opponent couldn't read his intentions during the game. I guess I'm just a natural at that,'' I said rather dully as I petted Anca who crooned and nudged me on the chest.

Her golden eyes looked sad; she must have sensed my mood, well.

'' I've seen that blank mask before, too! Most prominently in the aftermath of the last Dragon raid on Berk, when I followed you into the forest!'' Snotlout exclaimed.

I whirled my head around to face the boy who looked at me with a sideways look, seeming to shiver slightly at the memory.

'' I really looked like that when I made you... you know... ?''

'' You did! And it was quite creepy, actually, to be on the receiving end of that look. Especially when you had me practically pinned against the tree-trunk as you laid out the ultimatum,'' Snotlout answered with a grimace.

'' Yeah, I remember that particular incident very well,'' I answered sheepishly.

'' And I'm sorry for forcing you to keep a secret like that. I just, panicked, that I could get thrown out of Berk and into an unknown world. Well, Berk wasn't really my home until fifteen months ago, but my mother had been born on the land. And so, since the beginning of my unexpected life there, I felt a deep connection to the island.''

'' I understand, now. And in the end, things really did turn out for the better. I'm glad I held on to my promise of not telling anyone,'' Snotlout answered with a tiny smile.

Fishlegs, Astrid and the twins all looked confused by our conversation whilst Hiccup gave Snotlout and me a knowing glance.

My cousin was the only one I had told what had happened with Snotlout in those woods that very same evening my uncle had told Hiccup and me that we would be joining Gobber the Belch's Dragon Training.

'' RONJA! SONJA! BREAKFAST IS READY! COME DOWN TO EAT BEFORE SCHOOL!

Our attention was brought back to the screen by the amplified voice of my mother on the screen.

***MS***

Sonja slumped down the stairs, sighing, to join her parents for breakfast. She could hear her sister follow, but there was a considerable distance between the two of them.

The deafening silence stayed between the siblings, as Sonja grabbed her plate and cup from the usual place beside her older sister's dishes and stomped over to the other side of the table where she flopped down on a chair beside her mother.

And Ronja was making a point to her by sliding her own plate and cup closer to her father and moved the chair until so it was a nearly touching distance from Klaus's knee.

Klaus and Stryka shared a shocked, confused glance even as the mother reached over to pour milk into the twins' cups of cornflakes.

There was also a plate of rye-bread sandwiches with butter, slices of cucumbers, ham and cheese. There was also a carton of apple juice on the table, alongside the carton of milk that the mother set back down on the table.

Stryka and Klaus waited until the twins were almost finished with their breakfasts before the father asked,'' What is going on between you two, Ronja, Sonja?''

'' Whatever do you mean, dad? Nothing is wrong,'' Sonja answered shortly, taking a sip of her apple juice.

'' Yeah, we're totally fine,'' Ronja echoed, taking a bite out of her last sandwich.

The parents shared another glance with each other.

'' You think your father and I haven't noticed that something is clearly the matter?!'' Stryka exclaimed incredulously.

'' The fact that you two are wearing different outfits is a clear sign that things aren't as they should be,'' Klaus added, shaking his head in disbelief.

Ronja suddenly sprang to her feet, eyes drawn to the table as she muttered, '' Twin arguments, mom and dad! Nothing more, and nothing less! I'm going to school now. Catch up when your ready, Sonja!''

And with those words, the slightly older twin took off running towards the front door, calling over her shoulder.

'' Bye, mom, dad! See ya after school!''

Sonja sprang to her feet, mouth open as if to call out something to her sister, but before she could the door had opened and slammed shut behind the girl who hurried straight to the shed outside.

The contraption that modern people had named a 'bike', and what Ronja and Sonja used to get to the school faster, had a frame, pedal-piece, saddle, handlebar and two wheels.

And it was one of these this objects that Ronja ran straight to once she had unlocked the door to the shed

Ronja quickly mounted her bike and took off, her strong legs propelling the contraption forward along the long path towards the school she went to during school season.

Meanwhile, the younger of the two girls still stood rooted to the spot in the kitchen dining area, gazing down at the table's surface.

'' Sonja, please tell your father and I what's going on between you and your sister,'' Stryka solemnly prompted her daughter.

'' Its 'Twin Secrets', mom. I can't tell you or dad because it's something between the two of us,'' she sighed, hugging her mother and her dad when he came around the table to give his child a comforting hug, too.

'' Bye, mom, dad. See ya after school,'' Sonja murmured as soon as her parents had pulled away.

She looked quite sad as she walked towards the front door at a slow pace, grabbing her red backpack along the way and making a mental note that though her sister had left in a hurry, Ronja hadn't forgotten to grab her own backpack from the coat-rack beside the door.

***EMS***

I looked at the paused scene with sad eyes.

'' I really was a horrible sister to you back, Sonja. Gods, do I regret it now,'' I thought, just as Astrid spoke up rather vehemently.

'' WHY were you so angry at your sister? I can understand Sonja's annoyance because you were using her notes for your own homework! But why were YOU annoyed at her? She didn't deserve any of that!''

'' Your right, Astrid, she DIDN'T deserve ANY of that! ''I sighed and rubbed a hand across my face.

'' But it wasn't until that piece of news that our parents were going to take us on that ski-trip to another country, that Sonja had fought against me on that particular subject. I was naive to assume she would never go against me, and therefore it was a great shock to have her do it. I didn't quite know how to process the emotions that followed and so I lashed out at her. This... avoiding each other went on for over a full moon cycle until things started returning back to normal.''

'' Why couldn't you deal with her going against you?'' Astrid asked as she folded her arms with a huff.

'' Well, Ronja and I used to be inseparable since we were babies. And so I was immature, demanding and a bully to my poor sister. I've been trying to change for the better, Astrid.'' I answered with sadness clear in my tone of voice.

