SOOO this is a new thing that came to mind after seeing the new promos for Thor: Ragnarok, and Fenrir is in it! I mean we all know that Hela is, but Fenrir! So excited!
Always been interested in Loki's history, in particular his kids, considering that our Loki is also an Archangel in hiding. Does that make them all Nephilim, or are they still technically pagan gods and goddesses? THEY CAN BE BOTH!
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!
The sun beamed down on them in the middle of the mountain meadow, warm and protective, covering them in a blanket of warm glowing light. Wind rustled through the flowers making the meadow appear to be dancing in tune with their excitement and playing. It rustled through the thick fur of the large wolf, laying curled like dogs do, large gray head resting on it's front paws as it tracked the others movements with its large red eyes.
It was a joyous day, a day where they could all be together without fear of punishment or upset, and a day where the youngest among them seemed so determined to take their first steps.
Beside the large wolf lay curled in the warm sun, basking and baking in the heat and glow, was a large snake. Scales rustling in the breeze as the large beast adjusted and settled. They both watched their youngest closely as one stood on shaky legs, little fingers curled around their fathers, in case they needed to swoop in to keep the little one from falling at the last moment.
Father usually caught them, but it was not wrong to be on the safe side of things, especially with their young cubs.
"You can do it cub, we know you can, come on now."
The little one smiled widely at the wolf, giggling happily, and raised a single pudgy foot. The rest, a woman and a large horse, held their breath as they watched in anticipation.
"That's it Vali, that's it, one foot in front of the other", the father smiled when the little one turned to look up at him, eyes shining bright golden in the excitement for such a feat made by his youngest, "You can do it kiddo!"
Vali giggled again, a happy child, and stumbled his first step, they cheered for him only eliciting more giggles from the boy and watched as he took another step. He stumbled forward happily, sloopy steps, reaching his little fingers out for the large furry wolf. It lifts its massive head and looks up at him, head lulling to the side in a tilt.
"Make him walk to you."
Eyes turned to meet their parent, Vali had already made it so far, he didnt want to risk breaking it now.
Behind them there was a commotion from the other little one, identical to the mobile child save for the tufts of unusual red hair, whined at not being down there with his other half.
"Fenrir take your brother."
The wolf leaned forward on his paws, taking the little one up by the back of his jumper and pulled him back with him, settling him between his large front paws nipping at him playfully. His young sibling giggled and reached up for his soft furry face, cooing softly when he got himself a nuzzle from his sibling.
Father reached for the other, taking him from the arms of his sister, and set him on his feet as well. Fenrir turned back around again, laying his head back down, little Vali cuddled up closer petting at a large silky ear, giggling when it would flick in reaction.
"What's the matter little one?"
"Perhaps Narfi does not want to be left behind now that Vali has shown he can walk."
Watching, just as excited as they had been for the first one, they cheered on for the second twin as he too took his first wobbly steps into actual toddler-hood. Narfi giggled and reached up for his father, smooshing his little hands to his face, and giggling when he stuck his tongue out like that.
"I think your right bucko, I think you got it in one."
He tickled at the little one's belly for a bit smiling at the soft chatter among his children and as their youngest slowly drifted off to sleep. It was better this way, for when the elders had to return to where they had come from, locked away and out of sight, they missed their big siblings dearly and it hurt them all to have to leave them behind.
Preferring to do so when they slept as to not cause their tears.
Fenrir gve his youngest brother back to his father, standing from his place in the meadow, stretching to work out the kinks and wake his muscles. Father took the little bundle and leaned up to kiss the wolfs snout.
"Be good. Don't pull to hard. I promise I'll get you out."
Fenrir licked his cheek and nuzzled in close for a moment before nodding his massive head in understanding.
Hela was next to go, his lovely beautiful daughter, with a kiss to his cheek and a gentle hand brushing over the cheeks of the two sleeping babes.
It pained him to have to watch his children go, after such a great day they'd had, knowing the loneliness and torture they faced when he wasn't there to protect them. One day he'd get them back, they'd be a proper family again. In a large nice home in the country side.
The large horse stood next, stretching its legs and shaking out its mane, nudging his father with his head and bidding him farewell for now as well.
"You do so good, keep doing what your doing, it won't be long."
The scales shifted again as the enormous snake sat up, uncoiling itself and sitting straight up again. It sounded like a soft thunder as it moved but it did nothing to disturb the little ones soundly sleeping on his parents lap.
Last time they had gotten together they had gone swimming, he had carried them on his back through the vast ocean waters, Fenrir behind him, the others on the shore.
