Chapter 2

Symbolic

Every heart is made by hand

Their talents to each their own

No single soul is mirror to another

Not one a copied frame

A one-off heart though, is not complete

The edges marked and scarred

Each fits to another, and they to more

Combined then they are whole

"So, any ideas in particular why we're all branded now, and you're not anymore?" Astrid asked the next morning. "I mean, you still have your gifts; nothing else changed."

I shook my head as we headed out the back door onto the deck. "No, turns out I still have my own pattern," I replied, pulling up my sleeve and turning my arm over. There, just above my wrist on my forearm, was the spiral of scales that had formerly decorated my forehead. There was one, very notable, difference however: in the very center, a symmetric pattern resembling a menorah was formed of small, golden scales, and the pale white spiral spun out from it.

We all had just gotten up, having slept for a fair amount of time that morning while my father took Holly to school. Now, we were about to head into Berk and find the other teens, or anyone else who might have noticed something strange. "Let's wait to discuss the rest of this until we're actually in the village," I suggested, heading out through the grass and to the portal. On the other side of the shimmering divide, the trio's dragons had spent the night waiting, and as we stepped through they quickly bombarded me with questions (okay, so we had forgotten to let them know about the impromptu sleepover, and they were worried). Once those were answered, the other teens mounted their dragons and we took off.

It had rained on the island the night before, so the air was thick with swirling fog. Normally there would still be snow on the ground at this time of year, but ever since the fight with Jezebel, and subsequently the diversion of the bomb energy I had conducted, Berk and the surrounding area had been experiencing a localized early spring. Not that anyone was complaining about the nicer weather, however.

Anyway, as we glided through the fog, I morphed to a Mist Dragon, blending in and enjoying being out of view, and we approached the village square. Somewhat unsurprisingly there was a gaggle of Vikings below, most notably the rest of the gang as well as Stoick. As we landed, Snotlout zeroed in on me and marched forward, holding up his arm in accusation.

"I don't have an issue with scars or birthmarks or whatever, but when they just appear in the middle of the night for no good reason I'm blaming you," he vented.

"No, actually Snotlout, they appeared at the same time as the eclipse last night," Fishlegs spoke up. "Remember, I was the one who went around waking you all up because I found them first?" "Yeah, well, I'm still blaming Hawken," Snotlout deferred, glaring at me. "So, what did you do?"

"He didn't," Hiccup answered instead. "They happened on their own, and it was triggered by the eclipse like Fishlegs said." He turned his head, bearing the bolt across his own neck. "Even Hawken's little scale thing changed places and appearances for some reason."

"Well, do ye have some idea why this occurred?" Stoick asked. "I've checked with the other villagers, you six are the only ones who had something like this show up."

We all shook our heads. "Not yet," I replied, "but I've got a guess, even if rudimentary. Perhaps we should head up to the house so we can actually get down to the bottom of this." With agreement from the others, we all headed up single file to the chief's house, and went inside to gather around the table. Most of the dragons stayed outside of course, though Toothless followed us in and lay down in the corner by the fireplace.

I glanced around the table. "Alright, so I already know Astrid has what looks like a pair of crossed blades on her arm, and Hiccup has a lightning bolt on his neck." "I also found this earlier this morning," Hiccup interjected, turning his arm over and revealing his left wrist. Just above it on his arm was a shape not unlike that of the Viking symbol for the Strike Class, a Night Fury with wings hooded and half open, and its tail curving inward toward its body.

I frowned. "Okay, that complicates things. Uh, Snotlout, what about you?" The burly teen held up his arm again, revealing a darkened patch that looked like a decorated war hammer. "Your guys' all look cooler than mine," he grumbled. I shrugged. "Why, what does Fishlegs have?"