Astrid nodded thoughtfully at me even as Hiccup, Fishlegs, Snotlout Ruffnut and Tuffnut whispering quietly amongst each other.

I could hear other Vikings murmuring amongst themselves in the background, as well.

''Ronja.''

I turned my eyes to my father who was looking at me with solemnity and pain in his expression.

'' You and Sonja should have talked to your mother and me about what happened between the two of you that night of the argument.''

I swallowed hard against the dryness in my throat, feeling the burn of tears in the corners of my eyes that I now had to desperately hold back and nodded firmly.

I was unable to vocally express my words of consent to his chastising.

'' But there is nothing we can... do about the matter, now. Only... try to remember to talk to me if you ever find yourself in an argument or 'falling out' with a friend, okay?''

'' Y-yes dad, I- I'll remember,'' I practically croaked out and wiped my hand over my eyes as dad leaned forward to stroke my hair and squeezed my shoulder comfortingly with his free hand.

I squeezed the hand on my shoulder when I realized my dad's eyes were shining with unshed tears, too.

For a moment no one else spoke, and before anyone could, the screen turned back to life again.

***MS***

https://youtu.be/1PiBvRnr4zM

Ronja's disappearing acts became a frequent occurrence during the weeks that flowed by; going right past the day of their twelfth birthday.

The older sister often disappeared somewhere without her younger twin ever finding her whereabouts until at a time she reappeared from wherever she'd gone on her own. But Ronja seemed to have realised that it was in her best interest to study academically like her parents, and Sonja had wanted her to do all along.

But instead of asking her own sister for assistance in her studies, Ronja had turned to their mutual friends. She became their mutual friends study-buddy.

Sometimes Ronja even took a trek into the woods or took the rowboat to a small island about a kilometre from the sauna-house to where she could be in solitude as she read. 

But it wasn't that she didn't ask her parents for advice; she asked them for it when she truly felt stuck with her homework.

...

'' Oh Sonja, I'm so sorry,'' I thought, struggling to hold back my tears again when I could see just how miserable my younger sister looked on the screen every time she was shown trekking home on her own after I'd slipped away without telling her where I was going.

...

During these following months the twins, while having to see each other at home and in school, were resolutely staying apart from each other.

The seldom times Ronja did study at home, the siblings' eyes would often meet, but the other would not acknowledge the other's want to communicate through Twin- Intuition. They would speak to each other, but only in the presence of other people.

The battle of wills was still going on, with no apparent end in sight, and with neither wanting to be the one to call it a truce.

...

'' Though Sonja looks like she wants to talk; to make the competition come to an end,'' I thought, biting my lower-lip rather hard.

...

Slowly, but surely, Ronja's intellectual marks had improved and the teachers had been quick to notify it to her parents who, while extremely impressed and happy to give their daughter support and praise for her growth, where still mulling over the existing rift between Ronja and Sonja.

And what that rift was causing mentally.

Ronja was being reclusive and quieter, keeping her nose in books when she was annoyed by something, whilst Sonja had come to let out her pent-out frustration more and more through full-out spars against her mother during weapon training.

***EMS***

'' Again, why did I ever think it a good idea to treat my sister so callously?'' I thought mournfully before Hiccup quietly cleared his throat.

'' You know, Ronja, I do remember you seeking solitude every time something really wrangled your patience. You never let out steam through yelling or by wielding your weapons at trees.''

I quickly turn my attention to him as Hiccup's comment was punctuated with a small nervous laugh. My cousin's words may have been spoken with attempted humour, but the expression in his eyes was just as sad as mine.

'' But that game-face made you look a bit scary, really,'' Fishlegs commented, shivering slightly.

 I sighed in disbelief.'' Really, that scares you, Fishlegs? '' I thought.  

'' And why's that, Fishlegs? Do I look scary as I brood in silence like my father sometimes does when something annoys him?'' I asked, forcing an amused smirk to my face.

'' You do get that silently brooding thing from me, really, but I think what scares them is that your blank game face comes in as well,'' my father pointed out with a small, forced chuckle.

'' Well, I've never been able to focus on my weapons if I'm full of anger over something. I always miss a throw or get pummeled by my sparring opponent, and the last thing I needed was to physically express my frustration and anger at someone,'' I spoke out loud, shrugging my shoulders. (*1)

The 'Twins' shared thoughtful glances between each other before looking at me with surprisingly genuine sympathy. I thought I saw tears glistening in the corners of Ruffnut's eyes, but I could have been wrong, too.

I swallowed thickly. 

It wasn't like I was in the position to have earned their sympathy, or anyone else's, as all that we had seen had been my fault! 

Snotlout lowered his hands on my shoulders and I could feel him give them a comforting squeeze.

Even all the dragons (who probably could feel the mood in the room very well) among us looked at me with expressions I didn't deserve.

At least, my cousin, Fishlegs and Astrid were still showing me all the 'respect' I deserved. Which was to NOT to give me looks of sympathy for the 'mess' I'd made on my own! 

Despite feeling like I shouldn't be in the position to allow myself the comfort, I allowed my head to drop on his shoulder as Snotlout shifted a bit closer. 

There was such a comforting warmth radiating from him, that I couldn't help myself.

End of Chapter 11

...

Author's Notes:

Disclaimer: 

I loved the children's book, Double Act by Jacqueline Wilson. The sibling rift between Ronja and Sonja was influenced by the said book. 

I want to put in a Copyright notice just in case.  

(*1) Hiihtoloma was originally a one week's holiday given to school children in February that was supposed to be spent skiing.  

(*2) Now, who does that remind you of? Probably runs in the family, eh? :)

P.S Constructive criticism is always welcomed by the Author