"Make sure you eat lots of fish and stay healthy."
The snake nudged him and nodded his large scaled head.
Gabriel sighed as he set the two kids to bed, tucking them both in snug like and smiled faintly as they cuddled into each other. He wouldn't fail them like he had the others.
He vowed it.
There was something about waking up soaking wet in the middle of some marsh after being stabbed that was somewhat irritating, forget the fact that they had just risen from the dead (hallelujah) they were now soaked and covered in dead grass and other underwater floating plants.
A hand reached up through the water, pulling up weeds and other such plants, as they reached a hand up to their head flinching at the insistant pounding of a killer headache taking form and making a home within their head.
"Careful, it's going to be a bit disorientating, move slowly Gabriel."
He turned, flinching at the sudden harsh movement, and grimaced.
"You...", he coughed at the disuse of his own voice, "You been sitting there long?"
"Long enough to see you take your breath of life."
Gabriel gave a hard glare, "And you didn't think to get me out of here before I got all gross and wet?"
"I didn't cross my mind when trying to put the grace back within you, my apologies, next time I shall remove you before putting your core back together again."
The dark hand reached out for him, and the fingers curled around his in that achingly familiar way that had the come back dying on his tongue for a moment, letting himself be pulled from the marsh and up onto dry land. He stumbles a bit as his muscles readjust to being useable again. The hand moved up from his and to his shoulder, steadying him before he fell back into the nasty water.
"Well thank you Raph, I hope that you do", Raphael rolled his eyes at his brothers form of thanks for bringing him back frm certain eternal death and gave him a suspicious once over when the Messenger smiled, "Want a hug?"
"Don't think about it little brother."
"Come on! Surely you missed little ole me! Let's hug it out like the good old days!"
Raphael pushed him away, but like he had when he'd been a small fledgling, the younger bounced back and jumped into the larger archangels arms, wrapping around his midriff and pressing in as close as he could making sure to share his coating of grime and marsh plants and water.
"See now this is nice! I can feel the love!"
He felt arms slowly curl around him and he smirked into his brother's chest, his voice rumbled under his ear.
"Perhaps you will feel more then love later, little brother, theres more then enough time to get reaquanted with one another."
Gabriel stiffened, trying to pull away but those arms wrapped around him kept him in place, "What? What do you mean?", his brother chuckled, "Raph? Raph!"
Raphael had to do a double take and a moment to process it.
"You have children?"
Gabriel nodded, looking at the brochures on the table, and reaching for another cookie from the plate next to him. His older brother wasn't so distracted by this revelation of his baby brother having his own fledglings to not stop him from having another cookie when he'd clearly had enough and smacked his reaching hand away.
"You've had enough. You have children?"
"I thought we'd been over this, yes, I have six kids. They're awesome! You'd love them! And they'd love you, and the littlest one! Oh they're adorable!"
Gabriel didn't find anything he wanted and instead snapped himself up a cheese pizza, falling on the bed behind him, he ate a bite and then another and stopped. His mind stuck on his children and the promise he had made them all those years ago.
"You're upset."
His older brother was watching him, eyes careful and taking in every detail, "You're concerned for them?"
The younger archangel nodded setting his pizza aside.
"We shall find them. Where to first?"
Their first stop in finding his brothers children, his nephews and niece (something that Raphael kept having to mouth to himself whenever he got the chance because his mind could not wrap around that fact) was in the middle of some Scandinavian mountain over a thousand feet over sea level.
Raphael followed his younger brother dutifully, having promised to stay back as to not frighten whatever it was that had been locked up here, and he grimaced as he swatted a branch out of his face before he ran into it.
"Tell me again why we had to walk here?"
The Messenger muttered something that sounded like 'talking to a brick wall' and stopped to look over his shoulder, "I told you already! If this is who I think it is we don't want to frighten him."
Something in front of them rumbled softly, "I thought angels would be smarter." A voice echoed through the trees and foliage, rough and deep, startling both archangels. Raphael reached for his blade and froze mid motion when Gabriel shook his head and his hand shot out to grab his, keeping him from moving.
He shook his head, 'Don't. He's no threat to us.'
Raphael nodded once but didn't seem so sure, still he retracted his hand and left the blade in his inner jacket pocket, trusting his brother over anything.
The ground shook as something large moved, like the mountain itself was shifting, "Show yourself."
A low growl echoed around them and Gabriel bristled, taking it as if it was some sort of disrespectful tone, and he straightened.
