Although her safe return was with little fanfare, Fjorm was thankful for reuniting with Ylgr lest she have to suffer from further losses. After having met the Askr trio and Kiran, they made their return trip home, back to the castle the Order of Heroes took sanctuary in. Not long did it take for some of their Heroes to take an interest in the little ice princess during supper, the five spectating the entire affair nearby.

"You're Fjorm's sister?!" Lissa's face beamed with enthusiasm. "It's great to finally meet you!"

"M-Mhm," Ylgr nodded, her voice timid and hesitant amidst the other more gleeful girls who sat near her.

Lilina chimed in. "Wow, you look just like her! If you were a little older, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference!"

"O-Oh, no, the two of us are as different as day and night. Fjorm is so brave, and strong, and kind… I-I'm nothing compared to her."

"Nothing? Surviving a Múspellian prison is a lot more than nothing!" the Ostian defended her new ally.

"And your hair is so pretty- and your scarf, too!" the Ylissean continued, ignoring her self-deprecating comment as she eyed up the soft, white scarf Ylgr wore. On each end brandished snowflake-like shapes, a common trait in Niflese design.

"T-Thank you. It was my mother's scarf, before she..." her voice trailed off as she looked to the side. "B-But you're pretty as well!"

Lissa gasped. "Really? I don't know, you're awfully prettier."

"No, you're prettier!" Ylgr stuck her tongue out in protest. "I wish my hair could grow long enough for pigtails."

"And miss out on that cute silver bob you have? No way!"

Maria, sitting next to her, cocked her head to the side. "Ylgr, do you have any other siblings?" she asked.

Ylgr paused for a moment from hearing the Macedonian princess's question. "...I have an older brother and sister."

"You have an older brother, too?" her tone of voice piqued from excitement. "Are they big and strong, like Minerva and Michalis?"

"Oh, very. They're very kind people, too," the little ice princess affirmed softly. A slight grin appeared upon her face. "I hope that one day, Hríd and Gunnthrá will come home, and we can all be family again."

Gunnthrá. Fjorm froze upon hearing their sister's name.

It was not even a month ago when it happened. After having finally reached Snjarhof with hope in their hearts that this war would finally be put to rest, they discovered that they were mere moments too late from saving Gunnthrá from the Múspellian ambush. Recalling the harrowing her older sister swallowed by Múspell's malevolent flames without a second thought sickened her, a thought that had tormented Fjorm since. To tell the poor child, after having lost her mother and her kingdom, that she had lost her eldest sister as well to Múspell would be nothing but sadistic, a callous act against her kind-hearted nature.

"Ylgr, Ylgr! You wanna come play with us?" Elise's chipper voice sliced through Fjorm's train of thought. The Nohrian princess had ran up to the little ice princess with her Hoshidan equal, Sakura, following close by. "We know a whole bunch of games we could play, and we can teach you, too," she added.

Little Ylgr rose her head up, curious of what the two had to offer. "What kind of games?"

"Hmm… how about hide-and-seek?" Elise offered. "We'll hide, and you go and find us. It'll help you learn your way around the castle, too!"

Ylgr thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Okay! That sounds like a lot of fun."

Maria gasped. "Oh, oh! Can I come?" she begged, skipping with excitement.

"Me too!" joined Mist, who had overheard the conversation nearby.

"The more, the merrier!" Elise welcomed the other two girls. The bunch got up from the table and ran off, giggling and chattering away amongst themselves.

Sharena sat herself down by the table with her brother and fellow comrades. "I won't lie, I was a little worried Ylgr would have a rough time, but look at her go!" she commented. "We've just got here and she's already made friends with some of our Heroes!"

"Though she may not seem like it now, but Ylgr was the most curious of our siblings. She was often one to sneak off to meet our people," Fjorm told Sharena. "Once she's settled down with the Order of Heroes, she'll be sure to have befriended everyone- perhaps she'd have even more than you, Sharena?"

"Hey, friendship isn't a race!" Sharena argued. "If making friends is her game, then I'll gladly help!"

Alfonse sipped upon some water, placing his cup down on the table. "I'm glad that Ylgr has found a place within the Order of Heroes. However, I'm still reluctant to put Ylgr on the battlefield. Haven't you had enough loss, Fjorm?"

"I have, but Ylgr seems eager to help us," Fjorm rose from her seat, preparing to leave to presumably ensure her little sister's safety. "For Nifl, for mother, for Gunnthrá… we'll do whatever it takes. Just give her time to prove herself."

Kiran was oddly silent, having not even touched their own food nor spoke in the conversation. They were happy for Fjorm- the last thing she needed was further loss of her siblings. But there was something that didn't sit right with them; a crucial detail, unnoticed and overlooked. Not all was well in this unity of siblings, and Kiran felt it in their bones. Perhaps it may not be something they ought to dwell upon, however, they thought to themself...

"Right, Kiran?"


Author's Addendum

I've noticed a lot of comments on Ylgr being Loki- that was the point.

The final quote in the fic refers to the quote Ylgr said in-game, "Right, Kiran?"

It's that quote (and the bit about Hellbindi having a little sister) that allows us to conclude that not all is sunshine and daisies and it may be Loki's doing.

While we can easily see through most of Loki's disguises, I doubt she'd try to butcher one that'd allow her to worm her way into the Order of Heroes undetected. Knowing that Ylgr was held hostage by Múspell, utilizing Ylgr's visage would be the easiest way for her to get in.

After all, nobody would suspect anything malicious out of an innocent little girl- especially if that little girl is the youngest Princess of Nifl.