Said Viking pulled the collar of his vest down, revealing on his neck what looked like an etching of a scroll, and within the scroll, three letters that were unmistakably Hebrew. I was still rusty with my understanding of the Hebraic alphabet, so I looked to Ember. "So, can you read that?" I asked. She nodded and walked over to Fishlegs, who blushed slightly at the close proximity, but tilted his head so she could get a better view. After a couple seconds of scrutiny she looked at me, then at Fishlegs. "It's one word, says 'emet'. It means truth."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tuffnut asked. I smirked. "I think it means Fishlegs has been officially marked as the scholar of the group." "Why do you say that?" Fishlegs queried. "You have a scroll that says 'truth' on your neck," I explained. "You're a gatherer of knowledge, though maybe it means that skill is going to be enhanced somehow. Perhaps it's your job to decipher what everyone here needs to know when we encounter something new."

Suddenly a thought occurred to me, and I sat bolt upright. "That's it!" "What's it?" Ember looked at me quizzically, followed by everyone else. I gestured to the marks again. "That's what they're probably for. They're symbols, our strengths or representations of what we are in the team. Remember what Odin said when we met them the first time?"

"Yeah, how we were going to be a great team from here on out," Astrid replied. "So we've been marked like you were, to portray that?" I nodded. "And mine changed to reflect that. A menorah is a balance, a mirror to multiple parts of one object that complete each other. I was the first, so in a way I hold the team where it is." I pointed to Fishlegs then, followed by Snotlout. "Fish, you're the bookworm, the scholar in the group. You decipher what's reality, and what's not. Snotlout, you and Fireworm are probably the best examples of blunt force in the group, intimidation and strength. That's what the hammer on your arm means."

"What about us?" Tuffnut asked, holding out his arm. "Ruff and I both have these odd spears." Indeed, on their wrists were identical images of serrated spears, both ends bearing a different kind of blade; one long, the other short and curved. I grinned. "You're both fast, reckless, adaptable. You're better suited for battle than everyday life, and we've all seen this. And you both are of the same talent, so you both have the same symbol." I glanced at the two remaining girls. "Ember, we already know what your birthmark-slash-symbol stands for: temperature control, fire. And Astrid: swords are weapons of speed, skill, and intelligence. You're fast, the best warrior here, and you have extreme talent in hands-on combat. You're a tactical master."

Then, I turned to Hiccup. "We already know what yours mean as well," I toned, smiling. "The lightning bolt on your neck is like the power Framherja wields. It's also speed, intelligence, and electricity is a major factor in technology and invention so I think that part speaks for itself."

"Like there's anyone who doesn't know he's an inventor," Astrid drawled. I nodded. "And, of course, the dragon symbol I think mostly explains itself. Dragons might listen to; respect me, but they like you. You're the dragon whisperer." Hiccup shrugged. "Yeah, okay, so I do have a knack for getting along with dragons, but I don't see why I need to be marked for it," he said.

The smile appeared on my face again. "I think I do." I walked over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Then, I gestured for Toothless to join us, and he got up and padded over to Hiccup's side, where I placed a hand on his head as well. I looked at both of them intently, before closing my eyes and focusing for a second. A wave of energy rolled through my arms, and I felt both Hiccup and Toothless flinch for a second. Then, I opened my eyes and stepped back.

Hiccup blinked, scratching his neck, before looking at me oddly. "Uh, okay, what was that?" he queried. I chuckled. "You'll find out soon enough," I replied, glancing from him to Toothless. "Both of you will."

A buzz went off in my pocket, and I reached down and pulled out my phone. "What are you doing?" Hiccup asked. "Checking the time, what else?" I replied, flipping the phone open. "I do, unfortunately, have other things to do for a couple more weeks before I can just….oh, crap, I'm late for college!"

I turned and started for the door. "Sorry for skipping out so suddenly, but I wasn't planning on staying here that long," I apologized, pulling the door open.

::Have fun!:: Toothless barked sarcastically, knowing just how much I hated being in school. I turned to send him a glare as I backed out the door, and managed to catch the growing look of shock and disbelief on Hiccup's face. I grinned and replied, ::Don't worry, I will. Hey Hiccup, catching on yet?::

I laughed as I spread a pair of wings and took off, leaving both Viking and Night Fury with floored expressions as the others stared at them in confusion.

A/N-So, what happened to Hiccup and Toothless, any guesses? You'll find out the answer in the next chapter.

Apologies all to the late update of this story, but I was gone all weekend. Hopefully though, you're all still with me here! What do you think of the new installment? Let me know in a review!