"Do my ears decieve me? The prodigal father returns for his inprisoned children."
Gabriel planted his hands on his hips and glared at the dark space before them, the elder raised an eye brow as he watched silently, "Now, that's no way to talk to your dad kiddo. Don't be rude Fenrir."
There was a pause and then a huff, Raphael backed up a step when a large dark head lowered, teeth stark white against the night, a massive wolf stared at them with familiar gold eyes and he knew immediately that this was one of his brothers children. No one in this universe had those colored eyes, save for one and only one, and his blood kin.
It growled lowly, ears flattened against its enormous head, baring its teeth threateningly. A paw dug at the ground, stamping, and his eyes were drawn to the red ring of flesh wrapping around like a gruesome bracelet of sorts, red and inflammed just above the paw.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Gabriel didn't move an inch in either direction, meeting his eldest son's glare head on, eyes glowing that same Archangel Gold. He watched the show for what it was and huffed lowly.
Then, in a flurry of a moment, reeled back and smacked the enormous snout with the flat of his palm. It wasn't hard, too hard, but enough that the smack echoed around them in the silent trees.
"You don't speak to me like that, you understand me."
The massive beast blinked once, twice, whining lowly, "You-"
Gabriel raised his hand again, "Down."
It sniffed and lowered itself until its large underbelly lay against the the floor of the forest, it lay its head down on two massive paws, huffing a breath going crosseyed when a finger was pointed at him sternly. It was strange for Raphael to see his brother, this one in particular, act so serious.
"Apologize."
"I apologize for my disrespect father."
Gabriel's stern facade faded out and he smiled, stepping forward with his arms open.
"Hey little pup! How you been buddy! Papa missed you!"
He hugged the massive wolf's neck and scratched a spot under the large ear, smiling when his tail wagged, it brushed up a wind that shook the trees and Raphael looked up as they shook. His brother pressed his lips to the snout and turned to look to his paws.
"Aww Fenny what happened pup? I told you not to pull at it too much."
Gabriel beckoned the Healer closer and the wolf was on edge in a moments notice, growling once, quick and soft, Gabriel spun back up and pet the soft snout.
"No no Fenny this is your uncle, Raph is a good guy, he'll fix you up new again. Let him take a look."
"Healer?"
"What else might I be Nephew? Let me see your wounds so I may heal them."
He wasn't going to question why his brothers child, the first one, was a giant wolf. He just wasn't. He's seen more strange from Gabriel and has learned that its often times best to simply let it go.
Raphael reached out for the large paw and pressed his hands to the torn flesh. Fenrir huffed and whined, nudging him with his nose, and he looked up once.
"It is alright dear nephew, just a moment now, it won't hurt much longer."
His grace was warm, tingly even as it spread over the wound, wrapping around it like a bandage. The warmth was soothing and he sighed, dipping his head back down, and Gabriel rubbed his hand through the fur under his ears again assuring him that it was almost over.
For a moment it burned painfully and then it was over.
Fur regrown over the raw flesh and the pain was gone for good.
Raphael waved a hand upwards, "Stand now, let me see it, stand up."
Fenrir did as instructed and stood, pawing at the ground again and sitting back he lifted his paw to examine it. Yelping in satifaction he bent, shrinking to the size of a normal, semi normal, wolf, and licked Raphael's hand in thanks.
"Many thanks uncle, it is like new."
He pet the soft head, "You are most welcome, young one."
"Fenny, not that I'm not happy about it, but how exactly are you free?"
"The chains faded once Odin was killed. I ran and did not look back."
Gabriel nodded and knelt, "What about your siblings?"
" I do not know much, I was fearful to go back, Odin cast Jormungand into the Seas of Midgard ages ago, I am sure with his demise that his ties are broken and he wanders looking for us. Hela has long since accepted her position, she has found friendship in another cast away soul, another prisoner of the underworld."
Raphael stiffened behind Gabriel and the Messenger felt it, but it was an issue for another time, and another time they would most certainly discuss it.
"Slep? The cubs?"
Fenrir watched the other archangel carefully, Hela had shared much with him of her new little friend, and he wondered how could be said of his father and his own sibling.
"Sleipnir has long since been gone. He ran as soon as the stables were destroyed during battle. Vali and Narfi ran into the forest and we have not seen nor heard from them since. I have been wandering in hopes of finding them."
Gabriel felt his insides twist. His youngest, his pride and joy, little Vali and Narfi. His twins, they had been small when he'd last seen them, barely two years old. Just having learned to walk. They would be so big now, nearly ten years old, he had missed out on so much of them growing up and it broke him in ways he did not think that he could be broken.
His brothers hand on his shoulder was a comfort that he hadn't realized he'd missed so much.
"We will find them, all of them, together. And then you will be a family again, I swear it."
And that was not to be taken lightly, Raphael didn't just swear to anything, he only did that when he well and truly meant it.
"No brother, we will be a family again. All of us. Together."
Gabriel smiled up at him and they locked gazes for a moment, their graces weaving together like they hadn't done in so so long. It was like reuniting with a long lost platonic love. So perfect together and so full, it was truly an amazing feeling.
It was comforting and empowering all in the same breath.
And they both turned back around again in sync.
Fenrir regarded them both and looked down again, whining in self shame, "I am sorry father, I swore to protect them but my cowardice got the best of me. I have failed you and them."
Gabriel shook his head, bending again, and holding his furry head with both hands whiskey eyes staring into golden, "No, no, Fenny don't ever say that. It is not cowardice to want to run away from the thing that causes you pain. It is real strength to admit fear then to pretend it does not exist. You have not failed me. Never. Never ever. Okay?"
He stared at his parent for a long moment and licked his nose with a warm wet tongue causing Gabriel to smile and Raphael to smile, "Yes father."
"He speaks truth nephew", the elder archangel looked down at him with a gentle look, tone softening given the circumstance, "He is very proud of you. More then he can put into words, though he may try, and trust me when I say he does try."
Gabriel and Fenrir knew a jab when they saw one and gave different reactions; Gabriel glared at his brother in mock offense, and Fenrir snorted in amusement.
"Come, I do believe that is a winter storm rolling in above our heads, let us return indoors."
The Messenger nodded, standing, and with his hand a top his son's head and the other wrapping around his brothers, they disappeared just as the first fall of cold white fell to the forest floor.
They found themselves sitting in chairs near the windows, watching the snow fall in drifts around steaming cups. Gabriel clutched a mug of Belgian hot chocolate close and his older brother a mug of warm green tea.
Health nut.
He turned to peer over at his son, stretched out in a apt impersonation of a dog stretched out sleeping on the master bed. He kicked every now and then as he dreamed something in his head that had him running or jumping. Fenrir hadn't looked so peaceful in a long time, and part of him knew that the one he had to thank for that was the archangel sitting next to him.
This was his house after all, which was something he was still trying to figure out, there was much about his brother that, no matter how well he knew him, was still a mystery to him.
There was much about Raphael he didn't know about. His brother had secrets, good once, juicy secrets, that he knew nothing of.
Speaking of, "Raph?"
"Hmm?"
"There was something I meant to ask you, it was something that was said and the way you reactd to it, but obviously there was a time and a place and that was not it."
"Mhmm, what is it?"
Gabriel regarded his brother for a long moment, mauling over if he should bring it up or not, "Who is the boy? The one Fen mentioned? You stiffened like you knew who he was talking about?"
Raphael didn't look over at him, focused on the falling snow instead, "It was nothing."
"Really? That didn't look like nothing. I saw your face bro. You went all broken on me for a moment and stiffened up like old playdough left out too long. Who was he?"
"He was nothing. Leave it alone Gabriel."
"Fen said that Hela said his name was Isaiah."
That got him a reaction, Raphael's hand clenched around his mug so tight that it nearly cracked under pressure, and he turned with blazing eyes. Gabriel held up a hand in a placating manner at his upset brother, it was not so often that he so lost his temper that sparks jumped from him, but it did happen on occasion.
"I said leave it Gabriel. It's nothing. And don't ever say that name."
"Woah woah woah, calm down, okay, was just curious. Forget I asked. Won't do it again."
For now.
Raphael nodded, temper fading as he took a sip from his mug, and turned to watch the snow fall again silently. Silence rang loud in the room after that, Gabriel watching his brother from the corner of his eye as he too turned back to 'watching the snow'.
There was something there, he knew something, was hiding something. And Gabriel would get it out of him, even if it took him all eternity and watching his own children's children come over with their children, he'd find out.
Cause no one reacts like that to nothing.
SOOOO! Continue? Is this a keeper? Tell me what you thought! Don't be shy! Are they going to find the others? How exactly did Raphael bring Gabriel back? Is Raphael keeping secrets? Does Fenrir know them? Who is the boy that Raphael doesn't want to talk about? Will Gabriel find out?
Tune in next time to find out!
